Delta Airlines Flight DL107
John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City
“No, wait until everyone else is off.”
Amira vehemently disagreed with Alexis’ instructions, she desperately wanting to get off the plane as quickly as possible and out of the metal tube she had been trapped in for hours. The man who had helped kill her husband was seated behind her and he definitely knew where she was sitting. He could easily stab her or break her neck as he walked by and it would be over before anyone could stop him.
She leaned away from the aisle, closer to her children, trying to hide the fear from her face, the little ones excited for the adventure ahead of them though neither knew the hardships they would face in this ocean of Christianity where they didn’t speak the language and would be forced to live a lifestyle they were never meant to live.
I want to go home.
It wasn’t a possibility of course, at least not now. Perhaps in time, perhaps if the bombings stopped and the civil war ended. At this place, at this moment, she didn’t really care who won, she just wanted to return to the town she had grown up in, to the school she had taught in, to the home she and her husband had lived in since they were married.
She wanted to bury her husband.
“Ok, let’s go.”
She glanced over her shoulder and saw the aisles empty, the man who had threatened her life obviously having deplaned with everyone else. She breathed a sigh of relief and rose, ushering the children out as Alexis rounded the next row of seats and took the lead, warily watching over her shoulders at the empty plane behind them, as if fearing someone might be hiding.
She knows.
They stepped out of the plane, past the last flight attendant who immediately turned away from the door, returning inside for some final task, leaving the four of them alone to traverse the empty jetway.
Something to her left emerged from the shadows and she screamed as a hand dropped hard, swinging something. She twisted away but it wasn’t meant for her, Alexis crying out as a gut wrenching thud filled Amira’s ears, her guardian collapsing to the floor. A hand grabbed her, spinning her around then clamping down on her mouth, cutting off her scream. She was hauled back into the shadows, her children staring at her, fear in their eyes, too terrified to yell themselves.
Her mouth was suddenly free and she sucked in a breath to yell for help when she felt his arm wrap around her neck, his other hand, his scarred hand, covering her mouth for a moment as her oxygen supply slowly cut off.
She couldn’t scream now if she wanted to.
His hot, damp breath blew over her ear as he bent down, squeezing harder and harder.
“Remember your du—”
A gunshot rang out and the grip loosened, her husband’s killer gasping. She wrenched herself free, rushing toward her children as two men in suits raced toward them, guns opening up on the man as he suddenly charged from the shadows, screaming “Allahu Akbar!”
He dropped to the floor, his eyes staring at her as if delivering one last message.
She turned her head, shielding her children from the sight.
“Are you okay?” asked one of the new arrivals, taking a knee beside her.
She nodded. “Yes.” She motioned toward Alexis. “Check her. She was hit from behind.”
The man shifted his attention to Alexis as heavy footfalls echoed through the closed skyway, more police and security arriving, ushering flight crew and a janitor away from the scene.
Alexis groaned and the man helped her to a sitting position.
“Are you okay?”
Alexis nodded, rubbing the back of her head. She looked at the dead body, then at Amira. “What happened?”
“He hit you.”
Alexis held up her hand. “Help me up.”
The man pulled her to her feet, keeping a steadying hand on her arm, her legs wobbly. “Are you sure you’re okay to stand?”
Alexis nodded. “Yes.” She drew a deep breath then glanced again at the dead terrorist. “So that’s who you were scared of?”
Amira nodded, unable to look.
Alexis turned to the man in the suit, his partner guarding the body. “Who are you?”
“Your father sent us.”
Amira stifled a gasp.
Her father?
She suddenly filled with doubts about this woman who had claimed to be helping the entire time. If her father could send armed men to meet their aircraft, then who was she?
And who was she working for?
And was anything she had said, the truth?