On A Wing And A Prayer Part 38

When they reached cruising alt.i.tude, Brian put the plane in auto-pilot while Ca.s.s reached up and turned the seat belt sign off, indicating to the pa.s.sengers that they were now free to move about the cabin.

"What's the weather look like between here and Durango, Ca.s.s? I really don't need a repeat of that joyride we took during the last thunder and lightning storm!" Brian exclaimed.

Ca.s.s chuckled as she checked the weather service reports. "Don't worry, Brian. Looks like clear sailing the entire way. Should be a pretty uneventful flight if I'm reading the signs correctly," she told him.

Brian released a visible sigh and relaxed in his seat just as the door of the c.o.c.kpit opened. Ca.s.s looked up to see Ginny in the door way, a worried expression on her face.

"Yes?" Ca.s.s asked expectantly.

Ginny fidgeted. "Ah, Captain Conway, we seem to have a problem," she said.

Brian turned around quickly in his seat. "Don't tell me we've been hit by lightning ... it isn't even raining!" he said unbelievingly.

"What is it, Ginny?" Ca.s.s said as patiently as possible.

"Ah .... ah ...." stammered the flight attendant.

"Oh get out of my way!" demanded a gruff voice from behind the nervous woman.

"Jason!" Ca.s.s said sharply. "I thought I told you...." she began.

"I don't give a f.u.c.k what you told me, b.i.t.c.h! I'm in control here now," he spat out as he pulled a gun out of his jacket.

"Oh s.h.i.+t! Oh s.h.i.+t!" Brian repeated nervously, throwing his hands up in the air in surrender as Ginny fainted.

"Jason ... just what do you think you're doing?" asked Ca.s.s, annoyed with the inept idiot.

"What does it look like I'm doing? This is a gun ... you're a pilot ... we're in a plane. This is a hijacking, what else?" he said sarcastically.

"A hijacking? For what reason, Jason?" Ca.s.s demanded sharply.

"Ca.s.s, you'd better be careful how you talk to him," Brian warned under his breath.

Ca.s.s threw Brian an impatient look while she waited for Jason's answer. "Well?" she asked again.

"We're going to Bogota, Ca.s.s. Bogota, Colombia," Jason said smugly. "You see, I have a little business deal you're gonna help me with down there," he explained.

"Bull s.h.i.+t! I'm not helping you with anything!" Ca.s.s insisted.

Jason aimed the gun at Brian's left thigh and fired a shot into it. Brian immediately clutched his bleeding leg. "f.u.c.k! He shot me!" Brian screamed as he fought to stop the flow of blood.

Ca.s.s' eyes widened as big a saucers, her stomach threatening an overall rebellion all over the c.o.c.kpit floor.

Jason looked directly at Ca.s.s, an look of pure evil power in his eyes. "Now ... I suggest you cooperate - don't you?" he said, his voice as evil as his eyes.

Ca.s.s just nodded her head, her eyes not leaving Brian's bloodied leg. "He needs a doctor," she said.

"He'll get one ... just as soon as you land the plane in San Diego," Jason said.

Ca.s.s looked at him in confusion. "But I thought you said ....," she began.

"... that we're going to Bogota. Yes, we are - after we get rid of the deadwood. Now, we can either unload the plane on the ground in San Diego, or we can throw the pa.s.sengers out one by one while we're still in the air. You choose. Either way, they're off the plane. I don't need unwanted complications on board during this flight. Do you understand?" he asked.

"d.a.m.n it, Ca.s.s. Do as he asks!" Brian said desperately as he removed his necktie and wrapped it around his leg to stop the flow of blood.

Ca.s.s' eyes narrowed as she turned her look back to Jason. "All right. I'll do as you say, but if you harm another person aboard this flight, all bets are off. You got that?" she warned.

