Argent Glass

Chapter 40 - Raze - Pierce

The sound of the rotor was louder the closer Pierce came to cresting the ridge. He had been running a dead heat from the second he had heard the helicopter. Minjun had been left behind but Pierce trusted he'd be able to track everyone. The trail of exhausted shuffling wasn't hard to follow.

At the top of the plateau, he dropped his hands to his knees amid tiny dancing dust devils and surveyed the scene. Everyone was collecting at the bird but Robin was holding up her hand like a traffic cop preventing anyone from going any further. It wasn't until his gaze landed on Danny that he realized something was terribly wrong. Danny sat stiffly, dead-eyed, staring straight out the front of the helicopter, a cat waiting patiently for the mouse behind the wall.

Finnegan turned to say something to Danny, and when Danny turned to reply, he met Pierce's eyes. It was that slightest of slight pauses before continuing to lean back toward Finnegan and respond that clinched it for Pierce. He pulled his pistol from his waist and lined up the shot. There wouldn't be any mistakes this time.

Finnegan turned from the helicopter. Andrew flinched at Robin's side. Pierce took the shot.

Chaos.

Pierce wasn't sure they had heard the bullet ping away from the helicopter, but he was certain someone had voiced the alarm at the cold hard steel of the MP5, and they were all now headed his way.

Marybeth tripped and fell and Michael skirted around her, then skidded to a stop when he came face-to-face with Pierce and his gun.

"Move!"

Michael dropped to the ground, hands over his head and the scientists skidded to a huddled mass behind him. Farmer and Mandy were helping Marybeth up while Jordan pulled at her mother's arm. Doc Galen had caught his nurse into his arms before she stumbled, and held up his hand to halt Jinho who was running with Aurum cupped in his hands.

"Move!" Pierce shouted again.

"Get down!" Minjun shouted from behind. Pierce shot off through the crowd, not waiting for their compliance. He pushed his way between the scientists, who dropped to the ground with their hands over their heads in his wake.

Robin stepped over the soldier at her feet and leaned into the helicopter, pointing the MP5 toward the cockpit and then into the belly of the chopper. Danny wasn't there and she quickly squatted to look under the helicopter. Danny had come around and under the tail. They were face to face in a stand-off with their guns pointed at one another.

Pierce took the shot.

Danny went down. Robin spun with the MP5 and Pierce thrust his hands in the air. The barrel of the MP5 went down and Robin thumbed the safety. With another quick motion, she pulled the clip from the gun and tucked it into the helicopter then turned to rush to Pierce.

He caught her in a hug before she made two steps. She fought against his strong embrace until he loosened up, and then her hands found the sides of his face and brought him to her lips for a salty, dusty kiss.

"Get a room!"

Andrew kicked Evan's shoe and shouted back, "Are you still curled up on the ground down there? Time to get up, sweetie."

Evan climbed to his feet and almost tripped on Finnegan's leg because he was staring into the helicopter.

"I know. You were right," Andrew said.

Evan cupped his hand over his ear. "What's that?"

Andrew rolled his eyes and gave a rueful shake of his head. "You're right, I said!"

"A little louder?"

"You're right! It's a Sikorsky. Painted over."

Evan nodded his head. His hair rocked wildly back and forth. He threw his hands into the air. "He said I'm right! Did everyone hear?!"