TWENTY
The thick pall of smoke in the distance sent tension writhing its way through Jackson’s body.
‘That doesn’t look good,’ said Corporal Irvine. She sat in the passenger seat, while the rest of her patrol were in the back of the ATV.
‘No, not good at all.’ Jackson pressed down on the accelerator, gritting his teeth against the bumps and jolts from the increased speed. Taking the inland route from the mine compound to High Command meant a far less comfortable drive than when using the main road. The old inland route hadn’t been used in decades. The bitumen was cracked and pitted, many of the potholes big enough to cripple less sturdy vehicles than an ATV. In some places the road was impassable, with trees fallen across it, forcing them off road. But even then it was still faster than
