‘Decided to join us again have you,’ said Tom. Zak could hear him over the communication channel.
‘What’s going on?’
‘We’ve done all the hard work and broken through the main defences.’
Tom broke off to fire a few shots.
‘I’m trying to get into the Communications room,’ he said, ‘but there’s a couple of Spongeys holding out. I’m also defending the corridor, as they keep sending back-up. So I could do with you here sharpish.’
‘Coming,’ said Zak. ‘What about you Van?’
‘I’m halfway up this tower,’ said Van. ‘The cheat’ll probably make my job harder, but it’s what I’m here for.’
With the battle raging inside the castle buildings, there was no-one outside to challenge Zak. The grounds were icy, so rather than run, he used the ski-jets. He powered his way up to and over the drawbridge, through the East gate, and across a courtyard littered with dead Spongeymen. Tom had been hard at work.
He reached the entrance and closed his skis, returning them to boot form. Cradling his rifle, he pushed through the door.
The inside was surprisingly bare. A great entrance hall with a dirty chandelier and empty picture frames suggested that the castle had once been used by aristocrats. Now used by the military, the most striking feature was a pile of broken crates dumped by the stairs.
Squeaks and splats echoed around one of the tall dark corridors leading out of the hall.
Zak shook his head.
‘Not long now,’ he said, setting off and following the sound.
Blue flashes ahead told him the action was just around the next corner.
He snatched a view. A single Spongeyman had his back to him, taking cover behind cabinets lined up along the wall. At the far end, from below a red star, Tom redecorated the metal furniture with his rifle.
