“There!” Megan pointed toward the sea, where a column of smoke rising from the favela obscured the horizon.
Wolfgang squinted, leaning forward and shielding his eyes, and then he saw it. Reaching into his pocket, he wrapped his fingers around the flare gun, jerked it out, and cocked it in one motion. Then, he pointed it toward the sky and pulled the trigger.
13
The flare rocketed skyward in a shower of orange flame and sparks, soaring hundreds of feet and casting a tail of fire in its wake. It was a bright, desperate call for help.
For a moment, Wolfgang thought the helicopter had ignored it and was turning back toward the city. It was difficult to see through the cloud of smoke and glare of the sun, but the aircraft didn’t fly their way. It hung in the air on the far side of Rio—possibly hovering, or possibly growing more distant. Wolfgang leaned forward and uttered a soft prayer for help, just in case Christ the Redeemer was listening.
For seconds, the helicopter stuck in the sky like a black speck, then it swung into a wide bank before dropping its nose and shooting straight for the Redeemer. Gunshots cracked from behind them, and Megan and Wolfgang dashed for cover at the base of the statue, pulling Rose in next to them as the surge of Red Command thugs broke onto the platform and opened up with their assault weapons.
Bullets smacked against the base of the statue, sending bits of rock and concrete exploding in all directions. Wolfgang covered Rose’s head and pulled Megan close, now completely helpless against the onslaught. With every burst of gunfire, the bullets smacked closer to their sheltered position, and the voices of the fighters grew louder.
The chatter of a rifle joined the thunder of the helicopter overhead, and they looked up to see the side door of the aircraft slung open a hundred yards away. Kevin’s unmistakable form knelt just inside, a rifle clamped into his shoulder.
Wolfgang pulled Megan and Rose closer as the gunfire filled his ears. At least one Red Command soldier screamed, then a rifle clattered to the ground. Then Wolfgang saw Edric join Kevin at the helicopter’s door. He reared back like a baseball pitcher and slung a small, black object toward the platform. It smacked into the concrete as the helicopter shot overhead, then Wolfgang heard a pop, followed by a stream of smoke.
Within seconds, a grey cloud consumed the platform, blocking out the sun and choking the Red Command until their guns fell silent. The helicopter’s rotor blades grew distant, but Wolfgang knew they’d be back.
“Come on!” he shouted.
Megan bolted to her feet, and together they ran toward the edge of the platform. Wolfgang looked up once and saw the face of the Redeemer high above, staring down at the city with care and compassion. Wolfgang breathed a silent prayer of thanks, then stopped at the railing and looked upward. Random potshots from the soldiers behind them rang into the air as the smoke blocked their view and disoriented their ranks.
Wolfgang heard the helicopter again and felt the smoke blown away as the beat of the rotor blades descended on them from overhead. The belly of the chopper hovered fifty feet above them, and a rope ladder with metal steps fell from its side, crashing against the platform’s flagstone surface.
Wolfgang motioned for Megan to go up first, and she climbed until Rose had enough room to follow. The girl shook her head, her cheeks pale.
Wolfgang gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Climb up, now. It’s time to go home.”
She hesitated once more, but then harsh voices shouted from near the statue, and that was all the convincing she required. Rose climbed several rungs up, then Wolfgang put his feet on the bottom rung and gave a thumbs-up to the helicopter.
The chopper roared and swung to the left, lifting them over the rail and into midair. A bullet hissed past Wolfgang’s face, and another shot obliterated one of the metal steps, but none of them struck home. Within seconds, they were hundreds of yards away from the Redeemer, riding high above Rio.
And this time, Wolfgang took a moment to breathe it in.
The chopper flew to the outskirts of the city, touching down at the airport Charlie Team had landed at only twelve hours previously. Wolfgang stumbled to the edge of a hangar and rested his hand against the metal wall, feeling as if he’d just stepped off a swaying boat deck and could still feel the waves beneath his feet.
Megan puked in the dirt nearby, and Rose stood by herself and just cried. Wolfgang regained his balance, then looked up to see Lyle, Kevin, and Edric running toward them while the rotors of the helicopter spun to life again, and the aircraft soared away. Kevin and Edric looked rough—dirty and tired with torn clothes. Lyle’s shirt was stained with sweat, and his hair was a tangled mess.
But they’re all here. They’re all alive.
“Wolfgang, thank God,” Edric said.
To Wolfgang’s surprise, Edric wrapped him in a bear hug. He stood awkwardly and then returned the hug, patting Edric on the back a couple times. “All good, Eddie. All good.”
Edric released him with a sheepish nod, then repeated the procedure with Megan before turning to Rose.
As soon as the girl saw him, her whole countenance changed. She flung herself on Edric as if he were the last person on the planet. “Edric!”
Edric returned the embrace, and Wolfgang felt a twinge of surprise. He didn’t expect Rose to recognize any of them, but she clearly knew Edric quite well.
Does Edric know the director personally?
“Nice work,” Kevin muttered, jarring Wolfgang from his thoughts.
“Thanks,” Wolfgang said, meeting Kevin’s gaze. There was a cautious respect in Kevin’s eyes he hadn’t seen before, still clouded by the haze of battle. The look made Wolfgang uncomfortable, and he redirected the conversation. “Where did you find a helicopter?”
“After we got out of the favela
