by F Stone
Bridges approached as Sam entered the room.
“Captain, your boys are fine. They’re in the other chopper heading north.”
Sam was trembling. He grabbed onto Bridges’ shoulders and shook him. “You’re sure? You transferred them to Ryan’s chopper?”
Bridges nodded and braced himself to suppress his emotions of having saved the life of the boys. “Danik and me, well we had a feeling that … ”
“Thank God!” the admiral and Sam responded. “By the way, where is Danik?” asked Sam.
“Right here” said Danik as he entered the room.
“All right,” the admiral said. “Looks like we’re going to have some difficulty getting all of you off the ship.” He turned to Moon, who had been simmering behind the scenes. “Commander, er, Captain Moon, I leave the tactical operations to you. Do whatever is necessary to save the Nonnah and her crew. I will deal with Sam and his team.”
Moon saluted, “Yes, sir.” As soon as his back was turned, he began barking orders to his officers and headed to the bridge.
“All right, this is what’s happening,” the admiral said, eying the security staff. “Madame is about to land on this ship. She’s aware of my defection from the crystal project. She’s against letting the two of you go. Figures you know too much. She’ll kill this entire ship’s crew to get Sidney, and you too, Sam. Now, I need some of those Guardian tricks. Can you defuse this situation? Danik, got any ideas? We don’t have much time.”
“Sir,” called out Lieutenant Bridges, “another helicopter is approaching and positioning to land on the stern helipad.”
“Fine. Captain Moon,” he called into his comlink, “allow only Madame’s chopper to land on the stern’s helipad. Make sure no others board this ship.”
Sidney looked to her brother. “Danik, you figure Sam and I could take on the choppers?”
“Piece of cake. We’ll let the Madame of Darkness land, and once she’s left her chopper, you and Sam give those flying evil raptors a piece of Guardian hospitality. Got your crystal, Sam?”
“Yes, right here,” Sam said, pulling it out of his pants pocket.
Danik grinned. “Good. Sidney will explain what to do with it. I’ll stay here with the admiral, make sure his uniform doesn’t even get wrinkled. I’ll meet up with you later at the stern helipad.”
Sam and Sidney slipped unnoticed to the main deck and vanished among the crates while the admiral watched Madame’s helicopter land. She jumped down onto the deck, along with six security personnel all armed with automatic weapons. Upon being greeted by a dozen sailors with side arms, Madame’s guards quickly disarmed the sailors who accompanied them to the conference room. The admiral’s security men received instructions from the admiral to wait outside the conference room. Madame and her men surrounded the admiral and Danik. The admiral greeted them coldly. “You owe me one chopper and one pilot.”
Madame approached the admiral. “Quit your whining. Where are the captain and Miss Davenport? And who’s this?” She motioned toward Danik.
The admiral remained firm in his stance. “My security.”
The woman chuckled. “Just one? You’re rather confident for an old man.” She stood in front of Danik. Staring into his eyes, she simultaneously ran one of her hands slowly over his body. “What, no weapons?” she asked with a sultry smile.
Danik leaned in close to her ear. “Sweetness, you haven’t checked in all the right places.” He winked at her.
She smiled. “Oh, you’re precious! We need to talk later.” She turned back to the admiral. “Okay, show time. You have five minutes to bring those two … misguided people in here. Clear?”
“Take a look out the window,” said Danik. “Your helicopters appear to be having trouble staying airborne. Gee, I wonder what could be causing that. Oops.” He barely managed to restrain a chuckle. “There goes another one.”
One by one the helicopters were losing power and slowly descending onto the surface of the ocean, just managing to stay upright in the waves. The woman watched out the window in disbelief. Only two helicopters remained airborne.
“Start firing, you idiots!” demanded the woman. The chopper pilots were occupied trying to avoiding crashing into the ocean. Some gunfire went wild, scattering bullets into the ocean or the steel wall of the ship.
