Bill skirted the abandoned airfield low to the ground, throttled down as much as possible. For some reason, he felt nervous about flying right up to the small single-strip airfield. His instincts told him to get as low and quiet as possible. Experience told him that if he felt nervous or anxious, there was usually a reason. A smell he didn't realize he caught a whiff of, or a noise that didn't register but his hearing had picked up. In this case, it had to be something he caught a glimpse of. He didn't consciously see anything, but whatever it was had triggered his instinct for survival. To the north, a wide strip of forest hid marshland from the airfield's view. He dropped down to only ten feet off the cat tails and pussy willows. Focusing on flying, he only gave quick glances into the trees.

A break in the trees that he guessed was a road at one time showed a quick view of a hanger as they fly by. In that quick view, he saw the shape of a helicopter. The shape was not a bulbous one, but more triangular with a long nose. It was dark colored. That quick glance told him it was a gunship. They were lying in wait for him. The police had talked to someone other than the horned people.

"Never trust a cop," he grumbled. Thicker brush and trees were coming up. He flew over an open tongue of water to stay low for a few more precious seconds, then lifted up enough to top the trees with inches to spare. He had to give it a little more throttle, hopefully not enough that the wrong person would turn their head to investigate.

Once he was clear of the airfield he took a look at his translucent fuel tank. Only a couple inches left in the bottom. He'd have to set down someplace soon. Ahead, an open field of corn appeared before him.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Bill looked over to see Diane looking back. She pointed behind them.

Bill looked, fearing the helicopter was taking off. That one wasn't, but in the distance, he saw another one approaching. He had no luxury of time to puzzle the hazard of leaving a landing trail in the corn. He had to go to ground. The instant he reached the corn field, he dropped the nose and banked in a turn to run parallel with the trees. He saw a dirt road edging the field. He cut the motor and drifted down to bounce a few times on the rough road before they came to a stop.

Bill unlatched the girl's harness, and barked, "Into the trees, go!"

Suzanne and Diane jumped up and ran up under a tree. As fast as possible, Bill disconnected the tie-wire holding the wings out and folded them up, then pushed the plane over to a large ash tree with limbs thick with large leaves. The girls ran over to hug the treee beside him. He then heard the rotor blades approaching.

"Daddy," Suzanne said in a whine as she looked to where the noise was coming from.

"It's them, the bad wizards!" Diane supplied as she hugged the tree beside her sister.

Bill pulled his long barrel colt revolver and waited. Although it only had six shots, this pistol had a decent range to it, unlike an automatic. If he could pop the pilot as they were landing they would have a rough trip to the ground, and he'd have an avenue of escape.

The helicopter flew overhead. It kept on course, not even slowing down.

"They didn't notice us?" Diane asked.

"Yes they did," Suzanne stated. They both looked at Bill.

Thinking why they would pass by when they knew he was here, Bill guessed, "I think there were good wizards on that one, girls. They saw the other helicopter and didn't want to give us away."

"They're going to help us?" Suzanne asked.

"They already have. They pretended not to see us," Bill explained. As he pondered the best place to go, the noise of another helicopter got his attention. Sounding very different than the Huey that had flown by, the gunship flew just over the treetops, blowing it's down wash over them to kick up a cloud of leaves. Watching it follow the Huey, Bill smiled and said, "OK, girls we walk."

"We're not going to fly any more?" Diane asked, looking disappointed.

Suzanne scowled at her sister and said, "You silly! The helicopters up there will see us".

"Besides, walking is good for you," Bill said. He got his bag off the ultralight and hefted it up on his shoulder and headed back the way they had come. With that gunship gone, any ground support was going to follow it or head back to base. He could get to his secondary stash now.

.

In the helicopter, Lady Himari spoke Japanese into her cell phone, "I found them. We're being followed. ... A helicopter gunship... I'll take care of it. They are hiding on a farm just west of a small, unused airfield. First one out of Syracuse when you follow the path. Be careful. The men who are after them are serious."

.

Bill kept his eyes open as they walked to the airfield. He avoided the road, staying in the trees until he could see the field. The two hangers looked unoccupied, there was nothing on the single strip of runway that had grass growing in joints of the concrete. Suzanne and Diane both were alert as well, scanning around them as they walked.

