She laughed. “If this is the thanks I get, I'll cook you a five-course meal every night of the week.”
Chapter 23
The in-flight movie was an action flick entitled The Final Heist starring Sean Bean and Salma Hayek. Brian enjoyed the film, but the airline had taken out all the violence, and most importantly, all the hot love scenes which he'd seen in the theatrical version. How was he supposed to enjoy the film when Salma Hayek didn't even take off her top? If they were concerned about kids seeing something they shouldn't, then they had no worries on this flight. There were no children aboard since most of the passengers were comprised of the film company for Primal Urge, as well as porn stars heading to New York for the big awards show. There was also row after row of reporters who were covering either the movie premiere or the Academy of Porn Excellence Awards.
Porn excellence? What a laugh.
Brian looked up as his stepdaughter Fiona glided past him. She was so close he could've touched her thigh if he so desired. After all these years, would she recognize him? He'd find out soon enough.
She still had the sweet, innocent face he remembered. The quiet, serious little girl had matured into a beautiful woman. Beautiful or not, she still had to pay for the past. He had kept tabs on her, but couldn't believe his good luck in discovering she was on this particular flight.
The actor Ian Renard passed by a few seconds later as he walked toward the back of the plane. Renard wore the same brooding expression which was on display in each of his films. What was the guy doing in coach class anyway?
It didn't matter because soon Mr. Big Shot Movie Star wouldn't be so high and mighty - not when Mr. Stavros had him trussed up like a Christmas goose in his private recreation room.
Brian checked his watch and then looked over at Jean-Claude, the French pilot who would soon take control of the plane. The two men nodded at each other. Then Brian caught the eye of Georgina, the flight attendant who was one of the insiders working with them on this mission. Georgina's cold gaze met his and she gave a barely perceptible nod.
Brian stood up from his seat and walked forward. Georgina pushed aside the curtain separating first class from coach and he followed her toward the front of the plane. The team members were already following him down the aisle, but not close enough to draw unwanted attention from the other passengers.
Craig was serving coffee in first class and turned to Georgina. “Have you seen Fiona? She's supposed to be helping me.”
Georgina shook her head. “Haven't seen her.”
Most of the passengers were napping, and no one noticed the team members making their way en mass toward the cockpit.
Craig was the second insider of their small group. At a nod from Georgina, he rolled his coffee cart into the galley before falling into line as they moved forward. Brian thought it ironic that his entire team appeared to be young clean-cut yuppies. No terroristy-looking thugs in the bunch. If people only knew how well Georgina could fire an AK-47 or take down an opponent in hand-to-hand combat.
When they reached the cockpit door, Brian knew this was the moment when everything could fall apart. It all depended on Georgina's acting skills. She had some dramatic training from a prestigious acting school in London, but she had been thrown out after arriving drunk at school once too often. Her night job as a bartender had been her downfall since she couldn't resist the products she served.
Brian found an empty seat in first class and the rest of his team did the same, making sure they blended in with the sleeping passengers.
He nodded to Georgina and she pressed the intercom to talk to the captain.
“Captain Merrick, we have an emergency out here,” she said in her crisp, modulated voice.
“What's the problem?” said the captain.
“I think one of the passengers is having a heart attack. His heartbeat is erratic, but I have him on oxygen and he seems stabilized at the moment. However, he insists on speaking to you.” After a moment, the captain responded. “I'll declare an emergency and head back to Heathrow. See if there are any doctors on board. We'll be back at the airport in an hour.”
“He really needs to speak to you, captain.” Georgina's voice sounded urgent as she pleaded with him. “He seems to think he's dying and wants to talk to someone in charge before it's too late. At least, that's what he told me.”
There was a long silence as everyone held their breath and waited.
“Affirmative,” he said. “I'll be out as soon as I report and correct our heading.”
“Thank you, captain.”
When Merrick opened the door, the muscle hijackers grabbed him and then stormed the cockpit. They pulled Lloyd from his seat and dragged him out as well. One of the hijackers raised a fist to strike the captain as he fought against his captors.
“Stop!” Brian's voice sliced through the tension. “The big boss will want to meet these nice-looking men. Whatever you do, don't mess up their faces.”
“Fine,” said Seamus, the largest of the muscle hijackers. “I won't touch his face.”
Then the big man punched Sean in the stomach and he doubled over in pain.
Jean-Claude and Christopher were now at the controls, and Flight 75 was at their mercy.
It was just that easy, thought Brian.
* * * *
Ian kissed Fiona's breast as she buttoned her blouse.
“You're insatiable, Heathcliff!” She giggled when she realized she'd buttoned her blouse wrong and had to start over.
Ian watched with interest as she unbuttoned her blouse. “Are you ready to go again?” “We'll have plenty of time in New York. Right now, I've got to get back to work before Craig starts searching for me.”
“Do you really have to go?”
“Yes, but in a few hours I'll give you the grand tour of my apartment.”
“I can't wait.”