The admiral heard Moon on his comlink, “Gunners, fire! Engine room, I want full power, now! Navigation room, head into port. Commander Bridges, call for air and naval support.”
The woman, seething with rage, turned to the admiral. “I’m through with you!” She pulled out her weapon from inside her blazer.
The admiral stepped back, fear written on his face. Madame’s security forces drew their guns and waited for orders. “Danik?” the admiral hollered, his voice trembling.
Danik patted the admiral on his shoulder. “Stay calm, admiral.”
“I’ll replace you by tomorrow morning.” She thrust her gun between the admiral’s eyes and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. “Shoot! Kill them!” she ordered. Her men attempted to fire their guns at the admiral and Danik. Again and again, their guns failed to fire.
“Security,” hollered the admiral. The sailors rushed into the room with their weapons drawn and began to muscle Madame’s men down onto the floor and place restraints on them.
Danik took the trembling admiral by the arm. “There’s more company coming.” He motioned toward the distant horizon at more of Madame’s approaching helicopters.
Madame’s look of shock was quickly replaced by rage. “You bastard!” she shouted and attempted to slap Danik’s face. His hand shot up in an instant and held onto her wrist. Her anger abruptly vanished. A look of surprise transformed her face. “The only way you could have disarmed our guns was with a crystal. You know how to make it work.” She was almost laughing. “Name your price, my dear. Whatever, it’s yours.” She attempted to wriggle free from Danik’s grasp.
“Some other time, my dear.” He turned her over to one of the seamen and turned to the admiral. “We’ll be in touch. You’ll be okay now.”
Danik darted out of the room to help Sam and Sidney. Once he reached them, the trio headed for Madame’s helicopter. The chopper’s armed guards attempted to fire their weapons, but found them useless. Bullets rained down onto the Nonnah, now traveling at almost full speed toward the New Seattle Harbor. The gunners of the Nonnah were firing back in a futile attempt to defend the ship from the more heavily armed choppers. One of the Nonnah’s guns exploded and three seamen lay bloody and lifeless on the deck.
Danik saw that they had a long distance to run out in the open to get to the helicopter. Their focus and energy was now entirely on getting to the chopper and away from the Nonnah. They had no time to disable the approaching enemy. Sam doubted this was Madame’s entire complement of attack choppers. The longer the three of them were on the Nonnah, the greater the risk to the rest of the crew. They had to get out of there fast.
Bullets were now being blasted into the ship from six more helicopters. Sam knew the airborne enemy wouldn’t disable their chopper on the helipad. It was the only means of escape for Madame’s group. If they could just get across that thirty-foot expanse, they’d have a chance. Sidney continued to focus on deactivating the weapons of the chopper’s two guards who were still trying to fire on them.
Danik watched the helicopters closely. His experience as a chopper pilot gave him some understanding of when their firing accuracy would be minimal. As long as they moved quickly across their path, they had a chance. Two aircraft came in, and not being able to get the targets clearly in their sights, fired blindly, creating gaping holes in the deck.
Danik yelled, “Now! Run!”
Danik, the faster runner, got to the first guard and threw him to the ground hard enough that he was stunned and slow to get up. The other surrendered when he saw Sam’s gun pointed in his direction. Sidney was just in front of Sam when the two guards hit the deck. Another group of helicopters flew over
head firing mercilessly in their direction. They were still several feet from the helicopter.
Danik yelled, “Sidney, run!”
From higher up on the ship, a lone man lay with his rifle to his shoulder. In his crosshairs was Sam’s head. He squeezed the trigger. Avoiding a spray of gunfire coming from the helicopters to his left, Sam tumbled to the deck, his gun falling from his hand and skidding across the deck. Sidney fell.
Danik grabbed her hand and hoisted her up into the chopper. So frantic to get Sam aboard, he failed to notice the blood stain on her shirt. He went back to Sam.
“Come on, buddy!”
Danik grabbed his arm and very nearly flung him toward the chopper’s open door. He looked up at Sidney’s face. It was wild with excitement, and her hair whipped around her face with the force the wind currents created by the choppers rotors.