Staying to the overgrown edges of the airfield, Bill scanned constantly for any sign of people. Coming around to walk behind the hangers, he went in between them and moved to the front. The main doors in the front were shut. He went to the side pedestrian door to the one on his right and took out a thin, card-like piece of plastic. He jimmied the lock and popped the door open. Motioning for the girls to stay put, he slipped in.

The only light in the hangar was beams of sunlight coming in from windows in the main doors. A Cessna twin engine missing the right wing motor, and a beat up old piper sat by a long stack of unused parts and boxes. He listened as he looked around. Satisfied it was safe, he brought the girls inside and shut the door.

Diane looked at the planes and asked, "Daddy, we can't fly those, can we?"

Bill shook his head. He motioned for them to follow. Walking to the back, he searched through the debris to find the crate he was looking for. He pushed the crate aside to expose the square hatch in the floor. He wiped off the small black box in the center and opened it to expose a keypad. He pushed '5', and the keypad lit up. He then punched in his code. A click sounded and the box flipped up to expose a handle.

Bill lifted the door to show it hid watertight fiberglass boxes in the cavity. He pulled each one out, looking at the marks on the sliver strips running around the middle of the sides. The last one he lifted was heavy. Seeing him grunt with effort, Suzanne gave him a helping arm.

"What are we doing, Dad?" Diane asked quietly.

"Getting that we need," he said, and pulled another box out. This one he opened by pushing black buttons near the silver strip.

The box was full of food, a few medical packs, a camp stove and cans of sterno fuel. "Hungry?" he asked, and brought out a mix of MRE's. A metal box within, he opened and leafed through the packs of hundred dollar bills. He grabbed a few pack of bills and tucked them in his shirt. He then gave one pack to each girl as he said, "Here, keep these for spending money in case we get separated and your family doesn't find you."

"Our family?" Suzanne asked as she frowned at him.

"There's more to our family than us?" Diane asked curiously.

Bill felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn't meant to say that. Maybe it was his conscious speaking. Summoning up a good excuse, he said, "That wizard in the helicopter that ignored us may be ... related. I'm hoping so. Just keep that money in case you need it."

The noise of a helicopter coming came to them. "Girls, do you sense anyone?" Bill asked quickly.

They shook their heads.

Bill opened the case with the Thompson and slapped on a hundred round barrel clip. The old sub-machine gun wasn't terribly accurate, but even someone with the latest body armor would get beaten to death by the heavy .45 caliber slugs. He grabbed a leg holster and put a silenced 9MM in. "Girls, get in," he said, pointing to the cavity.

"Daddy, this is scary!" Suzanne said firmly.

"Yeah, so get in. No one will find you in there."

"We want to stay with you, Daddy!" Diane complained.

"So ... get in with us!" Suzanne agreed.

They wouldn't fit. Outside, it sounded like the helicopter was coming to rest on the front side of the hangar, close to where the other one had been.

Bill got his boxes back in place with the girl's help. He shut the door and pushed the crate back in place. He got the girls in place behind the crate. Squeezing in with them, he said, "They might not come in here. If they do, don't make a sound. Breathe through your mouths and try to stay calm."

A little while later, the side door was forced open. Bill peeked out to see three people. Ducking back, he swallowed hard, then looked at his girls. Leaning down between their heads to whisper in their ears, he said, "Girls, I really need your help."

.

The Director got out of the helicopter to meet the black van coming around the corner of a hanger on the abandoned air strip. The van stopped. A black suited agent got out and said, "Sir, we are following the helicopter with Sect members in it. We'll know as soon as they find those kids."

"Good. Let the gunship crew know NOT to fire until they see all of them. The man, the kids, and those Sect people. We want to take them all out quickly."

"Right Sir. What about the Parkson woman?" he asked, and nodded toward the van.

Looking at the rusted hanger, he pointed to it and said, "That looks like a good place to stash her body. It's state property now, so she'll be nothing but bones by the time anyone finds her. Dust, if you find a good place to hide her remains."

"Right, sir."

The Director returned to his helicopter. The agent went to the van and opened the side door.

Sarah Parkson was yanked out by her good arm. Her other arm was quickly grabbed as another man got out with her.

Seeing the old hanger, Sarah let out a dry chuckle and said, "This is it, huh? Don't you even want a piece of me first, or will my warm body do?"

"Shut up!" The agent said and jerked on her arm to get her moving. "Grab a crow bar," he called back to the van.

