though. If we take a quad, we can use those bumps and rises for cover.’
‘And once you are there?’
‘We’ll just check things out. See if we can spot Khalid. Find out how much manpower the Scorpion has. Then we’ll report back here.’
Alex grinned across at Paulo and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Well done, Paulo! We caught up with them! You did it.’
‘Not quite,’ said Paulo, looking back at the steep slope they had just climbed. ‘I still have to get us over this thing.’
Ten minutes later they were back in the Unimog. ‘OK, everyone,’ cried Paulo, over the noise of the revving engine. ‘Are we ready?’
Alex and Amber braced their feet against the front of the cab, while Hex and Li gripped the armrests of their seats. Paulo had explained what he was going to do. He was planning to push the Monster around the bowl of the dune like a rider on the wall of death, until he had built up enough speed. Then he was going to drive straight at the incline and hope for the best. They only had one chance. If the Unimog lost momentum and slid down into the soft sand at the bottom of the dune bowl, there would be no way of getting out again.
‘Go for it!’ yelled Li, and Paulo floored the accelerator.
The Monster roared forward, sending up huge gouts of sand from the wheels. The cab leaned further and further over to the side as Paulo circled the bowl, building up speed. The Unimog rose higher and higher up the sides of the bowl and a cyclone of sand and dust whirled outside the cab. Alpha Force hung on, feeling as though their bones were being shaken loose inside them.
‘Here we go!’ yelled Paulo, twisting the wheel. The Unimog roared as he pointed its nose straight up the slope and Alpha Force were slammed back into their seats. They held their breath as the big machine tackled the incline, straining to climb higher and higher.
‘Come on!’ yelled Paulo. ‘Come on!’
And suddenly they were all yelling at the tops of their voices. ‘Come on!’ They strained forward in their seats as though that might help the struggling engine. Slowly, the windscreen of the Unimog filled with sky and Paulo watched, trying to judge the right moment to take his foot from the accelerator. It had to be just as the front wheels of the vehicle rolled over the edge of the dune crest. If he eased off too soon, the Unimog might end up straddling the crest on its belly or, even worse, rolling back down into the bottom of the dune bowl. He timed it just right, easing off as the front wheels tipped and allowing the momentum to carry them over the crest, then he slipped into first to take them down the far slope.
Two minutes later they were neatly parked in the wadi at the base of the dune, out of sight of the village. Paulo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
‘That was extreme,’ he sighed with a satisfied smile.
In the end it was Alex, Amber and Li who set off to recce the village. Alex had explained to Li that if she came too, they would have to take both quads, which lessened their chances of coming up on the village unobserved, but Li stubbornly refused to stay with the Unimog.
‘I’m coming with you,’ she insisted. ‘I’ve been sitting in the Monster doing sweet nothing all day.’
They took a twisting route, always keeping higher ground between them and the village. When they came to the last shallow rise before the settlement started, they left the quads hidden at the bottom of the rise and commando-crawled up the slope. Just before they reached the top, Alex signalled to Amber and Li to stay down while he checked things out. He was pretty sure they had not been heard or spotted, but there was no harm in being careful. Cautiously, he lifted his head above the top of the rise, then immediately ducked down again.
‘Bingo,’ he whispered.
Alex eased the binoculars up until they were resting on the top of the rise, then he peered through them as Amber and Li crawled up on each side of him.
‘And once you are there?’
‘We’ll just check things out. See if we can spot Khalid. Find out how much manpower the Scorpion has. Then we’ll report back here.’
Alex grinned across at Paulo and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Well done, Paulo! We caught up with them! You did it.’
‘Not quite,’ said Paulo, looking back at the steep slope they had just climbed. ‘I still have to get us over this thing.’
Ten minutes later they were back in the Unimog. ‘OK, everyone,’ cried Paulo, over the noise of the revving engine. ‘Are we ready?’
Alex and Amber braced their feet against the front of the cab, while Hex and Li gripped the armrests of their seats. Paulo had explained what he was going to do. He was planning to push the Monster around the bowl of the dune like a rider on the wall of death, until he had built up enough speed. Then he was going to drive straight at the incline and hope for the best. They only had one chance. If the Unimog lost momentum and slid down into the soft sand at the bottom of the dune bowl, there would be no way of getting out again.
‘Go for it!’ yelled Li, and Paulo floored the accelerator.
The Monster roared forward, sending up huge gouts of sand from the wheels. The cab leaned further and further over to the side as Paulo circled the bowl, building up speed. The Unimog rose higher and higher up the sides of the bowl and a cyclone of sand and dust whirled outside the cab. Alpha Force hung on, feeling as though their bones were being shaken loose inside them.
‘Here we go!’ yelled Paulo, twisting the wheel. The Unimog roared as he pointed its nose straight up the slope and Alpha Force were slammed back into their seats. They held their breath as the big machine tackled the incline, straining to climb higher and higher.
‘Come on!’ yelled Paulo. ‘Come on!’
And suddenly they were all yelling at the tops of their voices. ‘Come on!’ They strained forward in their seats as though that might help the struggling engine. Slowly, the windscreen of the Unimog filled with sky and Paulo watched, trying to judge the right moment to take his foot from the accelerator. It had to be just as the front wheels of the vehicle rolled over the edge of the dune crest. If he eased off too soon, the Unimog might end up straddling the crest on its belly or, even worse, rolling back down into the bottom of the dune bowl. He timed it just right, easing off as the front wheels tipped and allowing the momentum to carry them over the crest, then he slipped into first to take them down the far slope.
Two minutes later they were neatly parked in the wadi at the base of the dune, out of sight of the village. Paulo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
‘That was extreme,’ he sighed with a satisfied smile.
In the end it was Alex, Amber and Li who set off to recce the village. Alex had explained to Li that if she came too, they would have to take both quads, which lessened their chances of coming up on the village unobserved, but Li stubbornly refused to stay with the Unimog.
‘I’m coming with you,’ she insisted. ‘I’ve been sitting in the Monster doing sweet nothing all day.’
They took a twisting route, always keeping higher ground between them and the village. When they came to the last shallow rise before the settlement started, they left the quads hidden at the bottom of the rise and commando-crawled up the slope. Just before they reached the top, Alex signalled to Amber and Li to stay down while he checked things out. He was pretty sure they had not been heard or spotted, but there was no harm in being careful. Cautiously, he lifted his head above the top of the rise, then immediately ducked down again.
‘Bingo,’ he whispered.
Alex eased the binoculars up until they were resting on the top of the rise, then he peered through them as Amber and Li crawled up on each side of him.
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