Norm called out to her. "Wait for me, Babe. I'll jump with you and catch you after everyone else is out."
Luke and Lucy looked out the door. Two missiles headed their way.
"Jump!" yelled Luke. "Jump now!"
Lucy held onto Hunter, and they all jumped. As Norm flew off with Robyn, the helicopter exploded into flames, sending a heat wave after them.
Hunter gripped her hand as they fell, and she turned to see his eyes open. Guess the fall brought him back. Air ripped at their faces as they fell faster and faster. They neared the base, but Luke hadn't slowed them down.
She hollered to him. "Anytime now, Bro!" At the rate they were going, they'd become road meat soon.
The air solidified under her and she slowed suddenly at first, then gradually, allowing her and the others to descend at a safer pace. She looked for her brother through their air-bound team. He looked pale and shaky, but he was doing it.
Lucy hit the ground first and Hunter landed next to her. She rolled into the fall and suffered only a few scratches. Somewhere nearby, the helicopter crashed and exploded.
Armed agents approach them, and Lucy faced them with hands in surrender. "It's us. We're the good guys."
They recognized her and lowered their weapons.
She pointed to the sky where Beleth's helicopter still chased them like a pit bull with a bone. "We need to take that one out."
Before the agents could respond, Beleth fired on them. Agents fell to the ground, dead. Tents burst into flames. Everyone ran to the base.
Hunter looked to Lucy, and she smiled, even as they ran for their lives. At least he was alive.
Lucy targeted an agent who looked in charge. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Agent Mark."
"See that helicopter up there? It's going to kill us all if we don't destroy it."
The agent looked into the sky. "We're out of anti-air. I've called in reinforcements."
Lucy sighed. "We don't have time for that. The whole base will burn in minutes." She turned to Gary and Darren. "Is it close enough now?"
They held up their hands and focused, but nothing happened. "We can't. Too high. Sorry, Luce."
Another missile hit nearby, releasing a torrent of fire and force, and she flew back, punched by an invisible wall. Everything went quiet, that eerie silence when the world had been muted but you could still see the action. She fell to the ground.
Hunter reached for her. "Are you okay?"
Speaking hurt. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Luke looked toward her, saw that she was okay, then ran forward, past Gary and Darren and to the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley. He raised his hands out, the tendons in his neck knotting up as his muscles strained, sweat breaking out on his face.
The helicopter started to waiver and hover, suspended in place, the air shimmering around it. It shook, like a tree unwilling to uproot, the metal groaning as it leaned forward.
Luke let out a roar.
And the propeller ripped off.
As the helicopter tumbled down past the cliff and out of sight, everyone stood speechless, and silence reigned.
Her brother fell to his knees, and she ran to him and grabbed him.
"I'm okay, Sis." His voice wobbled. "I'm okay." He leaned into her, closing his eyes, and passed out.
Lucy looked over the jungle as the rage of the fire consumed it. Her spirit opened and she connected with the life in the jungle and valley. She felt as the trees died, heard the screams of the animals, lived their suffering with them.
Luke lay limp in her arms. Tears flowed down her face. She'd failed them all. It was too late.
The wind brought a familiar voice to her. "Lucy...." It was Mr. K. "It's never too late for change."
She choked back a sob as she realized the awful truth. Mr. K's valley was burning with the rest of the jungle. That's what she was feeling. Her shoulders shook from grief. "Mr. K, I'm so sorry. I was supposed to save you and bring you home."
His trunk burned and his branches turned to ash.
She felt it all, and it tore out her heart.
"Don't be sorry, Lucy. Life never ends, it only transmutes into something new."
She hiccupped. "I left you all alone."
"Someone wise once told me that we're never alone." Mr. K echoed Lucy's words back to her.
"What can I do?"
"Breathe. Concentrate."
Lucy tried to quiet her erratic breathing and calm her pounding heart.
"And don't apologize, Lucy. You gave me something I thought I'd never have again. You gave me friendship." His last words hung on the wind. "Thank you."
The fire burned through her soul, and Mr. K was gone.
The tears came. Then the rain joined her tears, and silenced the anger of the fire. In those droplets she felt Mr. K, and though she grieved, she knew he'd been right, that matter never died or disappeared.
It just changed form.
Chapter 116 - Lucy