April jerked her own gun up. Slate caught her hand.
"Don't waste bullets," he said. "We're in one tough spot. When we run out of ammunition, we're in trouble."
"I know," April said. "I also know if we don't get them, they'll get us."
She started to fumble in her purse. Another flash of lightning cast its weird brief flare over them.
"They've seen us, Mark!" April cried.
"Yes, and so have the Khmerranians at the other end!" Mark said grimly. "Hang on, April! We're in for a tough fight!"
The girl from U.N.C.L.E. pulled a small object that looked like a package of chewing gum from her purse. Mark Slate caught a glimpse of it during a brief flash of lightning.
He opened his mouth to warn her against using the deadly U.N.C.L.E. protective device, but changed his mind. He realized that April had surely considered that it could easily leave them trapped on the ledge. If she had made the decision anyway, then it meant that her sharp mind saw a way out for them that was not apparent to him.
April Dancer took the stick of "gum" and stripped off the wrapper. She wadded the plastic-like material in her fingers after dropping the wrapper. Then she hurled the tiny ball down the trail toward the oncoming THRUSH group.
The whipping wind caught it and whirled it out and down the chasm. A second later there was a tremendous explosion as the super-powerful U.N.C.L.E. explosive went off with a terrific roar that momentarily blotted out even the noise of the storm.
The suddenly fearful THRUSH group halted. In the next flash of lightning April saw the rain drenched figure of the girl who had tried to murder her conferring with her male companions.
For a moment April decided what she should do next. Then making a desperate decision, she wadded another stick of the gum-explosive.
Instead of throwing it, she suddenly started to run toward the THRUSH group. As long as it was dark, she did well, but another blast of lightning in the sky betrayed her. It was a tremendous burst that lingered.
Avis saw her coming. The girl from THRUSH pressed back against the cliff to steady herself from the splashing wind that threatened her aim. She held the THRUSH gun with both hands and squeezed the trigger.
April Dancer threw herself back. She hit against the cliff as the bullet smashed into the rock beside her head. She dropped to her hands and knees as total blackness returned. Then she started crawling forward.
Mark Slate shouted to her, but the storm drove his words back down his throat. He could not follow. There was a momentary lull in the fierce wind. The Khmerranians, leaving the astronaut prisoner in charge of one of their group, were rushing him from the opposite direction.
Slate caught just a glimpse of them coming during the last lightning flash. Now he crouched, his U.N.C.L.E. special aimed down at the rain-swept trail. He waited for the next illuminating bolt.
When it came, April raised up. She had pushed the plastic explosive on to a piece of rock to make throwing it easier. Just as April started to throw the explosive she saw Avis Avalee leveling her THRUSH gun. It was April's last chance. If she missed this throw, nothing could save them.
She hurled the explosive just as the darkness closed in again. Avis' bullet, fired too hastily, went wild. For a terrible second there was nothing but the beat of the rain and the crash of thunder from the last lightning bolt.
Then it came! A tremendous burst of flame that ripped the rain apart. The trail ledge shivered and started to crumble.
April staggered back as the entire face of the cliff collapsed in the explosion area. The roar of the avalanche was louder than the fury of the storm.
The next bolt of lightning disclosed a huge scar in the cliff face and a cascade of stone rushing down into the river gorge. Where Avis and her THRUSH group had been, the trail was now gone.
April whirled. The Khmerranians had halted in startled fear when the avalanche came. She saw one of the men stagger and plunge off the cliff as Slate's bullet caught him.
April Dancer steadied herself and fired, knocking off another. The third tried to run, but his feet slipped on the wet ledge.
The fourth Khmerranian was so intent on trying to kill Mark Slate that he did not watch his prisoner close enough. As the native raised his gun to shoot, the astronaut lurched. He caught the Khmerranian with his shoulder. The native staggered, waving his hands wildly in an attempt to steady himself---and then plunged over the cliff into the darkness below.
At the next partial lull between the wind gusts, Mark State ran quickly to the astronaut's aid. April crept around to the broken end of the trail. It was shattered so badly there was no possibility of getting across it. Immediately they both showed the relieved astronaut their U.N.C.L.E. credentials.
"We'll talk later but let us know if there's a possibility of going the other way now," Slate asked.
"Impossible," the astronaut answered. "That's why my captors were bringing me back this way. The trail ahead is blocked."
"Then we're trapped!" Slate said.
"No!" April replied. "We still have some explosive gum left. I looked at the scar left by the avalanche. A couple of more explosions properly placed and there will be enough rubble so we can climb down to the river. Then it's just a case of eluding the entire Khmerranian nation to get back to Vietnam and safety."
"We can go down the river, running at night," the astronaut said. "I know where the Khmerranians left their boat. And the THRUSH people's boat should be close to it."
"Then we've won," Mark Slate said. "I'll report to Mr. Waverly."
He took out the pen communicator. The connection was bad because of the storm's electrical interference, but he managed to make himself understood.
"Excellent," Waverly replied.
"Why don't you two stop off at any spot you desire on the way back for a well earned vacation? Have yourself some fun."
"Fun?" April Dancer said.
"What's fun about lounging around on stuffy beaches and smoky cocktail parties? Find us another job so we can have some real fun!"
"Speak for yourself!" Slate said hastily. "There's a blonde in Honolulu that I'd like---"
"An empty headed nitwit!" the girl from U.N.C.L.E. said. "And besides, that blonde hair that so intrigued you came out of a bottle. Take my word for it. Please, Mr. Waverly, isn't there something for us?"
Waverly chuckled. "We can't have you getting bored, April," he said. "Or---have a blonde-out-of-a-bottle stealing our Mr. Slate. Yes, if you want it, we have another job---and a very, very difficult one."
"We'll take it!" April Dancer cried happily while Mark Slate groaned.
The Stolen Spaceman Affair Page 11