by Madelon Smid
“Sky, are you okay?”
Her burning throat prevented speech.
He took in her streaming eyes, smelled the residue of the fumes, and his face hardened, his eyes glinting steel-gray as his pupils constricted.
“My God, someone almost killed you.” Even though his voice was harsh, his hands were gentle as he unfastened her harness and helped her step clear. Once on the ground, he hovered near her, his hand clasping her arm, as he took some of her weight.
The EMTs ran up with a gurney. Even as she protested, Sky was lifted onto it, and an oxygen mask fixed over her nose and mouth. The sky boss was down from the tower, the head of the ground crew rushed up, and journalists and camera men crowded in.
Adam gestured Greg over. “I want that plane guarded, until the investigators have gone over every inch of it.”
Sky heard Adam’s instructions, his voice hard. His face appeared carved in granite. She was glad he was on her side.
The sky boss stepped over. “Can you tell us what happened, Sky?”
“Water,” she choked out. One of the EMTs handed her a bottle and lifted the head of the gurney, propping her up. She quaffed half the bottle, feeling the burning in her throat ease.
“Toxic fumes filled cockpit. Couldn’t see, losing consciousness, released front latches, dived.” A fit of coughing seized her, when she had it under control she drank more water.
“Didn’t have time to level out and lower my speed.” She looked at Adam, who stood beside her, his hands tucked in his pockets. His eyes said he wanted to touch her, but she’d asked him not to let on they were an item. She didn’t want a rumor she was sleeping with her sponsor ruining her win.
“Good thinking. Ripping the canopy free saved your life. I don’t imagine you’d have stayed conscious much longer,” he rasped.
“If you hadn’t straightened that latch, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the canopy open before I…before that happened,” she choked out.
The EMTs had taken her blood pressure and temperature, while she spoke. “We need to get her to the hospital, have her checked out. She may have damaged her lungs breathing in the toxin.” They directed the information at Adam. Sky heard, then worried about her lungs, but felt too awful to care. She closed her eyes and sank back.
Adam’s hand clasped her arm, warm, reassuring. “I’ll call Max, handle the press, and make sure we find out who sabotaged you, again,” he reassured her. “You focus on feeling better. Do what they tell you, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Despite the whirring video cameras and avid press, he bent close. “You did good, kid. I couldn’t have done better, and you performed like a real champion. I’m proud of you, and Hamilton is proud to have our logo on your plane.” He pressed the lightest, quickest kiss against her cheek and straightened.
Sky’s teary eyes were already closing as they lifted her into the ambulance. She knew Adam’s praise, not the fumes, caused the moisture. She was in danger of breaking her vow and edging back into the superficial world of wealth and entitlement, because that was where Adam Patrick Hamilton, IV lived.
****
“Pops, how did you get here?” Sky croaked.
“I saw what happened on TV, hired security guards for the airfield, and got a pal of mine to fly me over. Are you okay?”
“Good enough. I was just telling this intern I’m leaving. They’ve tested me for everything but yellow fever. All I need is a cold compress for my eyes and a nap.”
“Okay, Adam should be here any minute, and he’ll take us back to the airfield. Or, do you want to go home?”
“I’m going to the Competition Gala. I don’t know if dumping my canopy will affect my score, but win or place, I’m not walking away like a quitter.” She inched her way off the examining table and stood.
Pops leapt forward and clasped her arm, steadying her. “Whatever bastard did this, I’ll wind his clock, I swear.”
“Get in line.” Adam stepped into the small room. His gray gaze inched over Sky taking in her red eyes and shaky body.
“Should you be standing?” he asked Sky, but his eyes focused on the intern.
“The doctor recommended Ms. Stravinski be admitted overnight for monitoring. It appears the toxin had no lasting effect. While she’s suffering from inflamed tissue in her eyes, nose, and throat, she will recover. We tested the toxin, and it is non-lethal.”
“In and of itself, maybe. It becomes a murder weapon if it’s injected into a clear pack holding another chemical. The two together eat through the capsule over time, filling a closed space with smoke and toxic fumes,” Adam bit out. “If Sky hadn’t accessed fresh air, in another second, she’d have been unconscious and dead on impact.”
“So that’s what happened. Someone dropped the capsule into her cockpit, and the acid ate through and released fumes,” Pops growled, his eyes blazing. “One of her competitors?”
“Andre,” Sky and Adam stated in tandem, but she continued, “He approached me just before I took off, had his hand on my cockpit edge.”
“I had cameras installed on the hangar and in the front of the plane. They caught him dropping the pellet behind your seat. He’s been arrested, and with the evidence against him, will be charged with attempted murder.” Adam stepped forward, as Sky sagged. He grasped her waist, lifted her, and set her back on the examining table. “If you’re determined to leave, at least wait until I get a wheelchair and your discharge papers.
“I was standing right there when he pulled it off, took my eyes off Sky and the Storm for a second while I answered a question from the press. This is on me,” he confessed to Max.
“That’s ridiculous.” Sky stroked her throat, as her loud exclamation made it feel like glass scraped along the lining. She lowered her volume. “I let him get close enough to succeed. It’s not your responsibility any more than mine.”
