by Elaine Meece
“You’re on my screen. Standby. I have a private inbound jet that has a code 7700 requesting emergency landing,” the controller said to someone. “SWR 234 stop your departure, clear runway, and return to the gate,” the controller said to another plane.
Other voices in the tower could be heard redirecting aircraft and clearing runways.
Annie’s heart squeezed.
“N303EC proceed to PHX. Clearing all runways. Land on runway 39. Bomb squad and emergency vehicles will be on standby.”
“PHX, N303EC, I’m five miles out, preparing to land on runway 39.” He decreased the speed to 250KTS and deployed the gears and lowered the first set of flaps. He glanced at Annie. “We should be able to touchdown soon.”
“N303EC. Bomb squad request information.”
“Go ahead,” Brice said.
“They need to know where the package is located.”
“Beside me. It’s inside an autonomic copilot.”
“Come again.”
“A damn robot. Should we move it to the back of the jet and bring the passengers forward?”
A brief pause. “No, that could detonate it.”
“Annie, you’d better get seated. I’m about to land.”
“Should I tell Megan and Libby?”
“Yeah, they need to be ready to run. Tell her to hang on to Aiden. I’m going to brake hard.”
Tears clogged Annie’s throat as she glanced at the clock.
Six minutes.
She started to leave the cockpit.
“Annie, wait. There’s something you need to know,” Brice said, his eyes reflecting his fear.
She paused. “Yes.”
“I love you.”
She swallowed hard. “I love you.”
“Once we land, bail out as fast as you can. Get them off the jet, then you go and run. Don’t hesitate. Don’t look back. Understand.”
“Got it.” Annie returned to the cabin.
Megan’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”
“We have an emergency. We’re turning around and landing at PHX.”
“What kind of emergency?” her sister asked.
“There’s a bomb onboard. When we land, we’ll need to move quickly. They have emergency vehicles standing by.”
Libby started crying.
Megan’s face showed total disbelief. “Can’t you throw it out?”
“We’re over a populated area. Besides, the door won’t open in flight.” Annie fastened herself in, then laced her fingers with Libby’s, closed her eyes, and prayed.
♦♦♦
Brice tried to keep his breathing steady. Entering his final approach, he had to decrease the speed to 120KTS and descend to 1000 feet, using up more time. Time was something they didn’t have. The lower the altitude the less impact the bomb would have.
It’d be a fatal mistake to be flying too fast or high to nail the landing. There wouldn’t be time to circle around. He had one shot at this. He mentally reviewed everything to make sure nothing was left undone.
“N303EC, give me an update.”
“We have slightly over five minutes on the clock.”
“All aircraft have been rerouted. Shoot for runway 39. When you stop immediately evacuate passengers. Emergency units will assist you.”
“Will do.” Brice drew in a deep breath as he reached the final flap setting. “303EC preparing to land on runway 39.”
He glanced at the time.
Five minutes.
Not a single aircraft remained in the sky or on the runways. Lights flashed from the emergency vehicles below waiting to move in. Two armored vehicles waited at the far end of 39.
As Brice hovered over the runway, sirens screamed out. The jet’s wheels touched down, and he braked hard, making it a fast stop. He glanced at the clock, then grabbed his I-pad and headed for the door.
Four minutes.
Annie had already lowered the steps. “Megan, Libby. Go!”
Libby whimpered, and Aiden cried as they stepped off.
Annie started out the door.
“Less than four minutes!” he shouted.
“Clear the area!” the bomb squad officer wearing a specialized suit shouted to the other emergency staff. “There’s no deactivating this one. It’s about to blow.”
Brice’s heart pounded as he waited to leave the jet.
“Men wearing the special suits loaded them into a protective armored vehicle. It looked like something he’d seen in war zones. They sped away from the jet and stopped at the bomb response truck.
They’d barely made it inside the mobile command post, when the bomb exploded, blowing out the front right side of the jet.
Brice’s heart jumped. If not for the bomb squad they would have never cleared the jet before the bomb detonated. He stepped back from the monitor, feeling so many emotions. Disbelief. Relief. Fear. Joy. And anger. Just thinking about it left him breathless.
Two fire trucks, bomb squad vehicles, and police cars raced toward the burning jet while news media flew over in helicopters.
He still couldn’t believe they had survived. His knees grew weak, and he had to sit down.
Later medical responders checked with Brice and his passengers making sure they were okay.
Megan sighed. “Can we rent a car? I’m not sure I can step on another plane.”
Annie frowned. “Driving that far with little Mr. Stinky Diaper is not an option. We’ll take a commercial flight back.”
Brice agreed. Thinking of Aiden brought his boys to mind and how close he’d come to not being a part of their life. Then his near-death experience brought his life into perspective. His life and what he wanted to do with the rest of it became very clear.
The next day, Brice met with the FAA, bomb squad officials, and the FBI. He gave a list of names who he thought could be behind the bomb. The two names at the top of the list were Ed Sawyers and Kayla Miller.
♦♦♦
When they landed in Atlanta on the commercial flight, Cynthia and Tristen greeted them along with Annie’s family. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Renee, so he joined the Conners. “I’m sorry about the jet.”
