by Nova Rain
“Okay, first of all, a billion-dollar corporation isn’t the same as an average-circulation newspaper,” I argued, maintaining the calmness in my tone. “It’s a lot easier for personal relationships to form at the Bulletin. There are a lot less people working there. Jake…” I paused and breathed in, hoping to get through to him. “The way I see it, you and Michael have an opportunity to reclaim what is rightfully yours, and on your own terms. I just told you what sort of impact a grieving girlfriend’s statement had on their business. What do you think a veteran pilot’s complaint will do to them, especially if you mention that you had to fake your own death to avoid prosecution?”
“It will hurt them a lot more than Penny’s outburst,” he concluded, tapping his thumb on his knee. “Have you talked to Michael about this?”
I heaved a sigh and leaned my chin into my hand. “No. He freaked out when he saw those United representatives. I didn’t bring it up to him, because I was afraid he’d snap. You seem to be handling PTSD a lot better than he is.”
“I beg to differ,” Jake disagreed. “It’s actually the other way around. Before New Orleans, I didn’t have a temper. I was a lot more patient. I could also sleep well at night. Now, I have a shorter fuse and sometimes I wake up drenched in sweat. It doesn’t happen that often, but it does happen. Michael uses humor and music as defense mechanisms. Whenever he feels overwhelmed, he just puts on a pair of headphones and listens to classic rock anthems. He says it works.”
“So, you’ve both been suffering from PTSD since New Orleans?” I found it hard to believe my own question.
“Yeah,” he affirmed, staring into the void. “You don’t understand, Ava. Nobody does, unless they go through a life-threatening experience. You may survive it, but it stays with you. Every terrifying second of it.”
“Thanks for enlightening me,” I spoke, leaning back. “What are you going to do with United?”
“Jake, she’s right,” Penny broke her silence. “Finding out you’re still alive must have scared them. Otherwise why would they send a couple of their reps to the hospital?”
“And with a peace offering above all else,” I added to her thought. “They said—and I quote—‘let’s bury the hatchet, shall we?’ That’s when Michael kicked them out of his room.”
“They said that?” My friend squinted at me.
“Yep,” I chirped. “I really hope you take my advice, Jake.”
“I’ll think about it.” He attempted a gentle tone, his gaze roaming back to mine.
“Have a good night you two,” I muttered and rose from my seat.
Two down, one to go.
By “two” I didn’t mean the pilot and Penny. I meant Jake’s enormous ego. It was twice the size of a regular person’s ego. I hadn’t convinced him yet, but I was hopeful he’d see my point. Despite his selfishness, he was a smart man. He knew what was best for him and Penny. And if I could just get him thinking, I had every reason to believe I would get through to Michael. I was prepared to do just about anything for him to sit down with his former bosses. But, knowing how much he cared for me, led me to believe that it wouldn’t take much effort to convince him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Michael
“Lucky bastard.”
I was basking in the sun, standing amid patches of freshly cut lawn, but my senses weren’t enjoying the sunshine or the scent. I had focused on the bus stop billboard, featuring a young pilot in an American Airlines gray uniform.
“I can understand your frustration,” Dr. Payton claimed. “Staying away from…”
“No, you can’t, doc,” I interrupted him. “You just can’t. Imagine yourself working in a tiny little village, hundreds of miles from a city, and maybe you’ll know what I mean. You see that?” I pointed at the billboard. “I had that, until five months ago.”
“It’s not too late to have it again,” he implied, flashing me a bright-eyed look. “I’ve seen dozens of reports on the plane crash you were involved in, Captain. All experts agree on one thing. You did everything right. You tried to land a grossly overweight plane and gravity defeated you. I think a major airline would be glad to have you on board.”
“There you are.” The noise of the oncoming traffic prevented me from identifying that female voice. With the collar still around my neck, I was forced to turn around to discover her identity. It was Ava, tufts of her blonde hair shining under the sun. “I almost laughed at your mother when she told me you’d taken your doctor out for a walk.”