Jason reached back and backhanded Ca.s.s across the face. Her head snapped quickly to the right, blood from her split lip spraying all over the c.o.c.kpit door. Grabbing a handful of hair, he jerked her head back up toward his and hissed into her face, "Let's get this straight, b.i.t.c.h. You don't give the orders here ... I do! Understand?" Releasing her head abruptly, he took a step back and looked at her. "Now, I suggest you get on that radio of yours and let them know you're landing unexpectedly in San Diego. Call it engine failure... Call it anything you want, but if you tip the authorities off about the hijacking until we're back in the air, you are a dead woman. Capishe?" he demanded.

Ca.s.s reached up and wiped the blood from her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket, then proceeded to radio San Diego.

"San Diego, this is flight 7231 from San Jose, on route to Durango, Mexico, requesting an unscheduled landing," she said into the microphone.

"Flight 7231, this is San Diego. Is this an emergency? State the purpose of your request," came the crackly voice at the other end of the line.

"No emergency, San Diego. A slight malfunction of the panel instruments. Request a transfer of the pa.s.sengers to another plane and a maintenance crew to look at the problem. Estimated time of arrival, one hour," she said as calmly as possible.

"Unscheduled landing approved, flight 7231. Estimated time of arrival, one hour," came the reply.

Ca.s.s clicked off the microphone and placed it back in its cradle as she shot a look of pure venom at Jason. He just grinned in response.

"Good girl!" he said in a condescending tone of voice. "You keep cooperating like that and everything will be fine."

Sitting in the navigator's seat behind Brian, Jason kept the gun trained on Ca.s.s as she turned her attention back to the control panel. Without taking her eyes from the controls, she started to ask questions. "Tell me Jason, how did you get the gun on board?"

Jason puffed his chest out like he had accomplished some great feat. "That was the easy part. I smuggled it on board in the food supplies for the plane. You see, I have connections with the company that caters to your airline," he said smugly.

"Why are you doing this, Jason? I can only a.s.sume it's for money. Something told me the used car business wasn't lucrative enough to keep you in the lavish style you were living," she chided.

"Bingo!" he said loudly. "Give that girl a prize! Oh yeah... it's definitely for the money -- lots of it. And you're gonna help me make it!" he said. "If you're a good girl and continue to cooperate, you might even get a cut of it. If not ... well, let's say one less freaky lesbian b.i.t.c.h in the world won't make a difference."

Brian's jaw dropped open at the mention of Ca.s.s being a lesbian. Realization was written all over his face as he recalled the countless failures he had experienced trying to seduce Ca.s.s. Ca.s.s just shot him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut, or else. Visibly snapping his jaw shut at the look, he turned his attention back to the throbbing in his leg.

"Okay," continued Ca.s.s, her back still to Jason, "so what do I have to do to earn this cut?"

Jason became excited at her apparent cooperation. "Now you're talking!" he said. "First, we get rid of wimp-boy here," he said, indicating Brian, "and all the pa.s.sengers, then we fly to Bogota, pocket the cash load the s.h.i.+pment and airdrop it over Tijuana, Mexico, where the contacts will be waiting to smuggle it across the border. Then we land back in San Diego ... you tell the authorities that you and I escaped from our captors and flew the plane back. You get a cut of the take, and we go our separate ways," he finished.

Ca.s.s glanced back at the obviously delirious man. "So it's just that simple, huh?" she asked. "How much do I get?"

Jason looked at her suspiciously and thought long and hard before answering. s.h.i.+t! I was afraid of this. I really need her to fly the plane. d.a.m.n! I'll have to give her a decent cut or she won't cooperate, he thought to himself. "Ah, how about 25% of the take?" he offered.

Ca.s.s raised her eyebrows. "25%? You expect me to take all the risk and you're only offering 25%?" she said in disbelief.

Ca.s.s, what the h.e.l.l are you doing? Enforcer asked. You can't be seriously thinking about going along with this dufus!

s.h.i.+t! s.h.i.+t! The greedy b.i.t.c.h! d.a.m.n! Jason thought. "Okay ... okay! 30% and that's final," he offered.