“You’re not the one who planted a bomb in my robot,” Cynthia said. “I’m just glad everyone managed to get off. They’ve collected all the bomb fragments. Hopefully, it can lead them to the people responsible.”
“Even before the bomb activated Vega I acted strangely. I couldn’t regain control of the jet. I’m not sure the bomb would’ve activated when it did if I hadn’t tried to remove Vega I’s power pack. That seemed to start the countdown prematurely.”
Cynthia appeared in thought. “We were supposed to take Vega I on our flight. Whoever planted it didn’t know we’d put it in your jet. It was meant for me.”
Tristen grinned. “She hasn’t changed a bit. Someone is always trying to kill her.”
“I’m serious,” Cynthia said.
Tristen pulled her in his arms and kissed her. “I want this person found. Because next time they could be successful and I’d lose you.”
Cynthia hugged her husband, then stepped back and looked at Brice. “Was anyone hurt?”
“No, we managed to clear the jet.” Brice envied what Tristen and Cynthia had. “They could’ve been trying to discredit Zurtel.”
“That would lead us back to Novik. Be ready in the morning. We’re flying to Jacksonville.”
Brice glanced at Annie. She had Megan and her kids to deal with. Her parents and Renee surrounded them.
He’d need to sit and have a long talk with her when he returned from Jacksonville.
“Daddy,” he heard Gabe shout.
“Dad,” Shawn said.
His sons ran up and hugged him.
Shea came up behind them. “It was all over the news.”
He hugged her lightly not wanting to hurt her. “It’s good to see you out of the hospital.”
“Daddy, Mommy said your plane blew up,” Gabe said.
“It did.
Thank goodness we weren’t in it.” He glanced at Shea. “Can you drop me off at the airstrip to get my car?”
“Sure, it’ll give you a little time to visit with the boys.”
Annie left with her family. He’d call her later.
“It’d be wonderful to spend tomorrow together,” Shea said. “We can take the boys to a movie.”
“I have to be in Jacksonville tomorrow.”
As they stepped from the building, a barrage of reporters followed them. Ignoring the reporters, they climbed in the car and left.
♦♦♦
Annie had been too busy getting Megan and Libby settled in her guest bedrooms to think about Brice.
That night, she couldn’t sleep. Too much had happened. Every time she started to doze off, the sound of the jet exploding played in her mind. She forced the thought aside only to have it replaced with Brice and Shea’s cozy airport scene. She’d glanced back in time to see them embrace.
But he didn’t kiss Shea.
Still, he had looked excited to see her.
The next morning, she barely made it to the toilet before heaving everything she’d eaten. She wondered if she’d picked up a virus.
When she walked into the kitchen, Megan sat nursing Aiden. “I heard you throwing up.”
“I feel horrible. I only want crackers for breakfast.”
Megan smiled. “If your illness mysteriously disappears by noon, you might want to buy a pregnancy test.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“Are you sure?”
Annie thought about the time she’d been with Brice and neither had used protection. How would she support herself and the others with a new baby?
“Aiden would have a little cousin?” Megan said.
“Not amusing,” Annie sighed.
♦♦♦
The following week, Brice and the Conners sat across from the detectives handling the investigation from the Jacksonville end of it. There were other law enforcement present including several FBI agents and a representative from FAA.
“While sophisticated, the bomb was relatively small intended to takeout the jet in flight. We traced the origin of the materials.” He turned to Cynthia. “With your list of employees, we were able to narrow it down to a couple of suspects.”
“Ed Sawyers?” Brice asked.
“He admits to selling information but denies tampering with the computer code for MX7. He wasn’t the mastermind behind the robot going rogue or the bomb. The reason you caught him on surveillance entering the lab early was because he suspected someone was tampering with Vega I.”
Cynthia appeared concerned. “If not Ed, then who?”
“Lonny Chambers,” the older FBI agent said. “His brother supplied him with the needed materials and helped him build it. We confiscated the leftover material from Lonny’s basement. They match the fragments collected at the bombsite.”
Shock ran through Brice. Once he’d taken Lonny off the suspect list, he had come to like the younger man. “But he won the lottery. Why would he need more money?”
“He had already struck a deal with Bizer, who had Komar hacked and the formula changed. Chambers is the one who supplied the slightly flawed formula to Bizer.”
“How’d his brother know how to build a bomb?” Brice asked.
“Worked with a Demolition Unit in the Army.”
“What about Kayla Miller?” Cynthia asked.
“We don’t have any proof she was involved. Seems her old man was pulling all the strings. He wanted everything to go her way. Which meant taking you out.”
Cynthia frowned. “My dad spoiled me rotten, but he wasn’t willing to kill so I’d achieve my goals.” She turned to the lead detective. “So, what now?”
“We have a warrant out for Lonny Chambers and Bizer. His brother, Dave Chambers cut a deal with us. He turned on both men.”
Cynthia stood. “Does Kayla Miller know?”
“She’s been made aware of it.”
Cynthia sighed. “I’d feel safer with her behind bars.”
