by Sandra Owens
The hardest thing he’d ever done in his life was race ahead, letting the car Lauren was in go out of his sight. Was she scared right now? Stupid question. Of course she was. He wished he could have blown his horn or something, letting her know he was near.
I’m coming for you, G.G. He swerved around a corner onto the service road that would take him to the private planes. As he drove up to the General Aviation Center, he spied a Gulfstream sitting on the runway, its powerful engines running.
Bingo! Court parked his car, and then ran to the plane. The stairs were down, waiting for its passengers. No one stopped him as he took the steps three at a time. The cabin door was open, and he pulled his badge out of his pocket when the pilot and copilot startled at his appearance.
“Did you file a flight plan for Russia?” he said. When they looked at each other, as if thinking what the hell was happening, he said again, “Did you file a fucking flight plan for Russia?”
“Yes,” the copilot said.
“Then you get out of the plane and disappear.” He shifted his gaze to the pilot. “I’m your new copilot.”
“The hell you are. I don’t know you.”
Court turned his attention back to the copilot. “You aren’t out of this plane in the next ten seconds, I’ll see that you spend the next year behind bars.”
The man scrambled out of his seat. He gave the pilot an apologetic look. “He has a badge. You don’t.”
Court pressed against the door, giving him room to get by. “Make yourself invisible. You don’t say a word to the people coming to this plane, you don’t give them a hint things aren’t kosher.”
“Got it,” the man said.
Satisfied the copilot got his message, Court slid into the seat he’d vacated. “Here’s the deal,” he said. “The two men who are about to board kidnapped the woman with them. One of them has a gun. You will do everything I say when I say it.”
The pilot stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you shitting me, man?”
“I am not. There are federal agents headed this way, but they won’t be here in time to stop us from taking off. After we’re in the air, you’ll announce that you have engine trouble. Can you make it sound like your engines are failing?”
“You swear you’re a federal agent? You could be flashing a fake badge, for all I know.”
Court took out his phone, dialed the public number for the Miami bureau, putting it on speaker, and holding his cell out to the pilot. “Ask for Special Agent Court Gentry.”
When the phone was answered by a woman’s voice saying, “Thank you for calling the Miami office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the pilot waved a hand.
“Okay, you’re real,” he said. “Yes, I can make the engines sound like they’re failing. Where do you want to land?”
Court pocketed his phone, considering for a moment before saying, “A small airport where there won’t be a lot of people. Not too far away. Someplace other agents can catch up with us.”
“Opa-locka would work.” The pilot glanced at him. “My name’s Gabe. Gabe Kerrigan. Just want to go on the record. I’m not going to be happy if there’s even one scratch on my plane after this is over.”
“Duly noted.” Court pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his shirt pocket, sliding them on. “Also, one of the men about to board knows my face, so don’t let anyone into the cockpit.”
“You’re just full of good news, Special Agent Court Gentry.”
Court peered around the pilot, watching the approaching car. “Here they come. Greet them at the door. Make sure they don’t come in here. Be cool. As far as you’re concerned, nothing’s suspicious.”
“I should have called in sick today,” Gabe said as he walked out of the cockpit.
Court called Nate. “You need to go to Opa-locka Airport,” he said when his brother answered. “The pilot’s going to fake engine trouble after we’re in the air, then land there.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“In the cockpit. I’m the substitute copilot.”
Nate snorted. “Of course you are.”
The car stopped, and Peter exited, opening the back door. Stephan stepped out, his hand gripping Lauren’s wrist. Court growled. Although he was tempted to end this right now, according to Julie, Stephan had a gun. There were people all over the place who would be in the line of fire. Line crews fueling other planes, other pilots doing preflight checks, and a group of suit-clad men he assumed were waiting for their plane to be ready.
“How much time you need to get everyone in place?” he asked.
“At least thirty minutes. Longer if you can.”
“Just keep them out of sight unless the shit hits the fan. If at all possible, I want this to go down quietly.”
“Got it. Be careful, bro. I already sat by our baby brother’s hospital bed, praying he’d live. I don’t want a repeat, you hear?”
“Trust me. I don’t plan to end up in a hospital bed. They’re about to board. Gotta go.” He pocketed his phone, and then waited for the passengers to get settled and the pilot to return to the cockpit.
The trio approached the stairs, Stephan on one side of Lauren, still holding on to her, and Peter on her other side. Stephan wore a lightweight jacket and had his hand in his pocket. Because Lauren wasn’t fighting to get away, he assumed Stephan had threatened her. He wished he could let her know he was here.
Lauren tried to pull away from Stephan’s grip on her arm. “I can walk up the damn stairs without your help,” she said. She’d decided she’d take her chances and had attempted to jump out of the car, even with Stephan pointing a gun at her. Peter had laughed when the door wouldn’t open.
“Childproof locks,” he said. “Good invention.”
As they walked toward the plane, Stephan said, “If you try to get away or warn anyone, I will shoot you and the person you talk to. When we get on the plane, you will not speak to the pilots or I will shoot them.”
