Pursuit

Sonic booms burst behind them as J.T. and Zoe hurtled through the bright blue empty sky at 11,000 feet in pursuit of the Cessna jet carrying Skinner and Massoud, and Massoud’s henchmen Danush and Barzoo.

“This is killing my hair!” J.T. tried to shout over the roaring wind-stream.

“What?”

“My hair! This is killing my hair!” The velocity of their flight stretched J.T.’s black wavy mane straight back from her forehead.

“I can’t hear you!” Zoe shouted in reply.

J.T.’s voice sounded clearly in Zoe’s mind.

This is killing my hair.

Good lord, mate, I can read you in my thoughts! I didn’t know we could do that! Did you know we could do that?

Not until I tried, J.T. responded. The wind is too loud to shout over.

Bloody marvelous! Nice view from up here, eh?

Beneath them, the green forests and pastures, and brown fields of Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky flowed by as they shot across the country.