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“Preaching to the converted, darling.” It’s the first term of endearment he’s ever used for me, and I can’t help but like it.
“Try to relax,” he continues. “I’ll bring this down somewhere soon.”
“We’re not going back to the island?”
“If Piper found out where the chopper was going, that means he’s hacked into comms at the island. Son of a bitch is tracking us. We need to dump our phones and clothes. Start from scratch. Play it safe. Down there. That’ll do for now.”
He brings the chopper down toward a small village surrounded by maize fields, sitting on the edge of a silvery ribbon of water. “For now, we’re an eloping couple,” Marco tells me. “You never heard of Marco Donatello and I’ve never heard of Anna White. Got it?”
“What do I call you?”
“Something else.”
“Eugene.”
“What?”
“You’re Eugene.”
“If I’m Eugene, you can be Betty.”
“Fine by me.”
“Good.”
The helicopter lands a couple of miles from town. We climb out. Marco pulls a cigarette lighter. He rips the sleeve off his jacket, stuffing it into the end of the gas tank. “Give me your phone,” he says.
I hand it to him. He takes his own, tossing them both into the chopper. He throws his jacket in there after them. “Yours too,” he says.
I hand it over, shivering in the evening breeze.
“Get back,” he says, lighting the ripped sleeve.
Grabbing my hand, he sprints away from the chopper. We make it a hundred yards before it bursts into flames. A few seconds later, there’s an explosion. I look back and find black smoke rising from the remains of the chopper.
Marco nods at the ruined helicopter. “Hopefully Piper will think we crashed when word gets to him. Jackets and phones in there should add to that impression.”
“What now?”
“We go to that farmhouse over there. I steal us some clothes. We hole up in town overnight. I get us a burner phone and get in touch with Alessandro that way.”
“To do what?”
“It’s the funeral of my parents and my sister. I need to know where so we can get there on time.”
“And after that?”
“Me and you get married.”
“Great. We’re still doing that then.”
“Come on, let’s get moving before the fire department gets here.”
He keeps my hand in his. We walk along the edge of the field, getting onto a farm track, following that to the house in the distance.
“Empty,” Marco says, peering in through the window when we reach it. “We’ll sleep here tonight.”
“What if the owner comes back?”
