I swiped the phone closed, and glanced over to Aaron. “Ay?”
“They’re dead,” he whispered. “They’re both dead?”
“It seems like it.”
“I need to get there. Oh, my God, Violet. I need to get there. Like now.”
He was just about to launch himself out of bed when I grabbed his arm and held him there. “Hold on. Let me tell you the plan before you go rushing around like a headless chicken.” He nodded, completely in shock. “I want you to pack. Get all of your stuff together and you can head straight over to the airport. I’m going to make all the arrangements for you. Sound good?”
He nodded again and he couldn’t speak. I let his arm go and started dialing.
“It’s four in the morning,” came Smoke’s voice, without a hint of sleep in it.
“Yes, it is. Are you taking the Air CIA plane back to the US?”
“Yes, why?”
“Can you take Aaron with you? There’s an emergency and he needs to get there. Commercial is a pain in the ass and overpriced at last minute.”
“We’re getting ready for takeoff in twenty minutes, and we’re landing in Philadelphia. Is that a problem?”
“No, I’ll get him there as fast as I can. Can you hold for just a few minutes?”
“Yes,” Smoke said.
“Good. I’ll text you later and let you know what’s going on. What time are you landing?”
“Just about oh-eight hundred local.”
“Perfect. He’ll be there in a taxi in a few minutes. I have more people to call.” I ended the call and quickly dialed Nelson.
“Dude! I’m on set!”
“Fuck off, emergency. Where’s your jet?”
“Here, with me in Quito.”
“Ecuador? Fuck.”
“Why?”
“I need someone with a plane to grab Aaron from Philadelphia and get him to McHenry, Maryland. I know our pilot is off right now.”
“Yeah, I’m useless.”
I was out of ideas. Aaron was going to have to rent a car and drive from Philadelphia. That would put him there way later than ten in the morning.
“Wait. Idea. Lemme get someone on the line.” He clicked off and clicked back a moment later as the phone rang on a third line. It took a moment of ringing before the other line was picked up. “I was having sex,” a grumbly angry voice mumbled through the line.
“TMI, buddy,” Nelson said. “We got an emergency, I’m assuming, and I’m activating the Gay Gaggle Network. Maddox?”
“Chase, I need a huge favor. Can you charter a plane for me from Philadelphia to the closest airport to McHenry, Maryland. Smoke said they’ll be landing at eight local. So as close to that as possible.”
“Got it,” Chase said, a little more awake than a minute ago. “Your account?”
“Yeah, please,” I said.
“What’s going on?”
