— 26 —
It was no decision, really.
"This is Foxtrot Six," Bull said over the group push. "Proceed to phaseline Lavender." He glanced at his watch. "Increase speed, tanks forward." The way things were going, he saw no reason to slow down until they reached the mountains.
Outside of Glendale, the hill to his left loomed larger. It was far enough away that he couldn't detail a skimmer squad to check it out, but near enough to worry him. He allowed it to distract him, knowing that Dyer was guarding the more vulnerable flank on the open plains, although Dyer had showed himself to be a bit too eager in his declaration of the securing of Glendale. That's why it took more than a moment for Bull to notice the groundcar approaching his convoy on the road.
His reactions were still swift. "Foxtrot, ground!" He braced himself as Timmons reacted to the order. "Approach that vehicle, Timmons!" Bull ordered. The supertank lurched as Timmons poured power into the fans and lowered the nose of the tank to let it gain the speed he had started to kill.
The groundcar halted before Bull's tank reached it. A figure emerged. Bull restrained himself as he realized it was unarmed.
"Cover me!" Bull ordered, grabbing his sidearm and jumping from the tank. The figure beside the car started toward him. "Forget it," Bull told his crew. The first strides of the figure had told him exactly who it was.
Bull licked his lower lip and tasted the blood that was still fresh where it had been split the night before. He asked himself if this was why he had gone toward the mountains. How quickly events can make one forget, he mused, and then reality brings the past into sharp focus once more. Standing before him, long hair flowing, was the girl he and Peter Smyth had fought over the night before.
"Donna," Bull said to her. "Go back home."
She was startled, and faltered. "You?" She looked behind him. "Peter, too?" Bull nodded. "Then it's just as well I came. I would have come anyway, not knowing who it was."
"What?"
"There are two tanks up ahead, beyond town. They're in the forest east of the road waiting to ambush you," she told him quickly. "I heard about it from a farmer. I knew someone would come. I had to give this warning." She looked up into his eyes. "I'm glad it was you."
"Thank you." He turned to go back to his tank, then turned back again. "Donna—"
She leaned up and kissed him. "There's still a choice to be made," she told him.
Bull frowned, shaking his head. "There is no choice." He caressed her cheek. "There never was a choice." He dropped his hand and turned away. "Thanks for telling me," he said as he left.
Back at the tank, Bull pondered. Donna Mills had no great reason to love him, although at one time she thought she might. Her family lived in Nickel Run, at the foot of the Crags. It was just possible they had been taken captive and used to force her to give him that information. Maybe the enemy hoped to slow him down, to confuse him, or force him to turn away. It was possible.
If Bull disregards Donna 's advice, turn to section 33.
If Bull decides to act on Donna Mills's advice, turn to section 31.