by Lyn Gardner
Sitting quietly by the window, Alex had observed Campbell take the medication. Deciding that it would be a very long two days if someone didn’t at least try to make an effort, she rose to her feet and walked across the room. Sitting in a chair across from Campbell, Alex debated for a minute before politely asking, “Are you afraid of flying?”
Up until that moment, the only sound in the room had been the hum of the vending machine. Startled by the interruption, it took Maggie a few seconds before she finally managed to blurt, “No, of course not!”
Amused by Campbell’s obvious indignation at her innocent question, Alex tried to explain. “I’m sorry. I just thought…well, I noticed you taking the painkillers, and I thought that maybe you didn’t like to fly.”
“I’ve got a bloody headache, if you must know,” Maggie snapped back. “It’s got nothing to do with flying, and it has absolutely nothing to with you!”
Without waiting for a response, Maggie stared back at the magazine in her lap. Embarrassed by her own outburst, and shocked that she had felt the need to tell the woman that her headache wasn’t due to anything Alex had done, Maggie began flipping through the magazine at breakneck speed.
A few minutes later, reaching the end of the boring periodical, Maggie tossed it aside. Casting a quick glance in Blake’s direction, she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the woman was no longer paying her any attention.
With her eyes closed, Alex was leaning back in her chair seemingly oblivious to her surroundings and to her company. Her long legs, encased in black denim, were stretched across the coffee table, and as Maggie looked at the woman, she couldn’t help but notice the knee-high leather boots that Alex was wearing. Glancing at her own pair of ankle-high, Maggie frowned. Although technically it had only been her superior’s suggestion to wear her warmest winter clothes, as far as Maggie was concerned, it had been a directive. Unfortunately, she hadn’t planned to spend the entire morning in a knock-down, drag-out fight with Glenn, but it was time well spent. She was now without a flat-mate and a boyfriend, and not having the time to hunt down her winter boots seemed a small price to pay for the luxury of being single again.
Turning her attention back to Alex, Maggie studied her for a moment. Alex Blake hadn’t really changed much in the past three years. Her hair was still worn short, and her fondness for simplistic, yet stylish clothing was more than obvious. The straight-leg designer jeans and turtleneck jersey she wore appeared new, as the color of both had yet to be washed out by dozens of cleanings. However, in contrast, the fabric of the oxford shirt covering the black turtleneck was frayed a bit at the cuffs, and the once crisp, white Pima cotton had been softened by age.
Noticing that Alex was beginning to stir, Maggie was about to reach for another magazine when she heard the door behind her open. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as a tall, balding man with wire-rimmed glasses walked into the room. Placing a large shopping bag on the floor, he removed his raincoat, and tossing it on a chair, he retrieved the bag and approached the Inspectors.
“My name is John Harper,” he began, handing Maggie the bag. “You’ll need to put these on.”
Raising an eyebrow, Maggie glanced into the bag. Seeing that it contained what appeared to be old and ragged clothing, she looked up at Harper and said, “Excuse me?”
“I know you were told that you’d be escorting a witness today, but that’s not entirely the case.”
Taking a step closer to the man, Blake asked, “Who the hell are you?”
With a snort, he pulled out his identification, and flipping it open, he stated, “John Harper, Interpol.”
“Interpol?” Alex asked.
“Like I was saying, you weren’t exactly given all the facts,” he said, slipping his identification back into his pocket.
Confused, Alex leaned over and looked into the bag. Seeing the clothing inside, she quickly added two and two.
“Christ, we’re decoys, aren’t we?” Alex said, trying to keep her temper in check.
Nodding, Harper said, “I’m afraid so. Normally, this type of thing would be handled by our own people, but we believe we might have a leak in our department, so we asked the Met for help. We have a woman in custody that we need to keep out of harm’s way. In order to get her out of the country in one piece, I’ve arranged for three teams of officers to pose as the woman and her escort. Each team will leave here today on separate flights, all of which will be heading in different directions. You and DI Campbell will be one of those teams.”
