Reaching the roof, they saw the police ship and the man (one of their own) guarding it. He nodded to Morgan, ran toward the railing of converging walls as if alarmed by sounds from below. Morgan came behind and clubbed him unconscious with the butt of the rifle. He leapt up into the ship, where Elonna was already strapping herself in. Her hands would not stop shaking. He jammed the door shut, made ready to lift off. Six seconds later, they were in the air.
He started the small, fast ship forward just as the first of the air patrols drew near him. He fired twice and banked sharply left.
His shots went high and wide, and as he turned, the lead ship strafed his exposed underside. Smoke and trickling flame burst out within and the shields collapsed, but he kept the ship moving. Broken by the concussion, Elonna lay limp in her seat, only the harness keeping her in place. He steered the ship low between a gap in the oncoming hills, as unseen emplacements opened fire on his pursuit.
*
Morgan stepped wearily through the entrance of the unfamiliar cave, trying to support his broken shoulder with the opposite hand. The boy broke free from the woman's grasp and came toward him. Seeing only the man, he broke into an angry despair.
"Where's Miss Elonna?" he cried.
Morgan tried to speak, but the boy ran up to him in tears, punching and kicking.
Then Elonna passed through the narrow arch.
"No, Johnny, don't. It's all right. I'm all right."
She wiped the tears and grime from her face and knelt and hugged him deeply. The child buried himself against her.