Page 32 of Thin Ice

She laughed. “Well, thanks to Snake, your sister’s friend, we got you inside the chopper. Everything was smooth until we ended up near Chicago. We stopped to refuel. Legion somehow found out where we were heading, and they were waiting for us.”

Brookes’s brows shot up. “How?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps a lucky guess. The alternative is too frightening to consider.”

He held her hand tighter and glanced to where Snake was engaged in conversation with the president and another man. “Who would have thought people from different walks of life would come together to save the world?” He pointed to the men.

She smiled. “Deep down inside, Snake is a good guy. He just needs God in his life. Maybe he was put into our path for us to show him God.”

Brookes loved the way Abby saw the good in people no matter how the world might condemn them.

“And he saved us back there.” She told him about the close call they’d had at the fueling.

“He’s a good person,” he murmured and closed his eyes. Just speaking for a short amount of time had drained his energy. “I’m just going to close my eyes for a moment. Do you mind staying with me?”

“Of course not,” she murmured close by. Her gentle breath brushed his cheek. He loved her so much.

“I love you, Abby.” His words slurred slightly.

“I love you, too.” The best thing he’d ever heard. He played the words in his mind as he fell asleep. Returned to that perfect place with just him and Abby and their children. He couldn’t wait for that time to come. When Legion and all their dreadful plans would be nothing but a bad memory. A cautionary tale for future generations to remember and learn from.

“I’m right here beside you, Brookes.” Abby’s sweet voice said.

Was it real or just part of the dream? He wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. She was beside him now and in his heart and his dreams. What more could a man ask for?

Chapter Nine

“We have company,” Zeke warned, and it was the worst news possible.

Abby slipped into the seat beside him. “Where?”

“Straight ahead. Coming right for us. Two fighter jets.”

“How did they find us?” She couldn’t believe it. How had Legion gotten past the chopper’s cloaking software?

“My guess is they figured out which chopper was missing, and they’ve hacked into its computer system. If that’s the case, they’ll keep after us until they take us down. We’re a huge bull’s-eye in the air.”

“Can you get away?” Abby kept her eyes on the two fighters screaming their way.

“I don’t know.”

Those words were the hardest to hear. Zeke was a trained fighter pilot. If he had doubts, she had reason for concern.

“We have the advantage in that we can fly lower than those fighters. I’ll try my best, but it’s going to be a rough ride.”

Abby ran back to the cabin. “Everyone, we have fighters in pursuit. Grab hold of something and hold on tight.”

She returned to Zeke as both fighters flew past them, barely missing them. “What are they doing?” she asked.

“They’re trying to intimidate me into making a mistake. They’ll be back. I’m going down lower.” He brought the chopper down quickly.

“Where are we anyway? Is there someplace we can land to escape them?”

“We crossed the North Dakota state line. I can look for a place, but if we can fly low enough, we might be able to avoid their radar.”

Above the two fighter jets screamed closer and engaged their weapons.

“We’re taking fire,” Zeke yelled. As soon as the words were out, one of the fighter’s shots struck an engine.

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