Aidan looked from him to the woman standing behind him, wearing torn blue jeans, a tight black T-shirt, and a brown leather jacket. In spite of her clothes, she seemed to be the one in control because the officers looked from Aidan to her. Aidan did a quick inspection of the woman, and saw a holstered pistol tucked to the left of the woman’s breast, under the jacket. The hairs on the back of Aidan’s neck stood up. This is not good. She knew that there were only a few ways to carry a weapon on board an airplane, so this woman standing in the cockpit, would have to be either the Air Marshal, or an agent for one of the many branches of the government. Had Aidan not left her weapon in a locked box back in Ireland in her haste to find Vicky, she would be wearing her government issued Sig P229, much the same way as this woman was.
The woman in blue jeans looked at Vicky, and then turned to the attendant still standing in the doorway. “I said to only bring the agent in here.”
“She wouldn’t come without her wife,” the attendant replied, shutting the door behind her as she left.
“Okay, well, obviously I’m not here for a tour,” Aidan said cryptically. “What’s going on?”
“I’m Federal Air Marshal Roxana Jones,” the woman in blue jeans stated. She pulled her badge from her jacket pocket and handed it to Aidan. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that the air marshal worked for, fell under the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Aidan worked for. “May I see your credentials please, Agent Cassidy?”
Aidan handed the badge back to the marshal and pulled out her bi-fold badge case from her back pocket. She showed her the shield and then flipped to her ID. The Air Marshal took it from her and inspected it closely, glancing from the photo back to Aidan.
“How do you know who she is?” Vicky asked.
“Her name was listed as an agent with DHS.” Roxanna explained, handing Aidan back her badge. “And now, may I see your identification please, ma’am.”
“I only have a driver’s license,” Vicky emphasized as she pulled her wallet out of her purse and handed her license to the Air Marshal.
Roxanna looked at it closely, and then look at Vicky, a petite woman dwarfed by her partner’s height. Like Aidan, Roxanna did a thorough inspection of the women standing before her. Vicky, with her subtle red lips, and silky blond hair, exuded a natural confidence, unlike her friend, Agent Cassidy, who had an aura of a caged animal struggling to free herself.
Vicky stared back at Roxanna with equal curiosity. She was medium height, thin, with short sandy hair, a soft cleft chin, and wore no makeup. Vicky thought she was pretty in a roguish sort of way.
Roxanna returned Vicky’s driver’s license and then waved a hand at the Captain. “This is Captain Mike Green, First Officer Robin Douglas, and Second Officer Keiran Coughlan.”
“Uh, hello. I guess you know that I am Special Agent Aidan Montgomery-Cassidy, with Homeland Security, and this is my wife, Victoria Montgomery-Cassidy. Now, would you mind explaining to us what the hell is going on?” Aidan was getting impatient. Her gut was quaking with anxiety, and she needed to know why. She hated that feeling.
Vicky placed her small hand on Aidan’s elbow and squeeze gently, which did not go unnoticed by Roxanna.
“TSA received an email from Interpol about a passenger on board believed to be with the Rebels without Borders.”
Shaking her head, Vicky asked, “Are you serious?”
“It’s a real group, Vic,” Aidan assured her. “They’re mercenaries for sale if the price is right. DHS got a dispatch on them before we left for our honeymoon. They’re a brand new faction, but even so, they don’t mess around.”
“They’re the ones who hijacked the luxury liner in Mexico two months ago, and ran it aground when their demands weren’t met,” Roxanna stated.
“And they weren’t caught?” Vicky asked.
“No. No one knew who they were,” Roxanna replied. “It’s believed that they hacked the onboard computers of the ship, before boarding it as passengers. Then they emailed the captain, demanding ten million dollars. When that didn’t come through by their deadline, they programed the computers to head for shore at full speed, while they escaped.”
“How did they escape?” Vicky asked.
Roxanna shrugged. “They simply jumped overboard and were picked up by a speedboat.”
Vicky shook her head. “And the cruise ship?”
