<p>As you enter the town, you see a clan motorcycle parked in front of the gas station. Two men are crouched nearby, studying tracks in the dust made by the truck<ch.apos/>s tyres.</p>
<p><quote>We can<ch.apos/>t let these two get away,</quote> says Knott, as you approach the station stealthily. <quote>If they bring the others down on us before we<ch.apos/>ve fixed the truck, we<ch.apos/>ll be lucky to see the colony again.</quote></p>
<p>The two men are so interested in the tracks that they fail to notice you run across the street and take cover behind the gas station wall. Then the first clansman straightens himself and begins to walk towards the bike, while his partner remains kneeling on the ground, sifting through the remnants of the materials Haskell used to repair the truck<ch.apos/>s gas tank.</p>
- <p><quote>We gotta take <ch.apos/>em now, and we gotta take <ch.lsquot/>em quietly,</quote> whispers Knott, as he unsheathes his combat knife. <quote>There may be others in the neighbourhood. It<ch.apos/>s too risky to start shooting.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>We gotta take <ch.apos/>em now, and we gotta take <ch.rsquot/>em quietly,</quote> whispers Knott, as he unsheathes his combat knife. <quote>There may be others in the neighbourhood. It<ch.apos/>s too risky to start shooting.</quote></p>
<p>The second clansman is now rising to his feet. Knott pats your forearm and motions you to move with him as he gets ready to launch the ambush.</p>
<choice idref="sect251">If you wish to attack the clansman who is standing beside the motorcycle, <link-text>turn to 251</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect88">If you wish to attack the clansman who is rising to his feet, <link-text>turn to 88</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>You sleep deeply but not for very long: the truck comes to a stop barely an hour after you closed your eyes, and you are woken by the sudden lack of movement. <quote>Where are we?</quote> you ask, shielding your bleary eyes from the glare of the early morning sunlight.</p>
- <p><quote>Bout a mile from the border,</quote> says the captain, as he pulls open the tailgate latch and lets the heavy section swing down noisily. <quote>There<ch.apos/>s trouble up ahead. You two had better take a look for y<ch.apos/>selves.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote><ch.thinspace/><ch.rsquot/>Bout a mile from the border,</quote> says the captain, as he pulls open the tailgate latch and lets the heavy section swing down noisily. <quote>There<ch.apos/>s trouble up ahead. You two had better take a look for y<ch.apos/>selves.</quote></p>
<p>You and Sergeant Haskell stretch your aching limbs, and then ease yourselves down from the truck to take a look at your surroundings. You have stopped on a boulder-strewn highway that descends towards a town occupying a narrow mountain pass. North, beyond the sun-bleached buildings, the peaks of the Florida Mountains dominate the skyline. To the west of the town, another highway branches away at a junction that is marked with a battered road sign.</p>
<choice idref="sect126">If you possess a pair of <typ class="item">Binoculars</typ> or a <typ class="item">Telescope</typ>, <link-text>turn to 126</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect232">If you possess neither of these Backpack Items, <link-text>turn to 232</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>By keeping strictly to the alleys and side streets you are able to make your way deep into the heart of the city, avoiding the numerous clan patrols. At length you reach the banks of the Rio Grande and follow the river westwards towards your rendezvous destination. Your early encounters with Mad Dog<ch.apos/>s men have delayed you and now, as you hurry along the walkways and plazas bordering the river, you are fearful that you will arrive too late to join the others. You are hurrying along a walled sidewalk when you catch sight of the Stanton Street Toll Bridge less than 400 yards away. You are confident that it is the right bridge for it is the only one still intact. A glance at your wristwatch shows that you have less than ten minutes to spare.</p>
- <p><quote>The bridge is over there,</quote> Marine Knott says. <quote>It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it.If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>The bridge is over there,</quote> Marine Knott says. <quote>It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it. If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote></p>
<p>You set off, soon reaching a cluster of old US immigration offices standing at the approach to the bridge. As Knott predicted, Frankland and Haskell are waiting for you to show and, as you approach the buildings, they call you over to join them. They have already scouted the bridge and determined that there are four clan guards on the bridge itself, but none at all on the service walkway that runs beneath it.</p>
<p><quote>We<ch.apos/>ve less than an hour before the explosives are due to arrive,</quote> says the captain, checking his watch. <quote>Is everyone ready?</quote></p>
<p>You nod in unison. <quote>OK then. Let<ch.apos/>s go!</quote></p>
<meta><title>100</title></meta>
<data>
- <p>After considering the situation, Captain Frankland calls the team together in a room at the rear of the derelict caf<ch.eacute/>. <quote>We<ch.apos/>ve got two options, men,</quote> he says, quietly. <quote>Either we ambush the trucks before they reach the race track, or we hit <ch.lsquot/>em once they<ch.apos/>re inside. What d<ch.apos/>you think, sergeant?</quote></p>
+ <p>After considering the situation, Captain Frankland calls the team together in a room at the rear of the derelict caf<ch.eacute/>. <quote>We<ch.apos/>ve got two options, men,</quote> he says, quietly. <quote>Either we ambush the trucks before they reach the race track, or we hit <ch.rsquot/>em once they<ch.apos/>re inside. What d<ch.apos/>you think, sergeant?</quote></p>
<p>Haskell shifts uneasily, his face lined with concentration. <quote>I think we<ch.apos/>re gonna have t<ch.apos/> blow them once they<ch.apos/>re inside, sir. We don<ch.apos/>t know for sure which direction they<ch.apos/>ll approach from, and, considerin<ch.apos/> what they<ch.apos/>ve got on board, I doubt if they<ch.apos/>ll stop for anything until they<ch.apos/>re safe inside Michigan<ch.apos/>s HQ.</quote> You nod in agreement, as does Marine Knott.</p>
