Flames of Revenge

Chapter 26: Freefall

I cling tight to the pole. Hearing a thud, I look up and see Heneya's body sprawled against the roof of the plane. Everyone screams as we pick up speed.

An agent tries to yell over the noise.

"REMAIN CALM, WE HAVE THIS ALL UNDER CONTR-"

BOOM

Something hits the side of the plane, causing it to spin. I close my eyes tight, trying desperately to hang on to the pole.

"GRAB ONTO THE NEAREST THING AND HOLD ON TIGHT," the pilot says over his speaker. "WE'RE STABILIZING THE PLANE!"

I hoist myself forward and try to wrap both arms around the pole, giving me a secure hold. The plane begins to stop spinning. My body shifts from the force. I cling tight, blisters forming from my grasp. They sting, but I can't let go.

Not now.

Am I going to die today?

If so, am I proud of the life I've lived?

The question I keep asking myself snaps into my head;

Am I doing the right thing?

I can only hope.

Then, something happens. The plane almost seems to come to a stop. The sound of an engine clicks on, and it lurches forward. I lose grip of the seat pole and fly back into the wall of the plane.

In shock, I sit up. Nothing feels broken, but the blisters on my hands burn against my skin. Then I look up. Heneya grasps a handle on the roof. She drops to the ground. A small trickle of blood runs from her nose, but other than that she appears unharmed.

Everything is calm for a moment.

"Please buckle into your seats," the captain says over his speaker, "we would hate for anyone to be hurt more than they already have."

I stand up and trudge to a seat, snapping the buckle into place. Heneya joins me.

"Don't panic, we are going to lose them," the pilot says. The plane lurches upward. I hold in my scream, taking deep shaky breaths.

When the plane steadies again, I look out the window. All is calm.

"Don't be alarmed. We've lost them. When we arrive, however, we are going to land at a secure location near the compound, just in case," the pilot says.

It's over.

We're safe.

Heneya offers me a small smile.

"Welp, we're alive," she says. I nod.

Dillan looks over the seat.

"Are you guys okay?!" He asks.

"We're all good Mr. Cuddles," Heneya says. He gives her a confused look.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you wanna cuddle?" She asks, pointing between us.

Dillan thinks for a moment, then yells,

"LET IT GO!"

Heneya looks at him indecisively as Dillan glares at her.

I have to laugh.

Somehow, the incident gave Heneya her courage back.

And, maybe more strangely, it gave me hope for the future.
________________________________

We land in an open field near the compound.

I step out onto the ground and feel my knees shake from being on the plane.

Then we start walking.

Soon, I hear two things behind me;

Drake and Heneya arguing over theories on why the government hates us, and Dillan chiming in with the obvious facts.

"What if they have some kind of old family grudge against the agents?" Drake asks.

"Nah, that's stupid," Heneya says. "They obviously hate us because we make 'em look bad, doin' their job of justice for them."

"Or maybe it's because we've killed like, thirty people," Dillan says. Both Heneya and Drake stop talking.

"Okay, you win," Heneya says. Drake nods, looking embarrassed.

My earpiece turns on.

"Are you guys okay?" Gordon's voice asks. Dillan turns his mic on.

"Yeah we're fine, on our way," he says.

"We were getting worried, hurry up," Gordon replies. Then the connection clicks off.

I walk ahead of the group. The clean air fills my lungs as I take in the sunlight.

I feel secure here, like nothing can touch me.

Then I feel a tap on my shoulder and jump.

"Just me," Dillan says. "Careful now, don't hurt yourself." I relax. "You okay?" He asks. I nod.

"Yeah, just still a little shaken up," I say. He looks down.

"What the hell?" He says, pointing to my hand.

"It's nothing, just a few blisters."

He smiles at me.

"We'll take care of that when we get inside," he says.

"And what makes you a doctor?" I ask.

"My PHD," he says. I laugh. He gives me a soft smile.

"Damn," he says, "I'm just happy to be alive."

"Me too," I reply. He leans down to my ear.

"Meet me outside around the corner tonight after 11:00," he says. "I have something we need to talk about."

My heart leaps.

I have a feeling I know what he wants to discuss.

And I'm not sure how I feel about it.