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corner behind the cabin bulkhead。〃
Pitt took a radio headset that was hanging on the arm of his seat and clamped it over his ears。 Then he struggled out of his seat and clutched both sides of the open cockpit door with his hands to stay on his feet during a sharp turn。 He plugged the lead from the headset into a socket mounted on the bulkhead and hailed Giordino。 〃Put on your headset so we can coordinate our defense。〃
Giordino didn't answer as he mashed down on the left pedal and skidded the craft around in a flat turn。 As if he were juggling； he balanced his movements with the controls while slipping the headset over his ears。 He winced and involuntarily ducked as another rocket tore through the air less than a meter under the belly of the helicopter and exploded in an orange burst of flame against the palisade of a low mountain。
Grabbing whatever handhold was within reach； Pitt staggered to the side passenger door； undogged the latches； and slid the door back until it was wide open。 Shannon； her face showing more concern than fear； crawled across the floor with a cargo rope and wrapped one end around Pitt's waist as he was reaching for the automatic rifle Giordino had used to knock out the Peruvian pilots。 Then she tied the opposite end to a longitudinal strut。
〃Now you won't fall out；〃 she exclaimed。
Pitt smiled。 〃I don't deserve you。〃 Then he was lying flat on his stomach aiming the rifle out the door。 〃I'm ready； Al。 Give me a clear shot。〃
Giordino fought to twist the helicopter so that Pitt would face the blind side of the attackers。 Because the passenger doors were positioned on the same side of both helicopters； the Peruvian pilot was faced with the same dilemma。 He might have risked opening the clamshell doors in the aft end to allow the mercenary rifleman to blast away with an open line of fire； but that would have slowed his airspeed and made control of the chopper unwieldy。 Like old propeller…driven warbirds tangling in a dogfight； the pilots maneuvered for an advantage； hurling their aircraft around the sky in a series of acrobatics never intended by their designers。
His opponent knew his stuff； thought Giordino； with the respect of one professional for another。 Outgunned by the military mercenaries； he felt like a mouse tormented by a cat before being a quick snack。 His eyes darted from the instruments to his nemesis； then down at the ground to make certain he didn't pile into a low ridge or a tree。 He yanked back the collective and broadened the pitch of the rotor blades to increase their bite in the damp air。 The chopper shot upward in a maneuver matched by the other pilot。 But then Giordino pushed the nose down and mashed his foot on the right rudder pedal； accelerating and throwing the craft on its side under his attacker and giving Pitt a straight shot。
〃Now！〃 he yelled in his microphone。
Pitt didn't aim at the pilots in the cockpit； he sighted at the engine hump below the rotor and squeezed the trigger。 The gun spat twice and went silent。
〃What's wrong？〃 inquired Giordino。 〃No gunfire。 I run interference to the goal line and you fumble the ball。〃
〃This gun had only two rounds in it；〃 Pitt snapped back。
〃When I took it off one of Amaru's gunmen； I didn't stop to count the shells。〃
Furious with frustration； Pitt jerked out the clip and saw it was empty。 〃Did any of you bring a gun on board？〃 he shouted to Rodgers and the petrified students。
Rodgers； tightly strapped in a seat with legs braced against a bulkhead to avoid being bounced around by Giordino's violent tactics； spread his hands。 〃We left them behind when we made a break for the ship。〃
At that instant a rocket burst through a port window； flamed across the width of the fuselage； and exited through the opposite side of the helicopter without bursting or injuring anyone。 Designed to detonate after striking armored vehicles or fortified bunkers； the rocket failed to explode after striking thin aluminum and plastic。 If one hits the turbines； Pitt thought uneasily； it's all over。 He stared wildly about the cabin； saw that they had all released their shoulder harnesses and lay huddled on the floor under the seats as if the canvas webbing and small tubular supports could stop a forty…millimeter tank…killing rocket。 He cursed as the wildly swaying aircraft threw him against the doorframe。
Shannon saw the furious look on Pitt's face； the despair as he flung the empty rifle out the open door。 And yet she stared at him with absolute faith in her eyes。 She had e to know him well enough in the past twenty…four hours to know he was not a man who would willingly accept defeat。
