Vortex of Evil Read Online Free PDF Page B

quite get my head around the concept of heading into a fight every time the bad guys show up.  For now, saving the oppressed will have to be my motivation.”
    Doug laughed.  “I have created a monster.  Or a hero.  Either way, let’s see if we can help.”  He leaned over and gave Erin a quick and unexpected kiss.  She wondered if her life with Doug was going to fall into a pattern of life-threatening situations, punctuated by the very occasional moments of intimacy.
    The lead zodiac closed the distance quickly with Gaby at the controls.  She and Peter were astonished at what they saw.  The pirate helicopter was hovering motionless and one of the men in the back seat was shooting at the two native canoes with the machine gun mounted next to the door.  It looked like many of the people in the canoes had jumped in the water to avoid the bullets.  There were some dead bodies lying draped over the side of the canoes as well.  The helicopter had made a wide turn and was ready for another strafing run when Peter opened fire with the .30 caliber mounted on the zodiac.  The inflatable boat was only about fifty yards from the first canoe and he was able to score several hits near the door of the attacking chopper.  It got the attention of the pilot who banked sharply to the right and turned towards Peter and Gaby.
    The helicopter had small anti-tank missiles mounted below each door and was about to fire one when Peter managed to put a burst of machine gun fire right into the cockpit bubble, hitting the copilot in the shoulder and forcing another wild evasive maneuver.  Tom and Doug steered their boats toward the two war canoes and the many survivors who were in the water.  The gunner in the back seat was still trying to fire the door gun at Peter and Gaby, but the sudden turns were throwing off his aim.  Peter had a clear shot at the chopper and was about to fire when suddenly a beam of intense light hit the helicopter, surrounding it with a bright orange glow.  As they all looked on, the helicopter blew up with such force that they could all feel the shockwave pass over them.
    Doug instinctively looked back to see where the beam had come from when he saw it.  Erin saw it too.  “What is it, Doug?  It looks like a flying saucer.”
    The remains of the explosion drifted slowly down to the surface of the ocean as the three zodiacs converged on the two war canoes.  The full extent of the attack was clear to see with bodies strewn about the canoes as well as some floating in the nearby sea.  But all eyes were fixed on the strange craft that hovered noiselessly above them.  It had just destroyed the helicopter with a silent, sudden and massive attack, and everyone in the boats, canoes and the water assumed they were next.  As they all held their breath and their fire, the craft noiselessly floated over the scene and then rose rapidly straight up and then turned away to the west.  As quickly as it arrived, it was gone. 
    “What the hell was that?  Tom yelled to no one in particular.  “Alien spacecraft comes to the rescue?  Whatever it is, is scared the hell out of me and blew the hell out of the bad guys in the helicopter.”
    Megan was speechless, but Ying, ever the scientist, was intrigued by anything that could travel with those characteristics.  “It is completely quiet and yet is capable of high performance.  I have never seen anything that can turn and accelerate like that.”
    Doug reached the first canoe where he and Erin tried to help the people in the water.  The native people all recoiled with fear and tried to swim away except the chief.  Doug looked right at him and their eyes met.  Reaching out his hand as the zodiac drifted close to him, Doug cut the motor.  The chief paused for a second then grasped Doug’s wrist and pulled himself into the inflatable boat.  Doug nodded to him and immediately reached out for another survivor in the water.  Once the chief was on board with Doug and