Page 120 of Mile High Heist

“I’m going to depressurize the plane,” the snake said casually. Judging by the captain’s sudden stillness, that was no small feat. “Olivia and I are going to walk to the rear emergency door. We are going to open it, jump, and disappear into the horizon.”

I sneered. “Oh, is that all?”

The Viper smiled as he pointed to something behind Olivia. “The parachutes, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m feeling a bit lightheaded, and my finger might just slip.”

His finger tensed on the trigger.

“Why the rear door?” I asked, watching Olivia as she bent down to retrieve the packs. She wasn’t crying. That was good. I needed her sharp.

“They wouldn’t want to be sucked into one of the engines,” Madoc said, looking amused at the imagery. But his eyes were also tracking Olivia. His fingers tapped restlessly against his biceps.

We were like prison guards, watching Olivia being dragged to the gallows.

The Viper lifted his arm with a wince so that Olivia could strap the pack onto him. It wasn’t until she attempted to secure her own that reality dawned on her.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, her hands shaking on the straps. “I’m really doing this. I’m jumping out of a plane.”

I bit my tongue hard enough to draw blood. Over my dead fucking body.

Her eyes bounced to mine, so wide they reflected the entire cosmos of flashing buttons. “I might have a heart attack.”

“You won’t,” I forced myself to spit out.

“I might.” She pressed a hand to her chest, as if to capture her heart and squeeze it into submission. “Holy shit.”

The Viper lost his patience. “Enough. We’re leaving now.” And then he lifted the gun and pointed it directly at Olivia’s head.

She froze.

My fists clenched against my ribs. I resisted the urge to rip her away and eat a bullet. Madoc clearly didn’t trust my restraint (rightfully so) and ghosted up beside me. His elbow jabbed pointedly into my side. Cool it.

“Just so we’re clear,” the Viper said, moving up behind Olivia like a parasite. “Just because I need her doesn’t mean I won’t shoot her. It wouldn’t be ideal, but I’m a desperate man. I might do something drastic.”

I didn’t buy it, not after the fuss he’d made to get her. But I also wouldn’t take the risk.

The Viper reached behind him to press another button.

“Wait,” Olivia said. Her voice wobbled. “What happens when the plane depressurizes?”

The Viper paused. “It will be like flying exposed through a tornado.”

I inwardly groaned. We were familiar with the sensation.

Olivia flinched and lifted her chin determinedly. “I’m not moving unless you let me warn the passengers first.”

Beside me, Madoc snorted quietly. Me? I wasn’t fucking laughing.

The Viper clearly wasn’t amused, but he seemed to relent, if only to speed things up. He grabbed the intercom mic and shoved it under her chin. “Try anything, and it will be the last thing you do.”

Olivia swallowed, but her voice was steady. “Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts and brace for impact. Staff, please secure rows eighty to eighty-one. T-Thank you.”

He ripped the mic from her and shoved her forward. She made a small sound of protest. Madoc’s hand clawed into my shirt, preventing me from moving.

The Viper reached back and pressed a button. Then he flipped a few switches, his movements rehearsed.

A long, low hiss filled the cockpit like a pierced balloon. The plane shuddered as if gasping. Every button and screen suddenly flashed red: WARNING!

“Let’s go,” the Viper said, but then he looked over at me. I didn’t like that look.