"Then we don't stop either."
The Black Hawk surged forward through the gap the A-10 had carved into the swarm.
The pilot pushed the helicopter hard, engines roaring louder as the aircraft accelerated over the canopy. The entire frame vibrated under the strain, rotors cutting violently through the air as they forced speed over precision.
Behind them, the vultures screamed.
Marcus looked back briefly through the open side.
The creatures were still chasing.
Their wings snapped open and closed as they dove through the air, weaving around each other in pursuit. Some stayed high while others skimmed just above the canopy, using the trees below like cover.
But the distance was finally growing.
Slowly.
Painfully slowly.
Still—
Growing.
"They're falling behind," the co-pilot said, almost surprised.
Marcus kept watching them.
"Don't assume they're done."
The pilot didn't take his eyes off the front.
"I'm not slowing down anyway."
Below them, the forest still moved.
