The headset crackled. “Want anyone to shoot from my bird, Hoss?”
Darryl paused. His equipment alone would certainly be enough to kill the predator, but why take chances? “Tell Jason to shoot. Wait for me to fire first. Over and out, Craig.” He tossed the headset and put his hand on the door. “You ready for this, Soccer Mom?”
Lisa’s eyes hardened. “Go ahead.”
As the wind rushed in, Darryl turned forward. “You still OK?!”
“Fine! Let’s get going!”
Darryl didn’t need to be told twice. He moved rapidly. On the far wall were two dozen extremely dangerous-looking projectiles. Technically they were harpoons, originally designed by a Japanese weapons manufacturer to shoot whales. The projectiles were eighty pounds each, six feet long, and had tips as sharp as broken glass. Darryl lifted one, loaded it, then pressed a button. In an instant, an electric pulley similar to a crossbow’s pulled the spike back until the cables were taut.
Then he aimed at the predator gliding below.
“PLEASE HOLD on to that.” Jason pointed to the unwound ladder at Phil’s feet. “I don’t want it blowing in the wind when I open the door.”
Phil quickly shoved it under his seat.
“You got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Here goes….” Jason opened the door, and an explosion of wind blew in. He grabbed his rifle, then, over the wind, just watched the predator gliding back and forth, laboring mightily and visibly exhausted. Jason tried to see its eyes. He only caught glimpses but thought they weren’t moving, like the creature wasn’t thinking. Jason saw it plainly: the Demonray was physically weak, trapped, and vulnerable. He turned as Darryl aimed a truly horrifying piece of steel right at the animal. The sharpened stake looked like it could kill an elephant. Jason knew Darryl wouldn’t miss. It’s over, he thought. He removed the safety from his rifle, then aimed. He waited for Darryl to fire first.
CHAPTER 87
THE STEEL stake exploded away, rocketing toward the animal like a missile.
The predator made no attempt to evade it. In its weakened condition, it simply continued gliding, completely unaware. The stake plunged three feet deep into its right side and it suddenly began jerking in violent, spasmodic contortions.
In the other chopper, Jason didn’t hesitate. He checked his aim carefully. Then fired eight times. Six bullets entered the head just above the eyes and the animal continued to contort.
In the Vertol, Darryl rapidly reloaded, then aimed again. Voom! On a line, another stake rocketed down. The projectile plunged into the Demonray’s left side, and the predator suddenly contorted even more wildly, speared symmetrically, torrents of thick red blood gusting into the wind.
The wind blowing into his face, Darryl looked down cruelly. The animal that had killed his wife was about to die itself. He reached for the next spear, but it rolled away….
In the other chopper, Jason suddenly felt a tinge of worry. He hadn’t taken his eye off the creature and for some reason it abruptly seemed dramatically calmer. It was as if the animal had been startled by the first shots but had quickly gotten over it. It wasn’t jerking spasmodically anymore. Incredibly, with two steel harpoons sticking out of it, it was gliding evenly. Watching it, Jason realized the harpoons were piercing the deepest part of its body but not its actual wings. The two projectiles really didn’t seem to be bothering it.
Then the giant head moved, and Jason got a glimpse of its eyes. His stomach turned. The eyes were alive now—and looking down at the sea. Why’s it looking down there? The animal seemed to be eyeing the surface, studying it even.
Craig spun around. “It can’t breathe down there, right?!”
Jason shook his head over the wind. “I don’t think so!”
“Then what the hell’s it doing?!”
“I’d say looking for a way out!!”
The Demonray suddenly darted inland, toward the forest.
Like lightning, Craig jolted the chopper lower, cutting it off—and causing Phil to kick the ladder from under his seat. They watched it glide away… and didn’t notice the ladder fly out the open door….
In the Vertol, Darryl aimed once more. Completely focused on his target, he didn’t notice the other helicopter’s ladder, caught in a current of wind and speeding down toward the creature. Just as he released he saw it, heading to the same exact spot on the creature as his now-speeding projectile….
“What the hell is that!” Craig screamed.
He’d just spotted the ladder himself. It was coming from his helicopter. If the harpoon caught the ladder and creature simultaneously… He turned the chopper up violently but too late. The stake knifed into the ladder, simultaneously plunged into the animal, and Craig instantly felt a pull on his machine. He spun around. “Unhook the goddamn ladder!!”
Phil jumped to the ladder hook, but it was impossibly tight. “It won’t unhook!”
“Then cut it! Cut it right now!”
Phil looked around over the wind. “With what?!”
Craig ripped open a compartment and two red Swiss Army knives dropped out, sliding under the seats. They all reached down to find them… just as the predator began flapping, flying straight up.
Craig bolted up, holding the knives, shoving one to Jason, the other back to Phil. “Cut the damn ladder! Cut it right now!”
As Jason and Phil began cutting, Craig realized the creature was gone, the ladder now above the helicopter. If the ladder got caught in the speeding propeller blades… He gunned the machine higher, craning his head to see the animal. He couldn’t see it. Where the hell was it?!
It was plunging straight down. Wings pulled tight, it was behind the chopper, dive-bombing toward the ocean.
Jason jerked his head violently. A black shape blurred past, moving with astonishing speed. But the helicopter was still ascending….
“Craig! You’re going the wrong way!”
“What!” Summers couldn’t hear over the wind.
“The wrong way! You’re going the wrong way!”
But even as he screamed the words, Jason knew it was too late. If they didn’t change direction instantly, the ladder would tighten and then—
Suddenly the chopper jerked onto its side.
His seat belt off, Phil almost fell out the open door. The chopper jerked again, and Phil slid straight out. With both hands, Jason grabbed him, pulling him back in.
Craig frantically pulled the levers, trying to right the machine. It was too late. The chopper turned over and entered free fall.
“Bail out!” Craig screamed, “Bail out! Bail out! Bail out!”
From under the seats, he grabbed orange parachutes, shoving two to Jason and Phil.
Phil frantically put his on, but Jason couldn’t get his hand through a strap.
“Bail out! Bail out! Bail out!”
The world started spinning… ocean and sky, ocean and sky…
“Bail out! Bail out! Bail out!”
Craig couldn’t undo his seat belt. Phil lunged toward him, trying to help.
Jason got his hand through the strap then felt toward the open door. Trying to focus, he watched as Phil yanked frantically on Craig’s seat belt. He couldn’t undo it. Jason just watched. He didn’t want to leave them.
“Bail out, Jason!” Phil screamed. Then he eyed him for a brief moment. “I’m sorry.”