by Lincoln Cole
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” Dominick asked as they drove.
“I’m not sure. I was one of those kids that didn’t have any big ambitions. I guess I wanted to be a religious figure like my father. That’s why I went to school for theology.”
“I’ve never thought of him as religious.”
“Deeply,” Haatim said. “He was a pillar of our community, and I always looked up to him. But, when I got to school, I couldn’t just stick to one thing. I thought all of the religions had great ideas, and I wanted to pick and choose the ones I liked.”
“So, you cherry-picked your own religion.”
“I guess you could say that,” Haatim said. “What about you? What did you want to be?”
“I always wanted to be a pilot,” Dominick said as they passed into the city. Already, street crews worked to clear off the snow. The bustling city looked beautiful and like something out of a fairytale. “Even when I was a little kid.”
“How did you end up here?”
“Circumstance,” Dominick said. “My uncle worked as a Hunter and recruited me. I didn’t have a lot of options.”
“He recruited you?”
“More or less. We stayed at his house one winter, and he told us he was heading out to the bar to get a drink. He did that a lot, and—getting older and braver—I followed him. Long story short, he did head to the bar, but not to get a drink. He killed four people.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen. When he found out I’d tailed him, he gave me two choices.”
Haatim felt shocked. “Your uncle would have killed you if you didn’t join the Order?”
“No,” Dominick said with a laugh. “Vodka or Whiskey. A few months later, they taught me how to fly planes and helicopters, so I guess my dream came true.”
They pulled into the old airport and navigated across the grounds to the helicopter pads, which stood quiet today with most people staying inside to avoid the cold. Exactly where Haatim would have liked to have been instead of out here.
They drove out to where Spinner rested, and Dominick parked. “Ready to go up?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“What do you think?”
“Then, I suppose I’m ready,” Haatim said. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
They climbed out of the car and walked toward the helicopter. Snow crunched underfoot as they went.
“They’ll have all of this snow cleared by morning, and we don’t expect any more for a couple of days,” Dominick said. “But a massive storm front’s coming through before too long. We’ll want to batten down the hatches for that, which is why we’re going up today.”
“I never experienced that much snow when I was younger,” Haatim said. “And now I know all about it.”
“I’m from Quebec, myself,” Dominick said. “So I know all about the stuff. This is just a light dusting.”
“Why are we going up?”
“To see the area around here.” Dominick gestured with a hand to indicate a vague circumference.
“With you, there is always an ulterior motive. Why are we really going up?”
Dominick slid open the door. “No motives. I promise.”
Haatim eyed him warily, and then, after another moment’s hesitation, he climbed in. He went up to the copilot’s seat and put on the headgear. Dominick climbed in next to him and turned on everything.
“You won’t find a better helicopter than this,” Dominick said. “It even has automatic flying built in so that it can take off and land by itself.”
“Is that legal?”
“Depends on who you ask,” Dominick said with a shrug. “I make it a habit never to ask. First things first, safety. See that cord right there in the back? That’s a drop cable. You can run the line out, and you’ve got eighty feet of slack. You can use it as a zip line for quick exits, and I can reel it in manually if need be.”
“Okay,” Haatim said.
“Second, parachutes. We have four of them stuffed under the seats in the back. I check and repack them weekly to make sure they stay good to go. One strap through your legs, two over your chest, and then your shoulders. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“All right. Let’s take this puppy up.”
***
Haatim had to admit that the flight proved a lot more fun than he’d anticipated. Heights scared him, but not to an uncontrollable degree, and the longer they stayed up in the air, the more confident he grew.
Though loud noise wrapped around him from the wind resistance and rotor blades, the headphones did a good job of muffling the sound. Dominick gave him a tour of the surrounding area, flying over the mountains and around the hotel.
How amazing being up so high and having a commanding view of the world below. It had a surreal appearance with the fresh snow covering everything and seemed even more beautiful than the first time he’d flown out.
It felt like being in a different world. The helicopter had an internal heating system, so it ended up quite toasty inside. Haatim took off his gloves and just enjoyed the trip.
After everything that Dominick had put him through for these past weeks, to see this side of him made a refreshing change. Just a nice and simple trip to enjoy the countryside. A little reward for all the hard work.
“Probably never did something like this before the Council, did you?” Dominick asked, as they flew. They passed overtop a flat area several kilometers away from the hotel and flew increasingly higher.
“Never,” Haatim said. “I’ve been in quite a few planes in my life because we traveled a lot, but helicopters are completely new.”
“I think you would make a great pilot if you wanted me to teach you how to fly.”
“Maybe,” Haatim said, glancing out the side window. “Should we be this high?”
Dominick ignored the question. “My uncle taught me how to skydive when I was eleven. He told me that, if I expected to be a pilot one day, I had better learn how to get out of a plane fast in case of an accident. He taught me everything through ‘trial by fire’, and I guess it just stuck. He believed that people learn best when their lives depend on it.”
“I’m serious, Dominick. I think we’re going too high.”