She didn’t know if she believed him. Would he really shoot someone when that would send him right back to prison? If it were just her he’d threatened, she would chance it, but to cause an innocent bystander to be killed? She couldn’t risk it. It looked like she was going to Russia.
“Peter, please don’t let him do this,” she pleaded, hoping he would talk sense into his brother.
Stephan pushed her up the stairs. “Get on the plane, Lauren.”
With each step, her heart pounded harder, making it difficult to breathe. Court must realize by now what had happened. He would have talked to Julie when he arrived at the hospital, and would be looking for her. How would he even know where to search? It was too late to regret that she hadn’t waited for him to come get her, but all she’d thought about was getting to her father.
Was her dad okay? She was sick with worry about him, sick at the thought of leaving American soil, and sick that she’d ever had any doubts she could live with the danger Court faced. One wrong step, and she could die today. What was the difference, then, between her and Court? He could lose her as easily as she could lose him. All that counted was being with him and being thankful for each day they had together.
The pilot stood just inside the door of the plane. “Welcome aboard,” he said as they approached.
For one brief moment, she was sure she smelled Court’s scent, but that was only wishful thinking. She paused, wanting to grab the pilot and tell him she was being kidnapped. Stephan must have sensed her thoughts because he pushed her past the pilot with a jab to her back. She was directed to a seat, and Stephan sat next to her on the aisle with Peter across from them. What she really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, but she willed her tears away. She’d be damned if she’d break down in front of her bastard of an ex-husband.
“We’ll be taking off in a few minutes,” the pilot said, standing a few seats in front of them. “Once we’re in the air, I’ll let you know when you’re free to move around. There are refreshments in the galley. Feel free to help y
ourself.”
The entire time he spoke, giving them emergency procedure instructions, it seemed to her that he was watching her with unusual interest. Should she try to send him a message? If she blinked her eyes real fast, would he catch on? But what if he did? There was nothing he could do without putting himself in danger. To avoid the temptation of trying to signal him, she turned her face to the window.
Once his instructions were finished, the pilot told them to buckle up, and then returned to the cockpit, closing the door behind him. As she waited to hear the plane’s engines start, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears, she wished she’d had a chance to tell Court she’d been wrong.
The engines roared to life, and the plane began to move, taking her away from her home, from her father and sister, from Court. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as the landscape grew smaller below her.
“My only regret is that I did not have the opportunity to meet your boyfriend,” Stephan said.
She kept her face to the window, ignoring him.
“I fully intended to teach him a lesson for touching what is mine.”
She squeezed her eyes closed.
“Did you really think I’d be pleased to hear of your whoring ways?”
When she didn’t answer, he put his hand on her sex, squeezing hard. Memories of the night he’d done the same thing when he’d beaten her exploded through her mind like her own personal horror movie . . . featuring a monster named Stephan.
“Are you listening to me, Lauren?” He squeezed harder.
No, she wasn’t listening to him. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from giving him the reaction he wanted. He had always liked seeing her afraid of him. It had taken her a while, but she’d finally figured out that it was the power over her he craved.
And then there was Peter. He sat across from her, watching her as if she were a science project he couldn’t figure out. Well, she’d never been able to figure him out either. He was more contained than Stephan, held his thoughts and feelings closer. Although Stephan’s temper was explosive, she believed Peter was more dangerous, but in a stab-you-in-the-back way. She hated them both, and that hate was growing with each minute they traveled farther away from all that she loved.
She pushed Stephan’s hand away. He chuckled, letting her know that he’d allowed her to do that. “You won’t get away with this,” she said. “Either one of you.”
“We already have, wife.”
“I. Am. Not. Your. Wife.” When he smirked, she wanted to slap him, but she turned back to the window. He hated it when she ignored him, so she’d do just that. How hard was it going to be to escape and get out of Russia? How was he even getting her into the country? She’d never gotten a passport. She had to assume they had a plan. The only way she could figure was that they’d bribed some official to look the other way. It was also possible Peter had obtained a fake passport for her.
Suddenly, the engine noise changed. It sounded like one of the engines was shutting down, then restarting. She frowned as she stuck her face to the window, trying to see what was happening. She’d noticed when walking up to the plane that the two engines were back by the tail. It was impossible to see them, but the plane gave a little bounce, and then whichever engine was having a problem quit and didn’t come back on.
Her earlier thought returned. She’d been worried about Court dying, but it was going to be her. Stephan had taken her phone away earlier, so she couldn’t even call Court and tell him how wrong she’d been. That she’d consider each day she had with him a blessing. I love you, Court. I hope you know that.
“This is your pilot. We have a problem with our left engine and will have to return to Miami. Rest assured we can land with one engine, so there is nothing to worry about. Please stay in your seats and keep your seat belts on.”
