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Flagstaff Airport
“What do you mean you’re going to catch them?” Rose asked.
“Exactly that. Come on.” Crowley moved the car to a more sensible spot on the gravel beside the short airport road, locked it up, and tucked the keys up on top of the front wheel.
“Another hire company that’ll never let us rent a car again,” he said with a grin. “But at least they’ll get this one back.”
“And now what?”
“Follow me.” He stayed low and skirted the chain link fencing until he reached a double gate that was pushed closed, a heavy chain looped loosely around its uprights. Checking no one was paying attention, at least no one they could see, he tested the length of the chain. The gate shifted a good foot or so, making a gap just big enough for them to squeeze through. “Don’t you love lax security?” Crowley said with a grin.
The slipped through and Crowley stayed low and near the fence as he led them along to a large tan metal hangar. He glanced around the corner and saw a small jet standing just in front of the open hangar door.
He pointed. “That’s a Beechcraft Premier. I can fly it no problem.”
“You fly too?” Rose asked. “You’re full of surprises.”
“I spent a long time in the Army, trained for the SAS. I covered a lot of bases while I was in.”
“And you’re really going to steal that plane?”
“Yes, but I’ll return it when we’re done. It’s for a good cause, right?”
Movement in the hangar made them duck back into the shadows of the wall. Two businessmen in crisp suits boarded the plane, chatting casually as they went. Both carried an attaché case, but nothing else.
“That’s handy,” Crowley said. “It looks like they’re about ready to go anyway. But where’s their pilot?”
Rose tapped his shoulder and pointed as another man rounded the other side of the hangar. Sandy-haired, wearing khakis and a polo shirt, he leaned into the small plane to share a few words with the businessmen, and then secured the door behind them.
“Yep, that’s pilot,” Crowley said. “Quickly, get him to come over here.”
“Me?” Rose said aghast. “How?”
“I don’t know! Feminine wiles? Show him the goods?”
Rose arched an eyebrow. "Really? The goods?”
“Please, just do it. He’ll be suspicious of a man, but a woman is always less confronting, right?”
Rose sighed, then ducked around the hangar and hurried over to the pilot. “Excuse me, I really need your help,” she said. Crowley was impressed with how desperate she managed to sound.
She grabbed the startled man by the hand and pulled him toward the spot where Crowley hid. Caught off-guard, the pilot followed at first, a few stumbling steps, but then he stopped and pulled Rose to a halt.
“Miss, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you really shouldn’t be in here.”
“Sir, please!” Rose’s voice took on a pleading tone. She sounded like a lost little girl. “You have to see this!”
“See what?”
She dragged him another few paces, within about five meters of Crowley’s hiding place, before the man pulled her up short again.
“Lady, listen, I have a job to do and you shouldn’t be here.”
Crowley knew he needed to act. He strode out from cover and said, “Daisy, there you are! Why are you bothering that man?”
Rose looked around, agape as Crowley quickly closed the gap between them.
“Is she with you?” the pilot asked, clearly relieved that the strange woman had someone else with her.
“I’m sorry,” Crowley said as he reached the pair of them. “She’s a little, you know...” He circled a finger at his temple.
As the pilot began to laugh and Rose stepped aside, fury creasing her brow, Crowley’s whirling finger closed into a fist and he whipped a punch across the point of the pilot’s chin. The unfortunate man dropped like his strings had been cut.
“I’m a little mad, am I?” Rose demanded.
Crowley grinned. “You should have flashed him the goods.” He ducked her slap and said, “Come on, help me here.”
He was pleased to see Rose was smiling slightly as they hastily pulled the pilot into a corner. She was a good sport. Crowley quickly stripped to his underwear and donned the pilot’s clothes. Thankfully they were a similar size. As he dressed, Rose tied and gagged the pilot who moaned and writhed as she got the last knots in.
“Keep the gag loose,” Crowley said. “We don’t want to kill him, just buy some time before he raises the alarm.”
“Won’t the air traffic controllers know something is up?”
“Yes, but what are they going to do, shoot us down?”
“That’s not funny,” Rose said.
“Don’t worry. They definitely don’t have anti-aircraft missiles in a small airport like this. Come on.”
They jogged over and boarded the plane. Rose dropped into the seat beside Crowley as he prepped for takeoff.
“What’s the delay?” one of the businessmen asked. He checked his watch. “We’re already late, where have you been?” He leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute, you’re not the pilot who spoke to us a moment ago.”
“My apologies,” Crowley said, flashing his most winning smile. “Quick change of plans, but don’t worry. You’re in good hands and we’re off now. We’ll make up the time in the air.”
He went through final prep and then taxied out towards the runway. Rose slipped the co-pilot’s headset on and asked softly if he was sure he knew what he was doing.
Crowley turned his winning smile to her. “We’ll soon find out.”
As he taxied onto the runway a shocked and angry voice came through the headsets. “Beechcraft Premier Charlie-Foxtrot-one-niner, what are you doing?”
Crowley ignored the demand, put a finger to his lips to ensure Rose did the same.
“Beechcraft Premier Charlie-Foxtrot-one-niner, we have not yet given you clearance, return to the hangar immediately!”
Crowley wound up the Premier’s engines as he lined up on the runway.
The controller’s voice was a screech as another small jet came streaking toward them from the other end of the runway. “Charlie-Foxtrot-one-niner, collision alert!” But it was too late to do anything about it.
Rose let out a yelp of shock as the plane approaching them lifted its nose off the tarmac. They clearly saw the pilot’s horrified face as he leaned back in his seat, hauling the small jet up. It roared over them, Crowley wincing as he was convinced he’d made the worst mistake of his life and it was all over, but the other plane’s landing gear skimmed mere inches above the nose of their jet and then it was gone.
“What the hell is happening up there?” one of the businessmen yelled.
Crowley wound up the engines further and began his take-off run. “Civilian pilot,” he said back over his shoulder. “Doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. He’s in the air now, so he won’t be a problem for us anymore. Sorry about that.”
He ignored the clamor from the tower and lifted the small Premier into the air. Rose seemed to relax beside him once they were up.
“What do we do when we get to Denver?” she asked.
Crowley shrugged. “Hopefully Cameron will have got the message through and the authorities will be waiting for the Graybell jet when it lands.”
Rose considered that for a moment. “So what are we doing then? If Cameron can’t get anyone to listen to him, we’ll be arrested in Denver and Lily gets to go unscathed. If he is successful, then our part in all this is superfluous.”
Crowley had hoped she wouldn’t consider that, but as she had put it together, he had no intention of lying to her. “That’s true,” he said, opening up the engine. “But I’m planning on catching up to them before they get anywhere near Denver.”
Rose twisted in the seat, face shocked. “And what exactly are you going to do when you catch up with them?”
Crowley grimaced, not taking his eyes off the vista of sky ahead of them. “Deal with the situation.”