“Let’s go home,” she called out.
Sam hoisted himself into the chopper and sat down in the seat beside the pilot. Danik closed the door and jumped into the pilot’s seat and revved up the engines.
The modern chopper was quick to respond to Danik’s touch on the joystick. Almost instantly, the craft lifted off the deck.
“Sam, you know anything about chopper guns?” Danik asked.
“Some. Give me the cook’s tour.”
“Hell, I was hoping you’d know. Just see if you can scare these boys off. I think that thing over there … yes, that. Grab hold and see if it has any juice. Sidney, are you strapped in? We’re going to fly like a bat out of hell!”
Sidney, feeling weak, assured him she was firmly strapped in her seat. Danik maneuvered the chopper like it was a toy, making it climb and dip in quick succession, twirling this way and that. The other choppers approached with their guns firing. Just as they were within range, Danik veered and dipped, fast. Sam, unable to calm himself to affect the attacking choppers’ engines, grabbed onto the gun trigger and fired warning shots. Closer and closer they came, bullets just off to one side, then the attack broke off.
U.S. naval fighters, in the air and on the sea, had arrived. Madame’s band of killers dispersed and quickly vanished. Sam and Danik cheered. It was almost too good to be true. They had escaped unharmed.
Once they were sure the danger was past, Sam relaxed. “How long to the island?”
“Let’s see, it should be about another hour at this rate of speed. Lot faster than the chopper we use. Probably get there about the same time as Ryan and your boys.”
Sam was relieved. Soon they could all return to some sort of a normal life. He turned to look back at Sidney. She had fainted. He suddenly noticed the blood stain on her shirt.
“Oh, my God, Sidney.” He got up and lifted her shirt to find a bullet wound near her left breast, nearly sealed over. “Sidney!”
She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. She was weak. “I’m cold, Sam.”
“Danik, she’s been shot. You’ve got to help her.”
Sam went to the controls while Danik checked Sidney. He sat beside his sister and put his hand over her wound while he breathed deeply and closed his eyes. After a few moments, a tear rolled down his check. He opened up his eyes and saw she was gazing back at him.
“Sidney, no. Please, not now.”
She nodded. “Just get me home, Dan.”
Danik put his arm around her shoulders to support her. He took her hands and held them firmly to his chest.
“You’re going to be always in here,” he said, pressing her hand over his heart.
“I know, Danik. Me too.” She was nearly breathless. “Much farther?”
“Another half an hour and you’re home.”
Danik wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Danik, what? For Christ’s sake, tell me she’s okay!” Sam shouted.
“You have to come back here, Sam.”
He switched places with Sam, who immediately took Sidney into his arms. Danik checked the chopper’s controls and ensured the aircraft’s heading was true before he swallowed and tried to find the words that were too painful to utter.
“Sam, Sidney has a bullet in her heart muscle.”
“Oh my God. Danik, do something. Help her.”
“Sam, I could telepathically move the bullet into the heart sac but that would cause almost instant death. There’s nothing I can do. If there was anything, I’d give my life for her. I’m going to have to fly this chopper. You stay with her and do what you can. When we get home, maybe Greystone can help her.”
Sam heard the words but they seemed distant. A numbness permeated his mind and body. It was impossible to take a breath. The walls of the chopper vanished into a gray abyss.
Sidney shifted in his arms. “Sam, take a breath,” she said in a commanding tone of voice. “Don’t go back there, please.” She gasped for air and reached to touch his face. “This isn’t over. I love you, Sam.”
Sam looked into her face. Love reflected back onto him as it had when he’d opened her cell door earlier that day.
“That’s right. It isn’t over. Greystone will help you.”
“No, Sam. Greystone can’t help me now, but he can help her.”
“Sidney, you’ve survived worse. Don’t give up, damn it!”
Sidney ushered up what little reserve she had and tried to hold her head up. “Sam, we’re not over.”
