Chapter 1

1

O ctavia

The deafening ringing of the helicopter's instruments fills my ears, making me wince. Bright, flashing lights on the panel add to the chaos. I want to cover my ears and close my eyes, but that would be suicide.

"Dammit!" I yell. "No! Shit!"

I'm an idiot. How was stealing a chopper a good idea? I've only taken ten flying lessons. Sure, I passed my pilot's exam with flying colors. I learned all about every instrument. I know all about troubleshooting. At least, I learned everything in theory that there is to know, only I'm hitting blanks right now. I can't remember any of it. The adrenaline that fueled me before turns to fear and regret. It's different without an instructor next to me for support.

I hold tightly onto the control stick, sweat dripping down my brow. I'm screwed. Royally screwed!

The chopper veers to the right.

I scream, doing my best to stay the course.

Less is more. Less is more , I think to myself, trying not to overcorrect. I can't see a damned thing. It's foggy. And where the hell did this wind come from? I keep fighting the controls, trying hard to keep the chopper from veering off again. At the same time, I'm sure to keep my touch deft. I'm failing, but instead of a black mark from my instructor, I just might die, and it'll be alone.

What was I thinking?

I wasn't.

Suddenly, I break out of the fog, squinting against the bright sun. Looking down, I see a churning blue ocean. Up ahead is an island.

Is it Draig?

No! Surely not. Did I turn around and not realize it? It's possible but unlikely.

I scream again as I bank to the left; more instruments light up on the panel in front of me. The alarm is almost too much. How can a person think in this racket? As I wrestle with the controls, the helicopter continues to lurch and sway, fighting against my every move. Panic threatens to overwhelm me, but I force myself to focus. To stay calm. I have to. I'm going to crash, I realize, my blood turning cold in my veins.

Yep, it's a given , I think to myself, as the chopper loses altitude fast. Below me, the waves crash against the rocky shore. Beyond that is the lush greenery of the jungle. My heart stutters when I see towering cliffs. Cliffs that are too high to traverse, too high to be survivable. I can't crash here. Not now. I push the control stick forward, trying to level off, but the helicopter continues to spiral downward. With a surge of desperation, I scan the area. What am I going to do? There has to be something.

And then I see it – a clearing in the jungle not too far from the shore. It's my only chance. With a burst of determination, I grip the controls tighter and guide the failing helicopter toward the clearing. The wind howls around me, threatening to pull me off course, but I hold on, gritting my teeth.

Careful corrections.

Take it slow.

Keep her nose up.

I can do it!

As the clearing grows closer, I see the trees rushing toward me. I close my eyes and brace for impact, praying that this won't be the end. The helicopter crashes through the canopy, branches snapping, metal crunching, glass breaking as I plummet toward the ground.

The chopper hits with a deafening crash. Metal screams as it crumples around me, and then everything goes dark.