“He was a harsh man,” Dominick said. “But the world needs men like that.”
The helicopter kept rising, passing through the clouds and even higher.
“Where are we going?”
“Up,” Dominick said. “I love being up here. It makes the world look small and everything insignificant. Puts everything into perspective, you know?”
“No, I don’t know.” Haatim felt uncomfortable. They could barely see the ground now, through the clouds. He didn’t know how high a helicopter could go, but this seemed way dangerous. “Why so high?”
“I have a confession to make,” Dominick said. “I do have an ulterior motive.”
A sinking feeling pulled at the pit of his stomach. “What?”
“I want to show you something.”
Dominick pressed a few buttons on the dashboard and let go of the controls. Then he climbed out of his seat and into the back of the helicopter.
“Where are you going?”
“Autopilot, remember?” Dominick said, grinning. “Come on.”
Reluctant, Haatim followed him into the back. Dominick reached under one of the seats and pulled out a parachute. Haatim had the worst feeling about what might be about to happen. He felt as though in a dream. “What’s that for?”
Dominick didn’t answer, but instead, donned the chute. He put the straps over his shoulders, and then hooked them over his chest. He looped the final one up through his legs and connected it as well, and then cinched them all tight.
“What are you doing?” Haatim asked. “I can’t fly this helicopter. Are you planning to jump?”
“Six hundred meters is the minimum distance to pull your chute,” Dominick said. “But one thousand is better.”
“I
’ve never jumped out of a plane before,” Haatim said, heart fluttering in terror.
Dominick continued to ignore him, opening the side door of the helicopter. The wind whipped in, chilling Haatim’s skin in seconds. He scooted as far from the door as possible, shivering.
“Please …” he muttered.
“The helicopter will fly down to the ground and find us,” Dominick said. “It’s tracking my parachute and will find us.”
He grabbed another parachute from under the next seat and checked the latches. “Remember. All four straps, and then pull them tight before you pull the cord.”
“Please, don’t make me do this!”
Dominick grabbed Haatim’s arm and dragged him away from the corner. Haatim tried to struggle, but fear weakened his muscles. His breathing came in short and ragged gasps.
“Breathe deep and don’t panic,” Dominick said. “You have to be in complete control. Always remember, in this life, one mistake can get you killed.”
“I don’t want this life.” Haatim jerked back. No use, though, as Dominick had an iron grip on his arm. “I didn’t choose this life.”
Dominick shrugged. “It chose you.”
And then he threw the parachute out of the helicopter. Haatim watched in horror while it disappeared, whipping underneath the craft. He looked back at Dominick, who smiled.
“Trial by fire.”
Then Dominick jerked on Haatim’s arms and dove backward out of the chopper, pulling Haatim out with him. Haatim screamed while he fell without a parachute.
***
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Dominick yelled over the headset while they plummeted. “You can keep screaming and never run out of breath while you fall. The pressure just keeps refilling your lungs.”
Haatim couldn’t stop screaming and flailing. He focused on closing his mouth and ended up making gasping sounds instead. Dominick pushed Haatim away and created separation between them as they dropped. The wind whistled past, freezing lips and throat.
“Quick lesson,” Dominick said. “Aim your body straight like a torpedo, and you’ll fall faster. Spread out and create more wind resistance, and you’ll fall slower.”
While he spoke, he performed both actions. First, falling faster, and then slowing down. Not a huge difference but noticeable.
“Try it.”
“I can’t,” Haatim said, still flailing.
“You need to get control. Aim your body where you want to go.”
Haatim closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and then tightened his body and forced his legs up over his head. The wind shifted around him, but he couldn’t tell if he changed course at all.
He looked back at Dominick a few seconds later. They’d moved farther apart. “Good,” Dominick said. “Now, spread out and slow down.”
Haatim did, and the wind picked up against his body when he flattened it out.
“We’re at fourteen hundred meters,” Dominick said, moving closer to him. He pointed down. “There’s your chute. You better get moving.”
It dropped, maybe twenty meters below him. Haatim pushed the terror out of his mind and focused. He angled his body straight like an arrow and went for it. His speed picked up while he plummeted, and he felt certain he’d nearly reached terminal velocity.
He overshot the bag and had to correct course, rolling onto his back and spreading out his body to catch as much wind as possible. It took another few seconds, but finally, the bag came close enough that he could reach out and grab it.
Relieved, he pulled it to his chest and clutched it like a mother holding her infant. “Good job,” Dominick’s voice came over the headset. “Eleven hundred meters. Hurry up and put it on.”
Haatim scrambled to pull the chute over his shoulder. Just then, he passed through the clouds. The ground loomed huge below with features and mountains coming into full view.
It proved insanely difficult to manipulate the parachute. Each time he tried to roll the other strap toward him to pull it over his shoulder, his body rolled instead, and the strap stayed too far away.
“Better focus, Haatim.”
At last, at long, long last, he got a grip and pulled both straps over his shoulder. He snapped the first two over his chest, and then reached for the one under his lower back.