Stephan and Peter began to speak to each other in Russian, their conversation sounding agitated. She trusted the pilot when he’d said landing with one engine wasn’t a problem. That they were returning to Miami was the best news she could have received. It would be her last chance to escape.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think we really were having engine trouble,” Court said as the pilot banked the plane to return to Miami. “Is there any reason I can’t use my phone?”
“Not really. Make your call, but finish it before we land.”
Court called Nate. “It’s me. I’ve got you on speaker so the pilot can hear. His name’s Gabe Kerrigan. We’re headed back now,” he said. “We should be landing in Opa-locka in . . .” He glanced at Gabe.
“Twenty minutes.”
“Since we’re coming in for a supposed emergency landing, I think you could put some of the SWAT team guys on a fire truck and also have some pose as airport personnel.”
“Gabe, give me five minutes to talk to the tower so they know what’s going down before you radio in,” Nate said.
“Will do,” Gabe said. “I think you’re right about one of the men having a gun. He kept his hand in his pocket when they were boarding.”
Court nodded. “Nate, the trick will be separating Lauren from the Kozlovs. Peter will recognize me, so I’m going to have Gabe handle the evacuation. He’ll send her down the stairs first. You grab her and get her to safety.”
“I’ll be one of the firemen,” Nate said. “Hopefully, Lauren will keep cool when she sees me and not give the game away.”
“I think she’s smart enough to know to keep quiet, but be prepared for anything. See you on the ground.” He disconnected. “You good with your role?” he asked Gabe.
“Beats flying to Russia. Wasn’t looking forward to that.”
“You flown there before?”
“I speak Russian, so yeah, quite a few times when we get a charter for this route. Twice for one of the men back there. Last time, he brought another guy back with him.”
Court would bet his paycheck that had been Vadim. “You’ve done well. Just keep on keeping your cool. The objective is separating them from the woman.”
“They really kidnapped her, huh?”
“Let’s say they’re trying to.”
“She someone important? She worth a big ransom or something?”
She was worth all the money in the world. “No. The man’s obsessed with her.”
Gabe shook his head. “Don’t get that. One woman’s pretty much as good as another.”
Court disagreed, but he kept his opinion to himself.
“Time to put this baby on the ground and rescue a lady in distress,” Gabe said.
As the pilot communicated with the tower, Court leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and mentally visualized how the operation would go down. He considered the different things that could go wrong and how he should react. By the time the wheels touched down on the runway, he was ready to rescue his lady in distress.
When Gabe stopped the plane at the end of the runway, several fire trucks and emergency vehicles headed toward them, along with a few cars with the airport’s logo on them.
“Go do your thing, Gabe. Remember, you want to get the woman out of the plane first. As soon as that happens, I’m going to step past you. When I do, you park your ass back in the cockpit, where you’ll stay until I say you can come out.”
“Got it.” The pilot unbuckled his harness. “I’ll so get free beers off this story when all’s said and done.”
“First one’s on me if you pull this off. Leave the cockpit door open so I can hear what’s going on.”
Court was impressed with the man and how well he’d adapted when his plane was being taken over. Standing back and letting an untrained civilian take the lead wasn’t at all to Court’s liking, but it couldn’t be helped. The plan was a good one and should go off without a hitch. Which was exactly why he was on edge. What should be easy often wasn’t.
Keeping his face averted, Court slipped over into the pilot’s seat so he could see out the window where the emergency vehi
cles had come to a stop. Nate stood on the bottom step, outfitted in a fireman’s uniform. Rand Stevens, also impersonating a fireman, was jogging up the stairs. Alex leaned against the hood of a fuel truck. Their SWAT team members were scattered among a few people he didn’t recognize.
Reassured his team was here, he returned his attention to what was going on inside the plane. He’d give anything for a camera mounted in the cabin. At least he could hear the conversation between the pilot and passengers. He had to give Gabe credit. There was no waver in his voice, no hint that all was not as it should be.
“Did I not promise we could land safely on one engine?” Gabe said, a hint of humor in his voice. “I won’t know whether we can continue on in this plane or if we’ll have to wait for a replacement until maintenance takes a look at the engines. There’s a very nice passenger lounge at this airport where you can wait. As soon as I know more, I’ll give you an update.”
“Why did we not return to Miami International?”
Court wasn’t sure which brother was talking, but it was a question he would have asked, too.
“Because of the emergency landing, Mr. Kozlov, we were diverted here. It’s a smaller airport and not as much of a problem if one of their runways is shut down until the plane can be moved.”
Good answer, Gabe.
“We will stay in the airplane until you report back your intentions,” one of the brothers said.
Come on, Gabe, give them a reason why they can’t.
“Sorry. No can do. They won’t tow the plane to maintenance until everyone is off.” There was a slight screech as the cabin door opened. “Ladies first.”
This was it. Court tensed. As soon as Lauren was off the plane, he would be able to breathe again.
“No, my brother goes off first, next my wife, and then me.”
Shit. He was ready to kill Stephan Kozlov where he stood. She’s not your wife, asshole. There had been no sound from Lauren all this time. She had to be frightened out of her mind. How could he let her know he was here?