Gaby Book 26 On The Edge by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2021 Madeline Bell Seventeen - it's a birthday overshadowed by its predecessor and successor and Gaby's looks set to follow that pattern. There are however big decisions to be made, should she grab life by the horns and experience everything it has to offer or take the more conservative, safer route through life. This volume, the 26th in the Gaby series has all the elements of classic Gaby, bike riding, teenage angst, developing relationships, grist to the mill for our heroine as life in the Ahrtal ticks on.

 
Thirty seconds should do it, twenty to get out of the building and ten to make my escape. I clicked the timer around carefully, none of this digital stuff that Q keeps trying to push onto me, nope good old fashioned clockwork for me, no chance of being interfered with. On the other hand, the latest two pack explosives do make things a little, er, safer.

I surveyed my handiwork, one small bang here and then a chain reaction will rip through the computer suite, the work of S.O.D.O.R. will be set back years by which time Her Majesties government will have their own satellite platform in place to track their activities. Oh I know we borrow from our allies the Americans now but recent experience suggests they aren't being entirely honest with some of the shared intel. But enough, time is of an essence.

Here goes nothing, I pulled the master drives from the array and secured them in my pack, one push on the timer and its game on. Of course as soon as the system noticed its core had disapeared the alarms started, there will be guards everywhere. A quick check of the corridor and I slipped out, losing the white lab coat in a convenient cleaners cart.

The staccato tap of my heels as I hurried towards my exit point reminded me that I wasn't exactly dressed for my escape, lets hope our inside man has kept his end of the bargain.

"There! After her.”

Bugger, spotted already, so much for plenty of time. One positive, they'll want me alive, they can't afford to shoot and hit the hardware. My brisk walk turned to a run, the heels had to go, I barely hesitated as I pulled them off, a quick twist of the heels and...

'KABOOM!'

Pity, I rather like Laboutin.

The flash bombs wouldn't delay pursuit long, it was easier to run in my stocking feet but boy, that floor is cold! I skidded to a halt at my exit point, quickly jabbing in the code but nothing, have we been double crossed? A second try and the door popped open, I hesitated only to put a round into the mechanism, it should slow them long enough.

It was perishing cold beyond the door, well it opened directly onto the mountain, there as agreed were skis and suitable footwear. I ripped off the dress to reveal the skin tight race suit I was already wearing, I almost jumped into the boots, click, click, click, pull on the goggles and away.

Getting in to S.O.D.O.R.'s mountain top lair had been easy, Dr Marten was a bit of a sov, now I like a drink as much as the next gal but the good doctor could compete at the Olympics. It had been easy enough to sedate her, Max had made short work of both that and cloning her ID with my details. It had actually been a pleasant ride up the mountain in the cable cars but not very practical to return when being pursued.

I pushed off over the edge onto the steep down slope, the first explosion sounding behind me. Hmm, maybe forty seconds next time. Of course, I didn't get far before the first signs of pursuit, the staccato retort of sub machine gun fire, sounded behind me.

The mountainside seemed to erupt with guards, I'll give them that, S.O.D.O.R. haven't stinted on manpower. The sound of gunfire fell away but not the pursuit, lets face it, its nigh on impossible to shoot and ski, a situation I fully intend to take advantage of. I'm glad I spent that week in Klosters before Christmas, the Swiss ski team are no slouches, even off piste.

Getting off the mountain was always going to be a challenge, no dry run and everything looks completely different to the satellite pics when you are doing forty miles an hour across the snow. I swerved around a rocky outcrop only to find myself airbourne for several seconds before a less than elegant landing.

"Ya-argh!”

Clearly one of my pursuers needs a bit of practice on the slopes.

 
There, over to the left, the cable car, I can follow that down. Nothing is ever that simple, to get there I had to cross a mogul field, not my strong point on two planks. Left, right, up, down, keep it relaxed Bond, I misjudged almost the last lump, instead of hugging the ground I found myself doing a forward somersault from a surprisingly steep ramp. Oof! Well, I'm still upright at least.

I made a spectacular turn around the first cable car pylon but there in front was a snowmobile and the passenger has what looks very much a rocket launcher, bum! The first missile exploded off to my right but still showered me with snow and ice, I kinked left, need to ruin his aim.

Boom! A second explosion just ahead of me, damn, back the other way then. I turned back towards the cablecar, kaboom! But there was more, a vibration beneath my skis then a murmur, no a rumble, damn, those damned rockets have set an avalanche and I'm in its way. I'm no expert but one thing I do know, you can't out ski an avalanche, you need to get out of its way.

I chanced a look back up the slope there were still three figures on skis chasing after me but behind them, oh bugger. Well I suppose this calls for plan B then. Now if I remember rightly, that next pylon is at the top of a cliff, but can I get there before the mess of destruction following me down the mountainside.

Down into a speed crouch, I picked out my takeoff point, well here goes nothing, lets just hope Q gave me the right backpack.

The rumble behind was added to by screams as my pursuers were swept up and then I was over the edge, I pulled the toggle and phew, instead of plunging to almost certain death I was jerked upwards as the parachute canopy filled with air and caught a thermal. Clearly not all of S.O.D.O.R.'s men had perished, the rat a tat tat of automatic fire rent the air, close enough to nick the canopy but I was moving further away from the immediate danger, now all I have to do is get back to terra firma and make good my exit.

There was a crackle in my ear, "You alright Bond? There's S.O.D.O.R. Operatives running around like blue arsed flies down here.”
"Fine, quite the view in fact.”
"Thank the lord.”
"I rather think Q had more to do with it.”
"As long as you're in one piece,” my assistant let out a breath.
"I guess landing in town is out, pity, I saw a nice dress in Atelier Josef I wanted to try. Best bring the car up to the cabin Max.”
 
Maddy Bell © 05.04.2021