The driver took off. Katie couldn’t see the driver because the blacked-out window that divided the front seats from the back was closed.
“You two should eat and drink something,” Cyrus said, pointing to the back. On a shelf was an assortment of food. “The day has been long and we still have a lot ahead of us.”
Katie and Tyson didn’t respond but did start eating. If Cyrus thought this was rude he didn’t say anything.
The drive only took about half an hour but to Katie, it felt like an eternity. As she ate, her mind flashed with memories of her mother, the auditorium, Sabrina, her father and everything else that had happened that day. It was a never-ending movie set on repeat.
Soon enough the limousine slowed to a stop. Katie had just finished her plate of food. “We’re here,” Cyrus said and stepped out. He closed the door after Katie and Tyson left the vehicle and the driver took off into the night.
Fifty feet from them was a jet black plane. Large floodlights made it easy to see. It looked like they were in a small, private airport. The roads were large, and, in the distance, you could make out indistinct silhouettes of some buildings.
Cyrus walked towards the jet and led them up the stairs.
“How much do you trust him?” Tyson whispered to Katie.
“I don’t know what else to do,” she replied and walked more purposefully. Tyson shook his head but followed Katie all the same.
The inside of the plane was gray and silver, with a fat teal stripe inches off the floor. The chairs were cheap-looking and were lined up against the walls. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, Katie still had the feeling she was in a military plane about to take off to a war zone.
“Buckle up and stay so until I tell you otherwise,” Cyrus instructed. He strapped himself into the seat closest to the door. “The ride will be fast and bumpy. Once we are over the Triangle and cleared through Command, you may unbuckle.”
The door to the plane closed. Katie and Tyson both nodded and put their seat belt on.
“We’re not flying over the Bermuda Triangle, are we?” Tyson asked.
Cyrus chuckled. “No, we are flying into it,” he replied.
“You’re insane,” Tyson said, unstrapping his seat belt. “I’m getting out.”
The jet engines roared to life, shaking the plane.
“I suggest sitting back down, Tyson,” Cyrus said, amused. Tyson did so. “Do you want to know the best part?”
The lights in the jet dimmed and started to roll. Katie and Tyson both waited for Cyrus to speak, but he stayed silent, occasionally chuckling at their scared faces.
The jet gained speed and took flight.
“I’ve done this many times before,” Cyrus said. “We won’t get lost, we won’t become another story of Bermuda. Because we know where we are going,” Cyrus said.
“You know where we’re going,” Katie retorted. “Tyson and I have no idea what’s happening.”
“Of course you know! I told you,” Cyrus replied. “We are going to Narque.”
Katie believed him but started to feel sick. She looked out the window. There was nothing to see except darkness.
Cyrus put on a headset and spoke into it. “Do the normal, just the basic trip.”
There was silence for a moment while Cyrus listened to the Captain. “I will make sure they know what to do.”
Cyrus finished his conversation and took the headset off.
“We will be there in fifteen minutes,” he said.
“No way,” Tyson blurted out. “It takes longer than that to reach Florida from here.”
“Not with this plane,” Cyrus replied.
They continued their flight in the night sky. Tyson looked calm but was shaking inside. Katie still felt sick but kept telling herself she was doing the right thing.
“When we fly over the Triangle, there will be more disturbance with the plane. Nothing to worry about. When I give you the okay, unbuckle your seat belts and follow my lead. Our window is narrow so I will need you to act quickly. When you fall, keep your legs tightly pressed against each other and arms close to your body.”
“What do you mean when we fall?” Katie asked.
“Well, we’re going to have to jump out to get to Narque,” Cyrus replied. “There’s no easier way to get there.”
“We’re jumping out?” Katie asked. “Like, without a parachute?”
“Yeah,” Cyrus said. “Don’t worry. I have done this many times.”
“Tyson’s right, you are crazy,” Katie said.
Cyrus chuckled. “Your father told me that a lot.”
“What happens if we don’t jump out?” Katie asked.
Cyrus smiled. “The jet will circle back around and around until you do. But I will jump out first, so if you don’t do it when I do it, you will do it alone.”
Tyson clenched his jaw.
Katie looked at Tyson briefly, noticing his uncomfortable posture and said to Cyrus, “Well, I guess if you’re jumping out first…”
She suddenly struck by the fact that he might just be a psychopath, willingly committing suicide.
“That’s right,” Cyrus said brightly.
Tyson wasn’t reassured.
They did not talk for the rest of the ride which wasn’t much longer. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out. Katie heard the engines turn off and the plane plummeted towards the ocean. Katie grabbed the sides of her seat and screamed. Tyson did the same, but his voice didn’t work and he let out a choked squeal. Cyrus sat calmly, not even blinking as they fell. It was over as quickly as it had started.
The lights came back on and the engines fired. The jet rose back to its normal altitude and sped on as
