Lucy called for Darren and Gary. "Help him. Take them all down."
Gary looked around. "We can't. There's nothing big enough."
"That plane. It's big enough. Throw it at them."
Gary's eyes widened. "I can't move that. I'm not strong enough."
Darren frowned. "Neither am I."
Lucy wanted to swat them both on the head. Had they learned nothing during their Rent-A-Kid escape? "Work together. You can do it if you combine powers and work together." She braced herself at the entrance of the chopper, ready to help Luke in as soon as the threat had been neutralized.
Darren and Gary focused, and for several long seconds nothing happened. Then the plane started to skid, grinding into the asphalt with a shriek as it moved. The guards noticed it coming toward them, and stopped firing long enough to run, but the boys didn't let up. The plane accelerated and slid into them, crushing them and knocking them out of the way.
Lucy grabbed Luke and pulled him in. "Take off, now!"
Norm sat at the pilot's seat and clicked a bunch of controls. They'd all had the training, but he'd been the best, taking his required courses and turning it into a hobby.
They put on their headsets and Norm started the engine. The main rotor whirred to life and lifted the helicopter into the air.
As they were about to clear the hangar, Beleth tore through the plane that had stopped the guards and sprinted towards them. One more second, and he would have ripped their chopper apart. The man couldn't be stopped.
Lucy spoke to Norm through the headset. "Take us to the island across the channel, to the IPI base."
She moved through the small space to find Hunter lying on the floor, still out cold. She surveyed his body, this time too worried to take note of her own attraction. His arm had a jagged scratch, but not as bad as she'd thought. She ran her hand through his hair to check for bumps, but he felt fine. She hoped there was no internal damage. Why hadn't he woken up yet?
"Guys." Norm's voice came through the comm system. "We should have gone with the other helicopter."
"We couldn't," said Greg. "The guards blocked it."
Mary looked toward Norm. "Why?"
"Because it's following us."
Lucy looked out. The terminator helicopter chased them, and she'd bet all her money that Beleth was flying it. "Take him out," she told Gary and Darren.
They looked.
"We can't," said Darren. "He's too far."
"That thing doesn't have missiles, does it?" Greg asked.
Norm turned his head to look at them, then looked back toward his control panels. "Actually, that thing has—"
A missile flew at them from behind.
Lucy yelled. "Block it, now!"
Gary and Darren focused and the missile bumped to the left and missed their chopper by a hair's breadth. It crashed into the island in front of them, exploding into flames and lighting up the dark sky.
Lucy wiped sweat from her brow with a shaky hand. "Don't let any of those get close." They'd come so close to dying in that one moment, and if they died, so would all those kids, and Sam.
Mary twisted her hair in a nervous but familiar gesture. "How do we take the damn thing down?"
Lucy said, "Norm, anything you can do?"
"Not unless you have a bomb I can attach to it."
Bomb. Weapons. Lucy looked around the military helicopter but didn't find any. "Norm, get to the IPI base. They'll have anti-aircraft missiles." She hoped that was true as she said it, and that they wouldn't use those missiles on Lucy's helicopter.
The base came into view, and another missile veered off course thanks to the dual power of Gary and Darren. It exploded in the air, shaking the helicopter. Lights blared at the IPI base, and agents rushed outside and aimed their weapons at Lucy's team.
Norm picked up the radio. "Don't fire. This is— Shit! The missile took out our communications array." He smashed the silent device against the floor.
Bullets sprayed from the IPI base, and Lucy turned to Drake. "Use mind control on them to make them stop."
"I can't. I broke my last vial." His voice was angry and sad.
No wonder he couldn't fight harder to save Sam. She understood; her particular para-power didn't give her an advantage in that kind of situation either.
Another missile launched at them, this one friendly fire from the base. Damn them!
The guys deflected it, but Gary cursed. "We can't keep this up if we're getting shot at from both sides."
Robyn looked to Norm. "We need to land."
He nodded and lowered them closer to the base.
Another missile and another near miss startled them, this one from Beleth. This time it nearly hit the base.
Kinda serves them right for firing on their own people.
Luke stood. "No time to land. We jump."
Lucy looked at her brother. "Are you sure?" She'd made him use his power when they jumped off the log. He hadn't been ready, and he'd gotten hurt. She didn't want to do that to him again.
"I'm sure." He walked up to the open door. "Everyone jump. I'll slow us down."
Robyn backed up. "Are you crazy?"