by Bryan Davis
She shifted her eyes toward the cockpit. In the two pilot’s seats, Walter and Gabriel chatted and cracked jokes. They had taken turns flying the plane through the night and into the morning hours, tracking the chip in her dad’s scalp as he rode captive in a helicopter to an unknown destination.
The chopper had landed a few times, only to take off again and follow another course as if trying to elude someone. Merlin had to refuel during a couple of stops, but it hadn’t taken long to pick up the trail again.
Without moving her body, Lauren glanced at Ashley across the aisle. The super-intelligent healer bobbed her head, probably asleep. Good. She needed to rest. She had stayed up most of the night taking care of her volcano-victim patient.
Lauren couldn’t help but smile. Ashley had tossed thoughts her way to ask how she was feeling, apparently not considering that such silent calls disturbed sleep just as surely as spoken words did. Still, since she couldn’t hear thoughts unless an emotional surge switched on the tingling in her back scales, she had been able to sleep for a few hours.
Soon, however, she would have to force herself to perk her ears and listen for her mother’s song, the song of the ovulum that only a Listener like herself could detect. Tamiel had kidnapped Mom, and no one else could track her down.
Lauren caressed the rubellite mounted in her ring—the scarlet symbol of the dragon blood coursing through her veins. All of her trials and troubles had risen because of her heritage. Yet, it made no sense to blame anyone. She was what she was, an anthrozil who only recently learned that her parents were Billy and Bonnie Bannister—offspring of former dragons.
The propeller’s hum brought a relaxing sensation, though it could do nothing to quell the pain in her heart. She lifted the medallion dangling at her chest and read the engraved words— My gift to you. My life. It is all I have to give.
Eagle’s sacrificial leap into the volcano flashed to mind, his body falling . . . falling. When once again he splashed into the lava, she clenched her eyes shut. How many times would that memory produce echoing images? How long might she lament the courageous young man who had given his life for hers?
The airplane bounced hard. Lauren opened her eyes and gripped an armrest. The scales on her back tingled, sharpening her hearing, but the propeller’s drone washed out any hope of detecting her mother’s song.
Ashley grabbed her own armrest. “What’s up, Walter?”
“Just turbulence.” Walter twisted in his seat, a couple of feet out of arm’s reach of the front passenger row. “Check your belts. Big storm ahead.”
Gabriel jerked his seat belt strap, his wings folded tightly at his back. “Those clouds look like doomsday. It’s bound to get even rougher.”
Ashley leaned into the aisle and looked out the front windshield. “Let’s hope the clouds don’t interrupt Billy’s signal.”
“No worries.” Walter touched a screen on a palm-sized gadget attached to the front dashboard. “Looks like they turned parallel to the storm. Probably too dangerous to fly a chopper through it.” His rolled-up sleeve revealed a toned forearm with a red scratch from elbow to wrist and a burn the size of a quarter, wounds earned when he climbed down a rope from a hovering airplane and scooped a half-cooked Listener from the top of a pile of logs that would have soon become her execution pyre.
“I’d better unhook Lauren.” As more rough bounces rocked the plane, Ashley unbuckled her belt and crouched in the aisle. Wearing denim jeans and jacket that matched Lauren’s, she touched a bandage in the crook of Lauren’s arm. “I don’t want the support pole to jerk the IV out.”
Walter looked back at Ashley. “I’m turning with the chopper. I hope they’ll assume we’re dodging the storm instead of tailing them.”
“I doubt it.” Ashley withdrew a foil pouch from her jacket and tore it open, her hands adjusting with each bounce. “They’re probably as wary as cats at a rocking-chair exhibit.”
Walter laughed. “That sounds like one of my lines.”
“It is. I’m borrowing it.” Ashley tore away the bandage, pressed a sterile pad against Lauren’s skin, and pulled out the IV tube.
Lauren winced, though the sting was minor compared to her other aches. “Can we fly over the edge of the storm and then turn? Kind of disappear for a while? That might put them at ease.”
Walter touched a radar screen. “The thunderheads shoot higher than this bird will go, so I can’t avoid them. Merlin took some hits to the outer skin yesterday and lost its static wick. I haven’t had time to repair it, so we’re vulnerable to lightning. One strike could easily take us down, so we’ll just turn and follow the chopper from a safe distance.”