- <p><quote>Very well then. If we can<ch.apos/>t ambush <ch.lsquot/>em on the outside, we<ch.apos/>ll have to get inside the track and destroy <ch.lsquot/>em there. It<ch.apos/>ll make our chances of escape a whole lot shorter, but I agree with you<ch.emdash/>I reckon we have no choice.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Very well then. If we can<ch.apos/>t ambush <ch.rsquot/>em on the outside, we<ch.apos/>ll have to get inside the track and destroy <ch.rsquot/>em there. It<ch.apos/>ll make our chances of escape a whole lot shorter, but I agree with you<ch.emdash/>I reckon we have no choice.</quote></p>
<p>Having decided on a plan of action, Sergeant Haskell distributes the mines, one to each man. <quote>Set the timers to five minutes,</quote> he says, and demonstrates how to do this using his own charge. <quote>They<ch.apos/>re magnetic, so try to fix them to the fuel tank if possible. Failing that, place them as near to the explosives as you can get.</quote></p>
<p>You examine the heavy, saucer-like device and then carefully set its clockwork timer, according to Haskell<ch.apos/>s instructions. Finally, you flick across the safety cover so that it protects the detonator button, and slip the mine inside your Backpack.</p>
<p>Record the <typ class="item">Contact Mine</typ> on your <a idref="action">Action Chart</a> as a Backpack Item. If you already possess the maximum quota of Backpack Items, you must discard one article in its favour.</p>
<p><quote>Yessir!</quote> Knott replies.</p>
<p>As the dust-blown stores and houses of the derelict Mexican town trail away behind the truck, it becomes obvious that the place is deserted. Knott arrives at the same conclusion and decreases speed as he prepares to turn off the main highway. The truck crosses a bridge then swings to the right and stops beside a store that lost its roof long ago.</p>
<p><quote>They<ch.apos/>re still with us, captain,</quote> said Haskell, staring across the dry river bed at the group of headlights, as the bikers enter the town.</p>
- <p><quote>Not for long,</quote> Frankland growls, his voice harsh and determined. <quote>Spread out and find some cover. We<ch.apos/>ll take <ch.lsquot/>em as they come over the bridge.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Not for long,</quote> Frankland growls, his voice harsh and determined. <quote>Spread out and find some cover. We<ch.apos/>ll take <ch.rsquot/>em as they come over the bridge.</quote></p>
<p>Quickly you move away from the truck and scour the darkness, straining your eyes to find a place to hide that also has an unobstructed view of the bridge. You can see only two such places, both far from ideal. One is a gas pump, standing on the forecourt of a gas station directly opposite the bridge: the other is an industrial trash can, abandoned at the side of the bridge<ch.apos/>s exit ramp.</p>
<choice idref="sect74">If you wish to take cover behind the gas pump, <link-text>turn to 74</link-text>.</choice>
<choice idref="sect317">If you decide to place yourself inside the trash can, <link-text>turn to 317</link-text>.</choice>
<data>
<p>The man enters the room, his pistol poised to shoot should either of you be foolish enough to think you can overpower him. He motions you to move back against the far wall, and when you comply, he calls to his companions, who are hiding below the floor.</p>
- <p><quote>It<ch.apos/>s OK, Jack, I got <ch.lsquot/>em covered. You can bring everyone up now.</quote></p>
+ <p><quote>It<ch.apos/>s OK, Jack, I got <ch.rsquot/>em covered. You can bring everyone up now.</quote></p>
<p>One by one, a family colony of survivors climbs the stairs and files into the room. The first to appear is a man in his mid-thirties, lean and clean-shaven, yet bearing a striking resemblance to the man with the gun. He is followed by two women of about the same age; then two children appear: a boy aged about eight and a girl aged eleven or so.</p>
<illustration class="float">
<meta>
<p>(<a idref="sect93">93</a>) Replaced <ch.lsquot/>You are about to break into a run when suddenly you hear a noise behind you that makes you freeze: it is the sound of a pistol being cocked. Instinctively you reach for your gun as you spin around to face your potential attacker, but your fear quickly evaporates when you see the familiar face of Marine Knott peering at you from over the walkway wall.</p>
<p><quote>You<ch.apos/>re getting a touch careless, Cal,</quote> he says, as he holsters his pistol and clambers over the wall to join you.</p>
<p><quote>Yeah, you<ch.apos/>re right,</quote> you reply, self-consciously. <quote>I oughta know by now. Better late than dead, right?</quote></p>
- <p><quote>Right,</quote> he says, and slaps you reassuringly on the back. <quote>The bridge is over there. It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it. If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote><ch.thinspace/><ch.rsquot/> with <quote><ch.thinspace/><quote>The bridge is over there,</quote> Marine Knott says. <quote>It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it.If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote><ch.thinspace/></quote></p>
+ <p><quote>Right,</quote> he says, and slaps you reassuringly on the back. <quote>The bridge is over there. It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it. If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote><ch.thinspace/><ch.rsquot/> with <quote><ch.thinspace/><quote>The bridge is over there,</quote> Marine Knott says. <quote>It<ch.apos/>ll only take a few minutes to reach it. If all<ch.apos/>s well, the captain and Sergeant Haskell should be there already waitin<ch.apos/> for us.</quote><ch.thinspace/></quote></p>
<p>(<a idref="sect95">95</a>) Replaced <quote>or do</quote> with <quote>or if you do</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect97">97</a>) Added <quote>(Remember to deduct the relevant number of rounds from your <a idref="action">Ammo Pouch</a>.)</quote>.</p>
<p>(<a idref="sect98">98</a>) Replaced <quote>If is is 11 or more</quote> with <quote>If it is 11 or more</quote>.</p>
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