controls. It took me a moment to deactivate the stealth and the computer wouldn’t let me open the door until I deactivated the stealth system. I apologize.” He explained as he strapped Ryder down.
“We don’t have time for apologies. I don’t know where Jolt is; we need to get out of here.” I said sitting down and instructing Vanish to do the same. We both strapped into the seats and I gave Chuck the thumbs up.
He closed the rear door and climbed up the ladder into the cockpit. He flawlessly lifted the aircraft up off of the roof and began to take us away from the building.
The back of the aircraft shifted violently to one side.
“I guess this is Jolt.” Chuck yelled down from the cockpit. A holographic projection of the outside of the aircraft appeared in front of where Vanish and I sat. Jolt clung onto the wing.
Chuck dropped the left side of the aircraft suddenly making my stomach jump up into my throat. The maneuver caused Jolt to lose his grip and fall. He grabbed a tree branch on his way down and slammed into the ground.
Once Chuck regained our altitude and had gotten us back on course, we all took a breath of relief.
“Could you take us to Eastcroft instead of heading back to the lake house?”
“Yes ma’am.”
I turned to Vanish who hung her head, “What happened?” I asked. I wanted to know where they had disappeared to for a half an hour.
“I don’t really know how to describe what happened. I remember there being a lot of bright white lights and cold. I couldn’t really make out anything. My vision was blurred the whole time.” She didn’t look up.
“Well whatever happened, I’m glad to have you both back and in one piece. What did the doctors do to treat his gunshot?” I nodded towards Ryder.
“He was taken to several surgeries but I don’t think they accomplished anything. Silence never seemed to get any better. Everything they tried, they could not get the wound to heal. I hope that Doctor Z will be able to do something.” She wiped tears from her cheeks.
“I’m sure that Doctor Z will have the answer. I’m sure he is going to be just fine.” I hid my worry, I wasn’t sure if he would be able to do anything.
I watched Ryder as he rocked back and forth with the motion of the aircraft.
“Grace, we are nearing Eastcroft. I think that you should try and call their traffic control and request permission for landing.” Chuck announced, “I could land in stealth.”
“No need, I’m sure they will let us land.” I said.
“Go ahead whenever you‘re ready.”
“Eastcroft this is Sear, requesting permission to land immediately.”
“All air traffic has been halted; please proceed to another landing area.” said a man from the control tower.
“Please find Acumen; I assure you that he will let us land.” I said with desperation.
The line was dead for a few moments, “Please state reason for requesting permission to land.” The man said.
I was quickly becoming irritated.
“There are three injured people and we need to land now. Silence and Vanish need medical attention.” I practically yelled at the man in the tower.
“Permission granted.” said Sam over the line.
Chuck set the aircraft down softly near the hanger. I unbuckled my safety belt and stood, shaky from my injuries. I helped Chuck unbuckle Ryder from the aircraft. He opened the rear door and pushed the stretcher out onto the tarmac.
“I found someone.”
Sam’s face lit up with the sight of Ryder.
~//~
I sat in the lobby of the clinic.
I was alone and in pain. My head was killing me and I could only imagine what was coming from Alice when I got back home.
Ryder was in with Doctor Z and Vanish had been escorted home by Hothead. He was so happy to see Vanish that he almost crushed me.
Sam joined me in the lobby, “It’s going to be a while but the good doctor is optimistic.”
“That’s good.” I said exhausted.
“How did you find them?” He sat down in a chair across from me, “And what happened?”
“My father helped me find him, well a holographic representation of him. I gained access to his computer system and used some of the technology that he left behind.” I rubbed my face.
“What happened when you found them?”
“When I got to the hospital, everything was going great until a squad of Sabers and Jolt showed up. Jolt was pretty worked up on killing us.” I shifted gently in the chair.
“Is