The 6 Greatest Errors of All Time | ✓

XXIX. over my dead body

I LIED TO HIM. No ounce of my body was feeling remotely well after being made aware of a disorder that I had a hard time believing in myself. But I had the impression that Pierce already sensed something was up with me. Why else would he have asked for my hand?

Feeling strange and a bit wary of our interlocked fingers, I tried diverting my attention elsewhere. My eyes were still shut but my ears now trained to perceive the steadiness of Pierce's low breathing in the air, indicating that the Commander was fast asleep. That was a good sign. He wasn't able to sleep well on the plane anyway.

I abandoned my original plans of standing up, which would've aggravated the bullet wound on my neck, and instead opted to just opening my eyes to view the interior of the helicopter. The team was still sound asleep on their armrests and backrest, each breathing softly in their own world.

My eyes darted to K2 who was claiming his rightful territory in the pilot's seat up front. An exhausted grin crept at the edges of my parted lips, before my face morphed into complete horror.

"You fucking auto-piloted," I accused in pure disbelief. I watched with mouth ajar as the older man's eyes sprung to the front-rear mirror at astounding speed. His pupils dilated till it seemed like he wanted to bounce his eyeballs off the mirror and aim it at me for almost stopping his heart from functioning.

But the danger didn't end there. Apparently, the director's hands were still fear-stricken, because the entire aircraft suddenly swerved swiftly on its left, sliding all members aboard so that they compressed against the metal-painted walls of the helicopter.

I would have felt bad for Cody's face that smashed lips with the ground and even swept across the unhygienic floor, but I was already preoccupied with saving the Commander's head from flying out the window.

Taking in a deep breath, I jerked my head towards the front of the plane and waved my free hand exasperatedly. "I know you hate Easton, Director, but now is not the time to be massacring the rest of my team."

K2 plunged into his seat with his muscles tensed and cut out for the day. He had just successfully leveled-out the plane upright again, and I could tell, because I saw Cody's body tumbling limply back to the other side of the helicopter. Static friction apparently didn't exist this time around to keep his body from succumbing to the influence of Newton's second law.

Through a low grunt, the director punched the auto-pilot button on for good before his hands recoiled off the wheels like it was drenched in hazardous acid, out of the blue. He draped one arm heavily over his seat's backrest while the other was outstretched in my direction.

"Sweetheart, I love how we both have a mutual respect for each other in order to keep this team alive by next morning. Or does that sound a little foreign to your ears?" He scrunched up his face as I did mine, both of us in a Cold War with one another, battling with our wrinkles.

I flipped him off dramatically, earning myself the cursed phrase, "When we get home, I'm putting you and Pierce up for adoption."

"But seriously, how the bloody hell did the five of them not wake up? I swerved a whole-ass helicopter." K2's voice cracked like he was suddenly terrified of what he discovered through this traumatic incident.

"If they didn't wake up the first time you tried to kill them, they certainly won't the second. But please, do try it out a third time." Sarcasm reeked out of my sinful mouth and filled the air that he breathed in.

"Watch your mouth, hun."

"Watch the plane, hag."

I saw a dark streak of black rust that painted itself over my best friend's lips and nose. I held back a shaky sigh as I muttered, "Oh lord. That's Cody for you. Still managing to look ugly even in his sleep."