Pacing them a hundred feet to the east was an Apache attack helicopter.
“Unidentified aircraft, this is Captain Munoz of the U.S. Army. I’m here to escort you back to Santa Maria. I’d advise not trying anything stupid. Do you understand?”
“Tell him you understand,” Quinn said.
The pilot hesitated a moment, then keyed his mic. “I understand, Captain.”
“You will make a one-eighty-degree turn to the left, then fly south to Santa Maria.”
The pilot looked at Quinn, who nodded back.
“Roger,” the pilot said.
“First let’s get you some altitude. Take her up to a thousand feet on my mark. Okay?”
“There,” Quinn said. He pointed at a clearing just ahead. It looked like someone’s field. Perhaps a place for horses. There were several houses in the area, and a thick grove of trees lining two of the sides.
“Did you understand my instructions?”
“Tell him yes,” Quinn said. “But when he tells you to go up, I want you to take us down fast into that clearing as close to the trees as possible.”
“I’ll need at least a hundred feet of clear space.”
“Make it fifty,” Quinn said. “Any more and I will kill you the moment we’re on the ground.”
“Did you understand my instructions?” the voice on the radio repeated, now without any trace of friendliness.
“I understand,” the pilot said.
“Nate,” Quinn said. “Go back with Marion. Secure for a rough landing.”
Without a word, Nate was gone.
“All right,” the captain in the Apache said.
The clearing was close now.
“Let’s take her up,” the captain said.
Quinn could feel the helicopter rise. Just a few seconds more.
“Now!” Quinn yelled.
The Superhawk immediately switched direction, heading straight down for the ground.
“Unidentified aircraft, cease your descent!”
“As close to the trees as possible,” Quinn reminded the pilot.
The ground was rushing up at them.
“Pull up,” the captain said. “Pull up now!”
With a loud
The pilot started to unbuckle himself.
“No,” Quinn said. “Not you.”
He punched the man hard in the face, stunning him.
In the main cabin, Nate already had the door open and was helping Marion to the ground. Orlando was right behind them. Quinn was pleased to see the pilot had put them even closer to the grove than he’d hoped.
“Go,” he said as he jumped out. “Into the trees.”
Above and behind him, he could hear the Apache coming in for a landing, but he didn’t look back. With a crew of only two, no one from the Army helicopter would be following them. At least not on foot. If the helicopter went airborne again, it might be able to spot them. But that’s where leaving the pilot of the Superhawk behind came in. He would occupy them, at least long enough for Quinn and his team to get away.
“Head west,” Quinn said as soon as they were all under cover. “Better chance we’ll find a ride in that direction.”
But the noise of the helicopters had woken everyone in the area, and several people were outside trying to see if they could figure out what was going on. It forced Quinn and the others to keep to the trees, slowing their progress.
After a couple of minutes they reached a blacktop road heading east to the hills and west toward Highway 101. The highway was where they wanted to be, so they moved westward parallel to the road, staying under the cover of the trees. They passed a couple of hills, then a short bridge above a dry creek bed.
That’s when Quinn heard the Apache power up again.
“Back, back,” he said. “To the bridge. Get under.”
Nate and Orlando understood why at once. But Marion looked confused. Quinn grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her with him down into the dry creek.
There was only about four feet of clearance under the bridge. After Nate and Orlando scrambled underneath,