“Nobody could anticipate Andre would literally kill to win.” Pops mediated. “You get the chair. I’ll sit on her until you get back.”
Sky thanked the intern, insisting again she felt well enough and would rest better in the Airstream.
A half hour later, Pops brought her a cold gel pack Adam had picked up in the hospital pharmacy and tucked the blankets around her shoulders. She’d changed into a lightweight sweat suit and crawled into her bed in the Airstream.
The cold pack soothed her eyes, and the soft murmur of men’s voices lulled her into sleep.
****
When she woke, she found Adam at the table, working on his laptop. A complicated schematic in three dimensions rotated on the screen.
“What are you…” she stopped, clearing her throat, “working on?”
He’d slapped down the lid of the laptop and swiveled, his eyes assessing every inch of her with the speed of a lightning strike.
“Sorry, I wasn’t snooping.” She settled in a chair.
“I didn’t think you were. But I’m working on a government design, and it’s classified.” He stood, stretched.
She ate his tall lean body with her gaze, couldn’t decide which was sexier—the tendons showing beneath the bronze skin of his forearms, or the whirl of dark hair showing in the V of his shirt.
“Can I make you a cup of tea with honey? It will soothe your throat.”
Sky’s stomach growled. She realized she hadn’t eaten since supper the night before. Performing on a full stomach was never a good idea.
Adam’s mouth tilted. “I’ll amend that to soup. I picked some up at one of the food trucks. It’s chicken with vegetables and rice.”
“It sounds delicious. Yes, I’d like some and a cup of chamomile if you have it.”
He busied himself in the streamlined kitchen. She enjoyed watching him. All his movements were smooth, economical.
“Why would he do it? I always thought Andre was a sleaze bag, but not a murderer,” she mused.
“He needed the money. He gambles and got into debt, borrowed from a loan shark and defaulted on his payment. They�
��d threatened him, and in a panic, he came up with this scheme. He swears he didn’t expect you to die, just wanted to mess up your maneuvers and drop your score enough he would move ahead.”
“He must have known there was a high probability the capsule would rupture while I was in a maneuver that wouldn’t allow me to dump the canopy, before I fell unconscious.”
“Yes. He’ll get jail time, either for attempted murder or negligent homicide. For sure, he won’t be winning any prize money.” He set a bowl of fragrant soup in front of her and stirred honey into a mug of tea.
“Thank you, Adam, for all you’ve done for me and Pops.” Sky’s fingers had a fine tremor as she picked up the spoon. Residual fear still trickled through her body. She felt much better when she’d eaten, and the tea did soothe her throat. Thoughts of the Gala pushed the drama of the day away. Visions of hair styles, make-up, and her dress, replaced sabotage, betrayal, and greed.
The tub in the tiny bathroom off her bedroom was small, but inviting. “I think I’ll have a soak and get ready. What time should we leave?”
“Max said he’d swing by and pick us up at six. The dinner is at seven, and the award ceremony follows. Do you want more time here, and less time there before dinner?”
“No, that suits me fine. Have you heard anything about the results?” Nerves caused a feathery tickling in her throat.
“No. You were well in the lead. I don’t know if they’ll penalize you for breaking your sequence and losing your canopy. They’re keeping their rulings locked up tighter than our classified contracts.”
“The rules state you lose points for either of those mistakes.” Sky saw her goal floating out of reach. She firmed her shoulders and stuck her chin in the air. “It doesn’t matter. I did the best I could, with what I had at the time. I can’t ask more of myself. Whatever the outcome, I gave the other fliers stiff competition.”
“I like your attitude.” Adam stroked his hands down her arms and clasped her hands, pulling them away from her sides. “You’re an outstanding woman, Sky. Don’t ever under value your accomplishments.”
Still holding her hands, he wrapped them around her back and drew her into the warmth of his body. Sky rested there a few moments, absorbing his strength, until her need for him clamored like tiny hammers in her bloodstream and she couldn’t ignore her desire. She tugged free of his hands, walked away from his strength. She’d sworn she wouldn’t go there again.
Yet, as she settled in a tub of warm water a few minutes later, she acknowledged she was fooling herself. Adam was nothing like Brian. Her insistence that all rich men were entitled egotists was built on a premise so flimsy a light breeze would blow it away. Yes, fear held her back from getting closer to Adam, but it wasn’t fear he’d turn out to be another Brian. It was fear she’d find she didn’t fit into Adam’s world, any more than she had Brian’s. When that became clear, Adam wouldn’t just crush her confidence like Brian had. Adam would crush her heart.
****
Stunning. That’s all Adam’s befuddled brain could grasp as Sky stepped from her bedroom into the salon of the Airstream. She wore sapphire blue. A couturier gown in silk knit that clung like a lover’s embrace. His gaze swept over her from the high neck to the dainty sandals and slid back up, following the long slit that showed a glimpse of silken thigh. Her creamy skin glowed like the finest porcelain in contrast with the vivid blue. Long neck, slender arms, bared shoulders, and the soft curves of her breasts all outlined by the elegant dress.
