Mitch knew he shouldn’t close his eyes. But he did, just for a minute, to get rid of the headache … clear his vision … everything’s blurry.
He tried to run through his actions: did I put the plane on autopilot? Can’t remember. What did I do before opening the doors? Nuh, gone.
He opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up straight.
If I could just see clearly.
“Mitch,” Nick’s voice jarred him, “do you think you can land?”
“I don’t know,” Mitch said, “it’s dim in here, I can’t see a thing.”
Nick exhaled. “Mitch, you’re speaking very slowly and it’s not dim in there, it’s your vision … this is not good.”
Behind Nick, bound and listening, George and Eddie exchanged glances.
“Nick, it’s not too late. Forget about him,” George said. “We can still land like planned and pull it off. He’s out of your hair now.”
Nick turned to face George and Eddie. For a moment he hesitated, running his tongue over his lip.
Ellen reached for her gun. She looked from Nick to the two men and back.
“Who are you going to shoot first love?” George taunted her.
Eddie spoke up. “Nick, we can still do it. We’ll just move faster to get the gold out of the country or hide it and come back for it.”
“Don’t do this Nick,” Ellen said in a controlled voice.
Nick looked at the control panel and back at the two men.
“Mitch is your childhood friend, Nick,” Ellen broke into his thoughts. “Can you leave him to die?”
“It’s the chance of a lifetime, Nick,” Eddie said. “You’ve done all the hard work for God’s sake. Bring it home.”
“What’s this chick mean to you?” George asked. “We don’t have to hurt her, just lose her later.”
Ellen’s hand shook as she held the gun. Nick glanced at her and dropped his eyes. He turned back to the panel.
“Mitch? Focus and stay with me here, how many feet are you at now?” Nick asked.
Ellen breathed a sigh of relief. She slowly put her gun down.
Mitch blinked trying to clear his vision.
Nick continued to push Mitch. “What are you feeling?”
“Nothing. A bit tingly, that’s all.”
“Shit,” Mitch heard Nick swear under his breath. “OK, how many feet are you at now?”
Mitch could see the altimeter, but the numbers were blurred. He moved closer to the panel, straining to read them.
“Mitchell?” Nick barked at him over the radio.
“Yeah, give me a minute,” he slurred.
“OK, sorry, just take it slowly. Focus and stay with me here, how many feet are you at now?”
“Fourteen, no twelve thousand … I think.”
“Can you see the numbers?”
“No,” Mitch answered.
Mitch heard Nick mutter, “This is not good.”
Samantha saw Johan and Maria enter the hangar. She crouched out of sight, fidgeting, glancing again at her watch.
Fifteen minutes behind schedule. What the hell’s going on?
From her hiding position, she could see Maria and Johan looking anxious as they discussed something intently and looked skyward.
Samantha reached for her phone. No text messages. Should I send one to Ellie? No, best to sit tight. If only we had a microphone on and I could hear what’s going on.
She returned the phone to her vest. Peering through the open hangar doors, her eyes moved from Maria to Johan, then to the sky.
Samantha froze.
There is the plane and it’s high, way too high and nowhere near ready to land.
Then she saw the other plane right behind it.
“What settings are in the autopilot?” Nick continued to push Mitch.
“Um … I can’t remember,” Mitch answered.
“Mitch, think!”
“I can’t remember!” he snapped.
There was a silence over the radio.
“Mitch, what’s your middle name?”
There was a silence again. Mitch rubbed his forehead.
“Great,” he heard Nick mutter.
“Can you see the numbers below the autopilot light?” Nick continued.
Mitch leaned closer to the panel.
“Mitch, what can you see?”
Mitch exhaled. “A lot of lights, but I can’t distinguish which one’s the autopilot light,” Mitch swore, leaning back in the seat exhausted. He felt himself drifting off.
“OK, Major, let’s do it by touch. Put your hand out directly in front of you.” Nick’s voice continued over the radio. “Done that? Mitch? Don’t black out on me now!” Nick yelled.
Mitch could hear him remotely.
“Try to see the numbers. We need to get below ten thousand feet.”
Mitch pulled himself forward again. “I can’t see them, OK? I can’t see them!” he shouted the words haltingly.
“It’s OK, Mitch, we’re here,” Ellen intercepted.
“We’ll work it out, stay calm. We’ll get out of this,” Nick assured him. “I guess changing coordinates is out of the question?”
“Oh, God!” Mitch muttered.
“What?” Nick asked, his voice full of alarm.
Mitch leaned over and vomited.
“I guess that’s ‘no’ to the coordinates. Mitch, listen to me, can you hear me?”
Mitch wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
“Can you hear me?” Nick barked.
“Yes, I need to lie down.”
“You can’t lie down. Now listen …”
“Nick …”
“What?”
“I’m OK. Just give me a few minutes, my vision’s improving,” he sat back, drained.
“Mitch, this is what we’re going to do,” Nick ignored him. “Ellen’s going to join you and help you land the plane.”
