AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Army or Navy? You don’t look like Air Force.” The helicopter swooped and dove.
Deb hung on, her hands aching. How could they talk so casually?
“Army. Got injured, but I can still shoot.” Michael pulled the big black gun away from his body, stretching the tether to his vest.
“The window opens, or you can lock the door open if you have to, but that induces some drag if we’re at higher speeds.”
Open the door? They were nuts! She was going to die!
Chapter 15
Michael glanced at Deb—eyes and mouth wide, face pale, knuckles white—yep, she was terrified. Good thing he’d left her microphone on push-to-talk, because she’d be screaming soon and he needed to concentrate.
Besides, he was having fun. He grinned. The excellent pilot sped just below the mountain tops and popped over the passes. Hopefully the avalanche danger was low, because flying so close was sure to knock a few loose. Spring was a bad time to be in the backcountry, but there were always a few thrill seekers, ignoring the risks, desperate for those last few turns.
“Gunner, incoming helo from the east. I don’t think we’ve been spotted, but I’ve got to cross a pass soon.”
He’d hoped to escape without notice, but that was asking too much. “I can’t fire unless we’re fired upon.”
“Agreed. Hang on, ‘cause it’s about to get a little wild.”
He checked Deb’s harness—tight—and cranked his down. The pilot would be twisting, turning, dropping and rising unpredictably to avoid getting shot. His chances of returning fire successfully were pretty low unless she straightened out and flew right; there wasn’t any sense in being thrown around the cockpit for no reason.
They dropped like a rock and rotated left, skimming a high, rocky ridge rising from the side of the mountains on their left, while rolling side to side. When the granite spine ended, the copter dropped, Michael’s stomach rising, then they leveled off above a flat, snowy plain. Probably a frozen lake. A wall of rock rose in front of them, and the helo’s nose went up. They skimmed the rock face, popped over the mountains, then dropped again.
Deb was still white-knuckling the seat cushion, but she wasn’t screaming. Her expression seemed like a mix of terror, incredulity and joyous amazement. Michael grinned. Maybe she was more of a thrill seeker than he’d thought. Or she’d believed.
They flew into a narrow valley, following the twisting river below. “Gunner, they’ve fired at us several times. I’ve recorded it and reported it to local air controllers, but I can’t contact them down here. This is a box canyon, but the river turns abruptly to the west at the end. We’ll scream around the corner, then I’ll sling her around so you can fire. Three shots, then we go.”
“Three shots, then move. Got it.” He opened the window, loosened his harness so he could slide to the edge of his seat, and stuck the rifle’s barrel out the window. Frigid wind chilled his face and fingers. He braced his left foot against the front seat attachment point and his right leg against the back seat. The pilot turned often and unpredictably, flipping them half upside down occasionally, staying close to the mountainside. A hard turn to the right, then she spun the helo in a flat circle.
Michael aimed at the corner they’d just flown around, but kept his gaze unfocused, looking for movement above and below his aimpoint. The vibration of the helicopter made his sight picture shake. Rotors emerged from the cliff wall above his target. He crouched, raising the end of the rifle’s barrel and waited, stabilizing his breathing. The helicopter’s dark gray nose appeared; Michael released his breath half-way and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, three times, and the helo dove, turning away. “That’s a Huey. One of the local logging companies uses them.”
They turned, climbed, and dropped again, following another valley. “Yeah, I know them. I warned them off on a private channel, but didn’t get a reply. Pilot’s probably at gunpoint.”
Michael pulled his rifle back, closed the window, and tightened his harness. “Most likely. This is such a mess.”
“Feds will be involved now, for sure. The FAA doesn’t take running gun battles in US airspace lightly.”
“No kidding. The FAA I don’t mind. The other alphabet agencies?” He sighed. “Some are better than others.”
She blew a raspberry. “The Feds will have reams of paperwork for me. I won’t be flying for a week. This sucks.”
“We’ll pay you for your time.” She deserved every penny.
Deb grabbed his hand and pointed at her chest. Michael shook his head.
The woman laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Haven’t had this much fun since I got out. Besides, Wiz gave me hazard pay. She has the best jobs.”
Michael chuckled. Pilots were crazy, especially combat pilots. But that made him equally crazy, because he was having just as much fun. “Which service?”
“Coast Guard, then Customs.”
Michael’s brows rose so fast his forehead ached. “So you’re used to being shot at inside the US.”
“Yup. Drug runners and coyotes are bad news. This is just another day at the office, with better scenery.”
He laughed. She was something else. “Happy to provide entertainment.”
