When the Wind Blows - James Patterson [82]
We gathered up the children, kept them moving. We slid and fell and scraped our way down the hillside into a small valley. Then we climbed painfully up the side of a facing hill. Then down the opposite side. We ran until we couldn’t run anymore, and then we ran some more.
Five children, two adults—seven witnesses.
Chapter 86
WE FINALLY STOPPED to rest and took cover under a formation of primeval-looking boulders. We were exhausted, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and stunned to silence. Our recent small victory was only a brief respite. We had outrun a couple of Security geeks, but so what?
Five minutes passed—ten minutes—no one came up behind us. Not yet, anyway.
Kit had climbed a high, branched tree to do some quick surveillance. He shimmied up and down expertly, and I was impressed with his agility. He was full of surprises.
“I couldn’t see anyone following us,” he reported. “But that doesn’t mean much. They know we’ve got a long way down with the kids in tow.”
Max was at my side, urgently tapping my arm. “I should teach them to fly,” she said. “It will be easy for them, Frannie. I have to do it. They’ll be safer from the guards. I was.”
Night would be coming soon, and I was anxious and frightened for the children. I didn’t see how we could all safely make the trip down in darkness. Before today, I’d always thought of the woods as a personal refuge. No more.
“It’s getting dark pretty fast,” I said to Max. I didn’t want to scare her, but I hoped she would get my point.
“It’ll be okay for now,” she answered. “There’s a moon. Please trust me. I have instincts about these things. Also, we can see better in the dark than you can.”
I was so impressed with Max. It had only been a few days since she’d thrown herself screaming against our net. Now she had assumed responsibility for her small charges. I did trust her judgment, her instincts.
She felt it was time to push the little birds out of the nest. She was probably right about that. It would be a stunning thing to witness.
First flight!
Chapter 87
WE CLUSTERED TOGETHER on the shelflike summit of a rocky outcropping. The moon was brilliant overhead. It seemed ominous, like the chandelier at the opening of Phantom of the Opera. It was a beautiful night, though thoroughly spooky because of the dangerous circumstances we found ourselves in.
“This is how you do it,” Max told the others in a firm voice. “It starts in your head. You send your mind up and out of your body. Then just let your wings do the work. It’ll be great tonight. We’ll fly right by the moon, like in E.T. You guys remember that scene in the movie?”
“Cool!” Icarus yelled. “I’m E.T.! I’m the hero. I called it!”
The other kids rolled their eyes, but nobody argued with Icarus. I could see that the children were unusually generous and supportive of one another. They had team—or maybe it was flock—instincts.
I looked at the leaning tower of striated schist that stood about fifteen feet off the ground. It was just high enough for a practiced flyer to achieve lift, but it could also make for a pretty bad fall if the smaller children weren’t up to it. I held my breath a little. I trusted Max, though.
“Watch me!” she said to the other kids. “Do exactly what I do.”
First, she beat her wings in place. Then, when there was a good stiff breeze coming at us—she simply stepped off the high rock.
“Wow!” the other kids chorused. “Way to go, Max! Whoooo! That’s really great!”
For a moment, Max hovered effortlessly in the air. She turned her head down to make sure that all eyes were on her. They certainly were. Then she took off to another level.
She flew up toward the treetops, and it was just incredible. The hair on my neck stood on end. My legs were wobbly. But I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.
Using good sense, or instincts, she kept it real simple. No aerobatics and no showing off. She made one graceful circular loop and then came back down to the others.
“I can do that,” Peter bragged and thrust out chin