“Let’s not get fried.” Ashley touched the ends of stitches at a wound in Lauren’s forehead. “These look tight.”
Lauren wrinkled her brow. “Yep. I can feel them. You did a good job, Doc.”
“Just flying by the seat of my pants.” Ashley carried the IV pole and bag toward the back. With each step, she set a hand on a seat to keep from falling. “I’ll be right back.”
Lauren tried to sit straighter, but pain forced her to stay put. She tuned her ears to the surrounding noises—still no hint of her mother’s song came through. “Any word from Lois about Matt or my mother?”
“Nothing.” Walter turned a dial on a dashboard instrument. “I’ll check again.”
“And see if Roxil’s on her way,” Ashley added as she staggered back up the aisle.
“Got it.” Walter adjusted a microphone on his headset. “Carly, are you and Lois still patched in? . . . Good.”
Lauren strained her ears. Her enhanced hearing picked up a garbled voice leaking from the headset, but the background noise and the constant bouncing shook the words apart.
“We’re close to a storm,” Walter said, “so this will be quick. . What’s that? . Okay, that’s not cool. But good to know. What else? . . . Uh-huh. . . . Uh-huh. . . . Now that’s good news. Shoot me the coordinates.” He picked up a handheld computer from the console and looked at the screen. “Got ’em, but we’d have to fly through the storm to get there. . . . Right. So we’ll split up. . . . Where’s Roxil? . . . Good. She must’ve recovered quickly. Keep watching for Bonnie sightings and feed us the info.”
Lauren leaned closer, but pain again forced her back. “Carly’s heard from my mother?”
Walter raised a finger. “Right. We’ll do that. Back at you soon.” He slid off the headset and turned toward the cabin. “Here’s the scoop. Lois spotted a few Internet posts about sightings of a winged woman flying over a Mustang heading east on a rural road not too far from here.”
“She’s doing it to attract attention.” Lauren smiled, but even that hurt. Way to go, Mom!
“And Roxil’s on her way,” Walter continued. “Lois is guiding her to a rendezvous with us. Then we’ll have to decide who chases Billy’s chopper and who hunts down Bonnie and Matt. Lois says this storm has spun a few tornadoes, so it’s too dangerous to fly through it.”
“Maybe not for Roxil,” Ashley said. “She’s more versatile than an airplane.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. Probably less prone to lightning strikes, too.”
Gabriel poked Walter with the tip of a wing. “What about me? I’ve flown through a storm or three.”
“With Ashley on your back?” Walter pushed the wing away. “Besides, I need you as a backup pilot.”
“So,” Ashley said, “Gabriel and you can follow Billy while Roxil takes me to hunt for the Mustang.”
Lauren raised a hand. That didn’t hurt . . . so much. “And me.”
Ashley shook her head hard. “Not in your condition. You nearly got boiled in lava soup, and you can barely move, much less walk.”
“I’ll force myself. Give me a painkiller or something. No one else can listen for my mother’s song.”
Walter turned toward the front. “I’ll let you two sort that out.” He pointed at his jaw. “In the meantime, turn on your tooth transmit
ters. You can listen for Roxil. Elam has mine, or I’d do it myself.”
“Have you heard anything from Elam?” Ashley asked.
“Not a word, but I wasn’t expecting to. He doesn’t want to take a chance that anyone can track him. I don’t think we’ll get an update until he’s out of Fort Knox with Sapphira in his arms.”
“You’re probably right. He’ll do anything to keep her safe.” Ashley looked at Lauren. Thoughts streamed from her mind. Will you let us keep you safe?
Lauren forced a hand to her jaw and gave it a tap to turn on the transmitter. If your mother were in danger, would a few burns and bruises stop you from trying to rescue her?
Ashley firmed her lips. Plus severe dehydration, possible scorched nasal cavities, and maybe a few cracked bones. We haven’t X-rayed anything yet. You could fall to pieces in a gust of wind. Besides, Roxil will fly better with just one on her back. Two might be too heavy. I healed you the best I can, but without light energy from Excalibur, I cant penetrate your body to do more.