“Give us a minute, doc,” I requested and patted him on the back. “How was your day, hun?”
“Uneventful,” she smiled. “Except one phone call from the NTSB. They want to interview you about the crash.”
“Right. I’m getting discharged tomorrow morning, so, set up an appointment at noon,” I urged, my voice losing its nerve. “I want to get this over with ASAP.”
“Listen, I, um…” Ava faltered. “I had a rather fruitful conversation with Jake and Penny last night.”
“What about?” I asked, intrigued by her words.
“You and Jake getting your jobs back at United Airlines.” Any notion of interest was torn to shreds upon hearing her explanation.
“That’s never going to happen,” I murmured, shaking my head in disappointment.
“It can. It will, if you play your cards right,” she insisted. “Penny hurt them back in the winter by exposing their tactics. I have their confession on tape, and if Jake opens his mouth about their threats of prosecution, they might lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Reservations and stocks will plummet, even worse than they plummeted in December. You have the power now, Michael.”
“I’d love to believe you’re right,” I uttered, doubt deepening my tone.
“I am,” she went on, a grin gracing her beautiful face. “Please, consider it. Not for me. For you. Just for you alone. I’ve seen how much you hate your new job.”
“I’m not considering it. I’m doing it,” I stated, the anticipation in her eyes making my heart flutter in my chest.
“Great!” She cheered, cupping my face in both of her hands. Ava leaned in, but, as our bodies brushed together, I leaned backwards.
“Damn it. It still hurts,” I protested, tightening my eyes as I tried to endure the pain in my chest.
“I’m sorry,” Ava whispered, her fingers caressing my skin. “You’re making me very happy, you know that?”
“I can see that,” I chuckled, bending towards her. “Thank you, Ms. Posh. You’ve been incredible this whole time.”
“I’m just giving back what was given to me,” she said, the sweetness in her voice acting like the best painkiller. All of a sudden, that pain went away as if it had never existed in the first place. I curved my arms around her, willing to savor a moment I had been missing for over a week. Her surprised gasp filled my ears as I felt her warm body against my skin. “I thought…”
“Shhhh…” I hissed. “You’re my remedy, Ava. You’re my blonde, super-hot, kind remedy.”
“That’s very sweet, but…” She paused and eased back. “We have to come up with a contingency plan. What happens if they don’t want to hire you back? What will you do then?”
“Then, I’ll apply somewhere else,” I replied, gazing deep down into her eyes. “I’d love to fly with Jake again. He’s my best friend, the level of communication between us in the cockpit is unbelievable, but I have to look out for my best interests. Picture this. Paris. Rome. Madrid. Greece.”
“It sounds wonderful,” she commented, offering me one more smile. “And I don’t mean those destinations. Sure, they’re all lovely in their own right, but I like your decision more.”
“Girl…” I giggled. “I’ll be away longer, and you actually like it?”
“If that’s what makes you happy? Yes,” Ava admitted with a soft nod. “Let’s face it, Michael. You were miserable flying to those backwater airports. I think having Jake with you is what kept you going all this time.”
“You’re right about everything. Except the last thing,” I whispered, my eyes locked with hers. “You kept me going, too. The idea of coming home to you, seeing you, touching you, kissing you… It just made those trips worthwhile.”
Ava’s response to my confession was a radiant smile. I pecked a kiss on her mouth and then moved my lips over to her cheek, before I pulled her in for another hug. Nothing would please me more than to give her a long, passionate kiss. I didn’t mind that we were in public. What I did mind, was my aching chest. I might have been able to ignore the pain for a few minutes, but it had come back with a vengeance. An embrace would last less long and would not ignite my desire. Mainly, it was a good way for me to show her how much I appreciated having this treasure in my life. Because that’s what she was—a breathing, walking treasure.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ava
Happy?
