Chapter 27

Visser Five had regained consciousness. His henchmen were still lying about on the ground, either out cold or in too much pain to fight. But the Visser himself, in his huge, stolen blade-covered body of his Hork-Bajir was walking slowly towards us, eyes scanning the dumpsters for us, Dracon beam in hand.

Maggie was almost fully beetle. I yelled out at her, to distract her from the instincts of the beetle.

--Maggie!-- You're there! You're beetle!--

No reply. Her little beetle body scuttled about aimlessly on the ground. The real beetle has scampered under a stone. I fixed my powerful raptor eyes on her, desperate not to lose her. My falcon eyes, from what I'd seen so far, were great for long-distance viewing, but not brilliant for short distance viewing.

--Maggie! I need you to crawl onto my talon!--

Still nothing.

--She hasn't gained control of the beetle's mind yet,-- said Philip. I jumped. I'd almost forgotten the other's were still here. They were shifting around, nervously flapping their wings, waiting for my instructions.

--Right, we'll we've got no time to wait,-- I snapped. --Visser Five is about to say hello. –Philip, Ferdie, Asha – you three get out of here. Try and split up – give the Visser more targets to aim for – then get as high as you can, as fast as you can. Use the bird's brain to help you!--

--Yeah!-- Ferdie agreed. --I'm sure there's an instinct for get us the heck out of here!--

--Guys, go!-- I yelled. --I'll get Maggie out of here.--

The others took off. Asha flew straight upwards, like a rocket. Philip and Ferdie darted out on either side of her both turning sharp lefts-and-rights as they rose, given the Visser a harder target to aim for.

I couldn't wait any longer. I grasped the beetle-Maggie in my sharp talons, forming a miniature cave out of which I hope she wouldn't fall. Then, I flapped my wings, and took off.

The falcon's eyes were fantastic. I could see every tiny detail from the air. My hearing, too was razor-sharp. I could hear police sirens in the distance, heading this way. Ironic. Wait this long for someone to call the police. But it was great to get in the air again. There's nothing like the pure, supple grace of the leopard, but you're always stuck on the ground, moving in two dimensions. Being a falcon gave me unbelievable freedom and impossible manoeuvrability. Unfortunately, to my human mind, this only increased my worry. For I could see exactly what was going on below me. I could see the Visser, aiming his Dracon beam at me. He seemed to have got hold of some kind of long-range viewfinder, as his aiming was perfect. I could see straight down the barrel of the futuristic revolver. Worse, straining my neck, I could make out a little pinprick of red light on the underside of my belly. A laser sight target finder. Asha seemed to have noticed this, too.

--Sam!-- she cried out, turning backwards and flapping towards me. --He's aiming right at you!--

--Keep going!-- I called out to her. Philip and Ferdie were about a quarter of a mile ahead now. I couldn't see Asha. I swooped a hard right. My falcon brain controlled the move perfectly, keeping me balanced in the air as I performed a move a fighter-pilot would admire. But the Visser seemed unconcerned. He moved his Dracon beam, following my flight path. The little red dot was still visible on my feathers.

--Guys – you have to keep going!-- I shouted. --The Visser is aiming at me – I'm going to have to stop flying in a straight line so I can lose his aim.--

But, even though I had the body of one of the fastest and most agile birds of the sky, I was unable to loose the aim of the Visser. Whatever advanced technology he had to keep his aim, I couldn't defeat it. I thought-spoke to Maggie, not knowing whether or not she could hear me, or if I was still even holding her.

--Maggie – I don't know if I'm going to make it!-- I cried. -- might have to drop you – so if you can, get a grip on the beetle's brain and fly! Find a wood or something, demorph. The other's will find you.--

I knew what I was saying was highly unlikely. It was a long shot her even being able to work her wings this new in morph, let alone find a safe place to demorph. I carried on flapping, twisting, twirling in the air, exhausted, desperately trying to loose the Vissers' aim. But it was no use. My fantastic falcon eyes saw as the Visser placed his huge, leathery finger on the trigger. Saw as the muscles tightened to pull it. Saw my death. Saw-

"Kweeee-ik-ik-ik-ik-ik!"

Asha! The calling cry of her merlin! I spun violently in the air, my eyes locked on her raptor body. She was about fifty feet up, diving rapidly towards the Visser.

--Asha! No!-- I cried in disbelief. But I could do nothing. I watched as Asha opened her talons, and closed in on the Vissers' face, talons raking his eyes. I watched as Visser Five cried in pain. Watched as the laser sight of his Dracon disappeared from my feathers. I powered my wings and climbed upwards through the atmosphere as fast as I could, determined the Vissers' laser sight not find me again.

--Yes!-- shouted Asha in both defeat and triumph. --Sam - get out of here!--

I forced myself not to fly back down to stop her from what she was about to do. Instead, I watched in horror as the Visser took aim again. But this time, not at me.

I saw the tiny dot of the laser sight appear of Asha's belly. Heard the sizzle of the Dracon beam as it scorched through the air.

And then, watched as a small, brown form plummeted towards the ground.

--Ash!-- I screamed. --Asha!--