Take It On The Run

Chapter 28

POV: Reed

I was grateful that private pilot licenses never expired because it'd been a damn long time since I'd flown a plane.

The conditions weren't exactly ideal either—thunderstorms in the dead of night with nowhere to pull an emergency landing—but we had little choice in the matter.

There were no direct flights from New Orleans to Cork. Without a personal aircraft, it would've taken us multiple layovers and two to four days to get there. We also didn't want The Collectors clocking us via security footage.

The only godsend in this waking nightmare was the fact that Avery, Deacon, Sumner, and I had earned our licenses together, so I wasn't completely alone in this.

I blinked several times, trying to refocus. My eyes felt painfully dry from staring out at the cloudburst, as though I could make time move faster by sheer desire.

"Need a break?" Avery asked from over my shoulder, startling me slightly. "It's been like four or five hours, dude."

I scrubbed a hand over my face, feeling a generous amount of stubble along my jaw and cheeks. "Actually, that would be great, if you don't mind. I could use a breather. I'm completely fried."

After training today, I'd gone directly into surgery, working on a teenage girl who'd been shot right in front of our hospital. That's where I'd been up until I received that ominous FaceTime call.

He chuckled. "I can tell. If you don't unclench that jaw, you're bound to lose a few teeth.

"You sure? It's rough out there."

"All the more reason for me to intervene." He waved me off. "Go take a nap, doc. We'll need you fresh for landing anyway."

I'd always appreciated Avery's thoughtfulness and ability to see when someone needed help. The way he made sure every piece was in order and solved problems before they arose were rare skills. He was the glue that held our little band together—or at least he had been until Sloan had returned.

"Thanks, Ave. You're the best." I left the cockpit, staggering on stiff legs as I made my way to the main cabin.

Deacon and Sumner were still wide awake, not that I expected anything less from them.

I sprawled across a long plush couch, resting on my back. My muscles were killing me after sitting in the same position for hours. "Any news?"

Deacon lifted his gaze from Avery's laptop. "It's a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the island. I booked a rental car and purchased four tickets for the cable car that crosses Dursey Sound."

"From there, we don't really know where to look," Sumner added. "But they can't be too hard to find considering the size of the population."

"Great work, guys," I lauded. "Might try to get a cat nap in."

I attempted to sleep for a few minutes, but it was useless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sloan's sleepy smile, her washing the blood from my skin or pinching my arm when one of her favorite scenes from The Princess Bride lit up my TV screen. Even now, her floral scent haunted me.

She was a part of me, and she'd been taken. It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest.

I knew I had to stay positive, even when my worst nightmare continued to unfold. I was so used to being in control or at least believing I could control my fate, that I didn't know what to do with myself other than plot out every detail of our upcoming rescue attempt.

I sighed, staring at the ceiling. "How'd you pay for that, by the way? I thought we weren't using our credit cards?"

"Never said it was mine." Deacon winked mischievously.