Rock Me, Stalk Me

by Jamie DeBree

  He reached out with his other hand, gave a small hop and started pulling along the diagonal surface. Holly made sure her footing was stable, and then tried to help push as he scaled the wall. When he got to the top, he swung one leg over and gave her a thumbs-up before disappearing over the edge.

  It wasn't long before a length of rope came sliding down toward her. She grabbed it, looking up in time to see him anchored above.

  "Tie it around your waist," he said, feeding out more until she had enough. She knotted it, then changing her mind, slid it up under her armpits.

  "It will just ride up if I do that," she said when he looked like he was going to argue. "This way, less rope burns." She centered the knot above her breasts, then turned so only her toes were supported below. "Ready for me to jump?"

  He nodded, adjusting his grip. "Try to get a hand on either side of me, so I can help."

  Holly nodded, then took a breath, let it out slow, bent her knees and jumped.

  * * *

  Eddie saw Holly wince as she pushed off the door frame, her leg obviously protesting the action. He grabbed her hands and pulled, taking full advantage of her momentum to help her get anchored on the top edge of the wall. Once she was stable, he moved back, steadying her as she got first one, then the other leg over and perched on the side of the counter next to him. Her gaze moved past his shoulder, and he moved to block the view, though not quickly enough. She covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up. When she’d passed them before, she’d been completely focused on getting to Eddie as fast as possible. But now...

  "There’s nothing we can do now," he said, rubbing a hand on her arm. "We need to get out of here, so try not to look at them, okay?"

  She was silent for a long moment, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. He untied the rope around her waist, letting it drop the six feet to the lower wall where the bodies of Winston's guards had ended up. Finally, she nodded.

  "Okay. Let's go. Which way?" Blinking a few times, she dutifully looked toward the main passenger area, then back to him for confirmation. He nodded, putting one foot across the narrow gap to the other counter.

  "Step across here, and then through to first class. You'll have to brace yourself on the sides of the seats. I'm right behind you." He waited until she'd crossed to the other side, then followed her through the sideways door. She'd wedged her good leg on one of the wide seats to the side, and her hands on a seat diagonally above her, just as he'd suggested.

  "Are you okay there for a few minutes?" he asked, eyeing the emergency exit just below the first row of seats.

  She nodded, twisting to look over her shoulder at him. "I'm fine. What are you going to do?"

  He started climbing down the seats, using the arm rests as a ladder of sorts. "I'm going to see if the emergency side will deploy when I open this door. I don't know if it will be long enough, but it's worth a shot, right?"

  "Be careful," she called as he reached the door and started looking around for an anchor point. Wishing he would have brought the rope, he settled for leaning against the wall of the plane and hooking one foot through the bottom of the nearest seat. Scanning the directions on the door for emergencies, he pushed the lever up, struggling to force it all the way and then let gravity pull the door out. There was a pop, and a hissing noise, and he ducked back behind the wall, hoping the slide wouldn't inflate back into the cabin. A few seconds later, he peered around the corner, relieved that the slide was touching the ground, and seemed to be fully inflated. It was a pretty steep angle, but it should work.

  "Holly?" he yelled, looking up, but unable to see her. He wasn't sure if she'd be able to climb down or not, but maybe he could go back for the rope. "Where are you?"

  "Right here," she said, her voice coming from the row behind him. He looked over the back of the seat, and she smiled at him from her position between the two rows. "I figured I'd just come down while you were working on the door. Was that the slide I heard?"

  Chapter 12

  The look on Eddie's face was almost worth the pain throbbing through her leg as Holly forced herself to smile. She'd underestimated the amount of energy it required to climb down the seats without falling - if you could call it climbing. If they couldn't use the slide, she wasn't sure what she'd do, because at this point climbing back up to the center aisle didn't feel like an option.

  Luckily, Eddie nodded. "I think we can get down, but it's going to be steep. How's the leg?"

  "It hurts," she said, refraining from rubbing her wound. "But I can handle it. Any idea how far it is to civilization once we get on the ground?"

  He shook his head. "It didn't look like there was much out there when we were landing...a few farmhouses, but none close by." He moved to look out the door. "Maybe it would be better for you to stay here, while I go get help. I think we landed in a corn field, and it could be hard walking through the rows to get anywhere."

  Holly tried to tamp down the panic in her throat, knowing he was right, but not wanting to be left alone. At the same time, she knew he'd move faster without her.

  Swallowing hard, she finally nodded. "That's probably the smart decision. I don't like the thought of you going out there alone though. What if you get hurt? Or Winston's men find you?"

  He shrugged. "They could find the plane too. I'll just keep moving, and get back as fast as I can." He looked around the compartment, brows drawn together. "I should take a flashlight, if I can find one. You need one too, and a blanket. I'll be right back."

  Holly watched as he climbed up the row of seats, wishing he'd moved back one so he wasn't hanging directly over the open hatch. She breathed a sigh of relief when he went over the top. Turning, she pushed up the plastic window cover below her, and peered out at the ground, the emergency slide swaying in the wind. The angle was much steeper than she'd imagined, and she cringed at the thought of Eddie going almost straight down with only a three foot cushion waiting at the bottom. What if it popped?

