Behind the Walls. NOVEL By Claire Darcy.

3. Playing Doctor.

Rowan struggled to keep the helicopter steady in the dark night sky. He was exhausted; beaten and bruised, and not to mention sore from the kick Ace had given him. He glanced across at the girl who lay fast asleep with her head up against the window. In the back, Josh lay asleep across the two chairs. Rowan sighed and blinked a few times, trying to stop the fatigue from setting in.

"I can do this," he assured himself, adjusting his grip on the stick.

He'd never actually flown a helicopter before, although he had told Ace otherwise. He'd flown fancier things; high-tech devices and plenty of advanced aircraft. But not a helicopter, though he knew he could do it- because he had the fire. The fire of determination, of rebellion, of power.
He saw that same fire in Ace's eyes, that was why he needed her. Yes, she was stubborn, and sassy, and had way too much attitude, but Rowan didn't care. Ace was powerful, and Rowan knew exactly what would happen to her if the Council got their filthy hands on her. Few things made Rowan shudder the way he did when he thought about the Council, yet somehow, a simple government system was the most dreadful thing he had encountered. Not that he hadn't encountered many dreadful things, in fact, it was quite the opposite.
Rowan had faced things no teenage boy should ever dream of facing. Things no human at all should ever have to face.

He tightened his grip on the cyclic stick, his instincts directing him as he fiddled with switches and buttons. He breathed out slowly, focusing on the view in front of him. The darkness stretched out for what seemed to be forever, a sea of dead, brown rainforests and jungles panning out below. This was nothing like he'd ever seen. Nothing like he ever wanted to see.

And he was scared.

Rowan Zachary Slade was never scared; according to everyone else, that is. Fear had been torn from him at a young age; weakness being his enemy. Yet when he thought on his mission, on the girl beside him and the future before, he couldn't help but be a little afraid.

However, above all, Rowan felt a burning urge to do some damage; a fiery thrill to bring down the Enigma Council, and destroy everything they stood for.

And this, he planned to do very soon.

...

ACE.

My eyes snapped open.

I was looking up at a canopy of dark green trees.

Noises, sounds, everywhere.

I was frozen in place, staring up at a sky I had never seen before. My breathing quickened. Where was I?

I slowly sat up, every inch of me aching and covered in blood, dirt and sweat. I pulled myself to my feet, hissing at the many cuts that laddered my legs, and the stones that penetrated my skin.

I looked around, my vision blurry and delayed.

I was in some kind of dead rainforest; a dried-up jungle of sorts. Felled trees lay in a ring around me, creating a clearing enough for the light of early morning to shine its yellow glow on the scene. Only now did I notice the burning, crumpled remains of what was once some kind of machine, and the pieces of shrapnel and debris that littered the forest floor. I looked at the machine, its black metal shell caving in on itself, smoke billowing out of some kind of windows. What was it? And how had I gotten here with it?