“Ran aground at flank speed, killing thirteen people,” Roxanna elaborated. “And now Interpol believes one of those responsible is on this plane.”
“Damn,” Aidan exclaimed.
“I don’t understand. What do you expect Aidan to do about it?” Vicky asked.
“She is an agent with Homeland Security and this is an American plane that may be terrorized by this individual. Therefore, it falls under her purview, and I am requesting her help.”
“An agent without her weapon,” Aidan stated.
Roxana reached down and pulled up the cuff of her jeans. She pulled a Sig Sauer P238 from her boot, and handed it to Aidan. Aidan checked to make sure the safety was on, then ejected the magazine and saw that it had the standard six rounds. She had not used a P238 before, and she was amazed at how light it felt in her hand. She preferred a heavier weapon with a longer grip. The grip on the P238 was too short for her long fingers, but it would be perfect for Vicky’s small hands. That was if she could talk Vicky into carrying a weapon for safety, which so far she had not been able to do.
Vicky knew how to use a pistol, and even won a marksmanship award for accuracy, but she just did not like guns. As she watched Aidan inspect the weapon, she remember the first time she ever heard a gun fired. They were kids fooling around in the backyard with Harold’s pistol. Aidan fired it at a tree and the kickback knocked her on her butt. It scared Vicky so bad that she cried. She had never liked guns since.
“Thanks,” Aidan said, inserting the magazine and tucking the pistol down in her boot. “Now, read me in. Are we in control of the airplane?”
“Yes, I am” Captain Green hastened to assure her.
“Good. So what’s our objective?” Aidan inquired.
Roxanna shook her head. “Agent Cassidy, let’s get one thing straight right off. I am in charge here. You will take orders from me, understand?”
Aidan turned, and looked her in the eyes. “I don’t have a problem with that as long as you don’t,” she stated.
Vicky fought to hide a smile forming on her lips. She knew that Aidan would comply, but on her own terms.
Roxana did a double take, opening her mouth to say something, then changing her mind. She looked from Aidan to First Officer Douglas, then back at Aidan again. “Good,” she said. Roxana had been an Air Marshal for a number of years now, and knew the politics between inner-agencies. Especially with the DHS, who everyone knew was the golden child of the government. But she had jurisdiction on that plane and knew it better than Aidan. She also had the loyalty of the flight crew whom she had flown with many times before.
“So here’s what we know so far.” Roxana began, pulling out her notepad and flipping through the small pieces of paper. “TSA informed me approximately twenty minutes ago that the terrorist may be on this plane based on chatter Interpol picked up out of Iran. They believe a member of the RWBs group is Irish American born Malachy Doyle. We don’t have that name on our passenger list, but he’s probably flying under an alias.”
“Look for Tommy O’Flannigan,” Aidan suggested.
Roxanna went down the passenger list. “Yes, as a matter of fact, that name is here.” She looked up at Aidan. “Do you know this terrorist, Agent Cassidy?”
“Yeah, and he’s sitting three rows up from us.”
Roxanna looked at Aidan suspiciously. “How do you know him?”
“We were in the same Irish gang in Chicago when I was a teenager. He had a mean temper back then. Almost beat a kid unconscious because he was in his seat.”
Vicky shivered at the thought that Aidan ran
with such a violent gang. She couldn’t imagine how Aidan could grow into such a caring and compassionate adult when all she knew as a child was violence.
“His rap sheet says that he still has a mean temper, and Interpol says to approach with caution,” Roxanna read from her notes.
“Any idea what his intentions are?” Aidan asked.
“They don’t know for sure, but they suspect he’s a drug mule, and I checked, he hasn’t had anything to eat or drink since boarding.”
Vicky shook her head. “Drug mule?”
“They put coke or heroin in condoms or tiny balloons and swallow them. Then, once they get to where they’re going, they take something to make their bowels move,” Aidan paused, “uh, anyway, they sell the drugs on the streets.”
“My orders are to arrest him and keep him detained until we land,” Roxanna stated.
