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Mick's gamble had paid off, his candor cutting through the fog of conflict. They had bought themselves a precious chance, a narrow window to act and find a way out of the tightening noose. Harry allowed himself a cautious breath of relief, though he knew they weren't out of the woods yet. The real test was yet to come. Kenan’s part of the plan would be the tipping point.
CHAPTER 24
Harry, Mick, and the three men from the opposing group made their way into the hangar, a place of solace where machines were nursed back to flight-readiness. The smell of grease and the tang of metal filled the air, an ode to mechanical endeavors and the quiet solitude of labor.
The old mechanic working on a small aircraft jolted to attention as the group entered, his weathered hands going up in surrender. His eyes, clouded with the onset of age, were wide with fear.
"We need information on a woman," the new leader of the men said brusquely. He described Topeka, his impatience tangible in the hangar's charged atmosphere.
The old man, his voice thin and quivering, betrayed his panic. "Please, I don't want any trouble," he started, his plea hanging in the air, frail as his frame.
The man's gaze shifted from the guns to the faces before him, and something like resignation settled in his eyes. "She was here," he admitted, the confession seeming to shrink him further. "Talked to a pilot. He agreed to fly her out."
“When?” the man barked, looking like maybe he’d enjoy pushing this old man around. It made Harry want to teach him a lesson, but now was not the time.
“About twenty minutes ago,” the mechanic stuttered out. “I helped get the plane ready. She paid good money for discretion," he said, his eyes darting to the floor before rising again. "But I'm not dying for it."
With trembling hands, he retrieved a piece of paper from the pocket of his oil-stained coveralls—the manifest. He handed it over, and on it was the detail they needed: the plane's identification, the destination, the time of departure.
“Now,” Mick said with some finality. “You have a lead. I have story I can go back and tell the authorities. Both our problems go away and we walk out of here.”
“Loose ends,” one of the men hissed and Harry nearly punched him. This plan was going to work. The mechanic created a lie at Kenan’s behest. Mick painted a solution that would get these men heading in another direction. All they needed to do was be smart enough to walk away. But this guy was pushing his luck.
“I know,” the man in charge said. “But we don’t have time to clean up another mess and we can’t have a trail of bodies behind us. Top priority is getting the girl. We’ve got a lead and we’re not far behind her.”
“We can’t trust these assholes,” the man pressed. “Let’s just light up this place and then go get her.”
“Shut it,” his boss yelled. “You’re not making the decisions here; I am. Your sloppy shit is what got us twisted around in the first place. Couldn’t find a girl in a small-ass town with a bunch of unarmed people. We’ve got dead bodies. A mess. And no girl. I’m calling this in. I’m telling Major we’ve got a lead on his daughter and we’re going to follow it. That’s what he’s going to want to hear.”
“And we just let these guys walk?”
“Yes.” His voice was authoritative. “Get out here. Take this guy with you.” He gestured to the mechanic. “I don’t want any of this shit blowing back on us. You clean up on your end and we get out of here.”
Mick nodded his agreement and moved backward, waving for the mechanic to follow him. They edged their way out, never turning their backs.
“You believe him?” Harry asked, his hand still hovering over his holstered gun.
“Not enough to turn my back, but this is the best we’ve got right now.”
“How’d I do?” the mechanic asked, straightening his back. “Kenan didn’t give me much time to pull that together.”
“You nailed it,” Mick replied in a low voice. “Take the car and get Rose back to town. Get word to Kenan they’re headed out of here. Harry and I will watch to make sure it happens.”
“How are you two going to get back?”
“We’ll make our way. Just get clear of here before they change their minds,” Mick said, tossing the keys over to him.
Harry and Mick stood alone as the car pulled away. He didn’t have the guts to look over for Rose. He knew she was driving away from the danger and that was what mattered.
“She’s going to be all right,” Mick said, slapping Harry’s shoulder. “You made sure of it.”
CHAPTER 25
The old mechanic had barely brought the car to a stop when Rose leaped out, her heart racing with worry for Harry and Mick. The town, with its familiar buildings bathed in the soft light of dawn, seemed surreal after the night's harrowing events.
Gio was waiting for her, his expression pure incredulity. "You're crazy, you know that?" he said as he ushered her inside. "What you did... it was reckless. They could have killed you."
His hand rested with a bag of ice of the back of his head where he’d been struck.
