There's hanging around, and there's hanging around
...
So, there I was, hanging half out of the helicopter, shooting a handgun at a truck speeding along a dirt track.
I know, what's the effective range of a handgun?
The sound of the rotors was still deafening even with the earphones on and as I run out of bullets and was reaching for another clip, I heard a voice crackle in my ears.
"Some fool's got a rocket launcher."
That fool was trying to lean out the passenger side of the truck and aim the launcher at the helicopter.
The bucking and swaying of the vehicle nearly tipped him out onto the roadside, but something managed to anchor him, and he was taking aim.
"Now would be the time to peel away," I said, not knowing if the pilot could hear me.
Our course didn't deviate, so perhaps he hadn't.
I calculated the distance between the helicopter and the ground, and the speed we were traveling. Fast. Short drop. Quick landing. Very painful.
In that moment I saw the rocket leave the launcher, I let go.
There was that instant where you feel disembodied and floating on air. The same as that few seconds in free fall, just before pulling the rip cord of a parachute.
I hit the ground a rolled, not that I thought it would do much good, and the stopped, just before I lost consciousness. Somewhere in front of me, there was a huge explosion, and then nothing.
Last thought, I hope the helicopter didn't land on me.
...
© Charles Heath 2018 - 2023
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