by Linzi Baxter
Cruz tapped his fingers on the couch's arm. “I won’t complain if we move to Florida. I’m always open to an adventure.”
They thought I was joking, but I really didn’t know if I could get back on the plane. “Okay, enough talking about moving. Let’s discuss the cases we are working on.”
“Or we can talk about the sexy men your brother works with. Maybe you will find a man who can sweep you off your feet.”
“Not going to happen,” I shot back. “Nobody wants to be with someone who doesn’t leave the house.”
“You’re in a plane right now,” Cruz pointed out.
I shrugged. “Only because you picked me up and carried me to the car. I’m not sure I would’ve stayed on the plane if you two didn’t come with.”
Cruz frowned. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“Let’s get back to the cases, and not my love life⸻or lack thereof.”
Lena crossed her arms. “Fine, but I agree with Cruz. I would move to Florida if you wanted. Now for my cases. Edward is cheating on his wife. I haven’t gotten the full proof yet, but I will have it by Monday. I also think he has a baby with someone else.”
“The prenup was void when we found proof he cheated. Add in a baby, and that will give our client everything she needs for a lawyer. I think this might be our last cheating spouse we take on. Yes, they pay really well, but they’re starting to get old. We have enough work with the fraud cases we are helping the Boston PD with and add on the insurance cases,” I say.
Lena nodded. “I think I agree the cheating spouse cases needed to end, but I would still like to help when the spouses are abused and can’t get away.”
When anyone came to us because of abuse, we never charged. We worked to get the woman and any children to safety and find proof of the bastard who hurt them. “We will still take those cases. Now how is the insurance fraud case going?”
“I received a call from my art contact this morning on my way to your house. We were right. The art that burned in the building was not the original piece. They used the wrong canvas on the fakes. I’m sure they figured all the paintings would burn. Station Nineteen’s firetruck was down the street, finishing a call when the fire was reported, so they cut the response time in half, and the Boston Fire Department saved half of the building.”
“How sure are we they used the wrong canvas?” I asked.
When it came to art, I didn’t have any clue how to tell the difference between a fake or a real painting. Half the time, I didn’t even understand art. I never understood how someone could pay millions for something to hang on the wall. I preferred pictures of my family and friends on the wall. Since I didn’t have many friends or family, my walls were on the bare side.
“The back of the canvas on the fakes were white, and since canvases from that era are brown, the appraiser knew they were fake. I talked with the insurance company, and they said they will pay us a hundred thousand dollars to get the art back.”
The chances of finding the art were slim. “If you find the art, you can have seventy-five percent of the reward.”
Cruz rolled his eyes. “I don’t do this for the money. The normal fifty percent reward is enough. Not sure how easy it will be to find, but I think the shop owner’s daughter is behind the theft. Last time I spoke to her, something didn’t feel right.”
We continued to talk about the case, and the talking distracted me. I glanced down at my phone to notice we should be close, and as if on cue, the flight attendant walked back in the main cabin.
She was wringing her hands together. “We’re only a few miles from the airport.” She took a big breath. “The pilot wanted me to tell you we’re having a slight mechanical issue.”
“Slight mechanical issues” while in the sky wasn’t something I wanted to hear. “What are the chances we will die?” I asked. “Please don’t sugarcoat this. I need numbers; they might help me calm down a little.” My heart was going crazy. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a Xanax.
This morning before Cruz and Lena showed up, I thought about Googling everything that could go wrong on my flight, but I stopped myself. If I went down that rabbit hole, I would’ve never gotten on the plane.
“This is something our pilot has seen before,” the flight attendant finally said. “The front landing gear is stuck. When we come in for landing, it will be a little rough. I’m going to need you two to move to the chairs and brace as we land.”
Lena cleared her throat. “Are you sure we can land without gear? How about we fly around and jiggle the plane for it to fall out?”
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way,” Cruz added. “Now, let’s move over to those leather chairs and let the man up front do his job.”
My fingers dug into the leather seats as the plane slowly descended from the sky. With each second, my heart beat faster, and my vision was fading in and out. I was having a full-blown panic attack, and I didn’t know what would happen when we hit the ground.
The back tires met the tarmac and bounced for a second. Out the window, the ground moved fast until the front of the plane hit the ground, and a loud sound of crunching metal followed. The plane swerved, and it felt like it was going faster and not slower.
Seconds later, my world went black.
ABE
G unshots echoed in the small shooting range. Mia stood in the lane next to me and emptied a clip from her Glock 17. We’d spent the morning shooting the new guns Stark Night had sent to Blackwood and AA Security. Everything worked as usual.
Some might find the loud bang of the guns annoying, but to me, it felt like home. The smell of gunpowder filled my nose. Mia flipped the switch next to her and brought the practice paper closer. At first glance, it looked as if she’d only made one shot, but upon closer inspection, the hole was larger—she’d shot through the same hole over and over.
“Not bad.”
She rolled her eyes and placed a fresh target sheet on the clips before sending the paper back.
