giant fireball. We never try to kill; but, given a choice between killing versus being killed, I will pick us every time.
‘Awesome work, Six,’ says Ella.
‘Yippee-ki-yay, and all that,’ I reply with a grim smile.
‘Do you think they’ll leave us alone now?’ asks Marina.
‘I don’t think it’s going to be that easy,’ says Commander Sharma.
‘She has all the same type of powers as the boy you call Vishnu,’ says Crayton, motioning towards me. ‘Will that be enough to dissuade them? Do you think they’d still try to fight him?’
‘They would if they could find him,’ says the commander.
‘How many are there in the Lord’s Resistance Front?’ I ask Commander Sharma.
‘In total? Thousands. And they have wealthy donors who support them in any way they need.’
‘Hence the helicopters,’ Crayton says.
‘They have worse than that,’ the commander adds.
‘The best plan for us is to outrun them,’ Crayton says to the commander. ‘I’ll drive as fast as I can. If we have to fight, we’ll fight; but I’d like to avoid it.’
Five minutes pass in tense silence. Marina and I monitor the brigade in the distance, and whenever we pass something large enough, we use our telekinesis to drop it in the path behind us. The tall trees that have begun to dot the sides of the road quickly form a thick line of defense. The car dips into an extremely narrow valley before beginning to ascend the mountain. We have just come to the base when Commander Sharma tells Crayton to stop. I lean forward in my seat and see dozens of small mounds in the dirt.
‘Land mines?’ I ask.
‘I’m not sure,’ the commander says. ‘But they weren’t there two days ago.’
‘Is there another route to wherever we’re going?’ Crayton asks.
‘No, this is the only path,’ Commander Sharma says.
Suddenly, we hear the sound of helicopter blades, but I don’t see them yet. They’re hidden behind the tall trees. Of course, that means they can’t see us, either, though it sounds like they aren’t very far off anymore.
‘We’re sitting ducks if we stay here,’ I say, my mind racing to figure out our next best move.
Crayton opens his door and steps out with a machine gun under his arm. ‘Okay, this is it.’ He points up and to our right. ‘We either go up there and get behind a line of trees and fight, or we keep running straight up the mountain.’
I follow him out. ‘I’m not running.’
‘Neither am I,’ says Marina, standing next to me.
‘Then we fight,’ says Commander Sharma. He points into the hills. ‘Half of us set up on the left while the other half takes position on the right. I will take these two with me.’ He indicates Ella and me.
Crayton and I look at each other and nod.
Ella turns to Crayton. ‘You okay without me, Papa?’
Crayton smiles. ‘Marina’s legacy will make sure whatever they do to me won’t last long. I think I’ll be okay.’
‘I’ll keep an eye on him, Ella,’ Marina adds.
‘Are you sure we should do this, Commander?’ the soldier asks. ‘I can go to fetch Vishnu, bring him back to help.’
‘No, Lord Vishnu should stay where he’s safe.’
Crayton turns to Ella. ‘Keep those glasses on. Maybe you can be our eyes up there in the trees. I’m still not sure how they work, but let’s hope they’ll help now.’
I hug Marina and whisper into her ear. ‘Be confident in your abilities.’
‘I should heal Commander Sharma before you go,’ she says.
‘No,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t trust him yet and he’s less dangerous to us if he’s injured.’
‘You sure?’
‘For now.’
Marina nods. Crayton taps her arm and beckons her to join him and the young soldier. The three of them scramble up the left wall of the valley, disappearing behind a boulder.
Commander Sharma, Ella, and I move up the right side of the hills, carefully avoiding the bumps on the ground as we move. We find a position behind some massive boulders, and settle in to wait for
‘Awesome work, Six,’ says Ella.
‘Yippee-ki-yay, and all that,’ I reply with a grim smile.
‘Do you think they’ll leave us alone now?’ asks Marina.
‘I don’t think it’s going to be that easy,’ says Commander Sharma.
‘She has all the same type of powers as the boy you call Vishnu,’ says Crayton, motioning towards me. ‘Will that be enough to dissuade them? Do you think they’d still try to fight him?’
‘They would if they could find him,’ says the commander.
‘How many are there in the Lord’s Resistance Front?’ I ask Commander Sharma.
‘In total? Thousands. And they have wealthy donors who support them in any way they need.’
‘Hence the helicopters,’ Crayton says.
‘They have worse than that,’ the commander adds.
‘The best plan for us is to outrun them,’ Crayton says to the commander. ‘I’ll drive as fast as I can. If we have to fight, we’ll fight; but I’d like to avoid it.’
Five minutes pass in tense silence. Marina and I monitor the brigade in the distance, and whenever we pass something large enough, we use our telekinesis to drop it in the path behind us. The tall trees that have begun to dot the sides of the road quickly form a thick line of defense. The car dips into an extremely narrow valley before beginning to ascend the mountain. We have just come to the base when Commander Sharma tells Crayton to stop. I lean forward in my seat and see dozens of small mounds in the dirt.
‘Land mines?’ I ask.
‘I’m not sure,’ the commander says. ‘But they weren’t there two days ago.’
‘Is there another route to wherever we’re going?’ Crayton asks.
‘No, this is the only path,’ Commander Sharma says.
Suddenly, we hear the sound of helicopter blades, but I don’t see them yet. They’re hidden behind the tall trees. Of course, that means they can’t see us, either, though it sounds like they aren’t very far off anymore.
‘We’re sitting ducks if we stay here,’ I say, my mind racing to figure out our next best move.
Crayton opens his door and steps out with a machine gun under his arm. ‘Okay, this is it.’ He points up and to our right. ‘We either go up there and get behind a line of trees and fight, or we keep running straight up the mountain.’
I follow him out. ‘I’m not running.’
‘Neither am I,’ says Marina, standing next to me.
‘Then we fight,’ says Commander Sharma. He points into the hills. ‘Half of us set up on the left while the other half takes position on the right. I will take these two with me.’ He indicates Ella and me.
Crayton and I look at each other and nod.
Ella turns to Crayton. ‘You okay without me, Papa?’
Crayton smiles. ‘Marina’s legacy will make sure whatever they do to me won’t last long. I think I’ll be okay.’
‘I’ll keep an eye on him, Ella,’ Marina adds.
‘Are you sure we should do this, Commander?’ the soldier asks. ‘I can go to fetch Vishnu, bring him back to help.’
‘No, Lord Vishnu should stay where he’s safe.’
Crayton turns to Ella. ‘Keep those glasses on. Maybe you can be our eyes up there in the trees. I’m still not sure how they work, but let’s hope they’ll help now.’
I hug Marina and whisper into her ear. ‘Be confident in your abilities.’
‘I should heal Commander Sharma before you go,’ she says.
‘No,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t trust him yet and he’s less dangerous to us if he’s injured.’
‘You sure?’
‘For now.’
Marina nods. Crayton taps her arm and beckons her to join him and the young soldier. The three of them scramble up the left wall of the valley, disappearing behind a boulder.
Commander Sharma, Ella, and I move up the right side of the hills, carefully avoiding the bumps on the ground as we move. We find a position behind some massive boulders, and settle in to wait for
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