Chapter Summaries

Henry and Brian discovered that a local guide and his associates planned to kidnap Audrey Hepburn, so they prepared the vehicles and arranged to get her back to them without raising suspicion. The chapter left Audrey and Brian escorting the vomiting Henry toward the car, where Audrey could retrieve her medicine.

• Henry overheard the guide and local men planning to kidnap Audrey Hepburn and warned Brian.
• Henry proposed pretending to vomit so Audrey would return to the vehicle for her medicine, while Brian quietly prepared the SUVs and alerted the others with hand signals.
• Henry staged a convincing bout of vomiting near the playground, and Audrey came over to check on him.
• Audrey asked Brian to help her take Henry to the car so she could get medicine from her handbag.
• Brian supported Henry as Audrey helped him toward the vehicles.

Henry, Brian, and their companions escaped a kidnapping attempt at the institution by forcing Audrey Hepburn into their car and driving through the gate under gunfire. They fled with the guide’s men in pursuit, while Henry warned Audrey that the children were safer if the group left quickly.

• Henry pretended to be sick while Brian and the others prepared to seize Audrey Hepburn and escape.
• Brian pushed Audrey into the car, and Henry leaped into the driver’s seat as their companions started the second car.
• The kidnappers opened fire, and Brian covered Audrey with body armor while Henry drove toward the gate.
• Henry smashed through the wooden gate and told Audrey that their guide had planned to kidnap her and kill the rest of the group.
• Brian secured more armor and a helmet on Audrey as Mark’s car exchanged fire with the pursuing guide.

Brian, Henry, and Audrey fled across the grasslands toward the airport while a convoy of kidnappers pursued them. Henry’s driving and shooting helped them break through an interception, but the remaining enemy vehicles continued chasing them.

• Brian armed himself, spotted the pursuing convoy, and called Luca to prepare the plane and defend the airport.
• Henry told Brian they could reach the airport in two hours, while Audrey asked about Henry’s supposedly upset stomach and learned he had faked it.
• Henry swerved to avoid a ramming vehicle, then shot its tire and driver, causing it to flip and throw its passengers out.
• The convoy intercepted the Range Rovers from the side, but Henry slipped past the lead vehicle and damaged it.
• A machine-gunner stood up in a pursuing pickup, accidentally shot his own driver, and was thrown from the vehicle as it rolled out of control.

Mark struggled to keep the Land Rover behind Henry’s vehicle at extreme speed while the pursuers fired on them across the savanna. A Mutant tried to leap onto Henry’s vehicle, but Henry shot him down, causing another pursuing vehicle to crash.

• The Black men fired rifles and handguns at the two Land Rovers, and Sam urged Mark to shoot back as Mark concentrated on driving.
• Mark followed Henry’s smoother tire tracks and pushed the Land Rover faster, gradually widening the gap from the pursuers.
• A pursuing vehicle broke formation and launched into the air, and a Mutant leaped from its bed toward Henry’s vehicle.
• Henry fired three shots from the driver’s-side window and struck the Mutant before he could reach the vehicle.
• The Mutant fell in front of another pursuing vehicle, which ran over him and flipped into the air.

Mark, Sam, Old Bernie, and Henry tried to reach the airport while escaping the pursuing convoy. They lost sight of their pursuers and slowed them further by burning and scattering supplies across the road, but the guide's jeep remained with them, so the chase was not over.

• Old Black skillfully avoided two overturned pursuing vehicles, widening the gap between the convoy and the Land Rovers.
• Sam and Old Bernie dropped grenades among the pursuers, disrupting their advance, then fired backward as the vehicles fell farther behind.
• Henry led the group onto a road, and Mark kept the rear Land Rover close while Sam and Old Bernie reloaded.
• Brian ordered Mark's vehicle to shed its excess supplies, and Old Bernie and Sam set discarded fuel and ammunition crates alight on the road.
• The two Land Rovers sped away after creating obstacles to delay the pursuers, while the guide's jeep still followed.

Brian’s team fled an attack in Somalia and headed for the airport so Audrey Hepburn could leave the country. The chapter ended with the group still en route, planning to contact the other UNICEF staff after they were safely airborne.

• Brian told the pilot to prepare the plane for an immediate takeoff and warned that their pursuers might reach the airport.
• Brian explained to Audrey Hepburn why the kidnappers might target her and why her team had to evacuate Somalia.
• Brian learned over the radio that the people in the second vehicle were safe, though their car had been riddled with bullets.
• Brian told Audrey that the delegation’s itinerary was canceled and that the children were unlikely to be targets, concealing his concern for their safety.
• Brian said the team would contact the other UNICEF staff once their plane was airborne and they had confirmed their safety.

Henry and Brian discovered that airport control staff had fabricated an incoming plane to delay their escape. As the pursuing convoy neared, their group hurried aboard and prepared to take off.