Sam began to tremble and weep.
“Listen. You and I are so strongly connected, death can’t separate us. When you’ve given up your anger and sorrow, you’ll find me. I’ll be standing there, right in front of you, waiting for you to see me. I promise you, Sam. It’s that simple.” She stopped to catch her breath.
Sam gently brought her to his chest and caressed her face while tears flowed down his face. “Simple but impossible, my love. If you die, so do I.”
“Sam, put your hand on my chest over my heart.”
He didn’t hesitate to follow her request. “Now close your eyes and … take several slow … deep breaths.”
“Sidney, I … ”
“Slow … deep breaths. I want you … to know … that I’m … not afraid. I’ll … take you … to where I … will be waiting.”
Sam reluctantly closed his eyes and breathed. Time and space faded as did the torment. He felt himself become more than a physical being. His physical nature became lost in the spiritual ecstasy of merging into a higher dimension. His old limiting emotions slipped away, revealing joy and love as being his true nature. He discovered the essence of his soul, complete and glowing with abundance and Light. In fact, he became aware of the Light shimmering and dancing in, around, and within all he perceived as being near him. As his clarity increased, so did his understanding of where he was.
“What do you think, so far, Sam?” said the voice from behind him. He turned around. Her face was no longer pale. The glow of love on her face radiated as brightly as morning mist.
“Sidney, this is … ”
“My home. Your home too, when it’s time. But you need to take care of her first.”
She softly touched his face, smoothing over the lines showing his confusion, and waved her other hand toward the curtain of golden haze. It melted away. Before them was a sailboat, rocking on the gentle waves of an endless sea. “I’ll be here, Sam. And when you call for me, I’ll be there with you. I’m only a thought away. I love you so.”
He looked tenderly into her eyes. In spite of the realization that they’d be separated in the physical world, while in this place, he felt that time span was nothing more than a brief interlude. He was aware, though, that he’d have to endure the painful transition once he returned to the world of time and space. Sam then noticed a small pair of hands grasping onto Sidney’s shorts. A small child peeked out from behind Sidney’s legs. He recognized the little girl. She was exactly the same child he’d encountered at the school grounds. “Savannah?” he asked.
She grinned sheepishly. “That’s me,” she said, glancing up at Sidney. Then the grin was quickly gone and replaced b
y disappointment.
Sam looked back at Sidney with a startled look on his face. “She’s ours?”
Sidney nodded. “But unless Greystone can perform one of his rare miracles, her physical life will have been little more than a few days.”
Sam embraced Sidney.
“I love you more than words can express, Sidney. I always will.”
He heard her reply, “I know,” as the sound of the chopper returned to his consciousness. The motor was winding down. They had landed. Danik tugged at him to release Sidney.
“Sam, this is Greystone.” Danik pointed to a man in the chopper’s opened doorway.
“Bring her into the cabin, my friend.”
Sam picked up Sidney, whose body was completely limp. He barely detected any breathing from her. Danik jumped out and Sam handed Sidney over to him. Quickly, she was carried to a nearby cabin and placed on a bed. Greystone and the Elders surrounded Sidney and placed their hands on her body. They looked at each other and shook their heads. Their hands had provided some support, and her breathing became somewhat stronger.
Sam called out to her, “Sidney, you’re home now. Sidney! Sidney!”
Excruciating pain returned with its horrible, strangling grip on his heart. He tried to steady himself, to remember the place he’d been, to be strong for her. He hung onto the belief that the Guardian Elders would perform their magic and keep her alive.
Greystone approached Sam and put his arms around him. Sam stiffened. The soft touch made him want to completely surrender to the grief. But he believed that if he let the overwhelming sorrow overtake his heart, his sanity would come to an end.
Greystone spoke softly and yet with a sense of urgency. “Sam, we must act fast to save Savy.”
All he heard were the words of encouragement, not the name. He was elated to hear that there was hope for Sidney.