TAPS RECOILED AS the nearest mountaintop erupted in a sheath of flame. Most if not all the tanks below were destroyed or damaged beyond reasonable repair, but Taps had caught a glimpse of a Sovereignty bomber as it made a pass on one of the rocket teams across the valley.
"Dammit!" said Derick, dropping the binoculars and fumbling to don his parachute. "We have to get off the mountain!"
"No!" Taps said, shoving the binoculars back into his hands and loading another rocket. "We have to take out that bomber or else our people on the ground are goners. Spot me an angle."
"Butª"
"We don't have time to argue, Derick! Spot me or jump!"
Derick sucked in a sharp breath and pressed the binoculars to his eyes, his head darting from side to side.
"There," he said. "A little to the east, wheeling around for another approach."
"Taking aim."