Pitt caught the look and it infuriated him。 〃What do you expect me to do；〃 he demanded； 〃leap across space and brain them with the jawbone of an ass？ Or maybe they'll go away if I throw rocks at them…〃 Pitt broke off as his eyes fell on one of the life rafts。 He broke into a wild grin。 〃Al； you hear me？〃
〃I'm a little busy to take calls；〃 Giordino answered tensely。
〃Lay this antique on her port side and fly above them。〃
〃Whatever you're concocting； make it quick before they put a rocket up our nose or we run out of fuel。〃
〃Back by popular demand；〃 Pitt said； being his old cheerful self again； 〃Mandrake Pitt and his deathdefying magic act。〃 He unsnapped the buckles on the tiedown straps holding one of the life rafts to the floor。 The fluorescent orange raft was labeled Twenty…Man Flotation Unit； in English； and weighed over 45 kilograms （100 pounds）。 Leaning out the door secured by the rope Shannon had tied around his waist； both legs and feet spread and set； he hoisted the uninflated life raft onto his shoulder and waited。
Giordino was tiring。 Helicopters require constant hands…on concentration just to stay in the air； because they are made up of a thousand opposing forces that want nothing to do with each other。 The general rule of thumb is that most pilots fly solo for an hour。 After that； they turn control over to their backup or copilot。 Giordino had been behind the controls for an hour and a half； was denied sleep for the past thirty…six hours； and now the strain of throwing the aircraft all over the sky was rapidly draining what strength he had in reserve。 For almost six minutes； an eternity in a dogfight； he had prevented his adversary from gaining a brief advantage for a clear shot from the men manning the rocket launcher。
The other craft passed directly across Giordino's vulnerable glass…enclosed cockpit。 For a brief instant in time he could clearly see the Peruvian pilot。 The face under the bat flight helmet flashed a set of white teeth and waved。 〃The bastard is laughing at me；〃 Giordino blurted in fury。
〃What did you say？〃 came Pitt。
〃Those fornicating baboons think this is funny；〃 Giordino said savagely。 He knew what he had to do。 He had noticed an almost indiscernible quirk to the enemy pilot's flying technique。 When he bent left there was no hesitation； but he was a fraction of a second slow in banking right。 Giordino feinted left and abruptly threw the nose skyward and curled right。 The other pilot caught the feint and promptly went left but reacted too slowly to Giordino's wild ascending turn and twist in the opposite direction。 Before he could counter； Giordino had hurled his machine around and over the attacker。
Pitt's opportunity came in just the blink of an eye； but his timing was right on the money。 Lifting the life raft above his head with both hands as easily as if it were a sofa pillow； he thrust it out the open door as the Peruvian chopper whipped beneath him。 The orange bundle dropped with the impetus of a bowling ball and smashed through one of the gyrating rotor blades 2 meters （about 6 feet） from the tip。 The blade shattered into metallic slivers that spiraled outward from the centrifugal force。 Now unbalanced； the remaining four blades whirled in ever…increasing vibration until they broke away from the rotor hub in a rain of small pieces。
The big helicopter seemed to hang poised for a moment before it yawed in circles and angled nose…first toward the ground at 190 kilometers （118 miles） an hour。 Pitt hung out the door and watched； fascinated； as the Peruvian craft bored through the trees and crashed into a low hill only a few meters below the summit。 He stared at the glinting shreds of metal that flew off into the branches of the trees。 The big injured bird came to rest on its right side； a crumpled lump of twisted metal。 And then it was lost in a huge fireball that erupted and wrapped it in flames and black smoke。
Giordino eased back on the throttles and made a slow circular pass over the column of smoke； but neither he nor Pitt saw any evidence of life。 〃This has to be the first time in history an aircraft was knocked out of the sky by a life raft；〃 said Giordino。
〃Improvisation。〃 Pitt laughed softly； bowing to Shannon； Rodgers； and the students who were all applauding with rejuvenated spirits。 〃Improvisation。〃 Then he added； 〃Fine piece of flying； Al。 None of us would be breathing but for you。〃
〃Ain't it the truth； ain't it the truth；〃 said Giordino； turning the nose of the craft toward the west and reducing the throttle setti