"Thank God."
"Give me five minutes. If I don't turn back by then, give it your best."
"Pull up. Show yourself on IR. We have no idea what your vector is."
"I'll take her to three thousand meters. You'll have a lock on me. But I still want five minutes."
"That's all I can give you, Yuri. After that . . ." His voice trailed off.
"I'm going off this frequency. Talk to you in five."
"Five minutes. Starting now."
Androv pushed a switch on the console, then said, "Petra, stabilize at three thousand."
“Three thousand,” she repeated. “Confirmed.”
He rose from the pilot's seat, motioning for Vance. There was a surge of acceleration as the vehicle changed pitch, the cockpit rotating to adjust for the G-forces. The weight of two and a half G's weighed against them as the altimeter screen started scrolling upward.