"Call off the missiles, repeat, call off the missiles! There are children on board!"
Why aren't they responding? Helen thought in anguish. She was frightened for herself, frightened for her children, and frightened for her husband. As frightened as she was, that fact--that she worried about Bob--made her feel a little better.
And curious. Why was she worried? Until a few minutes before, she had believed that Bob was having an affair. That wasn't dangerous...was it?
Except that the missiles being fired at her were clearly land-based. The only land that could be firing at her was the island she was headed for--the island Bob was on. And unless he had a particularly evil and jealous lover--which actually wouldn't surprise her, knowing Bob--he was in danger. Really, he was in danger either way, just that he was in more danger without a lover. Unless she survived the imminent explosion; then it would be more dangerous if he had a lover, because she, Helen Irene Parr, would personally kill him.
As soon as she thought it, she was ashamed and frightened again. Oh, God, I didn't mean it. I'd forgive him even if he was having an affair, but Bob wouldn't do that. If she was going to die, she didn't want to die doubting her husband. She loved him. She had always loved him. Even in those days before he'd started lying to her about his "business trips", when she'd been a step away from divorce. But she had stuck it out--until two months ago--because she loved him, although at the time she believed it was for the children...the children! That was it!
"Violet!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Throw a force field around the plane!"
"I've never done one that big before! I don't think I can!" Violet cried frantically.
Helen repeated her instructions, then once again pleaded with land base to pull off the missiles. Inwardly, she felt guilty about what she'd told Violet. Her daughter was right, of course. She'd never been able to use her powers much. Poor Violet. Something was bothering her about her powers, but Helen wasn't quite sure what. Perhaps it was just that she'd never had the chance to use them. Perhaps it was something entirely different--a feeling that her powers wouldn't be of use in a fight. Bob would know. He always understood her a lot better than Helen did, which just made Helen feel even guiltier.
For someone who was never home, Bob certainly understood his daughter well...and his son. As Helen turned and once again screamed for Violet to throw up her force field, she caught sight of Dash's face. Instantly she wished she hadn't. He looked so much like his father, the spit and image. But Helen had never once known Bob to be afraid, and Dash's face was twisted into a look of such fear that Helen had to turn quickly. Dash was his father's son in all but one respect, and that was the fear. And Helen had never seen Dash afraid before today. He was arrogant, boastful, showy...handsome, charming, and with a huge heart. If the situation hadn't ben so serious, if she wasn't scared out of hr wits, she probably would have smiled fondly.
But she was too busy trying to evade the missiles and screaming for Violet to put up a force field. But Violet was panicking. She'd never be able to handle it. And Helen, noting a missile heading directly for them, knew she could never evade them.
She knew what to do. If she could stretch to a parachute-like shape, she could keep Dash and Violet from hitting the water too hard, perhaps save their lives. With frightened, half-crazed cry, Helen launched herself into the back and covered her children...just as one of the missiles hit the plane.
Her plan worked. She and the children hit the water somewhat gently--at any rate, they weren't hurt and they idn't drown. As she was trying to calm them down, to reassure them, she noticed another missile heading for them and shrieked for her childrn to move and pulled them underwater. On her way back to the surface, she observed the missile explode against the ocean floor. Good. Whoever shot at us will think we're dead. Just so Bob doesn't think that.
Okay, Helen, cut it out. Just calm down.
But Helen was far from calm. She was scared. She was angry. She was frustrated. But she had to stay calm. She had to be strong for her kids. And she had to believe. It was all she could do.