“That makes two of us.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
She had her hand on the knob, but Ian touched her arm before she could open the door.
“Better let me go first,” he said. “Just to make sure no one is looking. I wouldn't want you to get fired over this.”
“They wouldn't fire me,” she said confidently. “I've caught too many flight attendants doing the same thing.”
“Still—” He shook his head as he opened the door. “Just wait here a moment.”
“Whatever you say, handsome.”
He turned to look at her. “It's going to seem like years until we reach New York.”
She nodded. “I know.”
When he opened the door, at first he didn't understand what he was seeing. Everyone on the plane seemed to be headed in his direction. What was going on? Then he saw Sean Merrick with his hands raised in the traditional gesture of surrender. A bearded man pointed a gun at the back of his head. Bringing up the rear were large clean-cut men with guns. They looked like pictures he had seen of Navy SEALS. They seemed to be herding the passengers toward the back of the plane as if they were docile sheep. Ian threw himself back into the restroom and locked the door.
Had they seen him?
“We've got to get out of here,” he said. “They've taken over the plane.”
Fiona looked at him in confusion. “Who? What are you talking about?”
“I don't know if they're terrorists or what, but they have the captain and they're pushing the passengers this way.”
“No.” Fiona's eyes widened in fear.
“Is there any way out of here without using the door?”
She stared at him blankly.
“Fiona, we've got to do something. We've got to hide.”
Her voice sounded young and frightened. “What are we going to do?”
“I'll tell you what I'm going to do.” He pulled her into his embrace. “I'm going to keep you safe.”
“Safe?” she whispered.
“Is there another way out of here?” he repeated.
She looked up. “Through the
ceiling panel. There's electrical stuff up there, but it might be a good place to hide.”
He stood on the toilet and pushed the panel open with his hands. “I'll climb up and then help you.” He hoisted himself through the opening and then leaned forward to grab her as she stood up on the toilet.
The door burst open and a large man grabbed Fiona and pulled her towards him. She screamed as he clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Shut up or I'll hurt you.” The man looked up just as Ian ducked away. “Where do you think you were going?” He handed Fiona to another man who dragged her out of the restroom. Then the big man heaved himself up through the opening as Ian crawled away in search of a place to hide. In the dimly lit area, he spotted some sort of electrical panel and crawled behind it, hoping his tall body was completely hidden from view.
The seconds ticked by like eons. Finally, he heard the ceiling panel snap back into place. He let out the breath he'd been holding and then looked around hopelessly. What could he do to save the woman he loved?
Chapter 24
Larissa splashed water on her face and the cool liquid felt like heaven as it touched her flushed cheeks. She felt achy and sick to her stomach and knew she had definitely caught something nasty.
She would ask Dina for some aspirin since the publicist always carried a supply of medicine in her large briefcase. Larissa sneezed and her nose felt like it weighed a ton. Still no matter how sick she was, it couldn't take away from her joy as she thought about Sean. The darling man was hers! Soon she would be with him in her hotel room and both of them would be naked. Her body craved his touch. Would they ever get to New York?
Feeling a little better, she left the restroom and walked back into first class only to discover the area completely deserted. She looked around in confusion. Where had everyone gone? She approached the curtain which separated first class from coach and swung it open. Three men had guns pointed at the passengers. She closed the curtain and took a step backward.
Sean!
Where was he? She turned to run for the cockpit. As she did so, she slammed into a bearded man with penetrating dark eyes.
“Hello, Larissa,” he said softly.
“What—”
He took her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him.
She struggled against him. “Let me go! I need to warn the captain.”
“The captain is back in coach.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I put him there. I'm Brian McCabe, and I believe I'm your biggest fan.”
* * * *
Sean searched for Larissa among the crowd of passengers who now filled coach class. Where was she? His gaze swept the crowd a second time. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. Then he realized the terrorist in charge was also missing. He stood up from his seat as Seamus moved to stand in front of him.
“Sit the fuck down.” Seamus pushed him back down. “Unless you'd like me to mess up that pretty face.”
Sean glared at him but remained silent. He sensed the guy was just looking for an excuse to hurt him. That was when he saw Larissa walking down the aisle. The head terrorist had his hand on her shoulder as she walked in front of him. When she saw Sean, she broke away and ran toward him.
She flung herself into his arms and he held her tightly against him.
“You're okay,” she said. “I was so worried.”
He let out the breath he'd been holding. “And I was worried about you.”
Brian frowned as he pulled her from the shelter of Sean's arms. Then he addressed the frightened passengers.
“My name is Brian,” he said. “And my people have taken control of this airliner. If you want to see another sunrise, you'll do exactly as we say.”
A murmur rustled through the crowd like soft wind through dry leaves.
Brian's voice cut through the murmur. “Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer?”
“Why are you doing this?” Dina asked quietly.
“Why are we doing this? Hmm, that one will take too long to explain. Besides, it's not a very original question. Any other questions?”