I grabbed my gun from the ledge and popped off a clip. With each pull of the trigger, the gun kicked back, and my focus lasered in on the target. Mia shot off another clip, not at her target this time, but at mine. I hit the switch and brought the target closer. Only one hole in the center of the target was showing.
“Show off.”
“Want to go another round?” Mia asked as she loaded her gun.
I glanced down at my watch. Addie’s plane was set to arrive in less than thirty minutes. I didn’t want to be late picking her up. “I would if I didn’t have to pick up John’s sister.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “She’s really coming?”
“Why wouldn’t she? It’s her brother’s wedding.”
She placed her gun in her holster. “You’ve never talked to John about his sister?”
“No, we never talk about family. Wednesday when he asked me to pick her up was the first time we’ve talked much about her. I know he’s gone to Boston a few times to see her. Is there something I’m missing?”
Mia stared at me for a few seconds. “Nope, just make sure to guard her with your life. I don’t want to help John hide your body if something happens to her.”
“Is she in danger?”
“No.”
There was something though. I’d worked with Mia for a few years. She wasn’t going to tell me everything. I’d caught the glint in John’s eye when he asked me to pick up his sister. I planned to pick her up and take her to Blackwood’s building. How hard could it be to drive from the airport to John’s work?
“You’re hiding something, but I don’t have time to sit and grill you. If something turns out bad, I will not be happy.”
“Nothing bad. Go take care of your babysitting job. Am I going to see you at the club later tonight?”
I nodded, grabbed my Glock, and walked out the door. My Ford Raptor was parked out front. I jumped into the front seat.
When I pulled up to the gate and flashed my cr
edentials, the security guard nodded. He knew who I was. AA Security used the same executive airport as Blackwood. I pulled my truck off to the side and pulled out my phone.
I didn’t log into Facebook often, but we had fake accounts for research purposes. I never used it for my private life. I liked to keep things private, and anyone I wanted to talk to, I called. If they weren’t on my phone, I really didn’t care what was going on in their lives. I typed Addie Walter’s name into the search engine. Nothing. No photos. No info. Not too many thirty-five-year-olds didn’t have any social footprint.
John’s name flashed across the screen. I swiped my finger across the phone. “I’m at the airport. I promise to get your sister.”
“Never crossed my mind you wouldn’t show up…” John let out a long sigh. “She has agoraphobia. Addie said she leaves the house every so often, but…”
I watched as a few fire trucks and cop cars pulled into the parking lot. I’d never seen that before. My thoughts went to Addie. Something might be wrong with her. Maybe she’d had a massive attack in the sky.
“You don’t think she leaves very often, and you had her fly down to Florida by herself?”
“She’s not alone; her two employees are flying down with her. They needed to get back, so they planned to turn back around on the plane and fly back to Boston.”
Two more fire trucks pulled on to the tarmac. The firemen were getting their hoses ready. There had to be something wrong with the plane, but I wasn’t sure. John would freak out on the other side if I suspected his sister might be in danger.
“Don’t worry, I promise to bring her to you in one piece.”
“Thanks.”
I clicked off the phone and called Brock, hoping John wasn’t in the same room. Brock answered on the first ring. “Aren’t you supposed to be picking up Addie?”
“Yes, I’m at the airport, and a rush of fire trucks just pulled up. Is something wrong with Addie’s flight, or is it another flight?”
“Hold on, let me check.”
It felt like an eternity before Brock’s voice came back over the phone. “Something is wrong with the landing gear. The pilot is positive he can land the plane. I’m more worried about how Addie will handle the rough landing.”
The rough landing was putting it mildly. Six years ago, I was on a flight from Utah when the landing gear didn’t work. It was the scariest day of my life, and I’d been in the Colombian Jungle. Landing gear issues were more common than people realized.
I swiped End on the phone and watched as Blackwood’s plane descended in the sky. The front wheels were partly down. Learning Addie had agoraphobia twisted my stomach. I couldn’t do anything to help her until the plane landed. Brock had hired some of the best pilots in the world. Addie was in expert hands. If the plane tipped at all, though, it would skid.
When the plane finally came to a stop, I let out a breath. The side door opened, and someone put out the stairs to the plane. Two firefighters rushed up the stairs. The other firefighters looked over the plane. I ran over to the scene and was stopped by one of the firefighters. I explained Addie’s condition and that I needed to get to her. After a couple minutes, he finally stepped to the side, and I climbed the stairs. A woman with the most striking blue eyes had tears streaming down her face. Her hands clutched the seat. A firefighter tried to talk to her, but she was looking past him, out the window.
Another couple, whom I assumed were her coworkers, were talking to paramedics. The EMT talking to Addie wasn’t making any headway. She was stuck in her head.
I walked over and tapped the guy on the shoulder. “Hey, can I give it a try?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of her brother. I think I know how to snap her out of the haze.”
The man let out a sigh. “She’s terrified.”
Once the paramedic moved out of my way, I swooped her into my arms and sat back down on the chair. Her eyes still hadn’t left the outside. My fingers gripped her chin and made it so she was looking at me.
She blinked a couple times. “Am I still alive, because you kind of look sexy.”