“What!” Mitch heard Ellen exclaim. “No way. There is no way I can go out there.”
“It’s OK,” Mitch cut her off.
“No. Sit tight for instructions. Ellie’s on her way,” Nick ordered.
Mitch turned around in his seat. He looked at the closed cabin door.
“J.J.?” he called. He leaned over and vomited again and spat, clearing his mouth.
“J.J.,” he yelled, thumping the door with his foot. “If you’re alive answer me. Otherwise we’re going to crash. I need help to land.”
He heard a noise on the other side of the door and J.J. answered.
“You think I’m going to help you?”
“No,” Mitch sighed. “I think you’re going to help yourself.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“You’ll live.”
There was dead silence.
“What do you want?” Mitch groaned.
“A chance to run,” J.J. called out.
Mitch thought about it. It’s not promising anything but a chance.
“Deal,” he agreed. “I’m going to open the cabin door. For your info, I’ve disarmed the detonator, and if you’re planning on killing me, wait until we land since you don’t know how to fly.” Mitch leaned forward and unlocked the cabin door. He watched as J.J. tried to raise himself from the floor. Mitch couldn’t help. J.J. crawled in and pulled himself into the co-pilot’s chair next to Mitch.
“What do I do?”
“Depends. Can you see clearly?” Mitch asked.
“Almost.”
“Clear enough to punch in some numbers.”
J.J. hesitated. “I think so.”
“I need you to put in the coordinates,” he stopped for breath. “I’ll do the rest.”
“OK,” J.J. agreed. “You know these planes are designed for two pilots?”
“Yeah, next time I get hijacked, I’ll bring a backup,” Mitch said. “Listen,” he stopped for breath again, “shut up … we’re wasting energy on small talk.”
“Are you insane?” Ellen turned to Nick.
“I can’t do it, can I? Besides we can’t keep flying in circles until we both run out of fuel. Unless you want to land this one by yourself and I’ll go sit beside Mitch, you’re doing it.”
Ellen glanced at George and Eddie tied up in the corner.
“We can’t trust them,” Nick followed her gaze. “Come on, we haven’t got time to waste. It’s been done before. I’ll strap a parachute onto you, so if anything should happen, like we overshoot the mark, just pull the cord and jump.”
“I know how to parachute,” she mumbled.
“Good. I’m going to position us over the top of Mitch’s plane. We’ll be separated vertically.”
Nick glanced towards the front and saw Mitch’s plane in slow descent in front of him.
“Hell, no!” he ran back to the controls.
Samantha watched as Maria and Johan became increasingly agitated. She could hear them arguing about whether to abort the project now and run. Glancing upwards, she could see the two planes clearly now, one was breaking away and heading down towards them.
The show’s about to start, Samantha thought, reaching back to feel for her gun.
“Mitch! Come in, what’s going on?” Nick yelled into the radio controls.
“Sorry,” Mitch answered.
Nick heard the surprise in Mitch’s voice.
“I thought …,” he took a breath, “thought you’d be listening in.”
“How could I be listening in when I’m down the back of the plane preparing to save your butt? I thought you’d passed out. You gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, I’m OK.”
Nick noted Mitch’s speech was still slow.
“I’ve enlisted J.J. to…”
“J.J., shit, you have lost it!”
“No, he knows if we don’t land, we both die.”
“OK, OK … I’ll talk him down,” Nick said taking control.
“No, I can do it. I’m feeling better.”
There was a silence for a moment.
“Can you see straight?” Nick asked.
“Pretty much, between the two of us we can.”
“Alright, leave the channel open. We’re going to follow you down.”
“We need to let the courier company know …” Mitch started.
“Done,” Nick informed him.
“And the tower …” Mitch continued in a slow drawl.
“Done, it’s all done, focus on landing safely,” Nick ordered him. “And Major, I’m in charge, until you’re on the ground, got that?”
“Sir!” Mitch snapped at him.
A smile flickered across Nick’s face.
The smell of vomit made Mitch feel nauseous again. He looked over at J.J. They were both covered in blood and J.J. looked pale.
Mitch forced himself to sit up straight. He fell slightly forward and J.J. pushed him back in the seat.
“Thanks,” he muttered. He issued orders to J.J. and in slow motion, moved his hand over the controls. He heard Nick cross-checking his orders and adjusting his own controls.
“Talk it out, Mitch,” Nick’s voice came over the radio, “So I can hear what you’re doing.”
“OK,” Mitch began speaking the words for Nick’s benefit. “Adjusting speed from 320 to 240 knots. Reducing altitude from twelve thousand to seven thousand. Extend flaps. Ten thousand five hundred feet,” Mitch continued, panting. “Engaging auto approach.” Mitch directed J.J., “hit that switch that reads APR.”
J.J. scanned the controls in front of him, finding the APR switch. He flicked the switch and Mitch saw the shaking in J.J.’s hands was more severe than his own.
“Seven thousand feet, reducing speed to two hundred knots,” Mitch continued, blinking.
