Severson turns to Rhonda. ‘Well, fuck-a-doodle-do.’
She nods in agreement. ‘We saw the purple exhaust. That’s why the starboard turbofan exploded. The pilots shut down the port engine before it blew.’
Rhonda no longer feels like she has everything under control. The FEMA message told her the one thing she didn’t want to hear: that all airports are closed due, she could only guess, to problems similar to the one this jet experienced. As for proceeding to their alternative airport, which the pilot’s iPad told her was San Diego, well, they wouldn’t make it a quarter of the way there without engine power. It was LA or bust, no-fly zone or not.
She takes a deep breath, can feel her heart rate increase. This is how she feels in the Orion simulator when the techs throw the kitchen sink at her. This is when she needs to think on her feet to solve the problem, when time is critical and she can’t go by the book. Trouble is she loves the book, she’s done everything by the book her whole life and it has always worked out well for her. But now she must throw the book away and - literally - wing it. For a moment she wonders if she can pass the responsibility to Severson, let him land this jet, but as soon as she thinks it she realises it’s crazy. Even if he’d agree, he’s not half the pilot she is.
Severson turns to her. ‘We need to think outside the box.’
She nods. ‘It’s not my - strong suit.’ Admitting even that, especially to the person she respects least at NASA, a person who would happily trade personal information to benefit his own career, is one of the hardest things she’s ever done.
‘There are seventy people on this plane that need it to be.’
‘I don’t know if I can.’ Her voice is small.
‘You can. Improvise.’
‘I’m landing a jet, not doing stand-up. There’s no room for improv.’
‘But there is. A little. And your job is to find it.’ He smiles. ‘I’ve been seat-of-the-pantsing-it-and-making-it-up-as-I-go-alonging-it my whole life. You just need to - loosen up a little. I can help.’
She looks at him, breathes out to steady her nerves, then nods. ‘Okay. So we rule out both LAX and Santa Monica airports. That means we need to find something very flat, long and straight —’
‘And close. Let’s have a look.’ He picks up the pilot’s iPad, swipes it open and consults the map of Southern California.
She takes another breath and steels herself. The irony is, as lazy and hopeless as Severson was during their trip to Wisconsin, he just might be the best person to be stuck in this plane with.
Or then again maybe not.
She will find out one way or the other very soon.
*
38
The little yellow chopper thunders across the rooftops.
‘Okay, take us up. Let’s see where it is.’ Corey’s voice rattles in Judd’s headset as he works the controls. The Loach quickly gains altitude and rises above the smoke haze that cloaks the city.
Judd sweeps the brass telescope across the horizon and finds the Air-Crane in the distance. ‘Got it. One o’clock. We’re catching it, but it’s still a good three clicks away.’
Corey keeps the chopper just above the haze as Judd pulls the telescope from his eye. ‘Okay, two questions. Where in hell did you get this thing and can it go any faster?’
‘I’m thrashing it, mate. It’s the hero car from the Atlantis 4 movie - except it’s not a car, obviously. We got it from Twentieth Century Fox.’
Judd takes this in with a nod. ‘Thank you, Rupert.’
Corey’s confused. ‘Rupert? It was Lola’s idea to use it.’
Judd leans between the front seats and nods to Lola. ‘Good one.’ He then turns to Corey. ‘Rupert Murdoch owns Twentieth Century Fox.’
‘Oh, that’s right. He used to be an Aussie.’ Corey glances back at Judd. ‘I had to use every drop of the counteragent to get this thing in the air. Tell me you still have yours.’
Judd gestures to the bulge in his pants: ‘Is that a canister full of counteragent in my pocket or am I just happy —’ He realises Lola is sitting right there and stops abruptly, embarrassed. ‘Oh, sorry - that was completely inappropriate.’ He clears his throat, turns to Corey. ‘Yes, I still have it.’
Lola finds a small container under the passenger seat and passes it to Judd. ‘Is that a medi-kit in my hand or are you just bleeding from a bullet wound?’
‘Thank you.’ Judd examines the bullet wound on his thigh. It is bleeding, but not too badly. ‘It’s a flesh wound with delusions of grandeur.’ He opens the medi-kit, pulls out a wide bandage and wraps it tightly around his leg.
