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“Yep. Let’s put some distance between us and the bad guys.” Moving the throttle forward, I taxi us out on the runway.
“You know how to fly this thing, don’t you?”
Laughing at Ann, I shrug. “Guess we’ll find out.”
Taking off is easy, and I keep the plane at a fairly low altitude to avoid anyone who might be looking for us or the plane. My family lives north, so, of course, I head due south. Keeping Suzanne, Jack, Ann, and now Simon safe is my only priority.
“Did you contact Suzanne?”
Ann shakes her head. “No. We can do it when we land.”
Blowing out my cheeks, I release a long breath. “I didn’t check in.”
“Suzanne knows the drill. You’ve got time.”
Working for the CIA taught me how to kill, hide, and conceal. We have many systems in place, so everyone is taken care of. Suzanne and Jack will disappear if they don’t hear from me within a week. They’ll leave crumbs for me to follow in case I’m still alive, but nothing anyone else could find.
The Cessna has enough fuel for three hours of flying, but to be safe, I’ll stick to two. My shoulder throbs, and I groan as I shift in my seat.
“Are you okay?” asks Ann worriedly.
“Yeah. Hold the wheel?”
Ann grabs the controls in front of her and keeps the plane steady as I reach into my pocket and pull out the painkillers.
“You only had two about an hour ago,” reminds Simon.
“I know,” I reply flatly as I tip one into my hand and swallow it down. “Just need to take the edge off.”
“Yeah, well, we need you to fly the plane and land us safely.”
Rolling my eyes to the heavens, I grunt. “Yep. Been doing this for a while. I think I know what I’m doing.”
Placing my hands back on the controls, Ann lets hers go and swivels in her seat. She’s making eyes at Simon, unspoken words passing between them. I marvel at how far she’s come—from scared schoolgirl to a woman who could shoot your ears off at a thousand paces. My girl is fearless, but she has a blind spot when it comes to the men in her life, me included. Maybe it’s because I was away so much when she was younger. Ann lets her heart rule her head, and I hope she doesn’t jump into things too quickly with Simon. I like him well enough, but Ann still needs to find her place in the world, and I’m not sure I want her shackled to him just yet.
She twists in the seat and stares straight ahead. Neither of them speaks, which suits me fine. After an hour, the painkiller has well and truly kicked in, and I’m feeling tired.
“Take the wheel?”
Ann’s hands immediately move, grasping the controls. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Do you have my phone?”
Ann nods. “Simon, you’ve got it.”
Simon taps on my shoulder, and I reach up with my good arm and take the cell phone. Using Google Maps, I find a place to land the plane, but it’s still another forty-five minutes away.
“What are you doing?” asks Ann.
“Painkillers are kicking in. I’m looking for a place to land.”
“How far?” she asks.
“Another forty-five minutes. It’s nothing more than a dirt road, but we’ll need to find a car when we land.”
“Will you be able to walk?” asks Simon.
“I’ll make do.”