When he got his breathing under control, he stepped closer. God, she was beautiful. “You take my breath away. I almost expired from oxygen deprivation. You look every inch a winner, Sky.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles.
A rap on the door startled them both out of the moment. “You kids ready?” Max asked through the screen.
A limousine waited in the narrow roadway between rows. They tucked themselves in. Adam indicated the champagne chilling in a bucket of ice, lifted his eyebrow in query
“Why not?” Sky accepted. “Tonight is for celebrating. Carpe diem.”
Bubbles fizzed, glasses clinked. “To seizing the moment,” Adam reiterated.
“To winning,” Pops crowed.
“To being alive,” Sky added, reveling in the crisp taste of the cool wine, the soothing feel of it sliding down her throat.
“I have some good news.” Pops commanded their attention.
With all eyes focused on him, he preened. “One of the things I did this past two days was pass my medical and take my flight test. I just got a call telling me my license is reinstated. I’m a bona fide pilot again.”
“Pops, that’s wonderful. I knew you wouldn’t be sidelined forever. You’ve worked so hard, changing your lifestyle and lowering your blood pressure into the normal range. If you passed your medical, that’s the best news of all.” She leaned across the seat and hugged him.
“Congratulations, Max. I know what it’s like not to fly, and getting that medical back, must feel like winning the lottery.” Adam raised his glass in a silent toast. His medical was scheduled in Houston on Monday. He didn’t know how he’d handle the disappointment, if they didn’t pass him.
The limousine drew up in front of the hotel hosting the Gala. Streams of people were emerging from cars, taxis, and limos and flooding up the stairs.
“We look like lemmings rushing to the sea,” Sky joked, picking up on his thoughts.
Adam concentrated on guiding her up the stairs, wondering how she managed them in five-inch heels with such grace. With an inner smile, he acknowledged his testosterone levels were off the charts. He felt prouder than a peacock and more protective than a panther, walking into the ballroom with Sky by his side. It seemed all eyes focused on them.
“Hmm, talk about the center of attention,” Max muttered.
Adam felt Sky’s poise waver, as she became the center of everyone present. Then her chin lifted, her light blue eyes sparked with determination, and she gave Adam a mischievous smile. She reminded him so much of Gita right then he stopped short. How he wished her grandmother could see her in this moment of victory. Win or lose, everyone in the room knew Sky was the champion of this event. Gita would have loved celebrating with her.
“I’ll get us a drink.” Pops headed toward the bar, while Adam settled his hand in the curve of Sky’s back and guided her into a circle of competitors. They circulated until it was time to find their table for dinner. As one of the sponsors, and a top competitor, they were seated at a table in the front, with the head judge and his wife and the sky boss and his girlfriend. Another competitor took the last chair, and Max was soon deep in conversation with him, discussing the European circuit.
Adam seated Sky and made introductions. He’d met the judge and the sky boss already. Seeing that Sky had another glass of champagne, and looked comfortable chatting with the judge on her right, he settled back, his gaze quartering the room. The Hamilton Aeronautics logo decorated a huge piece of one wall, with other sponsors’ logos circling the room. The centerpiece of flowers on the table held another smaller depiction of the black lines forming an airplane.
Again, as if their thoughts were meshed as closely as their bodies had been, Sky lifted her gaze from the centerpiece. “How much damage did Sky Dancer take when the canopy ripped loose?”
“It’s not bad. I’ve already phoned the factory, and they’re rushing another. They can overnight it to John Wayne, and you’ll have it late morning tomorrow. You’ll be able to fly Sky Dancer home with just a short delay.”
“I’m relieved. I wondered if she’d be ready for the Grand Prix. Three weeks, and we’ll be in Houston. The circuit will wind up for the year, and the air show season is over. The Grand Prix will be my last event.” She toyed with the stem of her glass and stared into space.
“What do you do then?” Adam couldn’t keep from asking.
“Instruct, check out the new Cessna, buy a bigger plane for the school, if I win tonight.”
<
br /> Pops leaned across the other competitor and butted in. “You’ll also need to hire someone for the front office. I take my instructor’s flight next week, and once I’m reinstated, I’m going back to instructing. Either we’ll be doubling the number of students we take, or you hand over your students to me, your choice.”
“You’re just one big surprise.” Sky smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with pleasure. “I’m so happy for you, Pops. I know how much you have missed flying, and you are the best instructor out there. I might just step aside, if I decide to join the European circuit next season.”
Adam thought of Sky thousands of miles away, and something in his soul rebelled at the idea of the separation. The judge’s wife asked him a question, demanding his attention, and he tucked the feeling away, knowing he would investigate it later. It pricked too deeply to ignore.
Conversations around the room rose and fell, laughter, and celebratory gaiety burst outward from one table after another, like fireworks sparkling in the air. Waiters moved through the room, balancing huge trays, and distributing tasty course after course.
Adam could see Sky was fading. Though she kept a bright smile on her face and took part in the fast-moving conversation at their table, she was still suffering the after effects of the toxin, but masking it with a brave face.
As dessert was set before them and waiters filled cups with tea and coffee, Adam thought about approaching the MC and telling him to get on with it. Just as he was about to stand, the man rose and took his place at the podium.