Corey looks back at him. ‘Need a doc?’
‘Nah, this’ll do it.’
‘So what’s the deal with this bomb?’
‘It’s huge, at least three metres long with three warheads. It’s like the Godzilla of explosive devices. I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘And who are these people? Why are they doing this?’
‘I met the main guy, this handsome prick, said something about trying to motivate people to use renewable energy … ‘ Judd trails off as he focuses the telescope again. ‘The chopper’s descending. Take us down.’
The Loach follows the Air-Crane down through the smoke haze. They watch the giant chopper land in the middle of a small, tree-lined park, opposite a large building with a tall beige tower.
Judd scans the area. ‘Is there anything important round here? A reason to detonate a bomb?’
Lola shakes her head. ‘Not really. It’s just West Pico. Nothing out of the ordinary.’
Judd turns to Corey. ‘We need to land close by - but not too close. They can’t know we’re here.’
Corey nods and plays the Loach’s controls.
*
Bunsen pushes open the Tyrannosaur’s cockpit and turns to Enrico. ‘Be ready to leave in five.’ The pilot nods and Bunsen slides out.
From the rear cabin Kilroy passes him the long grey bag. Bunsen takes it with a nod and moves off. As he goes he glances over at the Item. The trio of BLU-116 bunker busters have been combined to create an explosive device with more destructive power than any non-nuclear weapon in the history of the world, or at least since people have been dropping bombs on each other. To Bunsen, the Item is even more useful than a nuclear weapon because it doesn’t spread radiation - just the Swarm.
*
Corey searches for a spot to put down. ‘There.’
In a swirl of dust and ash the Loach settles on a quiet street, about a hundred and fifty metres away from the park. They quickly step out of the cabin. Corey forks his fingers into a V, points them at his eyes, then the dog’s, then the chopper. Spike gets the message, barks once and takes up a guard position in front of the Loach. The park is about a hundred metres away.
‘This way.’ Judd points them towards it and they run hard, though the bullet wound definitely slows Judd down a little.
‘Is that one of them?’ Corey indicates a figure who walks briskly out of the park.
Judd pulls out the brass telescope and focuses it. It’s difficult to see through the haze - and then it isn’t. ‘Yep, that’s the guy in charge. Mister Handsome.’ Judd follows him with the telescope until he disappears into the beige building with the tower. ‘What is that?’
Lola doesn’t know. ‘Could be a synagogue. This is a Jewish area.’
Corey glances at Judd. ‘Should we follow him?’
‘No, we have to prioritise.’ Judd looks over at the giant chopper.
Corey watches him study the Air-Crane. ‘Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?’
Judd pulls the telescope from his eye. ‘We take the chopper and ditch the weapon in the ocean.’
‘Yep.’
Lola is stunned. ‘So - you just decided that?
They both nod.
‘You aren’t serious? Are you?’
Judd glances at her. ‘We have to get that thing as far from the city as possible.’
‘But what if they —’ S
he lowers her voice to a whisper. ‘ — you know, detonate it —’ Her voice returns to normal.’— while you’re, you know, nearby?’
Neither of them have an answer for her.
‘So that’s an acceptable risk?’
Judd shrugs. ‘You haven’t seen that thing close up. It’s enormous. We have to get it out of here.’ He turns to Corey. ‘You can fly that chopper, right?’
‘Sure.’
‘You’ve flown one before?’
‘Nuh, but I’m a quick learner.’
Judd doesn’t doubt it.
Lola studies these two crazy people for a moment, then: ‘So, what can I do?’
‘Nothing.’ Corey probably says it too quickly.
She gestures towards the building with the beige tower. ‘What about that guy, Handsome-man-or-whatever-he’s-called? Why don’t I follow him, check out what he’s up to?’
Corey shakes his head. ‘It’s not worth putting you in harm’s way.’
‘Hello, have we met? I’m already in harm’s way. I’ve been in harm’s way all day. And if he comes out before you’ve stolen his chopper you’re going to need a heads up ‘cause I’m sure he’ll be pretty pissed.’
