I shake my head at the brave man about to hurl his blade. While I’m sure he will hit his mark, there are no guarantees the gun will not go off. Destabilizing the pressurized cabin at this speed and altitude could send us tumbling to earth.
Struggling, I try to find the right carrot to dangle in front of the desperate man’s nose. “The Russians will not forgive you. Better to take your chances with us.”
“I am not going to your United States. Your justice system’s a fucking joke.” He tightens his chokehold, and my wife mouths, ‘I love you’ as if she’s afraid they may be her last words.
No fucking way. Before I can make my move, the plane runs into turbulence. When Ledbetter loosens his grip, Gwen dips her chin, ducks under his arm, and delivers an elbow to his groin.
Uncoiling, she swivels, pulls down on his ears, jerks her knee to his forehead, then kicks between his legs. While he howls, Lucky chops the terrorist's right wrist. In slow motion, bones crack, the gun drops, and the trigger hits the edge of the seat.
BOOM.
Oh fuck. The closest window shatters, and anything not tied down flies out. As a spider-like army of oxygen masks descend from the ceiling, I tackle the arms dealer before punching his lights out.
The plane plummets, and for a moment, I’m weightless.
“Wulf!” Gwen’s feet slip closer to the gaping hole.
Grabbing a seatbelt, I lock my fingers around her wrist, inch her away from the broken pane, then tug her up my body.
As we hug, I shout over the rushing air. “I love you, too, babe.”
Never one to fear death, I accept it with grace. Still, I wish we had more time.
See you on the other side, sweetheart…
Chapter 28
“An intelligent wolf is better than a foolish lion.” ~Matshona Dhliwayo.
Gwen
The trees scraping the plane’s undercarriage can only mean one thing; Slate managed to level us out.
Holy cats! Thank you, Jesus.
The engines roar, the nose tilts up, and the speakers crackle with Suds’ southern drawl. “Thank y’all for flying Air Patten. We’ll be landing in sunny Vilnius in about ten minutes. Please make sure all your gear is stored, your trays are locked, and your seats are in the upright position.”
The huge navy men high-five the Feds, as Axel holds me tight. Wedged between the conference table and the wall, he stares into my eyes.
I love you. Thank you for rescuing me. I’m so fucking glad we’re alive.Literally, I have so many things I want to say, but the words are trite and meaningless compared to the emotions threatening to drown me.
Liquids shine in my man’s eyes as he lowers his mouth for a kiss. The passion born of avoiding death burns deep in my soul. My panties dampen, and the need to have him inside me grows so immense, I forget where we are.
“Oi, lovebirds.” Lucky taps me on the shoulder. “Buckle up. Landing gear won’t engage.”
God Almighty. Give us a break, already.
With no other reason than wanting him close, I allow Axel to lift me onto the closest lounge chair and belt me in. While he settles beside me, I hold his offered hand.
Seconds later, he lifts the shade, and I shudder. Underneath us, emergency vehicles race to the end of the runway.
After the plane tilts and circles once more, our pilot’s calm voice sounds from the ceiling. “Head to your knees. Brace for a bumpy ride.”
The wind wooshes through the open window as we descend. Losing altitude, we pass over the terminal building and through the maple trees. After the weeds next to the landing strip come into focus, my chin bounces on my thighs, and a gut-wrenching screech ensues.
While I cover my ears to dull the noise, sparks worthy of a fireworks display shoot toward the nearby forest. All at once, the scraping halts as we once again become airborne. Then, we land so forcefully, my molars clunk while gray matter slams against my skull.
Before I can register a coherent thought, white foam sloshes against the windows. Outside, sirens scream, and men shout. Wulf unbuckles my belt, and by the time he pulls me to stand, Wheels has the hatch open. The SEALS pick me up and lift me out as if I weighed nothing. Soon I’m placed on the ground, and the team follows. When Suds and Slate exit the cockpit, we trot away from the jet. There, our pilot and copilot receive a round of applause, followed by slaps on the back.
