122 | John W. Warner IV Troops scattered and fell in the resulting explosion, the air shredded with hot steel bits. Bea sent another downrange and destroyed the last tank in line, blocking the trail. Three tanks burning, troops turning tail. Theyre done, retreating. Gwafa, remind me, you should have a fancy electric gyro compass in there, see it? Yes, madame.U[ea.d north. After ten minutes of hard going and smashed foliage, Gwafa found a sandy road. After 300 meters they came upon a clearing. All stop. Bea used her binoculars out the hatch. No enemy movement, but I see ruins ahead. Gwafa checked his folded Arabic map. Madame, must be Umm Ubaydtemple. Forward. Lets follow the road north. Were sitting ducks here. Bea scanned in all directions as they passed over an irrigation creek, cracking the small bridge to splinters and stone bits with their enormous weight and grinding their way across, the rear tracks in water. At a crossroads, they stopped. Small settlement ahead. Lets breeze through it.They sped along at 15 kph. An Italian supply truck and troops were ransacking a building. High explosive. Ready. Fire! The truck vaporized, troops obliterated. As Gwafa held steady, the right-side voltage meter began to fluctuate, the electric generator causing the motor to surge, then reduce power. Madame, problem with the right-side motor. What? Go as far as you can. Bloody Porsche, always designing something far too complicated and dodgy. A whining, surging sound enveloped her, the tank lurching from moment to moment. At another crossroads, Gwafa halted. One engine is overheating, hard to steer. An oil leak perhaps. Suddenly, heavy artillery fire had located their position, explosions dug craters all around them. A heavy smack on their left rear shattered the main sprocket and track. Weve been sightedits the other Tiger on our left, 900 meters, flak guns have the range too, yelled Bea, traversing the turret and tossing a round at Tiger 103 as one last gesture of defiance. The round damaged the turret a bit, but it kept marching on, filling