• Henry drove the group back to the airport at high speed while their pursuers followed.
• Brian confronted the Italian pilot, who explained that tower staff had kept the runway clear for an incoming plane.
• Brian ordered the team to guard the plane and went with Henry to question the tower staff.
• Henry overheard the staff discussing a bounty and warned Brian that they might be targets.
• Brian forced entry into the control room, where Henry confirmed no plane was scheduled to land, and Brian attacked the two staff members.
• Brian and Henry returned to the apron and urged the others to take off as the pursuers' convoy drew close.

Brian and the others escaped Somalia aboard a small plane after fighting off their pursuers, but they discovered that bullets had punctured a wing and fuel was spraying out. Brian went to confer with the captain while Henry stayed beside Audrey Hepburn as the passengers faced the possibility of a crash.

• Brian and Henry ran to the plane, and Brian boarded first before firing at the pursuing convoy as the plane began its takeoff roll.
• Old Bernie and the others helped Brian return fire until the plane lifted off, then they shut the cabin door and celebrated their escape.
• Sam spotted rainbow-colored spray outside the plane, and Brian realized it was leaking fuel from a damaged wing.
• Brian and the others crowded around the cockpit to discuss where to fly, while Henry joined Audrey Hepburn and checked that she was calm.
• The Italian captain explained that machine-gun fire had likely punctured the fuel tank, though the plane had not caught fire.

After a fuel leak left the plane with only one working engine and limited fuel, Brian explained that their survival depended on getting permission to cross Yemen’s airspace and landing at a suitable airport. As the passengers waited anxiously, Henry tried to ease the tension by asking Brian about his family.

• Brian told Ms. Hepburn that the captain had isolated the leaking fuel tank, leaving one engine operational, but the plane had lost more than half its fuel.
• Brian explained that they needed to land before reaching Europe and would have to fly through Yemen or risk running low on fuel while detouring around it.
• Old Bernie urged the passengers to pray for Yemen to allow them through, while Henry stayed calm and Ms. Hepburn gripped his hand anxiously.
• Brian sent the passengers back to their seats and asked the flight attendant to serve whiskey, then returned to his own seat feeling helpless.
• Henry asked Brian about his family, and Brian showed him a photograph of his pregnant wife, Lena; Audrey Hepburn admired the couple’s love.

With both engines failing and the plane losing altitude, Henry decided to reveal his secret and take action to save everyone. He told the passengers to buckle up and warned Brian to find a rope as the cabin prepared to depressurize.

• Audrey asked Brian what he would name the baby, and Henry listened as the group joked and argued about marriage.
• Brian explained that the plane was heading toward a U.S. military base in southern Saudi Arabia, but both engines soon failed and the cabin lights went out.
• Brian told everyone the plane could glide, though the captain doubted they could reach the base and the passengers grew tense.
• Henry realized the gunfire that damaged the fuel tank had caused the crisis, then stood and told the group he had a secret that could help them survive.
• Henry ordered everyone to buckle their seat belts, warned that the cabin would depressurize, and asked Brian to find a rope.

Henry opened the plane’s cabin door and flew beneath the powerless aircraft, supporting it until it stabilized. The passengers and captain remained aboard as Henry began guiding the plane toward a safe landing.

• Henry told Brian to secure the cabin door and tie himself down while he went outside to support the plane.
• Henry secured the unconscious flight attendant and instructed Audrey Hepburn to brace for impact.
• Henry caught the cabin door as it blew open, jumped outside, and helped Brian seal it again.
• The plane lurched after depressurization, then steadied when Henry supported its fuselage from below.
• Brian realized Henry was holding up the plane while Henry reflected on famous Kryptonians saving aircraft.

Henry stabilized a small jet in flight while disguising his support as an unpowered glide. Brian and Captain Luca planned an emergency desert landing, leaving the seven people aboard dependent on Henry for the final touchdown.

• Henry steadied the gliding jet, and Mark asked whether they were safe.
• Brian confirmed that Henry could hear him and went to the cockpit to consult Captain Luca.
• Luca judged that the jet could not reach its planned U.S. military base and would need a closer landing site.
• Brian instructed Henry to imitate an unpowered glide and follow Luca’s directions while keeping the plane intact.
• Captain Luca declared a Mayday and reported that the plane had exhausted its fuel as the emergency procedures began.

Henry safely landed the airliner in the Saudi desert after following Brian’s instructions, and the passengers celebrated their survival. The group waited for rescue beneath the desert stars after Captain Luca contacted air traffic control.

• Brian guided Henry through the landing by relaying the captain’s instructions and monitoring the aircraft’s movements.
• The plane slowed to a stop in the sand, and Brian opened the cabin door to find Henry waiting outside.
• The veterans rushed out to celebrate, while Mark kissed the ground and Sam woke the flight attendant, who mistook their landing for arriving in hell.
• Brian asked Captain Luca to call for rescue, and Luca contacted air traffic control and activated the emergency beacon.
• Henry helped Audrey Hepburn outside to admire the stars, and Luca told the group that helicopters from a nearby U.S. military base were coming.

After the emergency landing, Henry arranged for Captain Luca to receive the credit and secured Brian and the others’ promise to keep his abilities secret. The rescue team brought Audrey Hepburn and everyone else safely back to a U.S. military base.

