The Sky Is Falling

"No."

Bronson sighed and turned off the ignition. The huge blades of the helicopter began to slow down until they came to a stop. Jeff looked out the window.

Cesar had opened the back door of the limousine. He said to Dana, "Your friend is trying to cause us trouble." His fist shot out and punched Dana in the jaw. She fell back on the seat, unconscious. Then Cesar stood up and started toward the helicopter.

"Here he comes," Bronson said nervously. "My God, he's a giant!"

Cesar was approaching the helicopter, his face filled with anticipation.

"Jeff, he's got to have a gun. He's going to kill us."

Jeff yelled out the window, "You and your bosses are going to prison, you bastard!"

Cesar started walking faster.

"It's all over for you. You might as well give up."

Cesar was fifteen yards from the helicopter.

"You'll be jailbait for the boys."

Ten yards.

"You'll like that, won't you, Cesar?"

Cesar was running now. Five yards.

Jeff pressed his thumb down hard on the start button and the huge vanes of the helicopter slowly began to turn. Cesar paid no attention, his eyes were focused on Jeff, his face was filled with hatred. The vanes began to spin faster and faster. As Cesar ran to the door of the helicopter, he suddenly realized what was happening, but it was too late. There was a loud splash, and Jeff closed his eyes. The outside and the inside of the helicopter were instantly covered with blood.

Norman Bronson said, "I'm going to be sick." He turned off the ignition.

Jeff glanced at the decapitated body on the ground, jumped out of the helicopter, and raced to the limousine. He opened the door. Dana was unconscious.

"Dana...darling..."

Dana slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Jeff and mumbled, "Kemal..."

The limousine was almost a mile from Lincoln Preparatory School when Jeff yelled, "Look." Ahead of them in the distance, they could see smoke starting to darken the sky.

"They're burning the school down," Dana shrieked. "Kemal is in there. He's in the basement."

"Oh, my God."

A minute later the limousine reached the school. A heavy cloud of smoke was rising from the building. A dozen firemen were working to put down the fire.

Jeff jumped out of the car and moved toward the school. A fireman stopped him.

"You can't go any nearer, sir."

"Has anyone been inside?" Jeff demanded.

"No. We just broke open the front door."

"There's a boy in the basement." Before anyone could stop him, Jeff went through the splintered doorway and ran inside. The place was filled with smoke. Jeff tried to yell Kemal's name, but only a cough came out. He put a handkerchief over his nose and ran down the hallway to the steps that led to the basement. The smoke was acrid and thick. Jeff fumbled his way down the stairs, holding on to the banister.

"Kemal!" Jeff called. There was no answer. "Kemal." Silence. Jeff made out a vague shape at the other end of the basement. He moved toward it, trying not to breathe, his lungs burning. He almost tripped over Kemal. He shook him. "Kemal." The boy was unconscious. With an enormous effort, Jeff picked him up and started carrying him toward the stairs. He was choking and was blinded by the smoke. He lurched drunkenly through the swirling black cloud, carrying Kemal in his arms. When he reached the steps, Jeff half carried him, half dragged him up the stairs. He heard distant voices, and he passed out.

General Booster was on the phone with Nathan Novero, the airport administrator at Washington National Airport.

"Does Roger Hudson keep his plane there?"

"Yes, General. As a matter of fact, he's here now. I believe they've just been cleared for takeoff."

"Abort it."

"What?"

"Call the tower and abort it."

"Yes, sir." Nathan Novero called the tower. "Tower, abort the takeoff of Gulfstream R3487."

The air traffic controller said, "They're already taxiing down the runway."

"Cancel their clearance."

"Yes, sir." The air traffic controller picked up his microphone. "Tower to Gulfstream R3487. Permission to take off is canceled. You will return to terminal. Abort takeoff. I repeat, abort takeoff."

Roger Hudson stepped into the cockpit. "What the hell is this?"

"There must be some kind of delay," the pilot said. "We'll have to return to the - "

"No!" Pamela Hudson said. "Keep going."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Hudson, I'd lose my pilot's license if - "

Jack Stone moved next to the pilot with a gun pointed at the pilot's head. "Take off. We're heading for Russia."

The pilot took a deep breath. "Yes, sir."

The plane sped down the runway, and twenty seconds later, it was airborne. The airport administrator watched in dismay as the Gulfstream soared higher and higher into the sky.

"Jesus! He went against - "

On the phone, General Booster was demanding, "What's going on? Did you stop them?"

"No, sir. They - they just took off. There's no way we can make them - "

And at that moment the sky exploded. As the crew on the ground watched in horror, parts of the Gulfstream started raining down through the clouds in fiery pieces. It seemed to go on forever.

At the far edge of the field, Boris Shdanoff watched for a long time. Finally he turned and walked away.

Chapter Twenty-Six

DANA'S MOTHER TOOK a bite of the wedding cake.

"Too sweet. Much too sweet. When I was younger and I used to bake, my cakes would melt in your mouth." She turned to Dana. "Isn't that true, darling?"