by Nye, Laine
Steve began to concentrate on the gravity under the helicopter. He tore off his seatbelt and turned around backwards kneeling on the seat, so he could see out the rear window and watch the chopper. It would take intense concentration to keep the heavy gravity field under a fast-moving object. Forced gravity would have to sweep along staying beneath the bird. The helicopter began to drop in altitude. No matter how the pilot fought to keep the chopper in the sky, he continued to be slowly drawn to the ground.
He tried dipping the helicopter toward the ground tipping the craft forward sharply to build up speed then shot back into the sky. Not even that maneuver helped. He had a short period of defying the gravity pull but he could not overcome it. He was confused as to how a perfectly functioning bird as his was could not stay airborne. Steve was going to make sure the chopper would eventually land on the road so that it would not crash in the trees. There was no intent to hurt the police. His family just wanted to escape, having done no wrong.
The helicopter was using all its power to stay afloat. The engine was winding at its highest speed. Yet still the chopper lost altitude. Finally, it was forced to land. The pilot gave up trying to keep his bird in the sky and focused on not crashing. It landed kind of rough, but intact.
“We don’t need that chopper to be airborne again, Steve.” His grandfather told him. “Can you tip it on its side?”
“Easy to do Grandpa.” Steve responded tiredly. “The hard part is done.”
The pilot wanted to get out of the helicopter to see if he could spot a mechanical reason they had been grounded. He shut down the engine to do that.
Brad had put the car back up at about six-hundred feet, so they could see the chopper clearly. Before the blades had fully stopped and while the rotor was going slowly as it shut down, Steve tipped the bird onto the blades. The blades ground into the dirt on the side of the road and were jammed to an instant halt. The blades that contacted the ground were warped by the impact.
“Good job Steve.” Grandpa said. “Now Brad, get us out of here.”
Steve turned back around and slumped down in his seat. Pulling down the helicopter had cost him a lot of energy. He felt very tired. Part of his fatigue came from the fact that the drugs that had been forced into his system were still having an-effect upon him. He did not feel like himself. His brain felt foggy. His cognizance was not at optimum levels.
Brad brought the car back down to the roadway and carefully set it down.
“Steve, I’m going to send some of my energy to you. We can’t have you struggling like that during this crisis.” Brad told his son.
“Thanks Dad. I can use it.” Steve responded weakly. “I hope it takes away a lot of your pent-up energy, so it doesn’t bother you anymore.”
“I wish that could happen, but I can’t send you that much energy or you’ll suffer the way I have.”
They continued on their way while Brad sent his son the much-needed energy. He did not have to pull off the side of the road to concentrate the way Albert Belasco had done to help Brad so long ago. Albert had been driving up Ogden canyon to his home and Brad had been out in North Ogden when Albert pulled off the road at a rare turnout to send Brad the much-needed energy. Whereas Albert had been miles away when he refilled Brad with the extra energy that was needed, Brad was right by his son. It would only take a few minutes to restore his son.
Each of them was hoping that no more police cars would come from behind them. Nor did they want any coming at them from the front. They came to the turn-off that would route them toward Fairfield instead of Napa. They felt some relief getting off the road where all the police activity was at. Soon, there would be cars patrolling the new road as well. They knew that and were all still tense. They had made it through just in time before that road was to be blocked by two patrolmen.
They made it to Fairfield. They didn’t go into the town because Brad and Charlene had already had a confrontation there earlier that day. They were low on gas but decided to drive until they got to Vacaville before they stopped for gas. They found a gas station just off a freeway exit then jumped right back on the highway heading to I-80 which would eventually take them north to the Sierras and over Donner’s pass and down into Reno Nevada.
Steve told them everything that he could remember about his ordeal. Then Brad and Charlene related all they had been through since Brad first tried to stop Jeff in the van up in North Highlands-Citrus Heights area.
Brad gave the bad news to his father and son.
“We have to leave America. My and Steve’s face have been seen everywhere. Even Charlene’s face has been on the news. They couldn’t find me in Utah thanks to you Dad. You got me out with a new identity that worked all these years. But that identity has been blown now. We have no recourse but to leave the country as soon as possible.”
“It’s not what I want to hear Brad. Yet, I can’t help but agree with you. All my best contacts have retired from the DIA. I don’t have any more favors I can call in except for a little background research like they did for me about the Belasco woman. As far as a new identity? I couldn’t get that done now.”
“That’s pretty much what Charlene and I figured. That is why we made the decision to leave.”
“I guess I won’t be going to college in the fall now thanks to these creeps.” Steve said sadly. “And then there is Nancy. Dad, I really don’t want to leave her behind. Can’t we stop and pick her up?”
“We’re sorry Steve. That day you and I were in the store was the day everything changed for us. I guess we shouldn’t go running across anymore ceilings for a while.” Charlene told him.