My lip twitched. “You’re alive. I’m your brother's friend, Abe.”
Her eyes widened for a second. “Oh shit, and I called you sexy. Don’t mind me—I had a near-death experience.”
“Does that mean you’re taking back the comment? I think that’s kind of rude.”
She rolled her pretty eyes. “No, but I can get off your lap.”
When she tried to move, I held her in place. “How about you stay still and let the EMT check you over?”
She nodded and turned to the young paramedic. He spent a few minutes checking over her vitals. The other EMTs left the plane. When the pilot walked out, he nodded before walking down the stairs. Addie’s coworkers and I were the last ones on the plane.
“Let me get off your lap.”
I enjoyed having her in my arms. “Your heart is still racing. We have time before the rehearsal dinner.”
“Rehearsal dinner,” she squeaked. “John said nothing about two functions. I agreed to the wedding and this dumb flight.”
I inwardly cussed for making her panic. “Let’s take this one second at a time. I told you my name, but I want to make sure I’m holding the right person and not someone else.”
She smiled up at me. “Hello, Abe. I’m Addie. Cruz is the guy sitting on the couch, and next to him is Lena. I’m so sorry, guys, for getting you into this. Now how are you going to get back?”
I squeezed her hand. “That was a lot of info at once. Hi, Lena and Cruz.” I held out one hand, and they took turns shaking it. “I don’t think you want to fly back on this plane, but if you give me a few hours, I can check on you taking another private plane.”
Lena looked over at the Cruz. “Do you want to chance another plane or drive back?”
“Road trip sounds like it could be fun. Is your mom going to be okay staying alone tonight?”
Lena nodded. “The neighbor can stay with her. The only problem is we don’t have a car.”
“Blackwood keeps extra cars in the airplane hangar. I don’t see a problem with you guys taking one of the cars. We can always have it shipped back down. See Addie, everything is getting solved.”
I still wished I hadn’t said anything about the rehearsal dinner. My thumb rested on her pulse, and it had slowed a little.
“I’m so sorry, guys. I don’t know why you work for me some days.”
Cruz knelt in front of Addie. “Because you’re an amazing boss and care about us. Why don’t you stop worrying about us and have fun with your brother this weekend? Lena and I will drive back to Boston and run everything. You packed your laptop to work on some code; it will make you feel better. Let this man take you to the place you’re staying and write some code. Do what makes you feel calm.”
“Okay. But call me the second you make it back and let me know if you guys decide to fly. Put any expenses on the company cards.”
Lena leaned forward and semi-hugged Addie. “Are you sure you’re okay with us leaving?”
Addie didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes were looking out the window. “Yes.”
I stood and helped Addie off my lap. I placed my hand on her lower back. Her friends were near the front of the stairs when Addie started to tremble. “Why don’t you guys head down and take a car. The pilot should still be in that open hangar.” I pointed to the one that housed AA Security’s and Blackwood's planes. “He’ll give you a car.” When it looked like Lena would protest, I held up my hand. “I got this. Nothing will happen to your boss.”
“See you in a few days.” Lena and Cruz both waved before walking off the plane.
I pulled Addie into my arms. “Do you want me to carry you to the car?”
“I think the extra adrenaline from the near-death experience made my drugs wear off faster. I’m not sure how long it will take for the drugs to kick back in if I take one now,” she replied, not answering my question.
If John had told me sooner that his sister had agoraphobia, I would’ve spent some time researching how to make her calm. Instead, I was flying by the seat of my pants, and I didn’t like the scared look in her eyes.
“Let’s do this.”
ADDIE
A be let me stand as he opened his door to his enormous pickup truck. The huge truck fit him well. I was tall, but I wasn’t sure if I could get into the truck without stepping on the black rails.
He rested his hand on my back as I climbed into the truck. We hadn’t said a word to each other since the plane. I wasn’t sure what to say. Few people had seen me have panic attacks. It also helped I never left the house anymore.
The big leather seat felt comfortable. It was built for sizable men. Abe wasn’t heavy, the man was pure muscle. I couldn’t help but feel his muscles as he carried me from the plane to his waiting truck. I saw my two friends watching from the airplane hangar. I had no doubt Lena would send me a text later.
My hands were still shaking. Lena and Cruz both had tried to talk about other things as the plane descended, but I didn’t remember much. Once my panic attack took over, the world went dark.
Not sure I was going to ever be able to get back on a plane again, I glanced back at the sleek black jet. The front nose touched the runway. Only one fire truck was still on the scene, and now a couple large trucks had pulled up. I couldn’t even imagine what something like that would cost to fix. My phone vibrated in my hand. When I glanced down, I saw John’s name on the screen.
“Your brother?” Abe’s deep voice sent a shiver down my spine.
“Yes.” He would worry about me, but this weekend was about him, not me. “Does he know?”
“He didn’t when I arrived, but when I noticed all the fire trucks, I called Brock to see if he could find out what was going on.” He gripped the steering wheel and pointed the truck toward the exit. “I didn’t know what was going on.”
I understood the statement that wasn’t said. “You didn’t know if I had an attack in the air?”