“From what we’ve uncovered so far, Johnathan Bizer acted without her knowledge of it. She’s been very cooperative and has turned over her personal phone and computer. There isn’t one shred of evidence that she was involved. Her father masterminded it.”
Brice considered everything that had happened. There was never a dull moment working for Zurtel. He walked out with the Conners and stopped in the parking lot. “I’m not endorsing your robots.”
Cynthia smiled. “Neither am I.”
Brice chuckled. “I’m sorry you had to fly back in the middle of your cruise.”
“I feel lucky,” Cynthia said. “I wasn’t the one almost blown up. We can take a cruise anytime.”
“Just not next week,” Brice said.
“Something, I’m supposed to be doing?” Cynthia asked.
“No, I am. I need the week off. There’s something important I have to do.”
“After everything you’ve been through, I wouldn’t blame you if you’re not out job hunting.”
Brice laughed. “I’m getting married. That’s as much as I’m willing to say.”
“Oh, I see. By all means take the week off. Seems like you and Annie pulled it off. Too bad it didn’t work out for her and Evan.”
Brice grinned. “Everything has a way of working out for the best.”
When they arrived back in Atlanta, Brice headed for his old house. He hoped Shea and the boys would be home.
Shea opened the door. Her face lit with joy. “I hoped you’d show up today.” She opened the door wider. “You can start bringing your things in.”
“I’m not moving back. I’m marrying Annie if she’ll have me.”
Her smile dropped. “The boys will be crushed.”
“Well, they’ll survive. I love them, but I’m not living in a loveless relationship. I realized life is too short to be miserable. I’m taking the boys this weekend.”
“Come in. I’ll get them ready.”
When he was leaving, he noticed tears in Shea’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Brice, for everything. I wish you and Annie the best.”
He dug deep in his soul for feelings for her. All he found was his love for Annie.
At his condo, he called both boys over to sit with him on the sofa. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
Gabe sat to his right and Shawn on his left.
“Mom said you’re moving back,” Shawn said.
“She cleaned out the closet for you,” Gabe added.
“I’m not coming back.”
“How come?” Shawn asked, scratching his arm nervously.
“I’ll always love her because she’s your mom, but it’s a different kind of love a husband and wife should have. I love Annie that way, and I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
The boys stared into space thinking. Shawn sighed. “Will we live with you?”
“Maybe later. You don’t want to leave your mom all alone.”
Gabe turned his hands over with his palms up. “That’d make her sad.”
“You’ll be with me a lot. You both like Annie.”
They nodded.
“Want to go with me to propose to her?”
They nodded and hopped off the sofa and ran to the door. “Will we call her mom?” Gabe asked.
“I think she’d like to be called Annie,” Brice said.
♦♦♦
Annie sat on her back patio with her family. Her parents and Renee had come over to see Aiden. For once Megan was the center of attention.
Libby came outside. “Annie, you have company.”
Brice and his boys walked out on the patio.
Renee smiled. “Sure, you haven’t come by to see me?”
Brice looked horrified. “No, we’re here to see Annie.”
Annie made introductions.
Gabe zoned in on Renee. “Hey, you’re the naked lady.”
“Gabe, we’re not here to talk about that,” Brice reminded.
“We need to ask you something,” Shawn said.
“It’s not a knock knock joke, is it?” Annie asked.
Shawn shook his head. “No.”
Gabe grinned. “We want to marry you.”
Annie’s heart jumped. “What?”
Brice lowered to his knee and opened a ring box. A lovely diamond ring sparkled in the sunlight. “Annie, will you marry me?”
“Pleeease, marry us,” Gabe said. “We like you, Annie.”
“Not now. Not in front of my dysfunctional family.”
Her family laughed. Shawn and Gabe laughed not truly understanding why.
Megan motioned toward the door. “Go inside. We’ll keep the boys out here.”
Annie and Brice slipped inside her house. They entered her studio and closed the door. “I assumed you were going back to Shea.”
“I don’t love Shea. I love you.”
“You really want to marry me despite my weird family?”
“I do. More than anything. I’m off next week I spoke with Dwayne and asked him not to schedule you.”
“You’re taking a lot of liberties.”
He grinned. “Come on, Annie. Marry me.”
“There’s something you’ve got to see. I’ll be right back.” Annie left him and retrieved the home pregnancy strip she’d used that morning. When she returned, she held it out. “It’s positive. Still want to marry me?”
He smiled lovingly, and it warmed her. “More than ever. I hope it’s a little girl.”
“I’d like that,” Annie said.
Brice pulled her in his arms and kissed her deeply. “I love you, Annie. I meant it on the jet. I didn’t just say it because I thought we were going to die.”
“I love you.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. But I warn you, it’ll be one crazy ride.”
“I doubt it can get any wilder than our last couple of weeks.”
“Never say never.”
“True. Do you want a big wedding?”
“No, I don’t. I’d like for us to get married with a few friends and family members present, then go somewhere special. I’m not sure where. Have any suggestions?”
“Tristen told me about a little resort in Coasta Rica. I thought we could get married and then fly down for the week. What do you think?”