Steve smiled at her comment. Then he sobered up. “I guess there could have been a subtler way to handle that situation. I just panicked and took us to the roof because I couldn’t stand the idea of my mom getting shot.”
“Can’t turn back time son. Can’t uncook a steak.” His mom told him.
“Do you think we could get her to come along?”
“What would her parents say Steve?” Brad asked his son. “We just swoop in and take their daughter away from them? I know how much you care for her, but all we would be doing by bringing her along would be to make her a fugitive with us. She would be in danger if we have anymore run-ins. We don’t want to put that on her.”
“I know. But I really believe that girl is my future.”
Charlene spoke up, “I want you to know that I love Nancy and would love to have her in our family. The circumstances we are now facing prevent us from being able to make contact with her no matter how much we want to.”
“She would want to be with me.” Steve countered.
Brad spoke again, “I don’t doubt that for a minute. Steve, you have-to realize that there are likely police watching her home, following her. They want to be there if we make contact with her. Next time the police will probably be shooting at us. My job Steve, is to keep my family safe above all other considerations. If that breaks your heart, I am sincerely sorry. That is a price that must be paid in order to keep us safe and to keep her from getting caught up in all of this.”
“I don’t want you to be right, Dad. I don’t want to lose her.”
“You lost her the moment they kidnapped you.” Charlene said to him while looking over her shoulder at him.”
“One last try.” Steve said. “We will be fairly near where she lives in a couple of hours or so. Can’t we just try to make this thing work?”
“I’m so sorry Steve.” Charlene said with tears glistening in her eyes from the headlights and highway lamps they went by. “I’m really sorry.”
Steve sat back in his seat. He sighed a loud disappointed sigh. He knew they were right. But right didn’t seem to matter when talking about this woman he had come to love.
Brad’s father sat back and silently shook his head with a sad smile. What a family he had. He would miss them all terribly when they left the country. Then he thought of his life back home in North Ogden and couldn’t wait to retu
rn home.
Chapter Seven
Their arrival in Salt Lake City was for Brad a nostalgic, melancholy experience. Here in the mountains had been his home growing up. He had been gone longer than he had lived in Utah, but it still felt like it should be home in spite of all the changes that had happened everywhere he looked. They continued on to North Ogden, so they could drop Brad’s father off at home. They all went into the home where Brad had lived when Mac had tried to assault Steve those long years ago. Brad and his family were met with hugs and kisses from his mom. They hadn’t seen her for several months. Tears were shared all around.
They had stopped in Ely Nevada before continuing-on to Utah. There was a machine shop there that was happy to make the cross bars for Brad. Four aluminum tubes that were three inches thick were cut to the same size. Then four more tubes were welded on the top of the first bars. It would easily support Brad and keep him from falling into the hole when the hole started sucking in. Brad only hoped that it would cooperate with him the first time he went to the hole. He dared not linger in Utah for long. He was reluctant to even stay in his parent’s home for more than just a few minutes. He did not want them to get into trouble for harboring fugitives. He did not want to get caught there and see his whole family go to jail. It was obvious what charges they could bring against Steve and Brad. Even Charlene could be charged with aiding and abetting a known fugitive. He could not allow that.
They waited until about an hour before dusk. That was the time Brad knew he needed to be at the hole. His family said a tearful goodbye to Brad’s parents then started on their ride over the North Ogden Divide; A place Brad had not seen since that deadly day when Sherman Greene, Mack Rowley and Simon Holmes had tried to kill him and his two friends.
He told his family that this is where it all happened. He pointed out to them the various spots where the incidents took place. The boulder that had crushed Mac Rowley was still laying there.
They crested the divide and continued to Huntsville. When Brad turned onto the road that was so familiar to him and continued toward the reservoir where the hole was, he did not notice a person driving past him in the opposite direction.
But she noticed Brad. She immediately grabbed her cell phone and called her brother.
“What’s up Sherry?” Jeff asked.
“Where are you right now Jeff?”
“Why”
“I just saw Brad drive by heading toward the dam.”
“What? Where?”
“On 500 South. Yeah, it looks like he is parking his car at the top of the road. I turned around and followed him. He’s getting out with his wife and son.”
“I will be there in about thirty minutes. Keep them from leaving if you can. I’ll hurry.”
Brad and Steve went to the trunk to pull out the cross-bar unit they had brought with them.
“I hope this works Dad.”
“You mean this thing holding me up?”
“No. I mean the hole. I hope it gives you the relief you are seeking.”
“It’s a funny thing Steve. Ever since I had all this extra energy transferred to me I can detect a lot of things about the energy. I knew when you were using forced gravity back in California. I rushed home to help you, but I got there too late. I can feel the energy starting up. I think it will work for me just fine.”
“Well, if it works Brad, will you have any of your abilities anymore?” Charlene asked.
“I don’t know Charlene. But I believe it is worth the risk. I am so tired of how I feel since Palawan.”
