Mary twisted her hair in a nervous but familiar gesture. "How do we take the damn thing down?"
Lucy said, "Norm, anything you can do?"
"Not unless you have a bomb I can attach to it."
Bomb. Weapons. Lucy looked around the military helicopter but didn't find any. "Norm, get to the IPI base. They'll have anti-aircraft missiles." She hoped that was true as she said it, and that they wouldn't use those missiles on Lucy's helicopter.
The base came into view, and another missile veered off course thanks to the dual power of Gary and Darren. It exploded in the air, shaking the helicopter. Lights blared at the IPI base, and agents rushed outside and aimed their weapons at Lucy's team.
Norm picked up the radio. "Don't fire. This is— Shit! The missile took out our communications array." He smashed the silent device against the floor.
Bullets sprayed from the IPI base, and Lucy turned to Drake. "Use mind control on them to make them stop."
"I can't. I broke my last vial." His voice was angry and sad.
No wonder he couldn't fight harder to save Sam. She understood; her particular para-power didn't give her an advantage in that kind of situation either.
Another missile launched at them, this one friendly fire from the base. Damn them!
The guys deflected it, but Gary cursed. "We can't keep this up if we're getting shot at from both sides."
Robyn looked to Norm. "We need to land."
He nodded and lowered them closer to the base.
Another missile and another near miss startled them, this one from Beleth. This time it nearly hit the base.
Kinda serves them right for firing on their own people.
Luke stood. "No time to land. We jump."
Lucy looked at her brother. "Are you sure?" She'd made him use his power when they jumped off the log. He hadn't been ready, and he'd gotten hurt. She didn't want to do that to him again.
"I'm sure." He walked up to the open door. "Everyone jump. I'll slow us down."
Robyn backed up. "Are you crazy?"
Norm called out to her. "Wait for me, Babe. I'll jump with you and catch you after everyone else is out."
Luke and Lucy looked out the door. Two missiles headed their way.
"Jump!" yelled Luke. "Jump now!"
Lucy held onto Hunter, and they all jumped. As Norm flew off with Robyn, the helicopter exploded into flames, sending a heat wave after them.
Hunter gripped her hand as they fell, and she turned to see his eyes open. Guess the fall brought him back. Air ripped at their faces as they fell faster and faster. They neared the base, but Luke hadn't slowed them down.
She hollered to him. "Anytime now, Bro!" At the rate they were going, they'd become road meat soon.
The air solidified under her and she slowed suddenly at first, then gradually, allowing her and the others to descend at a safer pace. She looked for her brother through their air-bound team. He looked pale and shaky, but he was doing it.
Lucy hit the ground first and Hunter landed next to her. She rolled into the fall and suffered only a few scratches. Somewhere nearby, the helicopter crashed and exploded.
Armed agents approach them, and Lucy faced them with hands in surrender. "It's us. We're the good guys."
They recognized her and lowered their weapons.
She pointed to the sky where Beleth's helicopter still chased them like a pit bull with a bone. "We need to take that one out."
Before the agents could respond, Beleth fired on them. Agents fell to the ground, dead. Tents burst into flames. Everyone ran to the base.
Hunter looked to Lucy, and she smiled, even as they ran for their lives. At least he was alive.
Lucy targeted an agent who looked in charge. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Agent Mark."
"See that helicopter up there? It's going to kill us all if we don't destroy it."
The agent looked into the sky. "We're out of anti-air. I've called in reinforcements."
Lucy sighed. "We don't have time for that. The whole base will burn in minutes." She turned to Gary and Darren. "Is it close enough now?"
They held up their hands and focused, but nothing happened. "We can't. Too high. Sorry, Luce."
Another missile hit nearby, releasing a torrent of fire and force, and she flew back, punched by an invisible wall. Everything went quiet, that eerie silence when the world had been muted but you could still see the action. She fell to the ground.
Hunter reached for her. "Are you okay?"
Speaking hurt. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Luke looked toward her, saw that she was okay, then ran forward, past Gary and Darren and to the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley. He raised his hands out, the tendons in his neck knotting up as his muscles strained, sweat breaking out on his face.