No.
The emotion running through my veins ran deeper than happiness.
Bliss?
Yes. That would be more accurate.
I had gone to the Metropolitan Hospital that day with the desire to convince Michael to talk with his former superiors. Nevertheless, he took this a—big—step further. He seemed ready and willing to put his attachment with Jake behind. He had paid the price of sticking with him once. That job had done him more harm than good. Having realized that following his friend had held him back, Michael wanted to break free. And it was amazing, but he had come to this decision on his own. I hadn’t intervened. Also, I would never tell him to ditch his friend and the pilot he trusted the most. I respected their friendship, just like Michael respected my friendship with Penny. I would never try to separate my boyfriend from his best friend.
That night, I went to bed full of hope and anticipation. This would be the last night I would spend away from him. Starting tomorrow, he would be lying next to me. Okay, our sex life would take some time to return to normal, but that wasn’t a problem. Having him there and listening to his stories from his days flying for United Airlines was an experience I couldn’t get enough of.
I turned out the light and crawled under the covers, beams of moonlight revealing the white surface of my desk on my left. But, when I laid my head on the pillow, a banging sound at my door compelled me to sit up. A second bang followed, blasting the door away from the frame. It tumbled down as two men barged into my apartment. I saw the shadows of their forms on my floor, before they hove into view. Both of them were decked out in black ski masks which covered their faces.
“Who are you? What do you want?” My voice reeked of panic and fear, as the strangers stormed into my bedroom. One of them stopped beside the doorframe, while the other sprinted towards my bed.
“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, as the man pressed his hand to my mouth. In a quick move, he gripped me by the neck and slammed my upper body against the bed board. I thrashed in his powerful grip in an attempt to break free. Alas, my efforts were cut short. I felt a needle piercing the skin of my neck. In a matter of seconds, the image of the stranger across from me began to blur. His shape faded, merging with the dark as a sweet haze enveloped me. That funny sensation relaxed my muscles, and my eyelids rolled shut.
Chapter Thirty
Michael
My first act on the morning of my discharge was to thank the doctors and the nurses that had been treating me. I shook the hands of the ones I found and left “thank you” notes to the ones that were working the afternoon and the night shifts. Those people had been paragons of professionalism, ensuring a comfortable stay.
In the company of my doctor, I made my way out of the building. Strolling out into the sunshine, I rolled up my sleeve and checked my watch. It was 9:35am; Ava was five minutes late, which was a surprise. My girlfriend loved punctuality. Looking out across the front yard, I spotted Jake’s large figure passing by an elderly couple.
“I wasn’t expecting him,” I muttered under my breath.
“Wasn’t Ava going to pick you up?” Anna asked as we walked down the stairs.
“Yeah. Hey!” I waved at him. “Thanks, but my ride will be here any minute.”
“No, she won’t.” The confidence in his tone and his stiff expression puzzled me. “I received this ten minutes ago,” he continued, yanking his cell phone out of his pocket. Holding it out in front of him, he tapped the screen. Chills shot down my spine at the sight of a piece of tape across Ava’s mouth. The camera zoomed out, showing her arms tied together behind her back. Her ankles were tied to a chair. Penny’s fate was identical. She was roughly a foot to my girl’s right, their swollen eyes indicated they had been crying long before the video had been taken.
“Listen up,” a distorted voice urged. “If you want your bitches to stay alive, do not talk to the NTSB about the crash of flight two-oh-four. They’ll be waiting for you tonight at nine at the coordinates on this message. If we as much as smell a cop, we’ll slit their throats.”
“Fuck!” I shouted, banging my head in a spasm of frustration.
“What do you want to do, Michael?” He asked, somehow able to keep his cool. “If it was just Penny that had been kidnapped, I’d call Reynolds, but it’s not.”
“Do it,” I encouraged, my eyes shooting up to meet his. “Going in there without any support will be suicide.”
