Chapter 12

The Heli-Drone

Jack and Max found their way to Celtic Street and spotted the hangar in the middle of an abandoned car park. The hangar was made of aluminum and the size of a two-car garage.

Max found a keypad with the letters “A” through “Z” and the numbers “0” through “9” on the outside. He punched in the code word “G-O-L-D” and waited. The door to the hangar clicked open. The brothers looked over their shoulders before slipping inside.

Sitting on the floor was what looked like a mini helicopter. This was the GPF’s Heli-Drone. The Heli-Drone was a two-person drone outfitted with the latest hi-tech surveillance equipment. It could map an area using LIDAR, a laser-based technology that could identify hidden structures beneath the trees and the ground. The Heli-Drone could also take photos and videos as it flew overhead.

The brothers approached the aircraft.

Max placed his thumb on the identificaton pad and the hatch popped open.

Max climbed into the driver’s seat, while Jack wedged himself into the seat in the back. Max surveyed the dashboard in front of him.

In the middle was an “airspeed indicator” that measured speed in miles per hour. Since the Heli-Drone was powered by a lithium-ion battery, there was also a battery power gauge to show how much energy was left. To charge it, all you had to do was plug the Heli-Drone into a power source for at least twelve hours. Below the dashboard was a joystick for steering.

One of the most remarkable features of the Heli-Drone was its ability to go “stealth.” This meant that it (and its passengers) could disappear from view. Not only was it invisible to radar, it was also invisible to the naked eye. All an agent had to do was hit the “stealth” button to activate this feature.

Max placed his thumb on the reader. As soon as it registered Max’s print, the Heli-Drone’s propeller began to spin. The roof hatch of the hangar opened, and the craft slowly lifted off the ground. Before they knew it, Jack and Max were hovering eighty feet above the hangar.

Max grabbed a hold of the joystick and gently pushed it forward. The nose of the Heli-Drone tipped and it began to fly. Jack and Max were now traveling one hundred feet above the city of Dublin.