when an explosion rocked the silence.
“What was that?”
Molly asked, glancing around.
“It didn’t sound
good, whatever it was,” Lucy said. “Seemed to come from that
direction.”
“Right in the direction of Redding .” Frank reached
for the binoculars, but before he put them to his eyes, he saw plumes of smoke
rise into the air.
“Damn! They must
have hit the city,” Derek said.
Frank scanned the
sky and spotted an aircraft. “You’re right. It’s right above Redding .”
“Do you think the
soldiers had time to escape?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know.”
Frank sighed as he stared at the destruction unfolding. He couldn’t see much
from where they were, but he could still see the smoke, and as more smoke
appeared, he groaned.
Lucy reached over
and squeezed his shoulder. “At least we weren’t in Redding .”
Molly glanced
around. “But are we safe here?”
“Of course,” Lucy
replied. “Why …”
An aircraft
roared overhead and drowned her out. It was a Striker heading for Mount Shasta .
“I hope he
doesn’t see the others,” Molly said.
The four watched
on as the Striker circled once, twice, and then headed back to Redding . But before
anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, it flipped around and dove.
The color drained from Lucy’s face. “What’s he doing?”
Suddenly, red
bolts spurted out of the aircraft and hurtled toward the slopes of Mount Shasta .
“Damn!” Derek
didn’t need the binoculars to confirm what he had assumed. There was only one
thing of interest on the mountain.
“They’ll be
killed!” Lucy cried out.
Frank gazed
through the binoculars. He moaned in relief as he spotted the group huddled
behind a huge chunk of rock. “They’re fine for the moment.”
“But for how
long?” Lucy shouted. “We need to do something. I can’t sit here and do nothing,
knowing that the one I love is going to get killed.”
Frank hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“If you’re not going to do anything, than I am.” Lucy hurried toward the Striker.
As the teens
followed her, Frank sighed and followed. “Okay, we’ll try something.”
As soon as the
Striker powered up, Frank pulled the controls up and the aircraft started
gaining height. “There’s only one thing that I can think of, but it may not
work,” he muttered.
“Just try it!”
Lucy said, strapping herself down. “I can’t see them surviving for much longer.”
Derek looked
through the binoculars and saw that the group was still being blasted by red
bolts. He kept his eyes glued to the people as they raced across the snow,
swerving to and fro as they tried to avoid the red bolts. As they fell, he
cried out, “Oh no!”
“What happened?”
Lucy asked, worried.
“Someone got hit.
I can’t see who it is at the moment. Just wait while …” Derek lost sight of the
group as the Striker continued climbing.
“You’d better sit
down,” Frank suggested. “I’m going to give this aircraft some serious speed.”
Derek hurried
back to the others and sat down. He had just put on his strap when the aircraft
shot forward, climbing upward.
“How come you’re
climbing so high?” Lucy clutched her seat and kept her eyes dead ahead.
“The higher I go,
the greater chance I’ll have of hitting the other craft when I shoot,” Frank
shouted back, finally leveling off.
“What does he
mean?” Molly asked, looking at Lucy.
“I … I’m not sure.”
“Hang on tight!”
Frank pushed the controls down as far as they would go. With a sudden burst of
speed, the aircraft tilted on a sharp angle before hurtling downward.
Far below them, a
speck in the sky, the other Striker, was just visible. Frank pressed a small
round button on the controls and held it down. Red bolts shot out from the
front of the Striker and tore through the air, heading for the other aircraft.
The aircraft
shook from side to side as he headed downward and gradually gained speed as it
reached Mount Shasta .
“We’re going
“What was that?”
Molly asked, glancing around.
“It didn’t sound
good, whatever it was,” Lucy said. “Seemed to come from that
direction.”
“Right in the direction of Redding .” Frank reached
for the binoculars, but before he put them to his eyes, he saw plumes of smoke
rise into the air.
“Damn! They must
have hit the city,” Derek said.
Frank scanned the
sky and spotted an aircraft. “You’re right. It’s right above Redding .”
“Do you think the
soldiers had time to escape?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know.”
Frank sighed as he stared at the destruction unfolding. He couldn’t see much
from where they were, but he could still see the smoke, and as more smoke
appeared, he groaned.
Lucy reached over
and squeezed his shoulder. “At least we weren’t in Redding .”
Molly glanced
around. “But are we safe here?”
“Of course,” Lucy
replied. “Why …”
An aircraft
roared overhead and drowned her out. It was a Striker heading for Mount Shasta .
“I hope he
doesn’t see the others,” Molly said.
The four watched
on as the Striker circled once, twice, and then headed back to Redding . But before
anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, it flipped around and dove.
The color drained from Lucy’s face. “What’s he doing?”
Suddenly, red
bolts spurted out of the aircraft and hurtled toward the slopes of Mount Shasta .
“Damn!” Derek
didn’t need the binoculars to confirm what he had assumed. There was only one
thing of interest on the mountain.
“They’ll be
killed!” Lucy cried out.
Frank gazed
through the binoculars. He moaned in relief as he spotted the group huddled
behind a huge chunk of rock. “They’re fine for the moment.”
“But for how
long?” Lucy shouted. “We need to do something. I can’t sit here and do nothing,
knowing that the one I love is going to get killed.”
Frank hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“If you’re not going to do anything, than I am.” Lucy hurried toward the Striker.
As the teens
followed her, Frank sighed and followed. “Okay, we’ll try something.”
As soon as the
Striker powered up, Frank pulled the controls up and the aircraft started
gaining height. “There’s only one thing that I can think of, but it may not
work,” he muttered.
“Just try it!”
Lucy said, strapping herself down. “I can’t see them surviving for much longer.”
Derek looked
through the binoculars and saw that the group was still being blasted by red
bolts. He kept his eyes glued to the people as they raced across the snow,
swerving to and fro as they tried to avoid the red bolts. As they fell, he
cried out, “Oh no!”
“What happened?”
Lucy asked, worried.
“Someone got hit.
I can’t see who it is at the moment. Just wait while …” Derek lost sight of the
group as the Striker continued climbing.
“You’d better sit
down,” Frank suggested. “I’m going to give this aircraft some serious speed.”
Derek hurried
back to the others and sat down. He had just put on his strap when the aircraft
shot forward, climbing upward.
“How come you’re
climbing so high?” Lucy clutched her seat and kept her eyes dead ahead.
“The higher I go,
the greater chance I’ll have of hitting the other craft when I shoot,” Frank
shouted back, finally leveling off.
“What does he
mean?” Molly asked, looking at Lucy.
“I … I’m not sure.”
“Hang on tight!”
Frank pushed the controls down as far as they would go. With a sudden burst of
speed, the aircraft tilted on a sharp angle before hurtling downward.
Far below them, a
speck in the sky, the other Striker, was just visible. Frank pressed a small
round button on the controls and held it down. Red bolts shot out from the
front of the Striker and tore through the air, heading for the other aircraft.
The aircraft
shook from side to side as he headed downward and gradually gained speed as it
reached Mount Shasta .
“We’re going
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