That is until a chain-link fence with a razor wire top came into view, as did the long, flat strip of pavement on the other end. Will straightened. When they got closer, he must’ve seen the sign:
Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
“Wait,” he said. “Are you—were you serious about the airport?”
“Completely.” Cole followed the fence around to the entrance.
“You… You do know I crashed the one time I flew, right?”
Cole chuckled. “I do, yes.”
“Right. I mean, okay, I ran out of fuel, but also…” Will flailed his hand. “I don’tactuallyknow how toland, you know?”
“That’s okay. I do.”
CHAPTER 13
It took fifteen minutes to get in the air. Fifteen fucking minutes, including negotiations and fueling, to go from “hey there, we’re interested in chartering a plane” to “leave the keys in the glovebox when you get to Cape Charles, boys!” Will was used to things changing quickly, but this…this was fast even for him.
The plane Cole had negotiated so rapidly for was a Cessna Skyhawk from the mid-seventies. It was a workhorse of a machine, small but mighty, the kind of thing Davey flew on the regular. Will knew enough to get it into the air and keep it there, but he had to admit there was something nice about being able to sit back and let someone else do the hard work for once.
Actually…
He frowned as he stared at the skyline ahead of them. The sun was about to set, and they weren’t going to be over Virginia for another half an hour, so he had time for a good muse. And the question of the hour was, just what the fuck was he thinking letting Cole take the lead right now?
Money talks.
Yeah, it did, but when it came right down to it Will had plenty of money at his disposal, certainly enough to rent a plane to nowhere. He’d let Cole do the driving, too.
It was his car.
Sure, but when had that ever stopped Will from taking the wheel? He might need backup when it came to running the technical side of jobs, but in the “doing” department he was perfectly capable of being a one-man show. He liked it that way, in fact. When he acted alone, the only person he had to worry about taking care of was himself. Worrying about other people in the moment was too stressful, and if this little fucking escapade had taught him anything, it was that no one in the business gave a fuck whether or not you went out on a limb to save their life. Their little interlude with Justin had shown him that.
I saved that fucker from getting shot five years ago, then tried to keep his ass alive up in the Tower, and how does he repay me? Almost dragging me out a fucking window.
And then Cole had helped keep Will from falling.
“What?”
The plane was noisy enough they needed to speak over their headsets to be heard. Not that theyhadbeen; this was the first time Cole had broken the silence in the hour since he’d last talked through takeoff with the air traffic controller back at the tiny airport.
“What, what?” Will replied intelligently.
“You’re staring.”
Oh. Yeah, he was. To be fair, it was a nice view, and it wasn’t like he had his phone right now. The last thing Will did before he’d dumped his burner along with Cole’s was text Reed and his brother to let them know he’d be in touch tomorrow. Reed was busy looking into Alders and how serious he was about having them tailed, and Davey had just responded with a kissy face, which…
Fine. Will hadn’t stayed alive in a den of snakes for as long as he had by lying to himself. Cole was… attractive. Hot. An asshole, too, but Will didn’t mind that sort of attitude as long as there was skill to back it up, and unfortunately the more he found out about Cole, the more evident that skill became.
“Just wondering if you want me to spell you.”
Just wondering if you want me to blow you.
Cole shook his head. “It’s not a hard flight. Besides, we’ll be landing soon, and I have it on good authority that you suck at landings.”
Will snorted. “Goes to show what you know. I’m actually brilliant at landings.” He gestured to himself. “Case in point, no formal training and yet, I live.”
“The fact that you’re still breathing isn’t proof of brilliance.”