Lauren broke away from Ashley’s stare and looked out the front windshield. The dark clouds drew closer and closer as if annoyed at their attempt to avoid them. Lightning flashed—two bolts, then a third. Thunder rumbled, and Merlin bucked even harder.
Clutching her armrest more tightly, she tried to put on a conciliatory expression and turned back to Ashley. So what am I supposed to do? I can’t just sit here and twiddle my thumbs.
You can call for Roxil and relay what she says to Walter while I talk to Lois about weather warnings. You and I are the only ones with working transmitters.
I suppose so, but even a trained parrot could do that. Lightning flashed closer, inciting a new round of tingles in Lauren’s back scales.
Ashley pointed at Lauren’s jaw. Call Roxil. We can settle who goes with her later.
Lauren heaved a silent sigh. Ashley was right about the physical trauma, but even her mind reading wouldn’t be able to hear Mom’s song.
“Roxil,” Lauren said. “This is Lauren Bannister. Can you hear me?”
“I am able to hear you.” Roxil’s deep rumble sounded like distant thunder through the tooth transmitter. “I think I see your airplane. You must have been flying rather slowly to allow me to close the gap.”
Lauren relayed the message to Walter.
“Kind of going in circles sometimes,” Walter said. “The helicopter’s been darting around like a dragonfly, if you’ll pardon the expression.”
Lauren repeated Walter’s reply.
Roxil laughed. “Pardon granted.”
“Listen,” Lauren said, “we might need you to fly a passenger or two through a thunderstorm. Are you up for it?”
“Perhaps. Who are the passengers?”
“We’re still working on who will go. Probably Ashley, and maybe me.”
“I can carry both of you, depending on distance and rest stops, of course.”
Walter gripped the steering yoke with both hands. Merlin pitched to one side, then dropped suddenly before catching the air again. “Tell Roxil it’s getting really rough, so I’m going to land in a field. She should keep us in her sights and meet us there.”
Again Lauren relayed Walter’s message.
“The unsteady air is troubling me as well,” Roxil said. “I will join you on the ground in a few moments.”
Walter turned toward the cabin. “Get ready. It’ll be rougher than riding on a drunk dragon, so pray for a safe landing.”
“Will do.” Ashley scooted in front of Lauren, lifted her jacket from the window seat, and sat down. “Aren’t you cold?”
“A little.” The thought brought a shiver and a smile. “Well, maybe a little more than a little.”
“Here.” Ashley helped Lauren put the jacket on. Although every move hurt, the warm material was worth it.
After buckling, Ashley hooked arms with Lauren and intertwined their fingers. I assume you don’t mind. I like close contact when I’m praying.
Not at all. Lauren leaned her head against Ashley’s. You first?
Sure. Ashley spoke loudly enough for Walter and Gabriel to hear. “Father in Heaven—” The plane dropped again, making them both gulp. After taking a deep breath, she continued. “We pray for safety in landing; for Lauren’s healing; for success in our efforts to rescue Billy, Bonnie, and Matt—”
Blinding light flashed. An earsplitting crack ripped through the air. Sizzling energy shot around the cabin and knifed into Lauren and Ashley. Their hands locked together. Lauren’s teeth clenched; her skin burned; her bones felt like they were on fire.
The cabin darkened. Lauren’s pain eased. In the cockpit, Walter slumped over the controls. As Merlin angled into a dive, Gabriel shouted, “Ashley! Lightning struck the plane! Walter’s out cold. Autopilot’s fried!” He grabbed Walter’s shirt, pulled him back from the dashboard, and clutched the copilot’s yoke. “Tell me what to do! I can fly this bird, but I can’t land it!”
Ashley sagged to the side and leaned against the window.
“Ashley!” Lauren pried her fingers loose and shook Ashley’s shoulder. “Can you hear me?”
A weak thought drifted into Lauren’s mind. I . . . I can’t . . . wake up. . . . Help Walter . . . Gabriel.
But I cant land it either!
Tell me . . . what you see. . . . I’ll help.
Lauren unbuckled her belt and threw it to the side. She stepped up to the cockpit and grasped the two seats, balancing against the rocking plane. Breathless, she looked at Gabriel. “I’m mind speaking with Ashley. Tell me what’s going on.”