Sarah stumbled along under his pull. She tried to fall so the man would shift his grip. Her trick didn't work. He let her fall, keeping a tight hold on her wrist as he kept pulling. The other man helped drag her along as she tried to get back on her feet.

"Hey, let me get up!'' she cried.

Ignoring her, they walked to the side door. Sarah manage to get her feet under her. Her good arm was forced behind her back and she was planted face first against the wall. Her legs were then kicked apart. Am arm pressed into her back. In this position, she couldn't move. With the arm in her back, she could barely breathe. "Just do it!" she croaked out.

A third man brought the crow bar. He jammed it in the door and popped it open.

An arm around her throat, and her good arm behind her back, Sarah was jerked off the wall and walked into the hangar.

"There, in the back. See all those boxes? We'll put her under those."

"Good a spot as any."

Bent backwards, Sarah desperately searched for a way to keep from being killed. Having trouble keeping her feet, she went limp. Again, the unexpected. The man behind her pushed her to fall on her face. As she tried to get up, he kicked her groin right on her pubic bone.

Wailing out a cry, she doubled up from the pain.

"STOP HURTING MY MOMMY!" came piercing, high pitched screams.

The men looked up to see Suzanne and Diane standing on a crate, fists balled in anger. Not expecting anyone to be here, they gapped at the girls. Too late, then noticed a man lying beside the crate, aiming at them. Their hesitation was their doom.

Pop Pop

The two shots were a whisper compared to the gril's screams. Both men toppled over with red holes in their foreheads. Bill jumped up and ran to his wife. Jumping down, Suzanne and Diane ran after him.

"Help her," Bill said, pointing to Sarah as he ran to the door. A quick peek showed the van and a man keeping watch. The man was eyeing the hangar.

"Mommy, ohhhh, don't die mommy!" Diane said in a whine.

Bill took another quick peek. The watching man was now coming. Bill got a two handed grip on his 9MM and stepped out, aiming. The other man pulled up with his gun.

SPLAT

Bill never got a chance to shoot. The man walking toward him split in half. His head burst apart with a sound like wood being chopped. His body separated like he'd been sliced down the middle with a saw. The halves fell, spilling guts and blood in a red mess between the body halves.

"NO ONE hurts MY Daddy!" Suzanne announced behind him.

Bill lowered his gun and turned to Suzanne, who was scowling at the mutilated corpse. "You did that?" he asked.

Suzanne looked up at him and nodded. "I only meant to knock him down, but he's not a tank round. He came apart," she said.

"That's OK, you did good," Bill replied, amazed that she could kill someone like that. Not only the total destruction of a man, but also the speed. No hesitation, and from her face, no remorse. Part of him was proud if her, but in a way, what she did frightened him.

"Dad! Mom needs help!" Diane called from inside.

Bill went back in to see Sarah had passed out. He had Diane get the box with the food and medicine. He got a break-and-shake ice pack to put on her groin. Taking a blanket out, they got Sarah wrapped up. Her breathing was stable and Bill felt a strong heartbeat. If she didn't die from shock, she'd make it.

"Daddy?" Diane asked as she eyed him fearfully.

Someone would be coming, that was certain. Bill didn't know when that helicopter would come back. They couldn't wait to find out. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Girls, stay here, watch her." He went to find the keys for the van.

On his way out, Suzanne shadowed him. Seeing her, he waved her back inside. Suzanne shook her head.

"Diane can protect mom. I have to protect you, Dad," Suzanne said firmly.

"All right. Stay between the buildings here. I have to go see if that van has the keys in it. I want to get it over here to load everyone in. Keep watch from here, OK?" he asked.

Suzanne did as he asked. Bill scanned the area then ran to the van, his gun at a half-draw. Luckily, the keys were in it. He got it started and backed up to the alley between the hangers. Moving quickly, he first brought out boxes of things they would need and loaded them in the back. His weapons and ammo box, the food and medicine, and a box containing clothes and makeup. The makeup was not the 'pretty up your face' stuff, but skin tone, eye lenses, wigs and hair color so once he got then someplace safe, they could change their looks completely and disappear. He put the last box in, and felt Suzanne tug on his arm.

"Daddy, someone's coming ... fast," Suzanne said as she looked up. Her lip quivered as she whined, "She's really, really strong, and angry. Daddy, what do we do?"