Page 115 of The 9th Man

“Talley has a lot more shooters. They’ll breach this place in no time. Better we make them hunt for us and hope they spread themselves thin. Jillian?”

“I agree. It’s our best chance.”

The black forms started heading their way.

***

TALLEY HAD THOUGHT A STEALTH APPROACH MIGHT BE GOOD, THENdecided a more direct course of action better.

Especially for what he had in mind.

His men were now on the ground with him, and another had remained in the helicopter along with the last of this contingent who piloted the craft. A second pilot and man waited miles away with the other chopper.

He twirled his hand.

The chopper’s blades roared to full speed.

And the Sikorsky lifted back into the air.

***

LUKE LED THE WAY AS THEY DESCENDED BACK TO THE GROUND FLOORand rushed toward the cabin’s rear door. Above them came the roar of helicopter rotors. He stepped outside and saw the chopper’s outline slide into view. The downwash blew the gathered snow into a tornado. Something flashed orange. A torpedo-shaped object powered downward. Rocket?

“Run,” Luke shouted.

They sprinted away.

The house exploded.

Luke felt himself propelled forward from the blast, driven to the ground. His face felt hot. The edges of his vision pulsed red-black.

“Jillian,” he shouted.

“I’m here.”

A few feet away she groaned and rolled over. Blood trickled from her left ear.

“You hit?”

She shook her head.

“Where’s Eckstein?” he called out. “Do you see him?”

In their dash from the house Eckstein had fallen behind. The old man lay spread-eagle on the ground. Luke ran to him. Eckstein’s mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish, emitting bloody wheezing gasps. Then he saw it. A bullet hole in the chest. Jillian rushed over.

“He’s been shot,” Luke said.

Jillian’s attention turned to the semi-darkness around them. “That means they’re here.”

The house burned behind them.

The helicopter had backed off and risen in altitude, but was still within range to do more harm. Cold air and snow swirled around them. The chopper’s navigation lights swung back around and headed straight for them.

Automatic weapons fire erupted.

Bullets thudded into the ground.

The helicopter skidded sideways maintaining its perch at about a hundred feet. He waited until he saw the blinking light on the tail rotor, then took aim at the windscreen sending two shotgun bursts upward, stitching buckshot across the bulbous form. He had little chance of bringing down the craft, but his shots had the desired effect. The helo’s nose pitched forward and the pilot banked hard left and backed off.

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