“And if he’s packing something other than drugs?” Aidan questioned.
Roxanna looked at her curiously. “What are you thinking?”
“There was an alert a while back about a mule trying to smuggle a deadly virus on board.”
“Oh, my God,” Vicky gasped.
“Yeah, luckily, DHS caught up with him before he reached the airport.”
“Why wouldn’t DHS inform TSA about that?” Roxanna fumed.
Aidan shrugged. “I can’t answer that.”
“Bullshit politics between agencies,” Roxanna grumbled.
“No doubt,” Aidan agreed. “But now that you know, how do you want to play it?”
“I still have to arrest him,” Roxanna stated disdainly.
“I get that, but you risk a show down if you walk up to him with handcuffs in your hand.”
“I’m assuming you have a better idea, Agent Cassidy?”
“Yes, Air Marshal Jones. I do,” Aidan quipped. “Malachy and I have a past together, so I can connect with him.”
“To what end?” Captain Green asked.
“To see if I can convince him to give himself up without hurting anyone. If he has more than drugs in his gut, we don’t want to rile him up and risk him rupturing a bag.”
“Agreed,” Roxanna said, and then turned to the captain. “Captain, please begin descending below fifteen-thousand feet as quickly as possible.”
“Roger that,” he replied.
Vicky looked confused. “Why?”
“If he’s carrying a virus, we need to be flying at oxygen level so we can push him out the cabin door,” Aidan explained.
“Oh, no. Surely you can lock him up or something? I mean, wouldn’t that be murder?” Vicky questioned. Vicky was a nurse first before becoming the CEO of a large healthcare system, and she still believed in the oath she took to do no harm.
“Vicky, if he has a deadly virus in his gut and it comes down to him or all the people on this plane, especially you, then there’s no question, out he goes.”
“I agree with Agent Cassidy,” Roxanna said. “The lives of the passengers far outweighs the life of a terrorist.”
Aidan looked at Roxanna and grinned. “A very logical assumption. Okay, listen, I’ve got a plan to lead him away from the passengers and down to the baggage compartment, but it means I’m going to have to cause a scene.”
Roxanna shook her head. “You do and I’ll arrest you.”
“That will work too,” Aidan replied. “Like I said, maybe I can talk him into giving himself up.”
“You were that good of friends back then?” Roxanna asked.
“No, but he wanted to marry me and I turned him down,” Aidan said without elaborating.
Vicky felt a twinge of jealousy that surprised her. She hadn’t been a part of Aidan’s life then, and missed out on so much of her life. It just wasn’t fair that a terrorist of all people, knew Aidan well enough to want to marry her, and Vicky didn’t at that time.
“And how did you leave it with him?” Roxanna questioned.
“He gave me a black eye,” Aidan said flatly.
Chapter Two
The overhead speaker dinged and then crackled to life. “Ladies and gentleman, this is Captain Green. We are encountering some turbulent wind shears so I have turned on the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats, make sure your trays are in their upright position, and fasten your seatbelts. I’ll get us through this just as quickly as I can.”
Aidan walked out of the lavatory with her hair slicked back, and her shirt tail hanging out underneath her jacket. She looked to make sure Vicky was all right and that Roxanna had taken a seat a few rows behind Malachy. Then she started down the aisle and stopped in front of Malachy’s seat. He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and Aidan could see tattoos on both arms and under his collar. Some of them she recognized from when she was in the gang, like the on his hand of an evil leprechaun. If she had stayed in the gang, she’d have had to get that one too. It was their symbol. Malachy had muscled up since the time she knew him, but still had the buzz cropped hair and permanent scowl on his face.
“Hey, aren’t you Malachy? How the fuck are you, man?”
He shook his head. “Cé hiad na ag fuck tú?”
“Who am I? It’s me, Aidan. Remember? We ran together in Chicago.”
“You’re ossified, go away,” he grunted, looking around nervously.
“Nah, I’m not drunk, man. Remember, you dubbed me Aidan, the Laoch, Cassidy?”