Gabriel touched a screen on the dashboard. His finger bounced as he spoke in gasps. “Altimeter’s out. . . . GPS is toast. . . . Engine’s running . . . and so are hydraulics . . . so we can steer. But that’s it. . . . I don’t know . . . about the landing gear.” He swallowed hard and steadied his voice. “I managed to level off, but there’s no telling if we might get zapped again. We need to land.”
“We need our pilot.” Lauren grabbed Walter’s wrist. His pulse thrummed, fast and erratic. “He’s alive, Ashley! Can you hear me?”
Lauren listened for thoughts, but none came through. “I can’t hear Ashley anymore.”
“Take my seat.” Gabriel squeezed past Lauren and sat next to Ashley. His wings shuddered in a tight bundle.
Lauren slid into the copilot’s seat and buckled. “What do I do?”
“Just hold the yoke—the steering column—and try to keep us steady.”
Lauren grasped the yoke with both hands. “Got it.”
Gabriel patted Ashley’s cheek. “C’mon, Sis! Wake up!”
She mumbled something unintelligible.
A gust shoved Merlin down and to the side, jerking Lauren and pushing her body against the yoke. The plane dipped into a steep angle. Lauren pulled back on the yoke, but nothing happened. “I can’t get it to come up!”
“Hydraulics are probably gone!” Gabriel scooped up Ashley. “Grab Walter. We’re going to jump!”
“Jump?” Lauren snapped off her belt, then Walter’s. “How?”
“You’ll hold Walter. I’ll hang on to Ashley and you.” He hustled toward the door at the back of the cabin. “Get Billy’s tracker and let’s go!”
Lauren snatched the tracking device from the dashboard and stuffed it into her pocket. After sucking in a breath, she wrapped her arms around Walter’s waist and heaved him into the aisle. Dragging him, she battled the incline until she reached the rear door and laid him on his back. “How can you hold us and fly at the same time?”
“Not fly. A controlled drop.” Gabriel set Ashley down and opened the hatch. Wind swirled everywhere, batting their clothes and hair. He shouted, “It’s either that or crash with Merlin.” He grabbed a duffle bag from the floor and threw it out. It vanished as if swallowed by the air. “Walter’s weapons stash. We might need it.”
Lauren looked through the hatch. With no lip on the floor, anyone could fall
right out. Below, the ground shot toward them. They had only seconds to live.
Gabriel slid an arm around Ashley’s chest and held her aloft. “Hold on to Walter however you can, and I’ll grab you.”
Lauren jerked Walter to a sitting position, dropped to her bottom behind him, and wrapped her arms and legs around his torso. “Ready.”
“Hold as still as you can.” He bent his knees and pushed an arm around her chest. “Here we go!” With a leg thrust, he pushed himself and his load out the door.
They plunged. Clutching Ashley and Lauren, Gabriel beat his wings madly. Their descent slowed, but not enough. At this speed, they would all suffer broken bones, or worse.
Lauren relocked her arms around Walter. Fortunately the rapid descent made him feel lighter. Maybe at the last second she could lean back and be a cushion for him. At least someone might survive.
Gabriel let out a wail. His arm tightened around Lauren’s chest and squeezed out her breath. The ground rocketed toward them. Five seconds to live. Three. One.
The ground shot away again. Gabriel screamed. Walter’s body broke free from Lauren’s leg lock. He slid down until she held only to his wrists with her sweat-slickened hands. The four jumpers floated nearly parallel to the ground, about ten feet above a cornfield.
Walter slipped away. Lauren cried out, “I lost him!”
They suddenly swooped low and tumbled on the ground, bowling over cornstalks. Lauren, Gabriel, and Ashley rolled until their momentum eased.
Lauren lay with her face in the dirt, her head dizzied. An explosion rocked the ground in concert with a loud boom. Fire crackled somewhere far away.
After a few seconds, she shook off the mind fog and climbed to her feet. Gabriel and Ashley lay sprawled over broken cornstalks, their bodies and arms intertwined and Gabriel’s wings splayed. To the left, black smoke shot into the sky—Merlin.
But where was Walter?
Lauren searched the swath of broken stalks—no sign of him. The intact corn, although brown and withered, stood as a barrier, preventing a view of anything but the darkening sky.
Thunder rumbled once more. A breeze whipped across the tops of the stalks, making them bend and shake.
