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Secrets. I learned to keep secrets. Loads of them. The result was that I attracted men who liked secrets too. Men like AJ. Men who were comfortable with half-truths and shadows. I swore when he left, he’d be the last one I’d fall for.
I stared at the port I had created to communicate with Beechum. What kind of man was he? What would have had to happen to a person to make them jeopardize everything for someone like Jelly Bean Jack? What kinds of secrets was he hiding?
My lungs hurt, I had waited so long for him to answer my message. And then it popped up on the screen.
Are you comfortable in 2A?
I gawked at the question. He knew exactly where I was. I looked around for AJ, feeling vulnerable as if I was on platter for Beechum’s consumption.
You don’t need to work with JBJ. Land the plane. Walk away. I can help you. Please let me.
God, I knew I sounded desperate.
What’s your offer?
He wanted money. There was a price to pull him to our side. Of course there was. I had no way of knowing what portion he was supposed to be paid from the sale. I imagined it was a minor cut. But when the sale was so high, he could easily walk away with a few million in his account.
I’ll pay more than JBJ. Name it.
AJ dropped into the seat next to me. “Updates?”
I nodded, keeping one eye on the screen. “I opened a channel to the cockpit. I’m messaging with Beechum now.”
“Fucking incredible.” He leaned over my shoulder and the heat of his skin made me want to cry. I wanted to wrap myself around him and pretend none of this was happening.
I’d rather this be our reunion. A second chance that knocked us both over, but wasn’t surrounded with sudden death and darkness. A hijacking. A kidnapping. Why was everything evil interfering with the great love of my life?
“He wants money,” I explained. “I told him to name his price. I should be able to pay him whatever he wants without having to merge and transfer any of my overseas accounts.”
My little moment of hope ended. I choked when I read Beechum’s response.
I’ll pass. Good luck, little siren.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
“What’s going on? What does that mean?”
“I tried to offer him more than his percentage of the sale. He doesn’t want to bite.” I felt the hopelessness start to take hold. I didn’t know how else to reach him. There was a possibility Jelly Bean Jack had sweetened the deal with more than just money. I didn’t know how to compete with that.
What else could I do with a computer and dark web access? I couldn’t fight a hijacking with a laptop.
I looked up just as my screen blinked and the marketplace disappeared.
“No. No. No.”
“What’s wrong?” AJ asked.
I tried to reconnect, using the VPN I had created but there was no signal. Everything was gone.
“They killed the Internet,” I whispered, horrified that the only connection we had outside of this plane had been snapped in half.
I buried my head in my hands.
“No.” AJ’s voice was stern. “You’re not doing that.”
“There’s no point. We can’t beat them.”
“Look at me, Syd. I need your help to get to the box.”
