CHAPTER ONE<br > Al~out tw<~ lm.dred feet helow the rid，~elme， die Thm]<br >Platoon of I) (:onlpan)luid set up ils Tactical Battle Sta.-<br >lion ill a d( pressi~.l snrromlded b~ patches of sag.hr.sh<br >amt seruh. A corner in a low rock ，:vail shehered it on two<br >sides， a large bo.lder clos， d i]t tlw lhird， a.d a parapet<br >shield stn.tH..，i :.:~~，ss t]. t~t) hid tlw h<，dv heal of its<br >{~ccupants from the. err.r-vigilant s， nsors of hostih" smvoil-<br > lance satellites.<br > Th，， set he ol，tsi& ~:~s d{ c~>ptiv~ l)q~m t as (:oh.an lifted<br >a tlap and peered oul. ki，，.!ping his li(~ad well back f}om<br >llie edge of tile canopy. The hillside b~ low th< post h ll<br >st0eply away， its t ea[ure.s tlec~miin~ rapidl) illdislhlet hi the<br > starlight before vanishing coniph-lely into the featureless<br > black of tile gorge beneadi. There was no lilO01i， aild the<br > sk~. ~:ls ( lear its ei~，stal. W]lt~ll his eves had adjusted to the<br > ~looHi， (:~llliiaii xllil]~d his attention to the lil~;.lrer groltnd<br > aiid ilil tho(ticalh scanned tile area iii which ttll twelll，~-<br > tiv~， lii~.!li of the platoon had been concealed ~i.lld niotionlei~s<br > Eir the past three hours. If thev liad undert ul their foxholes<br > and weapons pits the way he had sllown liieTn and niade<br > propt，r ilSO ()f the rooks and vegetation， they would stand<br > a good chance of escaping detection. To i;!ont use the<br >