Accustomed to following orders, without saying a word, Maggie headed to the ladies’ room to change her clothes, leaving Harper alone with Alex…and her temper.
Perturbed that her assignment had just been reduced to a ruse, Alex walked over and sat down. Defiantly crossing her arms, she groused, “Apparently Campbell fits this woman’s description, but why me? I don’t see why you can’t get a constable to play my part!”
Frowning, Harper said, “Detective Inspector Blake, apparently you think this is a waste of your time?”
“Yes, I do. I would think someone in your position would know better than to waste the time of two Detective Inspectors on nothing but a bloody ruse.”
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Well, Inspector, I frankly don’t give a damn what you think. You will escort DI Campbell through the airport and onto a small jet we have waiting, just as you’ve been ordered to do.”
“So she gets on the plane, and I leave?” Alex asked, quickly sitting up in her chair.
Snickering at the DI’s continual attempt to shorten her assignment, Harper shook his head. “No. You and DI Campbell will take a rather long flight, land at a small airport, change planes, and then you will return to London.”
“But—”
“That’s final, Blake, and I think it wise that you shut your mouth and do your job! I may not be your direct supervisor, but trust me, I have his number.”
Knowing that she was very close to stepping over the proverbial line again, Alex did as instructed and remained quiet until she heard the door to the ladies’ room open. Glancing over her shoulder, Alex couldn’t help but grin at the sight of her fellow Inspector.
Campbell’s gray power suit and maroon sweater had been replaced by an ill-fitting black wool skirt and a baby blue twin set, and draped around her neck was a garish paisley scarf. Her polished ankle-high boots had been exchanged for a pair of scuffed black slip-ons, and to complete the ensemble, over her arm she was carrying a dowdy black cloth coat which had seen better days.
As soon as Maggie came back into the room, she glared at Blake as if daring her to say a word, but the other detective remained mute, although the grin Alex was wearing said it all.
“You’ll need to cover your hair with that scarf, I’m afraid,” Harper ordered. “And I’ll need your mobiles.”
Forgetting the Interpol agent’s scolding tone a moment earlier, Alex blurted, “What? Why?”
Scowling, Harper took a deep breath and held out his hand. Eyeing the obstinate police officer, he said, “Those signals can be traced. You’ll get them back when you return to London.”
Having finally grasped the concept that it was pointless to argue with the man, Alex reached into her pocket and handed him her shiny piece of state-of-the-art technology, with Campbell following suit immediately. While he quickly slipped Maggie’s mobile into his pocket, he examined the other high-end phone for several seconds before grinning at Alex and dropping it in his pocket. As the two women stood in silence, Harper gave them their instructions.
A short time later, following their orders, they left the room and walked down several long corridors before re-entering the bustling airport concourse through an unmarked door. As instructed, Alex kept her hand wrapped around Campbell’s bicep as she guided her to the departure gates. Acting the part of someone older and frail, with her face partially hidden by the drape of the scarf, Maggie kept her head bowed and her voice silent as dozens of people hurried by.
&nb
sp; Their hearts were pounding as the women made their way through the airport. The knowledge that an attempt could be made on their lives was frightfully real, so when they finally reached the gate, both let out a sigh of relief. Ushered through another door by a waiting police officer, they walked down the stairs and exited the building.
Assuming it would be hours before she could feed her nicotine habit again, as soon as they were standing outside, Alex pulled Maggie to an abrupt halt. Quickly fumbling to light a cigarette, Alex refused to acknowledge the evil look she was being given. A minute later, she tugged at Maggie’s arm, and silently they walked across the tarmac to a small corporate jet.
At five-foot-four, when Maggie boarded the small jet she had no issue with the low ceiling height; however, Alex wasn’t so lucky. More interested in the interior of the plane than the lack of headroom, she immediately bumped her head against the ceiling.
“Fuck,” Alex mumbled, rubbing her head.