• Henry told Captain Luca to take credit for the emergency landing, and Luca agreed to keep Henry’s role hidden.
• Brian, Mark, Sam, and Old Bernie promised to protect Henry’s secret, and Henry hinted that he knew their identities were not ordinary.
• Sam asked why Henry had not simply rescued Audrey Hepburn alone, and Henry explained that he had wanted to save everyone rather than force a cruel choice.
• Audrey Hepburn reassured Henry that she would not fire him, hugged him, and praised his help.
• U.S. military helicopters arrived, confirmed that all eight people were present, and flew them back to the base.

After the emergency landing, Henry kept a low profile while Audrey Hepburn stayed in New York ahead of her UNICEF report. During a day off, she found Henry in Central Park and asked him to accompany her to visit an old friend.

• News coverage praised Captain Luca Rizzo for landing safely and focused on Audrey Hepburn, while Henry Brown largely avoided public attention.
• Henry considered how people with unusual abilities might discover his secret and decided he would have to adapt if it became known.
• Henry explored New York and Central Park while Audrey Hepburn remained in the city with her family and Robert Wolders.
• Audrey found Henry beside the lake and asked him to join her on a visit to an old friend.

Henry accompanied the disguised Mystique to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, where she intended to meet Professor Charles Xavier. Henry recognized her deception and refused to enter, leaving Mystique to reveal her true appearance.

• Henry and Mystique hailed a taxi and rode to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester County.
• The taxi driver entertained them with celebrity stories while Mystique pretended to be Audrey Hepburn.
• At the estate gates, Mystique explained that she was visiting her old friend Professor Charles Francis Xavier.
• Henry told Mystique he knew she was impersonating Audrey Hepburn and chose to stay outside.
• Mystique transformed into her blue-skinned form, revealing that she was the mutant Mystique.

Henry rejected Mystique’s claim that he was a mutant and revealed that he was an alien. Professor X tried to control and read Henry’s mind, but Henry overwhelmed him with a flood of calculations and began testing his super brain against the telepath.

• Mystique revealed her true form and tried to persuade Henry to join the mutants, but Henry insisted he was not one of them.
• Henry shouted that he was an alien, then mocked Mystique’s assumptions about what aliens looked like.
• Professor X emerged with the X-Men and confirmed that Henry did not have the X-gene.
• Professor X tried to control and read Henry’s mind, but Henry’s calculations caused him intense pain and made him pass out.
• Henry regained control and decided to use his still-clear mind to test his super brain against Professor X’s telepathy.

Henry fought off the X-Men after Professor X’s psychic attack failed against his overloaded mind. He left Nightcrawler and Jean Grey standing, warning them that he would not hurt them unless they attacked.

• Henry overwhelmed Professor X’s psychic attack by filling his mind with endless calculations, causing the professor to collapse.
• Cyclops fired at Henry, who countered with Heat Vision, while Quicksilver tried to bind him with a rope.
• Henry tripped Quicksilver and flung him into Storm, then resumed his beam clash with Cyclops.
• Henry used Mystique as a shield against Beast’s hammer blow, and Cyclops’s blast then knocked Beast away.
• Henry removed Cyclops’s visor, leaving Nightcrawler and Jean Grey as the only X-Men still able to fight.
• Henry warned Nightcrawler not to attack, promising he would not hurt him if he stayed peaceful.

Henry confronted the X-Men over their attempts to investigate and invade his mind, learning that they had become curious after Professor X saw his actions through Captain Luca Rizzo’s memories. He challenged Mystique and Qin Grey to consider whether their good intentions excused violating others’ rights, leaving them angry and the confrontation unresolved.

• Henry tossed Cyclops’s visor to Qin Grey and demanded to know why the X-Men had lured him there and invaded his mind.
• Mystique stopped Qin Grey from attacking and sent her to return Cyclops’s visor and check the team’s injuries with Nightcrawler.
• Henry asked Mystique what he had done to deserve their treatment, and she explained that the FBI had asked Charles to investigate the miracle landing incident.
• Mystique said the team had told the FBI the truth about the flight but had not shared anything beyond what it asked.
• Henry criticized Professor X’s mind invasion and the X-Men’s belief that good intentions justified violating others’ rights.
• Mystique and Qin Grey shouted at Henry to stop, and he backed away while miming zipping his mouth shut.

Henry argued with Jean Grey over the X-Men's right to alter people's memories, then left after trading barbs with Mystique. Back in Manhattan, he returned to his work as Audrey Hepburn's assistant and prepared to drive her family to dinner.

• Henry challenged Jean Grey to consider whether changing someone's memories without consent could truly be for their own good, leaving her unable to answer.
• Mystique comforted Jean Grey and ordered Henry to leave, but Henry mock-apologized before walking away.
• Henry reflected that his advantage over the X-Men had come from information and surprise, and that he had gained nothing by revealing his abilities.
• Henry returned to Manhattan and used his superpowers to catch up on work before driving Audrey Hepburn and her family to dinner.
• Henry noted that Sean Ferrier had entered the film industry and that Luca Dotti had taken time off from college to visit Audrey, while both sons would leave after dinner.