“Check,” J.J. confirmed the numbers.
“Good job,” Nick’s voice cut in. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, my vision’s clearing.”
“Right. I’ll leave you to land it on the runway. I’m taking the hangar.”
“OK,” Mitch agreed. “Hey, Nick – thanks, and listen,” he stopped for breath again, “when we land, be prepared.”
Nick felt Ellen looking at him and turned to face her.
“Yes ma’am?”
“You’re a bit of a hero aren’t you?” she teased him.
“Well, you know, I do my best.”
“I mean, except for wanting to push me out of the plane, you’re a really nice guy.”
“Don’t let that get out,” Nick smiled at her, “you’ll ruin my bad-boy image.”
“What’s going to happen when we land with two planes?” she asked.
“By now the courier company will have staff on the way. They’ve got to protect the load in the back – it’s an automatic response if the flight is late,” he said with a shrug towards the gold in storage. “They can take George and Eddie with them too,” he glanced at them.
“How are you going to explain to Johan and Maria why we’re late and why the second plane’s landing nearby?” Ellen asked.
“I’m not, it’s business as usual, like nothing ever happened.”
Samantha watched the gold plane land on the runway. Several minutes later it taxied onto the hydraulic lift. Inside the plane, she could clearly see Nick at the controls, and she could swear she saw another plane landing further afield.
So, you betrayed us after all, Nick! Mitch was wrong to trust you, Samantha shook her head. But why is the other plane here?
She watched Johan and Maria.
They haven’t seen the other plane. Where’s Mitch? He must be in the second plane. Something has gone wrong, she thought.
Samantha pulled her gun, taking off the safety catch and keeping her eyes on Johan, Maria and the security guard.
Mitch and J.J. landed the second empty gold plane successfully in the next field. Both of them sighed with relief. As they taxied to a stop, Mitch looked over at him.
“A chance, remember?” J.J. said.
“I don’t have time to pursue you J.J. I’ve got to get a bomb off Samantha, and back up Ellen and Nick. You can get lost and I’ll worry about you later.”
Mitch saw J.J. had retrieved his knife and was gripping it tightly. He moved to the door. Mitch hit the door release.
“Hey, I’m sorry about the bomb,” J.J. said.
“Sure you are,” Mitch watched as J.J. leapt from the plane and ran, stumbling. Mitch stood and did the same, running in the other direction. He felt shaky on his legs, but didn’t stop. He saw Nick’s plane taxing towards the hangar.
Nick pulled the plane to a stop; he looked back at George and Eddie.
“Wish we could use you boys,” he said. He turned his eyes to Ellen squatted further back out of sight, gun drawn.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
Johan and Maria ran towards the plane, the large security guard flanking them, weapon drawn.
Nick opened the door. “Break out the champagne,” he smiled.
“What happened?” Johan growled.
“Air traffic control kept us circling, too much traffic in the air above the gold fields and we lost time at one of the mines – they had a bigger haul than usual.”
Johan’s eyes narrowed. He pushed past Nick going on board, and saw the two bound guards. He turned.
“You’ve already secured them! Excellent! I had no intention of paying them either or letting them go. You surprise me, Nicholas,” Johan said. “Stick them down in the mine and use the cyanide I had delivered. It’ll look like they were accidentally trapped in the tunnels and the residue cyanide poisoned them. Scientifically possible. Remember to take the cuffs off though.”
“Johan!” Maria exclaimed from the steps of the plane.
“Come on, Maria, it’s just tying up loose ends.”
Nick saw the look of terror on the guards’ faces. He alighted from the plane, taking Maria’s arm and whispered, “run, get out of here now.” She looked up at him bewildered. “Trust me Maria, get out of here now.”
In the distance he saw Samantha looking confused and with his eyes, he motioned to the security guard on her right. She nodded slowly.
Great, she thinks I’m a traitor, he realized.
As Nick pushed Maria in the direction of the hangar exit, he saw Samantha running full speed across the hangar and raising her gun. She yelled at the guard to drop to his knees. Luis Gamboa grabbed his gun as Samantha leapt up, kicked him in the stomach and under the chin. He groaned with pain. Samantha slammed into him, knocking him to the floor. Nick reached him, knocking the guard out with a solid hit.
“Who is that?” Johan yelled at Nick, “What’s going on?”
Nick saw Maria slowly backing out of the hangar.
He nodded to her.
As she rounded the corner, she ran straight into Mitch. Nick cursed under his breath.
“Mitch!” Samantha exclaimed.
Nick watched as Mitch grabbed Maria, wheeled her around and secured her hands with plasticuffs. He pushed her into a seated position inside the hangar.
Nick turned to see Gamboa regain consciousness.
“Sam!” he yelled. Gamboa swiped Samantha with a huge blow across the face, knocking her backwards. Nick moved in, hitting Gamboa under the jaw while Samantha struggled up beside him, pulling her gun and holding it to the guard’s temple. Gamboa sank back to the ground.
Nick heard the click of a gun and felt the metal at his temple.