This conversation was happening as they walked along the edge of the reservoir. Erosion had lowered the level of the water to about 4 feet lower than where they were walking so they were next to, but above the water.
It wasn’t long before they came to the place that Brad knew was their destination.
“How did you remember where to find it after all these years?” Charlene asked her husband. “It’s not like the hole is obvious when you walk through here.”
“Because I can feel it. I know where it is at.”
The hole had always been heavily disguised by nature. Small bushes nearby mostly hid the hole from view. High grasses kept it from being seen as well. No one walked through the area when it was winter. There was no reason to with snow being deep and unmanageable. Spring and fall were its most vulnerable time. Yet still people hardly ever noticed and did not think much about it when they did see it. It was all about timing. Albert Belasco had seen it because he had walked by at the time it was blowing energy outward. The motion in the grasses and bushes got his attention.
“This whole thing over the years has been so strange.” She said. But I’m glad you had your g-force during the earthquake. We would not have survived without your abilities.”
“It has saved my life a few times now. That’s for certain. Also, my mom, my friends. Even Steve survived the attack on him because he inherited this thing from me. Now, it could all come to an end. Perhaps only Steve will still be able to use gravity as a tool.”
They laid the bars down over the hole. Brad laid down on the bars face-up.
“It’s going to work. I can feel the pressure building up below me.” He said calmly.
And five minutes later, it was true. He felt the abrupt energy pull or sucking or whatever it was. It pinned him down on the bars very forcefully. At its apex of power, he could not have risen off the bars. Nor could his son have pulled him off even with all his considerable strength in forced gravity. It was pinning him down so tight that the bars became quite uncomfortable. He wished now that they had thought of a way to cushion the bars. It was getting unpleasant. The downward pressure grew even stronger. It was now much worse than the first time he had been pulled into the hole. His body would likely bruise in several places.
He waited. The pain was getting worse. He was now certain he was going to be bruised when he finally was let loose, His muscles might be sore.
Finally, the energy pull was downgrading. He could already feel the difference in his body. The internal pressure was gone. He was being drained.
“It’s working. I feel different now. It’s almost over. What a relief.”
The process stopped. Brad slowly stood up.
“Do you have any gravity control left, Dad?”
Brad tried to lift himself off the ground with a low gravity field. Nothing. He shook his head. He started to step into his wife’s waiting arms when he saw a figure walking toward him rapidly. There was a sense of danger about the person. Brad focused and saw who it was. Jeff. Behind Jeff was Sherry. She had come to watch.
Then Jeff pulled the trigger on the gun he was carrying. There was a silencer on his gun so that people nearby would not be alerted. He pulled the trigger multiple times. Brad was hit. Then he was hit again. Bullets kept whizzing past his family as he fell on his back about three feet from the hole. Charlene was screaming, and Steve was yelling loudly in protest. Steve and Charlene stood there shocked by the sudden display of violence. There was momentary inaction while the gun was emptied of all its rounds. Both-of them could have easily been hit. The bullets had whizzed past them close enough for them to hear the sound-of subsonic rounds flying past their heads and bodies.
Then Steve launched Jeff and Sherry into the air even as Jeff was dropping his first clip to insert a fully loaded one. Jeff was sent upward about ten-feet then dropped back on the ground. He grunted loudly at the impact but held onto his gun. Sherry was kept above the ground where she was helpless. Jeff intended to finish off the whole family no matter what it took.
Steve launched him into the air a second time. Dropped him again. Jeff had loaded the gun while flying upward. He came crashing down to the ground again and tried from the ground to immediately acquire his next target. That would be Steve. He pulled the trigger. Missed because he was going into the air again. Something was different this time though. Steve had had enough.
He lifted Jeff about forty feet this time, then he dropped him a
gain. Not toward the ground underneath him. Steve pulled him at a diagonal over to the reservoir.
Much to Sherry’s horror, Jeff splashed into the water. Sank to the bottom. Face down. That was fine. Jeff would just rise out of the water all wet and shoot the family to pieces anyway. He put his hands underneath him to push up but all that happened was that his hands pushed down into the mucky goo that made up the bottom of the reservoir in this area.
∆∆∆
Steve and his father had been a victim of Jeff’s cruelty over and over. Steve was aware of everything that had happened to his father because of the vindictive nature of the Rowley family. He knew the whole story and when he had heard it for the first time, he felt smoldering rage deep down inside. His father was a good man and Steve could not bear the thought of this family trying to kill him. Then there was Steve’s violent capture that had been orchestrated by Jeff. Then Jeff had shot his father when Brad tried to rescue his son. Jeff had tried to kill Steve and make his father watch it happen. Now Jeff had shot his dad again. This time the bullet wounds were much worse. His rage was not down deep anymore. It was erupting like a volcano. He kept intense pressure on the gravity force underneath Jeff. He would not relent.
