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British rescue forces…and British rescue forces alone…would know exactly where to find the iceberg； the station； Barnaby himself； and； most important of all； the spaceship。
The diving bell fell downward through the water…fast…with Shane Schofield clutching onto the piping on top of it。
Slowly； hand over hand； Schofield made his way down the side of the falling diving bell。 The big bell rocked and swayed as it careered downward through the water； but Schofield held on。
And then； at last； he came to the base of the bell and swung himself under it。
Schofield burst up inside the diving bell。
He saw Barnaby right away； saw the detonation unit in his hand。
Barnaby whirled around and drew his gun； but Schofield was already launching himself out of the water。 Schofield's fist shot up out of the water and slammed into Barnaby's wrist。 Barnaby's gun hand popped open in a reflex and the gun flew out of it and clattered to the deck。
Schofield's feet found the deck of the diving bell just as Barnaby crash…tackled him。 The two men slammed into the curved interior wall of the bell。 Schofield tried to kick Barnaby away from him； but the British mander was too skilled a fighter。 Barnaby crunched him against the wall and let fly with a powerful kick。 His steel…capped boot connected with Schofield's cheek； and Schofield flailed backward and felt his face slam up against the cold glass of one of the portholes of the diving bell。
At that moment…and for just a split second…Schofield saw the glass of the porthole in front of him； saw a thin crack begin to form in the glass right in front of his eyes。
But he didn't have time to ponder that。 Barnaby kicked him again。 And again。 And again。 Schofield fell to the deck。
〃You never give up； do you；〃 Barnaby said as he lay the boot into Schofield。 〃You never give up。〃
〃This is my station；〃 Schofield said through clenched teeth。
Another kick。 The steel cap of Barnaby's boot slammed into the rib that Schofield had broken during his fight with the SAS mando in the hovercraft earlier。 Schofield roared in agony。
〃It's not your station anymore； Scarecrow。〃
Barnaby kicked at Schofield again； but this time Schofield rolled out of the way and Barnaby's boot hit the steel wall of the diving bell。
Schofield kept rolling until he came up against the metal rim of the pool at the base of the diving bell。
And then suddenly he saw it。
The harpoon gun。
The harpoon gun that he had taken from Little America IV。 It was just lying there on the deck； right in front of his eyes。
Off…balance； Schofield reached for the harpoon gun just as Barnaby leaped down onto the deck in front of him and let fly with a brutal side…kick。
The kick connected and Schofield fell…harpoon gun and all…off the deck and into the small pool of water at the base of the diving bell； and suddenly he found himself outside the falling diving bell！
The diving bell plummeted past him and Schofield reached out with his left hand and caught hold of a pipe on the side of it as it rushed past him and suddenly he was yanked downward。
Schofield kept ahold of the harpoon gun as he wrapped one of his legs around the exterior piping of the falling diving bell。 He could only guess how deep they had fallen。
A hundred feet？ Two hundred feet？
He peered in through one of the small round portholes of the diving bell。 This porthole also had a thin white crack running across it。
Schofield saw the crack and suddenly he realized what it was。 The liquid nitrogen that had splattered against the diving bell up in the station was contracting the porthole's glass； weakening it； causing it to crack。
He saw Barnaby inside the diving bell； saw him standing on the small metal deck； saluting at Schofield； waving his detonation unit at him； as if it were all over。
But it wasn't over。
Schofield stared at Barnaby through the porthole。
And then； as he looked at Barnaby from outside the diving bell； Schofield did a strange thing； and in an instant the smile vanished from Barnaby's face。
Schofield had raised his harpoon gun…
…and pointed it at the cracked porthole。
Barnaby saw it a second too late and Schofield saw the British general step across the diving bell and scream； 〃No！〃 just as Schofield pulled the trigger on the harpoon gun and the harpoon shot straight through the cracked glass of the diving bell's porthole。
The result was instantaneous。
The harpoon shot through the cracked glass of the porthole； puncturing the high…pressure atmosphere of the diving bell。 With the integrity of the diving bell lost； the immense weight of the ocean pressing in all around it suddenly became overwhelming。
The diving bell imploded。
Its spherical walls came rushing inward at phenomenal speed as the colossal pressure of the ocean crushed it like a paper cup。 Trevor Barnaby…Brigadier General Trevor J。 Bar…naby of Her Majesty's SAS…was crushed to death in a single pulverizing instant。
Shane Schofield just hung there in the water as he watched the remains of the diving bell sink into the darkness。
Barnaby was dead。 The SAS were all dead。
He had the station back
And then he had another thought and a wave of panic swept over him。 He was still a hundred feet below the surface。 He would never be able to hold his breath long enough to get back up。
Oh； Jesus； no。
No。。。。
At that moment； Schofield saw a hand appear in front of his face and he almost jumped out of his skin because he thought it must have been Barnaby； that Barnaby had somehow managed to escape from the diving bell a second before it had…
But it wasn't Trevor Barnaby。
It was James Renshaw。
Hovering in the water above Schofield； breathing through his thirty…year…old scuba gear。
He was offering Schofield his mouthpiece。
It was 9：00 p。m。 when Schofield stepped back up onto E…deck。
It was 9：40 by the time he had searched the station from top to bottom； searching for any SAS mandos who might still have been alive。 There weren't any。 Schofield picked up various weapons as he went…an MP…5； a couple of nitrogen charges。 He also got his Desert Eagle back from Renshaw。
He also looked for Mother； but there was no sign of her。
No sign at all。
Schofield even looked inside the dumbwaiter that ran between the different decks； but Mother wasn't inside it either。
Mother was nowhere to be found。
Schofield sat down on the edge of the pool on E…deck； exhausted。 It had now been more than twenty…four hours since he had last slept and he was beginning to feel it。
Beside him； Renshaw's scuba gear from Little America IV lay dumped on the deck； dripping。 It still had the long length of steel cable tied to it…the cable that stretched back down through the water； down under the ice shelf and out to sea； back to the abandoned station in the iceberg about a mile off the coast Schofield shook his head as he looked at the ancient scuba gear。 Behind him on the deck sat one of the British team's sea sleds…a sleek； ultramodern unit。 The exact opposite of Little America IV's primitive scuba gear。
Renshaw was upstairs in his room on B…deck