  Snapping the shade shut, she leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes as she balanced with her good leg. There wasn't any other way. It had to work.

  It wasn't long before she heard a scrabbling sound above, and she opened her eyes just in time to see Eddie leaning over the seats with a grin. He held out a bundle, lowering it until she could support the bottom before he released his grip.

  "There are extra blankets, a flashlight, some food and one of those insanely expensive inflatable pillows in there. I found some ibuprofen too - the only painkillers they had, unfortunately. That should be enough to keep you at least sort of comfortable until I get back. I made another one for myself." He held up another cloth bundle for her to see, and she smiled.

  "Wow. That was quick. Where did you find all this stuff?"

  He pointed toward the back of the plane. "I raided the first class galley by the restrooms. If you run out of anything, try that first."

  She nodded. "Thanks. Hand me yours - I'll hang on to it while you climb down." She took his bundle, and then waited while he made his way back to the open hatch. He carefully swung his legs out onto the slide, barely anchored to the threshold as it tilted out.

  "Okay," he said, taking the pack from her and positioning it on his lap. "Wish me luck."

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Good luck, Eddie. Hurry back."

  He winked. "You'll hardly notice I'm gone." Scooting forward another inch, he cleared the lip and slipped out of sight.

  She didn't really want to watch but Holly opened the window shade anyway, just in time to see Eddie reach the bottom of the slide with a thud. He got up, brushed himself off and looked up, squinting against the sun. She waved, and he waved back as he flung the bundle over his shoulder and started walking. In a few seconds, he'd disappeared under the wing, and she closed the shade again.

  Settling into the curve of the wall, she got a bottle of water out of her supplies and took a sip. He'd left her with two liter bottles, and she tossed back a couple ibuprofens with a longer drink.
Setting the bottle aside, she probed at the wound on her thigh with her fingers, noting that it had stopped bleeding, and didn't seem to hurt as bad. If those neanderthals hadn't dragged her onto the plane and dropped her, it would probably be far more stable by now. Pulling a blanket around herself, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Rest would be good. She'd need energy for later, when Eddie got back.

  * * *

  Something stung her hand, and she frowned, absently batting it away without bothering to open her eyes. Another pinch on her arm, then a finger. Moving restlessly, she blinked her eyes open, disoriented at the dark, unfamiliar surroundings. Then something sharp stabbed into her wounded leg and she yelped, her heart racing as she tried to pull away, and found herself wedged into a small space with nowhere to go.

  The air moved as something flew away with an annoyed squawk. Remembering the plane, she felt the space around her and found the bundle of supplies, taking the flashlight out and turning it on. How long had she been asleep, she wondered?

  The plane's interior looked far more menacing in the dim beam from her flashlight, and she forced herself to take deep, even breaths as she tried to relax. Obviously that bird had thought she was an easy dinner, and she didn't want to know what the rustling noises coming from somewhere above and to the side of her position were.

  A low groan carried from somewhere deeper in the plane, and she sat up straight, switching the flashlight off. The only people in that part of the plane had been her, Eddie, Natalie...and Sean. Was it possible he'd survived, tied to the seat like that? If he had, could she just leave him there?

  Another groan, louder this time. The voice was definitely male. Holly closed her eyes, then opened them again, holding the flashlight tight against her chest. What if he got free on his own? What if he came after her to finish her off?

  "Is anyone there? Help me! Please." Panic laced his voice, and she gripped the light harder. How could she just leave him there? But how could she help him without putting herself in danger?

  There was a rattling noise, then a pause before it started again. He must still be tied down, but for how long? She considered her options. The flashlight was really her only weapon. Not wanting to draw attention, she left it off as she rifled through the other things Eddie left, but there were only a few lukewarm dinner trays and some plastic packages that felt like eating utensils. Opening one as quietly as she could, she pulled out a plastic knife and fork, wishing desperately that they were metal.

  Leaning her head back, she glanced toward the open hatch and wondered how fast she could get to the slide, if need be. Not that it would do any good if he followed her down.

  Suddenly she realized the plane had gone silent again.

  Breathing shallowly, Holly listened for any sound at all. The air was still and cold, and she struggled not to shiver as she sat there in the dark.

  Waiting.

  It was too quiet. She couldn't hear the birds in the forward part of the plane any longer, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She imagined this was what it was like when a predator was nearby, as she clutched the fake knife in one hand and the flashlight in the other. There was no way to tell whether Winston had passed out again, or if he'd gotten free, and she sure wasn't going to go look for herself.

  Trembling again as another draft blew through the open hatch, she wondered if she'd be safer on the ground. Judging from the wind, she'd definitely be colder. And who knew what kind of animals might prowl the fields at night?

  Shifting carefully, she took as much weight as she could off of her wounded leg, freezing in place when something scrabbled just above and to the right. Something or someone was crawling along the edge of the seats on the aisle, and would be right over her head in just a few seconds.

  As quietly as possible she pulled the blanket up over her nose. Hopefully the navy material would hide her skin from any residual moonlight. Her best hope was to stay invisible and hope Winston went for the hatch. If he went down, there would be no getting back up.