“Are you sure?” He squinted at me. “You heard what they said.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I nodded, my breath quickening. “Call Reynolds.”
“Alright,” he accepted, taking his phone away. Finding the cop’s number, he lifted the device up to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Lieutenant Reynolds, Jake Turner here. I’m sending you a video I received about fifteen minutes ago. Let me know when you have watched it.”
“Who the fuck is behind this, man?” I wondered, intensifying my stare. “Because it can’t be United. You know that.”
“I do,” he admitted. “I have no idea, buddy.”
“Holy shit!” I was more than a foot away, and I could hear the cop loud and clear.
“Can you tell me what those coordinates are for? I was driving; I couldn’t look them up on the map.”
“Believe it or not, they’re for a small office building in Ulster, just two miles south of Kingston-Ulster Airport. The address is 479, Canyon Drive.”
“That’s ‘Swift Cargo’s’ regional headquarters.” A mixed expression of bewilderment and concern spread across Jake’s face.
“Tell me more about the location, Turner. I’ll try to do some recon, but it’d be nice to know a few things beforehand.”
“The neighborhood is sparsely populated, but it’s up on a hill and it’s a dead-end street. There’s only one way in and out of it.”
“I want to see you before you guys head up there. Where can we meet?”
“There’s an ARCO gas station on Crimson Road. It’s one and-a-half miles east of the designated location.”
“See you there at eight.”
“I guess we know who tried to kill us now,” I told Jake, the two of us starting off almost at the same time.
“We don’t know that for sure,” he spoke his mind, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
“No, because someone else borrowed their building to stash a couple of women in it.” Irony was dripping from my tongue. “Come on, man. It’s as clear as daylight.”
Jake preferred silence over continuing our discussion. Maybe he’d seen my point or had realized that debating this was rather pointless. Either way, in a few hours, we would do something that spread fear into me. To make matters worse, should things go south, neither of us was fit for a fight. He was still recovering from a concussion, and had had his casts removed just two days ago. As for me? I had more stitches across my abdomen that I could count. My ribs had begun to heal, but that pain hadn’t stopped tormenting me.
A fist fight however, seemed more like wishful thinking. It was insane to think that those guys had demanded to see us because
they were interested in exchanging punches with us. No. For some reason I couldn’t fathom, they wanted us dead.
And this simple conclusion became the only conversation topic between me and Jake. We wracked our brains, struggling to find an explanation. But, no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t think of anything. For the short period we had been working for Swift Cargo, neither of us could remember an accident or even a minor incident. The Beluga was a fine bird. She was easy to fly, and its automation was very pilot-friendly. In fact, one of the things that had struck us both, was that inexperienced pilots wouldn’t face any issues in its operation. Furthermore, we had never caused any damage to it. Its cargo always made it to the designated airports without any problems whatsoever.
With a deep sense of anxiety looming over my head, I arrived at the rendezvous point. To my surprise, police presence was very low indeed. There was a single patrol car just past the entrance of the gas station and to the right. Lieutenant Reynolds was standing beside it, in the company of two men in uniform.
“Where the hell is the cavalry?” I groaned, my hurried footsteps leading me to his spot.
“My men are getting into position as we speak,” the cop informed me, his tone firm. “I couldn’t bring the big guns, Compton. The enemy’s got a great vantage point. They’d see a chopper coming from miles away.”
“Where are your men exactly?” Jake asked, catching up to me.
“On nearby building rooftops,” Reynolds answered, shifting his gaze over to my friend. “We have a problem. Those buildings are quite far from where they’re keeping your girls. The nearest one is at sixty yards, and two rigs are blocking my boys’ visual. They can’t remove them without blowing their cover. So…” At the snap of his fingers, one of the officers approached me and Jake, with two, tiny devices in his palm. “You have to wear these earpieces. They’re state-of-the-art. Carbon fiber, cased with plastic, which makes them untraceable.”
