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seconds and the rebs would be out of sight. Two, one - gone. Hmm, just a few more secs and she won't be able to talk at all.
    The attention-seeking tap had become a full-on whack on her thigh, so Gideon let go of her
package and turned to peer in the direction of Dr Rossi's pointing finger.
    Breaking cover from the foliage behind them - but moving diagonally across the path not directly
down it towards them
- was trouble. The rebel, who was still about 12 metres distant, vanished back into the garden, only
to repeat the crisscross manoeuvre a couple of seconds later.
    Jana, who'd only seen a hulking shape doing a slow zigzag, nodded to indicate she understood from
the Commander's light touch on her shoulder and lips, that she should stay low and silent.
    A moment later - as the entire island began exploding around her - she found herself alone on the
path.
    A thunderous series of detonations accompanied Gideon's crash into the vegetation. While grateful
for the cover provided by the superfluous destruction of Laui resort, she also registered the
curious but distinctive click-bang-reverberation of the explosions. As every explosive device owned
a particular sound and a unique blast wave, or 'atmosphere-smack' as the Redbacks called it, Gideon
wondered who the hell was using time-coded C4. She knew it wasn't her team, which meant either the
PRA had booby-trapped the island, or the Americans were redefining overkill.
    She crouched and waited a little behind the spot where the stray rebel should cross in another
two moves, if her timing was right and assuming he hadn't dug a hole in the sand to hide from the
chaos.
    Seven seconds later he passed within a breath of her position.
    Gideon tackled him around the thighs, rammed her shoulder into his lower back and sent him
face-first to the ground. She sprang to her feet then dropped again, driving one knee heavily
between his shoulder blades. A quick jab to the left side of the rebel's head, and the guy was both
down and out.
    'Commander!' It was Dr Rossi. 'Help!'
    Gideon crashed back onto the path to discover belatedly that trouble comes in pairs. A second
man had already found Dr Rossi.
     
    Jana had been dragged to her feet by the very large man who'd materialised out of
the dark much closer than the rebel the Commander had gone after.
    'I'm not armed,' she'd said, holding her empty hands out. 'I'm a hostage.'
    'You escape,' he shouted right in her face, twisting her collar till it choked her, 'you
pay'.
    Jana tried to kick him but the man held her at arm's length, while his right hand searched his
belt for something. He clamped a large knife between his teeth. His pants were also suddenly around
his ankles.
    Oh crap . Jana struggled even harder.
    The rebel released his chokehold to grab her arm instead. He dragged her close, ripped at her
collar and forced her to the ground and onto her back.
    'Commander!' Jana screamed, as the rebel straddled her legs. She could feel his naked arse and
worse on her thighs.
    'Help!' she yelled, as he opened his mouth to let the knife drop. He caught the hilt in his hand
as Jana continued to squirm and kick. 'Get off me, you bastard!'
    Jana screwed her eyes shut as the bastard thrust his hips forward to lurch over her body. She
flexed every muscle in her torso to withstand the force and weight of his body. But it never came.
    It started raining instead: a quick passing shower.
    Jana opened one eye. The rebel and what was left of his head lay sprawled on the path.
    The Commander loomed over her instead. 'Dr Rossi, you okay?'
    'Yes. Thank you,' she said, accepting the hand up. 'Your timing, though impeccable, could have
been fa…faster.' Jana started shaking, with rage - or something.
    She looked down and noticed her T-shirt was completely ripped apart and covered in wet stuff, as
was her now bare chest and stomach.
    'Here,' Gideon said, unbuckling and handing over her flak-vest. 'Give me your shirt.'
    Jana just stood there frowning, the vest