“Great.” Jackal rolled his head toward the window, staring at the red-flashing light mounted on the edge of the port side wing.
A thin-white bolt of lightning crawled across the black sky, illuminating the dense clouds.
The plane shuddered for a half second, then took off down the runway at full tilt. The less than even surface made my teeth chatter as the engine grew louder.
The fuselage rattled, and the gears whined as the nose lifted off the ground. Turbulence thrashed the plane, shaking every nut and bolt.
I tossed the travel bag to the floor, leaned my head against the headrest of the seat, and waited for the plane to gain altitude before going to the restroom.
“Are you seeing all of that lightning in the distance?” Jackal asked, pointing out the small-oval window. “That’s just crazy. It’s nonstop.”
“Probably just a bad storm rolling through,” I replied while looking out the windows. “Nothing we haven’t been through before. Remember that flight to Dallas and that tornado?”
Jackal shuddered. “Don’t remind me. I nearly crapped myself on that flight. Thanks for bringing that up. Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
The plane leveled out, but the turbulence remained. Jackal gulped, then pulled the shade down over the window next to him.
We sat in silence, battling the elements that grumbled in the night sky. Time slipped by as I stared off into space, plotting our next move and trying to figure out where Lawson was heading.
I pulled his black book, that I’d recovered from his hotel, from the interior of my coat pocket and thumbed through the pages.
Come on. Where are you going? There’s got to be something else in here.
I read over the various contacts and locations he had scribbled inside that spanned across the country.
The lights dimmed in the cabin, then flickered as the torrent outside punished the aircraft.
I secured the black book in the inside pocket of my coat, unlocked the seat belt from my waist, and headed for the cockpit.
Grizzly worked the yoke with one hand while thumbing switches and adjusting dials with the other.
A spectacle of lightning slithered across the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder that wouldn’t stop.
“How much longer do you think we have to go before we get through this mess?” I asked, standing over his shoulder.
“I don’t know, but if it doesn’t let up and clear out some soon, we’ll have to change course and figure something else out,” Grizzly replied, focused on the battery of gauges before him and the looming storm set before them.
“All right. Keep me posted.” I headed toward the rear of the plane to the bathroom, passing Jackal who white knuckled both armrests.
The gash on my scalp stung. My head throbbed from the relentless pounding of thunder and explosions of lightning.
The aircraft swayed from side to side, then lost altitude. I braced my hand against the bathroom door, and glanced back over my shoulder.
Jackal gripped the armrest tighter, closing his eyes for a second, then opening them again. “You jinxed us with that damn tornado comment. You know better than to do that kind of shit, man.”
I shrugged, opened the door, then slipped inside the cramped restroom. The lights flickered some, but stayed on. The door rattled from the turbulence.
I tilted my head, examining the small, narrow gash on the top of my skull as the plane swayed. It didn’t look too deep, but it needed to be cleaned and dressed.
I pulled a paper towel from the holder next to me and got it wet. My hand braced against the wall as I dabbed at the wound.
A clap of thunder hammered the sky.
The plane rattled. The lights crashed hard, sending us into complete darkness.
Jackal yelled from the cabin.
The plane lost altitude, then rolled to the starboard side.
I fell into the door, hitting it with my shoulder. The weightlessness of free falling tickled my stomach. I pushed away, then opened the door.
Sirens blared throughout the dark cabin. I struggled to gain my footing. I braced my hand against the wall, using it to keep me upright.
The tempest raged outside. Heavy winds hammered the aircraft, keeping us from being able to correct our course.
The interior lights running along the ceiling and floor blinked back into existence. Power surged throughout the aircraft, but the engines remained offline.
A snaking line of white lightning crackled next to the aircraft. Jackal gasped, then looked to the window.
“What the hell happened?” I yelled at Jackal as I crawled to my seat.
“Lightning struck the starboard wing. Knocked out the power for a moment,” Jackal replied. “Doesn’t sound like the engines are coming back on, though. I think they’ve stalled. Plus, it looks like it’s snowing outside.”
Grizzly worked the yoke and switches before him, trying to regain control and slow the plane’s rapid descent. “Are you strapped in and secured back there?”
I climbed in my seat, fighting gravity as it sought to rip me away. I turned, sat down, then buckled myself in. “Yeah. We’re good to go back here.”
Grizzly turned his head to the side. “Hold on. We’re going down.”
CHAPTER FIVE
CORY
Smoke tainted the air, mixing with the pungent scent of sulfur that refused to leave. It choked my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I coughed, then hacked.
My lids cracked open. A haze coated each eye, distorting my vision. A stinging bite nipped at both, causing them to water and my lids to close once more.
“Anna,” I said in a raspy cough. “Are you–all right?”
She didn’t answer.
I pushed my fingers into each socket and rubbed, trying to relieve the discomfort of the smoke. My equilibrium felt off—askew even. Almost as if I had been dumped onto my side. Gravity pulled me down
