S. Davis - 900 Miles

In the same instant, the pilot lifted his free hand above the instrument panel, pointing out through the windshield, grabbing Gordon’s attention. I don’t think I took a single breath as Kyle quickly but cautiously nudged back and forth before finally pulling himself free.

A bead of sweat rolled down my cheek as Kyle jumped up with the Amigo’s knife in hand. While he slid the blade through each of our plastic cuffs, we still continued to hold the metal poles, appearing captive, while Kyle used all of his might to prop the Hulk back up on the seat.

After leaning the giant’s back against the cabin wall, with his face away from the front cockpit and toward where we were sitting, Kyle pulled a nine-millimeter handgun from a holster on the Hulk’s hip. Looking between Rodgers and Jarvis, both holding out their hands for it, he threw it to Jarvis, who quickly lifted his ass and sat on it.

Kyle then moved back over toward where we were sitting, and reached his hands up to wrap around the pole.

Shifting his focus to the three of us, he said in a stern but low voice, “We need to move to take Gordon and the pilot out. We’ll need to do it quick as hell. I’m not sure if I can get into the cockpit before we cra…”

My stomach lifted into my chest as the helicopter started its descent. We all looked toward the cockpit as Gordon called out merrily, “We’re here!” He seemed to be admiring his base from the sky, and even appeared to be waving at some of his people on the ground.

“Shit!!” Kyle cursed. Looking around the cabin for just a moment, he then said “OK, change of plans. We need to take the pilot the second we land, before he turns the engine off. With any luck, we’ll be able to pull right back into the sky before anybody realizes what the hell has happened.”

Rodgers peered toward the cockpit, then toward us. There was a look on his face that I couldn’t place at the time. Fear, concern, madness… I wasn’t sure, but looking back on it, it told a lot more than any words could have. I knew one thing for certain, the guy that had faced off against countless terrors alongside us suddenly looked like he was questioning what we were about to do.

My eyes were wide as we made our descent. I had the very real thought that our lives, the lives of our friends, and the life of my son depended on us being able to pull this off. We were going all in, and we didn’t have a hell of a hand to play with. However, with any luck, we’d be giving Gordon the hard goodbye.

The back wheels touched ground with a thud. I watched as the Hulk rolled from side to side. Just as he was about to tip back to fall off the bench, the front wheels hit, throwing the Hulk forward just enough to keep him upright.

“ Thank you ,” I whispered too loudly to myself.

Shooting my attention to the cockpit, praying Gordon hadn’t heard me, I realized he was busy pulling the headset off and unbuckling his harness. At nearly the same moment we landed, a noise came from the side of the cabin as the door on the front side of the helicopter started to open. I found myself wondering why we hadn’t made a move yet. My blood was boiling, but I was waiting for Kyle to lead the charge.

“Hold. We have the element of surprise,” I heard him whisper below the slowing roar of the propellers above.

A man wearing a set of headphones pulled the door open and poked his head in, looking back at us, and then toward Gordon, who had already stepped out of the cockpit and toward the door.

“Well my friends, this is the last stop. I think it’s time to see what you have to say now that you’re getting ready to meet the full team.”

“I say, who’s the tough guy now?” Kyle yelled out as he lowered his hands and pulled the knife out from behind his back.

Gordon’s face went pale as Kyle jumped up, followed by the three of us. While Kyle darted toward the door, which was surprisingly far away from us, Gordon kicked the man with the headset out of the way and leapt from the helicopter.

Kyle reached the exit, peering out after Gordon, and I swear there was a moment where he almost jumped out after him. However, he quickly came to his senses and shot his attention to the pilot, who was hitting a bunch of switches on the control panel, getting ready to shut the helicopter down, oblivious to what was happening behind him.

Running toward the front, Kyle reached both arms over the pilot’s shoulders and violently yanked him out of the chair. Throwing the man back for the rest of us to deal with, Kyle slid into the pilot’s seat, and in the same motion, was flipping all the same switches in reverse order.

Jarvis had the nine-millimeter drawn. Keeping his composure, he looked down at the pilot, who was curled up in the corner by the door. With the tone of a father reprimanding his son, he asked, “Do you know what kind of maniac you’re linked up with, boy?”

The pilot shook, not saying a word as his crotch turned dark wet, and the familiar smell of urine permeated the cabin.

“Jesus Christ!” Rodgers yelled out.

“Get out!” Jarvis finally said, keeping the firearm locked on the piss-wet pilot’s face.

Rolling out through the opening, the pilot hit the ground with a thump as I leapt over toward the door to pull it up. Glancing out to the airfield, I couldn’t believe what I saw. There were at least five more of the same double-blade helicopters we were riding in, which I later learned were Chinooks. There were some tents in the distance. I could see a number of men running toward our ride. Guns drawn, they were getting close enough to fire.

Yanking the door shut, my voice nearly cracked as I yelled over to Kyle, “ Now is the time!”

He didn’t respond, but I could hear the blades on our helicopter going at full speed. I saw him pull back on the yoke, causing my knees to buckle. Tipping over, I found myself rolling through the piss puddle that the pilot had left behind.

Ducking down, I heard repeated clings as bullets pelted the exterior of the metal-plated chopper. I expected to see holes the sizes of grapefruit appear in the sides and the floor. To my surprise, I didn’t see a single one. The sucker was well armored.

Once in the air, I pulled myself from the piss puddle, wiping some of it from my face with my one dry sleeve.

As we rose further into the sky, the gunfire ceased and the clings that I heard rattling into the floor below stopped with it. We were pulling away quickly, high into the cloud-filled heavens. I found myself standing at one of the portholes. Gordon had a hell of a compound set up down there , I thought to myself. There were a countless number of tiny men below, surrounded by buildings, aircraft, and a bunch of large wooden boxes stacked atop each other. Lowering my shoulders, I realized that if they were coming at Avalon with all of that, then our little world… our safety would be put to the truest test it could be. The test for all our lives.

As the base turned into nothing more than an impressive set of toy soldiers, I turned my attention to the front of the cabin and walked up to join Kyle. While my nerves had my hands shaking like a hooker’s vibrator, he appeared composed, focusing on navigating the giant helicopter.

Noticing me, his nostrils flared as he scowled. “You smell like piss.”

Yes, I did, but we were alive.

Kyle’s plan had worked… for the moment. Now we just needed to figure out which way was home.

Patience wins wars.

Taking a moment to breathe, I pulled myself into the co-pilot chair. The shadow of the helicopter was visible, but just barely, against the overgrown landscape and various small lakes and ponds below. The sun was beginning to go down, but I could still make out small packs of creatures roaming through the fields. I had no idea how far away we were from Avalon, but Kyle was quickly working on trying to figure it out. We seemed be in the middle of bum-fuck America.