Paying no attention to the expletive which Alex had blurted, Maggie shrugged out of her coat. As Alex tried to struggle out of hers, she noticed an attractive flight attendant walking from the cockpit.
“I’ll hang them up for you if you’d like?” she said, holding out her hand.
Smiling at the attractive redhead, Alex placed her coat in the woman’s outstretched hand.
“Thanks. I’m Alex Blake…and you are?”
Having been a flight attendant for several years, Jane Connors grinned at the look being thrown her way. Over the course of the past decade, she had been hit on by dozens of men, it was part of the job, but there had only been a few occasions when a woman had tried to catch her eye. Noticing that the detective’s fingers had lingered a little too long when the coat had exchanged hands, Jane was confident that if she was interested in joining the Mile High Club with Alex Blake, it would happen. Unfortunately, for Alex, Jane Connors wasn’t interested.
Unable to prevent a small snort of amusement from escaping, Jane stared back at the beautiful woman with the dark, smiling eyes. “My name’s Jane…and I’m happily married. Now, why don’t you two take a seat. It’ll be a few minutes before we’re ready to leave.”
Confused, but indifferent at the flight attendant’s cryptic reply, Maggie walked down the aisle and took a seat. Seconds later, bowing her head to prevent another run-in with the low ceiling, Alex casually strolled up the row and sunk her long, lanky body into a seat. Within minutes, they were rumbling down the runway en route to their unknown destination.
***
The bitter Arctic wind blew ferociously across the snowy tundra as the dropping pressure forced masses of air to swirl and push through the darkened winter skies. A sliver of sunlight still visible on the icy horizon faded behind the gusts and eddies that whipped snow into the air as the storm began to build. Squinting against the flurry of ice in the air, a polar bear made a mournful sound as she called to her cubs, and two white-coated bodies lifted their noses toward Heaven. Mirroring their mother, they sniffed. Too young to know the scent, two pairs of dark eyes looked back at their tense mother. Her snout in the air, she continued to sniff. She knew the scent. It was the scent of danger.
The mammals of the Arctic Circle weren’t the only warm-blooded creatures paying attention to the danger looming in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorologists, climatologists and atmospheric scientists from all over the world were on the phone, on the fax and on their computers. Debating, assuming, postulating, predicting and at times guessing, they bantered back and forth as data from satellites filled their computer screens with images curious and possibly deadly.
They knew that problems would be born from what lurked high above the clouds. A few fenders would no doubt be bent, and some would lose a day at work for traveling would be precarious, but if their predictions were correct, a small part of the world would simply stop. There would be no venturing out the morning after to stock up on forgotten supplies, and mountains would not be visited by skiers with smiling faces and knit caps. People would be far too busy doing other things, like staying alive. The average neighborhood roof isn’t built to withstand the weight of the snow the blizzard could bring, and homes not having a set of stairs leading up to their front door, would be lost behind dunes of white, several feet tall. Parked cars would be consumed, fire hydrants would be buried, and electricity and cable would be iffy at best.
Of course, there was still time for things to change. Upper troughs and ever-changing winds could easily alter courses, but warnings were issued, nonetheless. As always, some took heed, running to their favorite market to fill their cart with the essentials, topping off their gas tanks and making sure they had plenty of videos to watch, while others scoffed and turned their backs. They had enough to last a day or even two. They were fools.
There had been another storm that some had labeled perfect, but this one…this one was more than perfect. If the pieces of the puzzle slipped into place as many believed they would, this storm wouldn’t be perfect. It would be God.
***
Shortly after takeoff, Jane walked down the aisle. Stopping near Maggie, she offered a soft smile as she asked, “Would you like a drink, Detective Inspector?”
On duty, and her throat now sore and scratchy, Maggie quietly replied, “Just water please.”
“And how about you, Alex?” Jane asked, grinning at the smiling officer to her right.
Noticing how Campbell looked up when the question had been asked, Alex said, “I know you can’t tell us where we’re going, but can you at least tell us how much time we have before we land?”
