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“We need to get back to Colorado,” Stella said again. I’d lost track of how many times she had.
“We can’t go anywhere at this point. When the weather lets up and we’re cleared for take-off, we’ll reevaluate.”
At fourteen hundred hours, almost on the dot, Crash announced the airport was reopening and we were tenth in line for take-off. We could still do this. One hour in the air, thirty minutes max to the bank. Another thirty max to collect the contents of the safe-deposit box. Head back to the airport and fly to Gunnison and be back at the ranch with two hours to spare. Maybe even more than that.
Before Crash went back into the cockpit after making his announcement, Stella stood and put her hand on his arm. “I’m asking you not to fly to New York. I’m the lead on this investigation, and I’m ordering you to fly to Gunnison instead.”
Smith looked from Stella to me and then back. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I have to fly to the private airfield at JFK. That’s the plan I filed. If I change it now, we might have to wait until tomorrow to get another take-off slot.”
“What about when we land? How soon can we take off again?”
“I’ll have Vex submit a flight plan now.”
“Thank you.” Stella sat down beside me. “Don’t you dare say a word.”
Once we were in the air, Vex came out of the cockpit. “The best we could get is an eighteen hundred departure.”
Stella’s eyes opened wide.
“That’ll give us plenty of time to get to the bank and back to the plane.”
“It’s cutting it too close.”
I motioned to Vex to walk away. When he did, I turned to Stella and cupped her cheek. “If we leave JFK at six, that’s four in Colorado. We’ll land at eight or eight-thirty mountain time and be back at the ranch an hour later.”
“It’s too close,” she repeated.
“It’s the best we can do regardless, Stella. You heard Vex.”
“We never should’ve come.”
“We’re within hours of finding out what’s in Barb’s safe-deposit box. You aren’t the only person waiting to discover its contents. Remember that. Every day we wait—hell, every hour—means there are more agents out there in danger of losing their lives. The worst part, Stella, is we don’t know why. We have to see this through. If your aunt left behind any evidence regarding Operation Argead that could put an end to this bloodbath, we have an obligation to find it.” I laid it on heavy, but Stella needed to hear what I had to say. Barb’s death was only one of many that deserved justice and for those who killed them to pay for their crimes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be sorry, darlin’, see it through. Let’s finish this.”
“Buck?”
“Yeah?”
“You understand I was only trying to protect your family?”
“Of course I do, as long as you understand what I’m trying to protect goes way beyond a ranch.”
Stella was quiet for the rest of the flight, and so was I. Driving home the point to Stella about what was on the line, struck me right in the heart too.
Shortly after we landed and were waiting for Vex to open the aircraft’s door, Crash came out of the cockpit instead. “Have a seat.”
“What’s going on, Lavery?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “We have one hour, Buck.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got word from air traffic. They’re predicting the airport will close at six hundred hours at the latest. I called in a favor and got a slot in one hour.”
“That isn’t enough time to get to the bank and back, let alone the time we’d need there.” I turned to Stella. “I’m sorry. We’ll have to come back.”
