Archer's Voice [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE Archer—Seven Years Old; April Grab my hand! I got you," I said real soft, the hehcopter lifting off the ground as Duke grabbed Snake Eyes's hand. I was trying to play as quiet as I could—my mama was banged up again and I didn't want to wake her where she was sleeping up in her room. She'd told me to watch cartoons up in bed with her, and I had for a while, but when I saw she was asleep, I'd come downstairs to play with my G.I. loe toys. The helicopter landed, and my guys jumped out and ran under the chair I had put a towel over to make into part of an underground bunker. I picked up the helicopter and lifted it off the ground again with a whop, whop, whop sound. I wished I could snap my fingers and make this a real helicopter. Then I'd pull my mama onto it and we'd fly away from here—away from him, away from the black eyes and my mama's tears. I didn't care where we'd end up as long as it was far, far away. I crawled back into my bunker, and a few minutes later, I heard the front door open and close, and then heavy footsteps walking through our foyer and down the hall toward where I was playing. I peeked out and saw a pair of shiny black shoes and the cuffs of what 1 knew were uniform pants. I crawled out as fast as I could, saying, "Uncle Connor!" as he kneeled down and I threw myself into his arms, making sure to