Free Leaving Dreamland by Jessica Jarman Page A

ordered through her com link.
    “Firing second round,” came a voice over the intercom.
    “Is it working?” Shannon watched carefully.
    “It’s starting to spread now.”
    “Third round ready. Detonate second drone,” Samantha ordered.
    “Firing round three,” another pilot confirmed.
    “Base to pilots, shields are down. Fire at will!”
    Shannon covered her ears at the noise and really wondered why she’d done such a dumb thing. The beam was gone. Suddenly, Samantha’s plane turned sharply and picked up speed.
    “Headed for home. Hastings is going to kill me,” Samantha said.
    “No, I won’t let him. Did we win?” Shannon asked.
    “Yep, we drove it over the open desert, and it’s crashing. Plenty of stuff to dissect and research for the science geeks,” Samantha answered.
    As they landed, Shannon never wanted to get on a plane again. Samantha and some men helped Shannon out of the plane.
    Bonnie charged over. “What the hell were you doing?”
    “I can barely hear anything. My head hurts.” Shannon shook her head.
    “You’ll hear Dad screaming.” Bonnie grabbed her sister by the arm and yanked her toward Hastings’ office. “You’re nuts. You could’ve been killed!”
    “You found her and she’s fine. Good!” Hastings walked out into the hallway. “I have to go manage damage control before the press gets wind of this. At least, the ship fell in government property.”
    “It didn’t hit any people or buildings, did it?” Shannon shouted.
    “No one was hurt. Get her to medical and checked out. I’ll yell later.” Hastings charged off in another direction.
    “Your men are going to love this.” Bonnie shook her head. “You think one annoyed boyfriend is bad, try three.”
    “I’ve got four!” Shannon shouted.
    “Be glad your hearing is muffled. Between them and Dad, you’ll never hear the end of this stunt. But I’m glad you’re not being passive anymore. You just need to pick your moves better.” Bonnie smiled and walked her sister into the medical ward.
    * * * *
    Curtis and the others surrounded Shannon’s medical bed. They’d been searching for her from the second Bonnie had called to find out where she was.
    Liz finished putting drops in Shannon’s ears. “A little vertigo and ringing in the ears is normal. Come back in a few days, and I’ll make sure things look okay.”
    “Thanks,” Shannon said.
    “What the hell were you thinking?” Gavin demanded.
    Shannon sat up. “I wanted to help.”
    “You had no business endangering the mission,” Hastings bellowed as he stalked in.
    “I think she risked her neck more than anything.” Curtis couldn’t believe Hastings’ approach.
    “The pilot was in as much danger as she was. The extra weight made the jet fly low. You’re lucky the shot landed.”
    “They singled out the ship I was on,” Shannon pointed out.
    “That could’ve been nothing more than seeing there were two people. Maybe they thought you were a secret weapon because there were two people on that ship and not the others. Why isn’t the point. You attracted danger. At least, the end result is good. I’m glad you’re not hurt.” Hastings turned and left.
    “So that’s your idea of being a father? No wonder Bonnie wanted to get away from you,” Shannon yelled after him. She hopped off the table and vertigo kicked in.
    Curtis caught her before she fell. Milton supported her other side, and they helped her walk from the medical area.
    “Slow for now. Take it easy,” Curtis said.
    “He’s a jerk,” she mumbled.
    “He’s running a huge base. It’s not just your life at stake. Everyone in Dreamland is his responsibility. Not following the plan meant you could’ve gotten others hurt while they were looking for you.” Curtis understood the burden of leadership more than others.
    “I didn’t get Samantha in trouble, did I?” Shannon shook her head. “I’ll explain it was all my fault.”
    “Let me handle that. I’ll talk to Hastings