“Break,” the two gun-ships separated in a ballet that gained distance and targeting lock on the UFO. One attack helicopter dropped close to the ground while the second rose and tried to pitch up and lock on the hovering target.

A missile launched from the nearly vertical attack helicopter. The pilot waited to be certain the missile had locked on the UFO, then rolled the helicopter to the side and dove for the shelter of the ground. It was the way to fight a fast-moving jet, to fire then cover. He hoped it would work while his stomach tightened as he presented the vulnerable tail of his craft to the hostile target.

The missile flew up, gaining speed and closing on the UFO.

Abruptly, the alien ship dropped like a stone, sailing past the missile that exploded too late as a blossom of light and cloud above the UFO.

With a deadly accuracy, the alien ship arrowed directly towards the fleeing helicopter, passing within feet of the rotor blade.

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Engine noise suddenly died to silence.

Pulling back on the collective, the pilot tried to auto-rotate the helicopter to the ground, but the ungainly beast was too heavy and too close to the trees.

The UFO shot past and flew over the trees that loomed in the helicopter’s windscreen. Seeing flames in the depths of the woods as he pulled the nose of the helicopter up, hoping to stop all forward speed and dropping to the grass of the lawn.

With a rending crash, the attack helicopter rushed into the woods, pieces of rotor blade snapping free and sailing past the Blackhawk as the lead pilot struggled to gain altitude.

An explosion followed by ammunition detonating told of the death of the attack helicopter within the burning pines.

The Blackhawk shook to the concussion waves of the explosions. The pilot looked at the copilot and wondered if they should have stayed on the ground.

In the yard below, one of the ground forces lay in a growing pool of blood. A piece of the destroyed Apache’s fuselage stuck into his chest like a spear.

The rest of the ground forced ran to the house.