Chapter 43

CHAPTER

FORTY-THREE

Heidi knew they didn't have much time.

The plane moved faster and faster.

The engines grew louder.

At any moment, they'd be airborne.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the plane lifted.

They were taking off, she realized. It was too late to stop this!

She jostled backward, grabbing the seat beside her to keep her balance.

As she did, Rafferty stumbled toward her.

Stephen didn't miss a beat. He grabbed the man's gun. In two seconds flat, he had Rafferty subdued.

Rafferty might be brilliant, but he'd always relied on guards to keep him safe.

He had no one now.

Stephen handed his gun to Heidi and used a zip tie on Rafferty's hands.

She stared at the weapon, her eyes wide. What did he want her to do with this?

"You've got to get that pilot to land." Stephen locked gazes with her as he tightened the zip tie on Rafferty's wrists.

She stared at the weapon and felt it trembling in her hands.

But Stephen was right. She had no time to waste.

She turned and took a step into the cockpit, weapon still brandished. "Turn back to the airport. You need to land!"

"I don't take orders from you," the pilot scoffed.

"You don't understand." Heidi's voice sounded strong and bold, surprising even her. "This isn't a choice."

She pointed the weapon at the pilot.

The pilot glanced at her and then at the weapon as if checking to see if she was serious. "You're not going to pull that trigger."

"Maybe you're right." She shrugged. "Maybe it's not me you should be scared of."

"You talking about that guy back there?" He nodded toward Stephen.

"The former cage fighter? Maybe. But mostly I'm talking about the government. When they find out you were complicit in helping a wanted fugitive responsible for uncountable deaths escape the country, then you're going to jail for life too."

The first touch of doubt entered the pilot's expression. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know how much Rafferty is paying you," Heidi continued. "But I hope your life is worth it. Because you're going to say goodbye to it. The government will find you, and you'll pay for your part in this."

"I'm not doing anything wrong. I just took a job."

"You can keep telling yourself that. I think we both know that isn't true." She stared at the pilot, praying she'd gotten through to him.

They had to get this plane back on the ground.

She prayed things didn't turn more violent in the process.

Stephen had pushed Rafferty into a seat where he'd monitor him until they landed. Rocky was still tied to the handle in the distance, shouting and swearing.

Right now, the situation was under control.

He glanced at Rafferty again and shook his head.

The man was despicable. Selfish. Evil. Stephen couldn't believe he'd actually worked for this guy.

Thankfully, he'd seen the light before it was too late. He only wished he could say the same for his other former colleagues.

The plane shifted again as it banked right.

Stephen released his breath. Heidi had done it. She'd convinced the pilot to turn around.

Rafferty's eyes narrowed. He knew this was all over also, that his grand scheme wasn't going to work. Maybe he'd finally get the justice he deserved.

As they headed back toward the airport, Stephen glanced out the window.

Police cars had pulled up on the tarmac. Some kind of commotion was taking place near the other airplane. He wasn't sure exactly what was happening.

He prayed no one else had been hurt, that they weren't too late. However, he'd heard the earlier gunfire. He didn't know if someone had fired at the commander or if someone had taken down one of the snipers.

He waited as the plane landed.

As soon as it stopped, police cars surrounded them.

Stephen knew he had a lot of explaining to do.

But maybe this was all finally over.