  A large black object moved over the row, blocking out any light from the windows above. Holding her breath, Holly watched him crawl by. A leg slipped when he was almost across the gap, and she had to dodge quickly to avoid being hit. That's when he stopped. She could feel his curiosity, see him starting to turn around at what little noise she'd made.

  Thinking quickly, Holly tossed the knife over the first row of seats where it hit the bulkhead wall. Immediately his head whipped forward, and he moved forward. She watched as he gingerly stood up on the last seat, steadying himself on the one above him before jumping across to the forward galley. Holly couldn't help but wish he would have missed and plummeted through the hatch.

  Muffled sounds of him rifling through the cupboards told her where he was, but she heard him coming back all too soon. Then the noise stopped, and a bright flashlight switched on, illuminating her part of the cabin with a warm yellow glow. She peered through a space between the seats at his profile, and realized that time was up when she saw the gun in his hand.

  One of them needed to get off the airplane, and Holly didn't care which one. She considered her options, but it seemed like the best one she had was to distract him somehow, and then slip around the seats and down the slide before he could get to her. There was no way to remotely detach the slide though, so he'd just follow her.

  If she could just get him off-balance somehow, and out the door...

  * * *

  Eddie realized his mistake shortly after he waved up at Holly and started jogging toward the tail of the plane. Tall green stalks blocked the view in every direction. He should have plotted a course while he was still on the aircraft. He tried to remember what they'd flown over coming down, and what he'd seen from the cockpit before they got out, but in his mind, it all seemed like a vague Monet painting.

  Whoever owned the field would surely notice the rather large plane in the middle of it, he thought. Unless it was one of those big companies, but still, someone should notice. And when they did, it would only be a matter of time before Sean's men got to them - and Eddie didn't think it would please them to find out that their boss was dead.

  A niggle worked at the back of his mind as he started jogging between the rows in the soft dirt. He should have checked to make sure Sean was dead, or at least still tied up. Stopping for a moment, he looked back at the plane, leaning on it's left wing with the nose on the ground. It looked far more dangerous from the outside perspective, like it could tilt back onto its landing gear or worse, back the other way with a strong enough gust of wind under the wing. What had he been thinking, leaving Holly there?

  Conflicted, he hesitated a moment longer, and then kept moving away from the plane. With her leg she'd never be able to navigate the beach-like texture under his feet. There just wasn't a good choice either way - he had to get help, and get it fast.

  He loped into an easy jog and pushed hard, running for what seemed like miles until he finally came to a dirt road. Relieved to step onto the hard surface, he remembered seeing paved road somewhere to the left as they landed, so he turned that direction and forced himself to keep moving. By the time he found blacktop, the sun had sunk below the surrounding hills leaving him in near-darkness.

  Sitting on the shoulder, he downed one of the water bottles he'd brought and rested for longer than he thought he should. The complete lack of traffic was disconcerting, and he struggled with the utter stillness that he never experienced in the city. Looking both ways down the road, he watched as a few solitary lights flickered on as the very last bit of light faded away. Choosing the nearest one, he abandoned the pack he'd brought and started walking, too tired to be hopeful, but unwilling to give up. The moon rose as he walked, casting a dim glow on the world as his goal got brighter. When he finally found the driveway and approached the run-down farm house, he could barely pick his feet up from sheer exhaustion.

  There were two vehicles parked near the side of the house - a pickup and a sedan of some sort. Pausi
ng, he considered his options. He could hot-wire one, and just take it, though that would certainly wake up the inhabitants. Or he could knock on the door and ask to borrow one and use the phone like a normal, honest person would do. Walking past the vehicles, he glanced in the windows, and the keys hanging from the truck's ignition made the choice for him.

  He heard someone yell as he peeled out of the yard, but didn't bother to look back. They'd call the police. In the meantime, he had to get Holly off that plane and somewhere safe.

  Chapter 13

  Holly stayed as still as possible, not wanting to attract attention as the beam from Sean's flashlight explored every surface. When he turned away, she eased her healing leg out of its position, moving her foot mere millimeters just to make sure it would hold up when she had to move.

  "Holly! I know you're here - I heard you earlier. Where are you?"

  Sean's yell startled her, and the involuntary twitch nearly sent the supplies on her lap to the floor. She managed to catch them just in time, but the resulting movement had already drawn the light back to her little cubby hole.

  Sean chuckled. "There you are. When your body wasn't in the cockpit, I knew you had to be somewhere out here. You were talking in your sleep earlier - did you know you do that? Clear as a bell, calling out for Mr. Rock-Star-Stud himself. Musta been some dream, Holly-bear." He laughed again, apparently finding himself funny.

  Holly was not amused. "Why didn't you just die?" the words just slipped out, and she regretted them immediately, knowing it would only fuel his anger. Considering he had the only weapon, it was a bad decision.

  A loud click rang out through the cabin just before he jumped across from the doorway to the row of seats she was sequestered in. She looked up, catching a quick glimpse of a black barrel pointed at her before the flashlight beam joined it, effectively blinding her. Turning away, she held up a hand to block as much of the light as she could.