Ca.s.s turned around completely in her seat and looked him straight in the eye. "No deal!" she said. "40% or nothing... it should be 50%, but you DID mastermind this whole thing, so that deserves a little reward."

Jason's chest rose with obvious pride that she acknowledged his crafty planning of this master plan. Nodding his head up and down, he pretended to contemplate the offer for a few more seconds, until he reached forward and shook her hand. "Deal!" he said.

Ca.s.s! You traitorous b.i.t.c.h! G.o.d d.a.m.n it woman! What are you doing! Enforcer yelled loudly into Ca.s.s' conscious mind.

E! Calm down. Don't you see what an idiot this guy is? He thinks we're in on this now ... trust me. I know what I'm doing! Ca.s.s explained silently.

Grrrrrr! I knew we should have pushed him into the turbines... I knew it! Enforcer grumbled as Ca.s.s turned her attention back to the controls.

Checking the controls, she spared Brian a momentary look and saw that he was leaning his head back against the headrest, a pale hue to his face. Reaching over, she squeezed his knee and drew his attention to her face. Winking conspiratorially at him, she gave his a slight smile, then turned to Jason. "We'll be landing in San Diego in about 25 minutes. You'll need to wake Ginny up so she can ready the pa.s.sengers for the landing," she instructed him.

Somewhere along the way, control of the situation had pa.s.sed from Jason to Ca.s.s, with Ca.s.s consciously aware of who held the gun, and that the balance of power was teetering precariously between them. However, Jason did as he was told and gently shook Ginny awake, trying his best not to startle her into unconsciousness again. Once she was awake, Ca.s.s gave her instructions to remain calm, and to act as though nothing was amiss in the c.o.c.kpit. She a.s.sured the flight attendant that as long as she cooperated and played her part, that neither she, nor the pa.s.sengers would be harmed. Once Ginny learned that she and the pa.s.sengers would be released in San Diego, she calmed visibly and set about carrying out her part of the charade.

Once Ginny had left the c.o.c.kpit, Ca.s.s turned to Jason and smiled slightly, gaining even more of his confidence. "Almost there!" she informed him. "You'd better buckle in for the landing," she said, indicating the navigator's seat behind Brian. Again, Jason did as he was told, and within moments they were on their final approach to San Diego airport.

As soon as the flight touched down, shuttle busses were on the scene to escort the pa.s.sengers to another flight. Along with them, went the flight attendants. Jason and Brian waited in the c.o.c.kpit as the pa.s.sengers disembarked. As the last pa.s.senger left the plane, Ca.s.s emerged and told the ground crew to back the luggage conveyor cart up the stairway. Giving her questioning looks, they nevertheless did as they were told as she went back inside and helped Brian to the stairs. When the ground crew saw that he was injured, they rushed forward to help Ca.s.s carry him down the stairs and settle him in the front seat of the cart. Then, she calmly turned to one member of the crew and pointed back up the stairs, where Jason was pointing a gun down at them.

"We're being hijacked," she said. Unless you want me, or one of you to end up dead, you'll take Brian and head back to the terminal now! If you resist or cause a scene before the plane is back in the air, he will kill me. He's already shot Brian ... he's not afraid to use the gun. Do you understand?" she asked.

She could see the fear in the eyes of the workmen as they struggled with the dilemma of leaving her on the plane with the hijacker.

"Please don't be a hero ... one or more of us will wind up dead!" she whispered. "Please just go."

Finally, the men retreated with their injured cargo while Ca.s.s reboarded the plane and prepared for take off. Jason settled himself in the co-pilot's seat while Ca.s.s communicated with the control tower, very smug and proud of his planning abilities, and his ability to talk Ca.s.s into willingly joining his cause.

"This is flight 7231 requesting permission for take off," she said into the microphone.

"Flight 7231, you have been grounded for faulty controls. Please abort take off procedures," the response returned.

"I repeat, this is flight 7231 demanding permission for take off ... we are being hijacked. I need immediately clearance. Is that understood?" she said firmly.

