in the opposite direction. The luge’s runners rasped over the icy ground as it skidded, going almost side-on down the track before he shoved down the toe of one boot to act as an anchor and swing him back into line.
He was only doing about thirty miles per hour – but lying just inches off the ground with his head out front like a bony bumper, it felt more like a hundred and thirty. The ride was horribly rough, not even the snow on the track smoothing his descent. Another curve ahead. He shifted his weight again, the sled this time turning in a slightly more controlled manner. The wall whipped past a hand’s breadth away.
The lights of the cable car swung back into view as he came out of the bend. He was already gaining. If he kept up this pace – and didn’t kill himself first – he would overtake it well before it reached the village . . .
A new sound over the grind of metal on ice. An engine.
The harsh rasp was unmistakable. A snowmobile.
He didn’t dare look back to find it. The luge was still gaining speed, the track twisting through a stand of trees. Another wall rushed at him; he slammed down a foot and rolled almost fully on his side to swerve away from it. Too fast, nearly out of control – but the snowmobile was closing, its engine snarling as it bounced over the terrain. He was trapped by the track’s confines, but the other driver could take the quickest route to intercept him.
The luge ploughed through a hump of snow, the explosion of powder briefly blinding him. Gasping, he put both feet down to slow the sledge, the ice scraping viciously against his toes.
Another curve, his sleeve brushing the wall as he strained to make the turn. The snowmobile’s engine was briefly muffled as he passed behind a large snowbank. He had almost caught up with the cable car—
The snowmobile’s muted roar suddenly became a terrifying howl as it burst over the top of the bank and swept down into the track directly behind him.
Its headlight pinned him in its glaring beam. Eddie now had a clear view of the track ahead, but a crash was no longer the greatest danger. He looked back. The snowmobile was less than ten feet behind, twin front skis slashing through the ice.
The engine revved. The gap closed. He brought the luge skittering round another bend. The snowmobile followed, its rider feathering the throttle to hold it in a controlled skid before applying full power again. The light grew brighter.
Eddie braced himself—
One of the skis bashed against his foot. The impact knocked the sled round, sending him at a wall. He desperately tried to counter it, but overcompensated. The luge wriggled like a fish beneath him, almost throwing him off. He was forced to jam both feet down against the track to keep control – and the snowmobile rammed him again, harder. Pain shot through his ankle as his foot was almost crushed under the skid.
The snowmobile dropped back slightly, then revved again, rushing forward to run him over . . .
Another curve – and the wall was partly covered by a snowdrift. Eddie flung the luge into a sharp turn. It hit the wall – but the drift was just thick enough for the runners to ride up over it.
Even so, the impact flipped him off the sled. He sailed helplessly through the air. Trees loomed ahead—
He missed a trunk by less than a foot, smacking down in deep snow beyond it. The luge thunked off the tree and spun away in pieces.
His pursuer turned hard to follow him. The machine slammed over the wall, going airborne—
And smashing straight into a tree.
The snowmobile exploded, a boiling orange fireball lighting up the little forest. Eddie shielded his head as burning debris rained down around him. He waited a few seconds, then cautiously sat up.
The snow had cushioned his landing, but he was still sore and woozy, ankle throbbing from its run-in with the skid. He shifted, putting experimental weight on it. The effort made him wince as pain spiked through the joint. He was still able to move, but running after the cable car would hurt . . .
The cable car! He looked up. It would pass almost directly overhead in seconds. He was still some way from the village, and without the sled there was no way he could possibly catch up before it