AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heart in her mouth, she watched him swing out on one of the ropes to the outside of the ship.
“Put this on,” she told Minerva, handing her a ring chute.
Minerva obeyed, her hands trembling.
April put another one onto Bo and reached into the bin to grab chutes for herself and Khall. If she could figure out where he went, she would get his to him.
But there was only one more chute at the bottom of the bin.
“Let’s go find the perfect place to land,” she said, grabbing the chute on autopilot, but not putting it on.
She knew what she had to do.
And though she would have sworn she would never have the courage to die for the ones she loved, now that she was here, it was shockingly easy.
“Not without my daddy,” Bo yelled, planting her little feet.
“Your daddy loves you so much,” April said, crouching down. She knew she was using their precious little time, but Bo had to be onboard. “He told me to get you off this airship. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Do you trust me to do the right thing?”
Bo looked into her eyes for a long time.
“Yes,” she finally said, lowering her eyes.
“Good girl,” April said. “Now, this parachute activates when you touch the sensor on your chest. You want to jump and when you get away from the ship, press the sensor, and wings will come out of it.”
“Not really,” Bo said.
“Really,” April told her. “It’s the coolest thing ever.”
Bo allowed herself to be led to the railing.
“April,” Minerva whispered. “There aren’t enough chutes.”
“I’m waiting for your dad,” April whispered back. “I’m giving him this one once he gets back in here. And I’ll find another for myself once you two are safely landed.”
“No,” Minerva said quietly.
And though she didn’t stomp her foot or scream, there was a steel in her voice that gave April chills.
Just then there was a terrific groan as the ship slowly turned.
“The rudder,” Minerva breathed. “He must have turned the rudder manually. Which means he’s hanging off the side now.”
The three of them sprinted to the other side of the deck, and looked up to where Khall was indeed holding onto the rudder, which was now extended out too far for him to climb back.
“Why are you still on the ship?” he screamed in frustration.
But Minerva was already dragging rope over and flinging it up through the air to him.
April joined her and together they wrapped the rope around the controls enough times that there was hope he would swing from it if his first jump didn’t bring him back to them.
He swung toward them and there was a thump as he hit the deck once more.
“Put this on,” April yelled, pulling him up and swinging the chute over one of his arms.
The four of them ran for the far railing. April could see now that he had turned the ship to the top floor of a building that was under construction. The workers were gone for the day, so the airship’s crash wouldn’t hurt anyone there.
But anyone left onboard the airship wouldn’t be so lucky.