Sean glared at him. “How did you get the guns on board my flight?” “Very good question.” Brian nodded approvingly. “I guess it pays to have airline personnel working for our team. The weapons were smuggled on board by one of the maintenance people. He then put them into a compartment behind a mirror in one of the restrooms. Pretty clever, yes?”
Brian stared at the faces of the frightened passengers who crowded into coach class. “Okay, enough with the twenty questions. We now have a few items of business to discuss. First of all, I know there's an air marshal on board the plane. This individual has two minutes to surrender his weapon before something bad happens.”
Silence filled the cabin as the ultimatum hung in the air.
“One minute, thirty seconds.” Brian looked at his watch. “If I get to zero, someone will be killed. And when I discover the identity of the marshal, he will be killed as well unless he turns over his gun before I finish counting.”
“I suggest you surrender your weapon,” Sean addressed the unknown air marshal. “This is no time for heroics.”
Brian nodded. “Good advice, captain. One minute to go.”
Sean looked around desperately. He knew there was an officer on board with a concealed weapon, but he didn't know the man's identity.
“Thirty seconds.” Brian released Larissa and grabbed Janie, one of the flight attendants. He pulled a pistol from his waistband and put it to her head.
“Please—” she whispered.
“Fifteen seconds.”
“Officer, I insist you surrender your weapon.” Sean tried to keep the tremor from his voice, but knew he failed miserably. He remembered the flowers Janie sent to him when his wife died, and also knew she was a single mother struggling to support a small child.
“Time's up,” said Brian.”No!” Sean pushed past Seamus until he stood in front of Brian. “If you want a hostage, take me. Not this young girl.”
Brian studied him for a moment and then lowered his weapon. “Noble as well as handsome. The big boss may never let you leave his island.”
Sean narrowed his gaze. “What boss? You've mentioned him before.”
“Questions, questions.” Brian raised his weapon again and then pointed it toward the passengers who stood watching him with terrified faces. A single shot rang out and a middle-aged man fell forward. Amid the screams, the crowd parted as Brian walked toward his victim. He dragged the man's lifeless body into the aisle and then pulled a badge and gun from inside the jacket he wore.
Brian held up the badge as if it were a trophy.
“I gave him a chance,” he said. “Do you think I didn't know who he was? We know everything about this flight, so it's useless to try anything stupid. And FYI - we shoot first and ask questions later. I feel I should give you fair warning.”
A deep frown settled on his face when he saw Larissa resting her head against Sean's chest. Sean cradled her like a child, as if he could protect her from the nightmare which swirled around them.
“Second item of business,” Brian faced the passengers who now cowered in fear as he addressed them. “We've disabled the transponder and anything else which would allow us to be tracked. We have one stop to make and then you'll be on your way to the United States.”
“Where are we landing?” demanded Sean.
Brian walked over to him and pulled Larissa from his embrace. “Shall we keep that our little secret for now? However, I can promise you one thing: You'll never forget your experience on the island.”
* * * *
Larissa struggled to free herself from the terrorist named Brian, but he held her firmly against his body. “If you want Captain Merrick to live through the night, I suggest you change your attitude,” Brian said quietly. She immediately grew still and allowed him to press her backside against his hip. She felt his erection grow and she fought the urge to vomit. She had already thrown up twice
since boarding the plane and her fever was even higher than it had been earlier. She looked at Sean and gave him a weak smile. His gaze held hers and she drew strength from looking at his much-loved face.
“Final order of business,” Brian continued. “We'll be dividing the passengers into two groups. If one of us chooses you, then please move forward to first class. If you're not chosen, stay in your seat.”
“You'll definitely be going with me to first class,” Brian whispered to Larissa as his hand snaked along her stomach. She couldn't prevent the shudder of revulsion which crawled up her spine. Her eyes filled with tears as he dragged her down the aisle. Would this be the last time she ever saw Sean?
Sean lunged toward her, but one of the terrorists restrained him as another punched him in the stomach. Larissa screamed as he fell forward.
* * * *
“Get up.” Brian held out a hand, but Sean ignored it and pulled himself to his feet.
“You can move to first class, Captain Merrick.” Brian leaned toward him. “But if you go anywhere near Larissa, I'll have Seamus hurt you again.”
Sean narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand the mind of this calm, but insane, human being.
As Brian and Larissa moved away from Sean, Elissa threw herself into his arms.
“Are you all right, Sean? I mean, Captain Merrick?” She clung to him so fiercely he felt the air being squeezed from his lungs.
“I'm okay, Elissa,” he managed to say. “How are you holding up?”
“I'm scared.” She looked around. “What are they going to do to us?”
“I don't know yet.” Sean watched Brian walk down the aisle, stopping along the way to point at one person and then another.
When he got to the row of seats where Delilah, DesaRay, and Devon sat, he pointed at them. “You three into first class.”
They stared at him mutely, the fear evident in their eyes. Gabe stood up and stepped forward.
“Where are you taking the girls?” he demanded.
Hostages of Love (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 12