“You, a hero?” Malachy looked at her closer and then waved his finger. “Oh, yeah. You saved a kitten or some stupid arse thing like that.”
“Yep, that was me, what a sap, right? So, how the hell are you, man? Have you been to Ireland, too?”
“Yeah. Uh, got an uncle that lives in Dublin. You?”
Aidan remembered that Malachy was an orphan, but maybe he had found his family in Ireland, too. “I was on my honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon? As I recall, you said you’d never marry a man.”
“I didn’t marry a man. I married a woman. A beautiful, vivacious woman, who—”
“You’re a fucking leispiacha?”
“Yeah, I told you that years ago,” Aidan replied. “Remember, you gave me a black eye because I turned you down.”
“Bullshit. No woman turns me down,” he growled.
Obviously he remembered and Aidan saw her opportunity. “You were a fucking jerk then and you still are.”
“Go way with you, soith.”
“Bitch? Well, if you had been more of a man back then, maybe—”
Malachy unfastened his seatbelt and jumped up, his hands balled into fists at his side. He stood in the aisle and glared at her with a look of complete contempt, and Aidan braced herself for his right cross.
“Back up, sister, or I’ll back you up myself. Your choice,” he growled.
Aidan chuckled sarcastically. “Six of one, half a dozen of I don’t give a shit!”
“Is there a problem here?” the stewardess asked as she walked up.
“No, ma’am. No problem,” Aidan answered quickly. “Just two old friends catching up.”
“Please take your seats then, and fasten your seatbelts,” she instructed.
The stewardess, who was not in on the plan, eyed Malachy suspiciously, and he sat back down. Aidan held her hand out indicating that she would follow the stewardess down the aisle, but as soon as the she walked away, Aidan doubled back.
She leaned close to Malachy and using hush tones, said, “Look, mother fucker, I know you’re running a scam, but this is my plane, and if I catch you snooping around the cargo hold, you won’t be getting off this plane, understand?”
“Back off, díog.”
“You’d better take this dyke seriously, you fucking bastaird. You’re in way over your head.”
He started to respond, but Aidan walked back to her seat and sat down roughly.
Vicky leaned close and said, “I don’t know what you said to him, but he leaned over and flipped you off as you walked away.”
“Good. He’s going to defy me.”
“You’re pretty sure he’s going to take the bait?”
“Oh, yeah. Tell him he can’t do something and he’ll do it anyway. He thinks that makes him a badass. Truck, the leader of our gang, would do that to him all the time just to get him into fights with the other guys.”
Vicky shook her head. “What a waste.”
“Malachy was the weakest, and the weakest were always made an example of.”
“Where did you fall in the scheme of things?” Vicky asked.
“Somewhere in the middle. I was tall, so I could usually get out of their way quicker.”
“And when Malachy gave you a black eye?”
Aidan chuckled. “Sucker punched.”
“This is Captain Green again. We have descended underneath the wind shears, but I am leaving the seat belt sign on as we climb back up to our cruising altitude. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“That’s my cue. Wish me luck.”
“Please be careful, sweetheart,” Vicky said.
Aidan leaned over and kissed her wife on the cheek, and then stood up. Walking toward the front of the plane she passed by Roxanna without acknowledging her. Neither did she acknowledge Malachy as she walked into the galley between first class and coach.
Vicky peeked over the top of the magazine she pretended to read, and watched as Malachy stood up, stretched, and looked her way. She quickly looked back at the magazine. Malachy looked around one more time and Vicky realized he wasn’t only looking for Aidan, he was checking to see where the flight attendants were. Then he walked toward the galley.
Aidan was talking with Keiran Coughlan, the second officer, when she saw Malachy walk through the drawn curtain. Aidan had given Keiran a quick brief and when he saw Malachy walk in, he made a show of saying a few words in Irish to explain their conversation. Aidan pointed out that Malachy was also Irish, and Keiran greeted him before leaving the two alone in the galley.
I Won't Remember You (Aidan & Vicky Book 6) Page 2