‘It’s too dangerous. You should head back to the Loach.’
She stares at the Australian. ‘You know I’m not asking permission, right?’
Corey turns to her. ‘This isn’t a movie, Lola. If he catches you spying on him he will try to kill you.’
He sees that gives her a moment’s pause - then he sees her push the fear away and steel herself. ‘I know, but I’m going to help anyway.’
Corey exhales, realises this is not an argument he can win. ‘Just keep your distance, okay? Stay out of sight. Don’t let him know you’re there under any circumstances.’
She nods.
They run on, approach a burned-out van and crouch behind it, the Air-Crane now thirty metres away. Corey addresses the two others: ‘You guys need to swap numbers.’ They pass over their phones, tap in their respective numbers, then pass them back.
Corey turns to Lola. ‘If something goes wrong just head for the Loach, okay? Whatever you do, don’t engage these people. Please. Do. Not. Engage.’
‘I’ll be fine. You be careful. I’ll call when he comes out.’
He studies her for a moment, then takes the telescope from Judd’s hand, collapses it, and passes it to her. ‘In case you need to hit something with a heavy piece of brass.’
She takes it with a grateful smile. ‘Why, you shouldn’t have.’
They move off. Judd and Corey towards the park, Lola towards the building with the beige tower. Corey watches her go and realises he’s more concerned for her safety than his own.
Corey and Judd stay low and move fast, take cover behind a large tree at the edge of the park, just twenty metres from the chopper. The park is not that big, maybe fifty metres square, and is cloaked in a drifting haze.
They can see both the cockpit and rear cabin from where they are. Judd looks closer: ‘Two men. One in the cockpit, one in the rear who looks suspiciously like a Mister P. Tail, Esquire. So how are we going to do this?’
Corey turns to him. ‘I got an idea.’
*
Lola searches for a way into the building but there is no obvious spot from the road. She moves down a narrow side alley and finds an entrance. The lock has been shot through and the door is ajar. She steps inside.
As soon as she enters she knows what it is and it’s not a synagogue. It’s the hidden world of Los Angeles she’d heard about but never seen before, a sprawling oil-drilling island of forty wells, cleverly disguised within a soundproof building. She knew these structures were located all over town, hidden from the world as they exploited LA’s vast oil reserves, the second largest in the continental USA.
Lola surveys the football field-sized platform five metres below her. It’s filled with wellheads and pipes and reservoir tanks. The building doesn’t have any windows so it’s gloomy, lit only by the glow of the odd yellow light bulb. Forty metres away she sees the handsome guy walk quickly through the machinery then stop in front of a two-metre-high structure that looks like a Christmas tree constructed from metal pipes.
Handsome crouches and unzips the long bag he carries. He pulls out a four-inch-wide, metre-long strap and wraps it around the base of the metal Christmas tree. He then takes cover behind a reservoir tank ten metres away, draws out a small black box the size of a cigarette pack and thumbs the button on top.
Boom. The strap detonates the metal Christmas tree and sends burning hot shrapnel in every direction, including Lola’s. She takes cover, then realises everything is now coated in a fine mist of oil, including her good self. She wipes it from her eyelids and studies the man.
What the hell is he up to?
*
The Air-Crane looms through the smoke haze, the rasp of its twin turbines shrill and unpleasant. From the rear Judd and Corey quickly move towards its tail rotor.
‘You realise this whole thing would have been a lot easier if you hadn’t used up all the bullets.’
‘Sure, and we’d still be flying around inside that building.’
They reach the tail rotor, bend low and crawl under the chopper. Ponytail can’t see them because his view out the back cabin is blocked by the weapon which hangs low and wide under the airframe.
It’s the first time Corey’s seen the bomb up close and he’s amazed - and horrified. ‘It’s bloody enormous.’
They crawl on until they are under the cabin. Judd nods to the right. ‘Okay, I’m going this way.’
Corey holds up a hand for him to wait. ‘Look, I can fly this out on my own. There’s no need for both of us to do it.’
‘I’m coming with you.’
‘There’s no point, mate. Really. Just make sure Lola and Spike are all right.’