A slight silence followed her proclamation. Finally, the radio crackled once more. "Flight 7231, abort your take off procedure. The authorities have been notified and are on their way. I repeat ... abort your take off procedure."

"No can do, control tower. I am taxiing into position. Clearance for take off required immediately," Ca.s.s said once more.

"Abort take off procedures, flight 7231. Clearance denied!" came the reply.

Ca.s.s had had enough. "Look a.s.shole. I have a gunman here about to blow my brains out if I don't get this bird into the air. Can I make myself any more clear than that? Clearance required, NOW!" she demanded.

More momentary silence. Finally, "Clearance granted, flight 7231. Do not break communication. The crisis team has just arrived. What is your destination?" asked the control tower.

Now it was time for Jason to lose patience. Grabbing the microphone, he shouted loud and clear. "Our destination is none of your business, f.u.c.k Head! You'll have us on radar anyway once we're airborne, so what's the problem?"

"This is John Everet of the crisis control team. No reason to become upset, sir. What are your demands?" he asked.

"My demands are that you leave us the f.u.c.k alone and let my partner here fly the plane. Capishe?" Jason replied sarcastically.

Ca.s.s cringed at the term 'partner'. Christ, Ca.s.s! Now the entire world will think you're in on this! d.a.m.n it woman! What a mess. What do you think Rox will think of all this? You are blowing it big time, sister! Enforcer scolded.

Ca.s.s' eyes flew open wide as she simultaneously voiced the word "Rox" while she opened the jet engines to full throttle and propelled the airplane down the runway. Within moments, they were airborne.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

EARLY MONDAY MORNING, Rox had an appointment with her editor to review the status of her new book. Her broken hand had set the schedule back several weeks, and the publisher was not happy about the delay. For two hours, she cooed and coddled the uphappy backers, a.s.suring them that she would work overtime to make up the slip.

She had awakened that morning with just enough time to shower and make her 8:00 a.m. appointment. By the time she returned home, it was nearly 10:30 a.m. and she was starved. Heading straight to the kitchen, she quickly whipped up a fluffy vegetable and cheese omelet, an English m.u.f.fin and a nice cup of rich b.u.t.ter rum flavored coffee. Carrying her gourmet fare up to her office, she set it down on the desk and proceeded to power up the computer, intent on working diligently on her book for the rest of the day. Her hope was to get far enough along in her writing, to be able to take a break to talk to Ca.s.s for a while the next afternoon when she returned from her flight to Mexico.

Unable to resist her e-mail before getting to work, she clicked on 'get messages' and patiently waited for the server to download new mail. As expected, there was a note from Ca.s.s: "Hi my love,

How can one person change the life of another as deeply and thoroughly as you have mine?

I literally can not live without you, Rox. You have become part of me... as vital as my heart, as vital as the air I breathe. You have become necessary... a requirement to help me make it through my day. Your voice makes my heart flutter. My hands remember the feel of your skin. Your memory has been burned into my soul, sweet love. It is this memory that sustains me in our separateness. It is this memory that keeps me sane. It is this memory that I hold close to my heart, as I lay alone in bed each night, wis.h.i.+ng with all that I am, that you were here with me.

It is my hope that the day is drawing near when we will be together, not as two halves of a whole, but as two complete ent.i.ties merged into one. I have visions of the future, visions of joy, love and family. I have visions of a golden haired angel, voicing the words I do, as I slip a symbol of our love on her finger. I see nights wrapped in each other's arms, and days spent at work, day dreaming of green eyes and a smile so endearing, it takes my breath away to see it.

You truly complete me. There is a spot in my heart that has never been touched by anyone but you, and never will be touched again. You have gained reign over my heart ... it is yours to command. I am powerless to resist, nor do I want to.

I love you with all my heart, sweet bard. I hope the day will come soon, when we can be together forever. Until then, keep me close to your heart, and I will keep you close to mine.

I love you baby....

Your Warrior

Attachment: RESCUE MY HEART "