Green Desert - Chapter 6.2.5 - Fírí

One of the news crew skidded around the back door of their van, racing toward us. “The helicopter crashed!”

Deputy Laparıpasamé paused with his car door half-opened. “What helicopter?”

The polo-shirt-clad crewman floundered to a halt beside the cop. “The sheriff’s. Irézí just told us that it crashed at the gully and it looks like several people are injured or dead.”

I tilted my head sideways. So I hadn’t been dreaming. There was a helicopter.

The cop dove inside his car and grabbed the radio. I could see him talking quickly, but couldn’t hear the words because my door was still closed.

Who was out at the gully? Pí‘oro, Zhíno, that first cop who brought the horse. Bhanar possibly. And the helicopter crew. If any of them were dead, it had better be Zhíno and Pí‘oro. None of the others deserved it, but those two needed to see Pétíso right now.

The Channel Six guy chewed his thumbnail and watched the deputy.

Laparıpasamé leapt out of the cruiser, slammed the door, and burst into a run for the side of the garage. He sprinted out of sight without a word.

Oh great. So much for the hospital.

And I bet he didn’t tell anybody about me recanting my story. That detective was going to get a search warrant. He was going to find the guns.