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or themselves as well as the Cyclones； so they continued their cautious advance。 There was no sign of the enemy。
〃Do you think we lost 'em？〃 Lunk asked； poking his head above the grass。 He could see tall buttes and stone tors in the distance。
Rand answered him from nearby。 〃We must have…there's no way those things can follow a trail through the woods。 Believe me； I know。〃
〃How 'bout some food； then？〃
Rook showed herself。 〃You really take the cake； Lunk。〃
〃I wish I could…〃
〃First you nearly get us all killed； and now all you can think about is that selfish stomach of yours！〃
〃Drop it！〃 Scott said more harshly than was necessary。 He switched on his Cyclone briefly to read the system indicator displays。 〃You were right about those Protoculture cells； Lunk；〃 he admitted。 〃It's imperative that I get back to the Alpha。 Someone's going to have to draw the Invid off in case I'm spotted。 We can't let them find the ship。〃
Rand suddenly shushed him。 〃They're ing；〃 he whispered。
The team dropped themselves into the grass； raising weapons as they did so。 Minutes later； three Troopers could be seen patrolling the gorge； their scanners alert for movement on the cliffs above the river。
〃Everybody hold your fire；〃 said Scott。
〃How did they find us？〃 Rand said to no one in particular。
Annie put her hands to her breast。 〃I betcha they heard the sound of my heart pounding。〃
Rand stared down at the Mars…galant Scott had given him earlier； it was a long…barreled version of the sidearm blaster the offworlder wore； shaped a bit like an elongated closed…topped Y Time to go on…line with this thing； he said to himself。 But no sooner did he flip the switch than the Troopers stopped their bipedal patrol and turned on them。
〃Open fire！〃 Scott yelled as globes of fulgent energy formed at the muzzles of the Troopers' cannons。
Lunk； Rook； and Rand stood up； bringing their H…90's to bear against the invaders。 Phased…laser fire seared into the Troopers' armored bodies； while annihilation discs ripped into the cliff's grassy terrace； touching off violent fires and clouds of dense smoke。 Two more Invid appeared above the cliffs behind the team； adding their own volleys to the arena。
〃We've gotta get back to the trees！〃 Rand shouted above the angry buzz of disc fire and concussive detonations。
〃Lead them away from the Alpha！〃 said Scott。
〃You worry about the Alpha。 I'm gone！〃
Abandoning their Cyclones； the team broke ranks and began to belly…crawl their way through the grass back toward the tree line。 They scaled slope after slope； beating a circuitous retreat across each terrace。 The closest call came when Rook miscalculated and nearly slipped into a narrow ravine； but Rand was there for her； hauling her up and supporting her while they ran。 In the forest once more； they took to the trees and hid themselves high up in the branches。 Invid Troopers were walking sweeping patrols along the perimeter； two were actually braving the cool and dark mystery to probe deep into the woods。 Rand flicked his gallant on…line again as one of the latter group was passing beneath him。 Curiously； the Invid stopped short； its would…be head rotating upward。
Rand took a sudden； sharp intake of breath…not out of fear but from realization。 Of course！ he told himself。 At the river they stopped when I activated the power cell on my blaster。 And just now。。。
It made sense； but it was time to try an experiment to validate his findings。 He disarmed the power cell； and sure enough； the Invid lost interest and stomped off。 〃Yeah； that's gotta be it；〃 Rand said softly。 He was exhaling pent…up fear when something orange and menacing suddenly dropped on him from the branch above。 His throat refused to utter the scream his guts demanded； but he gave a start nonetheless； raising the weapon like a club； only to realize that it was Annie； upside down and dangling from her knees； carrot…colored hair like an unfurled flag。
〃Were you talking to yourself？〃 she demanded。 〃Were you？ Huh？〃
〃Don't ever sneak up on me！〃 Rand seethed。
Scott； Rook； and Lunk were on the ground now； telling Rand that the coast was clear。 Excitedly； Rand scrambled down out of the tree。
〃I think I know why we've been having so much trouble getting these blasted walking lobsters off our trail；〃 he announced。 He gestured to the weapon's on…line switch。 〃We've been giving ourselves away every time we switch on our Cyclones or our blasters。〃
〃How so？〃 said Lunk。
〃They can detect the bio…energy given off by our Robotech mecha。〃
Lunk helped Annie down from the tree。 〃You could be right；〃 he said to Rand。 〃Back at the river Scott left the panel gauges of his Cyclone on。 They could've homed in on that。〃
〃Right！〃 Rand agreed。
〃It makes sense；〃 said Scott。 It had never been an issue on Tirol； but then； there were a lot of things about Earth that separated it from Tirol。。。
〃Of course it makes sense；〃 Rand was continuing。 〃They thrive on Protoculture； right？ Well； it's like they can smell the stuff； the same way a shark is able to smell blood in the water。〃
〃Charming thought；〃 Rook said distastefully。
Annie laughed。 〃Mr。 Wizard！ You really thought that out by yourself； huh？〃
Rand smiled with elaborate modesty。
〃Sure doesn't happen very often； does it？〃 Rook scoffed。
Rand whirled on her。 〃Yeah？ Besides your looks； what have you contributed lately？〃
Rook's nostrils flared。 〃All right； that does it！ Let's step aside and settle this once and for all！〃
〃You sure you don't just want to get me alone in the bushes？〃 Rand said； smiling and stroking his chin。 〃Admit it…〃
〃Stop it！〃 Scott broke in； silencing the two of them。 〃Arguing among ourselves isn't going to help matters any。 We're supposed to be friends； in case you've forgotten。〃
〃Oh； is that so？〃 Rook said； arms akimbo。 〃Well； I don't remember him ever being a friend of mine；〃 she threw to Rand。
〃Then what the hell are you doing here？〃 Rand barked。 〃I didn't ask you along！ We don't need this kind of nonsense。〃
Rook and Rand faced off defensively。
〃Cool off；〃 Lunk told everyone。 〃There'll be plenty of time to scream at each other later。 But right now we gotta get back to