the elderly lady was smiling.
"Damn it. Cupcake?"
"He not on," Fisher replied. "He helping doctor."
"Ask him if he inspected the kid. And tell him to get the damn headset on." Megan hovered the chopper twenty feet off the ground as the elderly lady's eyes met hers.
Within seconds, Jake's voice came on the intercom. "I'm on."
"Did you inspect the kid?"
"All except the big bandaged area on the head of the baby. And he’s head is strapped to- Why?"
"I told you everywhere. Do it now."
"The doc said…"
"Something isn't right. Pull those bandages off. Now!"
There was silence for several seconds. Megan saw the elderly lady get a puzzled look on her face. There was arguing over the intercom between Jake and the doctor.
"Shit. The kid has some sort of…." Jake's voice stopped.
"Get it off my ship now! Toss it out the left side away from the crowd," Megan said still hovering above the field.
"Open the door. Damn. It's stuck." McGrew's voice was heightened.
Megan cursed under her breath. Her eyes locked with the elderly lady who smiled at her, then chuckled.
The parents stopped focusing on the helicopter and turned to the old lady. There was confusion on the ground, lots of yelling at each other. The elderly lady spoke with what could only be a sneer at the father and mother. With that, the mother screamed and fell to the ground crying, with her hands held toward Famine. The father of the child hit the elderly lady. And hit her again.
"Get it out now!" Megan repeated.
"Out!" McGrew yelled.
Megan accelerated up and off to the right. The blast rocked the helicopter but with a quick adjustment to the foot pedals and some fancy maneuvering , she kept the craft under control.
Some distance above the ground, Megan hovered. She glanced at Cowboy who wiped his brow and shook his head. They glanced down at the small gathering to see the father of the child beating the old woman, probably to death.
Megan muttered a curse. "How's the kid?" she asked to no one in particular in the back of the helicopter.
Fisher answered. "Doctor is stopping blood from leaking. Bomb thing was, uh, near head. Stuck in blood and bandage. Wound is ugly."
"Yeah." Megan gave out another breath in relief. She shook her head and tried to calm her frail nerves. Too close. Again.
Cowboy summed up her feelings. "Crap. That was an ass burner, Girl."
***
Famine landed at the White Pine compound after dropping o ff the injured child and medical personnel. Megan scrambled out of the cockpit as the two crewmen in back were still securing guns and picking up the mess. "McGrew!"
Jake hopped out of the back. His face hardened. "Yeah?"
"What the hell were you thinking? I gave you specific orders for a reason." Megan jammed her hands on her hips.
"Look, the doc said …"
"I don't give a shit what the doc said. You do what I say. I told you to inspect that kid. You damn near got us killed. We've had other tours here. We know how things go. Don't do that again. When I give you an order, you follow it or you're gone. This was your one mistake."
"Can I say something?"
"No. There was no excuse for this. If Famine is damaged, so help me God, I'll drum you out of White Pine. I don't give a shit if you don't like taking orders from me." Megan strode off to the side of the chopper.
***
An hour later, Jake stood in Megan's office doorway, watching the sad expression on her face. She sat at her desk fiddling with her camouflage scarf. She was listening to the phone, not saying anything.
"I'm sorry, Fahim. Is there anything they can do?" Megan asked softly. She frowned at whatever was said on the phone. "Tell him not to worry. It didn't damage the chopper and there are crazy people everywhere. None of the crew has hard feelings toward him or his village."
Jake knocked quietly on the door frame to get her attention. Seeing her with defenses down caused a quickening of his heart and made her even more attractive.
Megan looked up at him and her
"Damn it. Cupcake?"
"He not on," Fisher replied. "He helping doctor."
"Ask him if he inspected the kid. And tell him to get the damn headset on." Megan hovered the chopper twenty feet off the ground as the elderly lady's eyes met hers.
Within seconds, Jake's voice came on the intercom. "I'm on."
"Did you inspect the kid?"
"All except the big bandaged area on the head of the baby. And he’s head is strapped to- Why?"
"I told you everywhere. Do it now."
"The doc said…"
"Something isn't right. Pull those bandages off. Now!"
There was silence for several seconds. Megan saw the elderly lady get a puzzled look on her face. There was arguing over the intercom between Jake and the doctor.
"Shit. The kid has some sort of…." Jake's voice stopped.
"Get it off my ship now! Toss it out the left side away from the crowd," Megan said still hovering above the field.
"Open the door. Damn. It's stuck." McGrew's voice was heightened.
Megan cursed under her breath. Her eyes locked with the elderly lady who smiled at her, then chuckled.
The parents stopped focusing on the helicopter and turned to the old lady. There was confusion on the ground, lots of yelling at each other. The elderly lady spoke with what could only be a sneer at the father and mother. With that, the mother screamed and fell to the ground crying, with her hands held toward Famine. The father of the child hit the elderly lady. And hit her again.
"Get it out now!" Megan repeated.
"Out!" McGrew yelled.
Megan accelerated up and off to the right. The blast rocked the helicopter but with a quick adjustment to the foot pedals and some fancy maneuvering , she kept the craft under control.
Some distance above the ground, Megan hovered. She glanced at Cowboy who wiped his brow and shook his head. They glanced down at the small gathering to see the father of the child beating the old woman, probably to death.
Megan muttered a curse. "How's the kid?" she asked to no one in particular in the back of the helicopter.
Fisher answered. "Doctor is stopping blood from leaking. Bomb thing was, uh, near head. Stuck in blood and bandage. Wound is ugly."
"Yeah." Megan gave out another breath in relief. She shook her head and tried to calm her frail nerves. Too close. Again.
Cowboy summed up her feelings. "Crap. That was an ass burner, Girl."
***
Famine landed at the White Pine compound after dropping o ff the injured child and medical personnel. Megan scrambled out of the cockpit as the two crewmen in back were still securing guns and picking up the mess. "McGrew!"
Jake hopped out of the back. His face hardened. "Yeah?"
"What the hell were you thinking? I gave you specific orders for a reason." Megan jammed her hands on her hips.
"Look, the doc said …"
"I don't give a shit what the doc said. You do what I say. I told you to inspect that kid. You damn near got us killed. We've had other tours here. We know how things go. Don't do that again. When I give you an order, you follow it or you're gone. This was your one mistake."
"Can I say something?"
"No. There was no excuse for this. If Famine is damaged, so help me God, I'll drum you out of White Pine. I don't give a shit if you don't like taking orders from me." Megan strode off to the side of the chopper.
***
An hour later, Jake stood in Megan's office doorway, watching the sad expression on her face. She sat at her desk fiddling with her camouflage scarf. She was listening to the phone, not saying anything.
"I'm sorry, Fahim. Is there anything they can do?" Megan asked softly. She frowned at whatever was said on the phone. "Tell him not to worry. It didn't damage the chopper and there are crazy people everywhere. None of the crew has hard feelings toward him or his village."
Jake knocked quietly on the door frame to get her attention. Seeing her with defenses down caused a quickening of his heart and made her even more attractive.
Megan looked up at him and her
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