“You’re doing great,” Dominick said. “Nine hundred meters. We’re still in the green, but you’re running out of time.”
Haatim looked down, and the ground loomed twice as big as before and approached fast. He twisted his body, pulling the strap up under his crotch and snapping it to the ones across his chest.
“Remember to pull them tight,” Dominick said. “You’ve got about ten seconds before you’re in the red.”
“Would you shut the hell up?” Haatim screamed, grabbing the straps and yanking them.
They slid easily, and he let out a gasp when the ones over his chest crushed his lungs. Suddenly, it felt difficult to breathe.
Still, he decided, hard to breathe had to be better than sliding out of the parachute.
“All right, all right,” Dominick said. “You don’t have to be a jerk about it. I won’t help anymore.”
Haatim reached for his shoulder, where he thought the strap cord should be to release the chute, but found nothing there. He fumbled, frantically trying to find it.
“Where’s the cord?”
“Not there,” Dominick said.
“Where?!”
“Oh, now you want my help? It’s by your right hip.”
Haatim reached down and felt a clasp. He yanked on it and, all at once, a loud whooshing sound erupted when the parachute flew out of the backpack. His entire body yanked upward, and then he spun.
“Over your head, you have two handles. Grab hold and use them to steer,” Dominick said.
Haatim grew dizzy from the spinning, but could see the handles. He reached up and grabbed the left one, and then managed to pull it far enough down to get the other in his right hand.
After a few seconds, the chute stabilized, and Haatim fell more smoothly. He looked to the side. Dominick glided down next to him.
“Just enjoy the rest of the trip,” Dominick said, swooping away and heading for a plateau.
Haatim looked around at the mountains, but couldn’t enjoy it anymore. His body ached, and he felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t think he would ever fly again, and most definitely wouldn’t go skydiving after today.
He couldn’t think of anything more terrifying in his entire life, not even counting everything that he’d gone through with Abigail in Raven’s Peak.
Haatim landed hard, bouncing through the snow, and finally came to rest about ten meters from where he’d first hit. He just lay there on his back, staring up at the sky and taking deep breaths.
After a few minutes, Dominick approached, and then he leaned over Haatim, staring down at him. “You good?”
“No,” Haatim said, sitting up. “I’m not good at all. Why the hell would you do that to me?”
“Ah, you’ll get over it,” Dominick said, extending his hand to help him up.
With a sigh, Haatim accepted and raised from the ground.
“Think of it this way; you’ve experienced the worst possible method of skydiving ever. Next time, it can’t possibly be as bad.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“In this line of work, you can’t know something like that. And, hey, now you’ve earned my respect.”
“I didn’t before?”
Dominick shrugged. “It ebbs and flows. I’m not a huge fan of Council members, and Aram in particular. Why should his son get a free pass? Now, though, you’ve completely earned it.”
Dominick helped Haatim take off the backpack and fold up the parachutes. They finished just as the helicopter landed on the ground nearby. It touched down gently, but the rotors kept spinning.
Haatim looked at it with skepticism.
“The other option is to walk back,” Dominick said. “But it’s about fifteen
kilometers.”
Reluctantly, Haatim climbed into the helicopter and then the copilot’s seat. Dominick flipped off the automatic controls, and then took them back into the sky.
“You might hate me today,” Dominick said. “And for about a week, or maybe a month. But after a while, you’ll look back and think, ‘Man, that was actually pretty awesome.’”
“I doubt it.”
“Trust me,” Dominick said. “My job is to prepare you for the real world and the threats you’ll have to face. I wouldn’t do you any favors by taking it easy on you.”
Haatim didn’t respond. They flew in silence for another fifteen minutes, heading back toward the airport.
“You know,” Dominick said, finally. “We only used two parachutes. How about round two?”
Haatim shot him a look of terror. “Hell, no.”
Dominick just laughed in response. Then he said, “Don’t worry. We need to keep the others for a real emergency. You’re safe … this time.”
“You’re cruel.”
“Only sometimes,” Dominick said, smiling.
They traveled in silence for a couple more minutes, and then Dominick spoke again, “You said you lived in Arizona? Scorching hot out there.”
“Believe me, I know. Still beats the cold, though.”
“How did your dad like it when he came to visit?”
Haatim shrugged. “He never did,” he said. “The entire time I went to college out there, he didn’t come to see me once.”
“Yeah, he did,” Dominick said. “After your sister died. He said he was flying out to visit you.”
“What?” Haatim asked. “When?”
“A few days after she died. Before the funeral.”
Haatim did some quick math in his head, counting up the days.
That meant it must’ve been weeks before he’d moved back out to Arizona and everything crazy had happened. He would have been in India, and there would have been no one in Arizona his father would have known.
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah,” Dominick said. “I’m the one that flew him in.”
“In a helicopter?”
“No, private jet,” Dominick said. “He spent two days there visiting you, and then I flew him back to Europe. What are you saying? Are you telling me he didn’t come see you?”