“Oh, several hours, I’m afraid.”
Without missing a beat, Alex said, “I’ll take a scotch.”
Seeing Campbell’s expression change from one of interest to one of contempt, Alex quickly added, “On second thought, make it a double.”
“Double it is,” Jane said with a wink.
“Oh, before you go. Can you give me a hand with this entertainment unit? It doesn’t seem to be working,” Alex said, pointing to the small digital screen to her right.
Frowning, Jane said, “That’s because it’s turned off. We’re not allowed to tell you where you’re going, and those units have destination and directional settings. I’m sorry.”
“Can I at least listen to some music?”
“No, I’m afraid it’s all connected, but we have quite a few magazines around. Shall I bring you one?”
With a sigh, Alex nodded her head. “Sure, but bring me all you’ve got.”
Chapter Three
Having already broken the rule about drinking on duty, Alex decided to break another. With nothing but time on her hands and scotch in her belly, it wasn’t long before she reclined her seat and fell asleep. At times, the flight became bumpy, and she stirred at the turbulence, but shifting in her seat and mindless of Campbell sitting across the row, Alex returned to her dreams without a care in the world.
Six hours later, she opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was that Campbell’s seat was empty. Shrugging at the discovery, Alex yawned. In need of the bathroom, she lowered her footrest, but before she could stand, Jane appeared and knelt by Alex’s seat.
“I think your partner is ill,” she said in a hushed tone.
Still wiping the sleep out of her eyes, Alex stared back. It took her several seconds before she finally realized who Jane was talking about.
“Campbell is not my partner. We’re just working together for today and today only,” Alex growled back. “And she’s just afraid of flying, but she’s too bloody proud to admit it.”
A bit surprised at Alex’s harsh response, Jane stood up, and as she was walking away, she said quietly, “Well, I just thought you should know.”
As she watched the shapely flight attendant walk up the aisle, Alex let out a long sigh. A victim of air sickness a few times in her life, most of which had been caused by the amount of alcohol she had consumed, Alex suddenly found herself becoming sympathetic to Campbell’s predi
cament. Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of her seat and strolled down the aisle. Just as she got to the restroom, the door swung open and Campbell emerged.
Shocked by the woman’s ghostly appearance, Alex asked, “Are you okay?”
Trying to pay Blake as little attention as possible, Maggie walked around the woman blocking her path.
“I’m fine,” she muttered.
“Hey,” Alex said, grabbing Campbell’s arm to stop her escape. “You look a bit pasty, that’s all.”
Achy, sweating, and feeling if her head was about to explode, Maggie yanked her arm out of Blake’s grasp. “If I want your concern, I’ll bloody well ask for it. Now leave me the hell alone!”
Startled by the woman’s outburst, Alex watched as Campbell slowly made her way to her seat, carefully holding onto several seat backs as she weaved her way down the aisle.
***
An hour later the plane landed on a sparsely lit runway in the middle of nowhere, and as soon as the exit door was opened, Campbell rushed from the small jet.
Walking to the exit, Blake took her coat from Jane and asked, “So what now?”
“Well, this is as far as we take you.”
“What? Harper said we’d be back in London by tomorrow!”
“Relax,” Jane said with a grin. “They’ve made arrangements for another plane to fly you back. There’s apparently a rather nasty storm brewing, so we’ve been told to refuel as quickly as possible and get out of here.”
“I don’t understand. Why can’t we just go back with you?”
“Because we’re heading in another direction, I’m afraid,” Jane said. Walking to the cabin door, she pointed at a hangar in the distance. “Inside, there’s an office to the left. The people in there will get you back to civilization.”
Exiting the plane, Alex quickly lit a cigarette, and hunching her shoulders at the frigid air cutting its way through her coat, she trotted across the tarmac. Pausing near the door for one more quick drag, she flicked the butt to the ground, and then headed to the office with purpose in her step. The sooner she found Campbell, the sooner they could board a plane and get back to London.