Judd takes a moment before he realises Corey is right. ‘Only if you promise me something.’
‘What?’
‘As soon as you get the chance to fly it out, take it. Don’t hesitate, just go. If you think I need help or, whatever - ignore it. I’ll be fine. Just get it done. You might only get one chance.’
Corey is reluctant to agree.
Judd sees it. ‘Promise.’
Corey stares at him, then nods. ‘Okay.’
‘Okay.’
Corey tries to lighten the moment. ‘So, what’s the emergency word? I’m still leaning towards “tomato”.’
Judd smiles. ‘Just call out my name if you’re in trouble, but don’t worry about me. Concentrate on getting this monstrosity out of here.’
‘All right. Good luck.’
‘You too.’
They move off in separate directions.
*
Enrico waits in the cabin, pistol in hand. He can’t see much through the drifting haze, though he scans the park continually. He will lift off if there is any threat that could endanger the aircraft but so far there’s nothing to be concerned about -
Knock, knock. Enrico looks out the pilot’s side window - and sees Judd Bell. Judd Bell! He’s right there. Beside him! The astronaut smiles and waves.
Enrico is stunned. Judd Bell’s meant to be buried under a large mound of rubble on the other side of town, but here he is, right outside his cockpit window -
He’s gone.
Where’d he go? Does this count as a threat that could endanger the aircraft? Yes, because he might sabotage the chopper.
Enrico wonders if he should take off. No, because he might have already sabotaged the chopper. Better to eliminate the threat then check that everything is okay. He speaks into his headset. ‘Kilroy, Judd Bell is outside.’
The old man’s stunned voice rattles back at him. ‘What?’
‘I’m going to deal with it.’
Enrico pulls off his headset, pushes the door open and slides out.
*
Judd lies under the cockpit and watches the pilot step out. As soon as his feet touch the gr
ound the astronaut springs forward, tackles him hard and drives him into the grass. The pistol is jarred from the pilot’s grip and Judd scrambles after it. This is going to be easy -
The pilot throws out an arm, hits Judd’s ankle hard. He trips and falls and slams to the ground, the pistol just out of reach. Oof! The pilot lands on Judd’s back, loops an arm around his neck and squeezes hard, cuts off his air. This isn’t going to be easy after all.
The astronaut pulls an elbow back and thrusts it into the pilot’s ribs. The guy cries out like a mummy’s boy and loosens his grip just enough for Judd to twist free, clamp his arms around the guy’s torso and pull him to the ground. Now neither of them can move so no one has the advantage. It’s like a Greco-Roman wrestling match between two guys who don’t know anything about Greco-Roman wrestling.
*
Corey is crouched under the left side of the cabin. He watches Judd Greco-Roman with the pilot. He’s not winning, but then he’s not losing either so that’s okay. Judd is the bait today. It’s not the most sophisticated plan ever devised, but it’s the best they can do without access to weapons. The Australian just has to wait for Ponytail to climb out of the rear cabin to help the pilot, after which Corey will surprise him, just as Judd surprised the pilot. The only wrinkle in the plan is that Ponytail is yet to take the bait.
He smells something unpleasant. What is that? Sharply toxic and instantly headache-inducing -
Oh, crap!
Ponytail’s cologne.
Corey turns. Ponytail is crouched right behind him, pistol raised and index finger tight on the trigger. The Australian throws out a hand and hits the weapon -
Bam. It fires and the bullet thuds into the grass beside them. The old guy must have climbed out through the cockpit. He aims the pistol again but Corey drives a hand up, knocks the weapon from his grip and unleashes a sharp jab.
Thud. The old man cops it on the nose and slumps backwards. Corey scrambles from under the chopper and searches for the pistol, can’t see it anywhere, the smoke haze not helping visibility. He has to make a decision. Spend valuable seconds searching for a gun he may never find or finish the job he came here to do?
Finish the job.
He pivots towards the Air-Crane’s cockpit and sees that Judd still wrestles the pilot. The astronaut locks eyes with Corey and shouts: ‘Go! Now!’ At least that’s what Corey thinks he says, it’s hard to tell over the wail of the chopper’s turbines.
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