4. Lori
4
Lori
I was surprised they recognized me, let alone remembered me after all this time. The familiarity of their faces brought back a flood of memories I wasn’t prepared for. But there wasn’t time to dwell on the past.
We’d been in the air for about an hour when the plane started to shake, a low rumble building into an ominous vibration. My stomach clenched. This wasn’t ordinary turbulence—it was something worse.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and made my way to the cockpit, bracing myself against the walls as the plane jolted. Raven was hunched over the controls, his fingers tapping the unresponsive panel, frustration etched across his face.
“You’ll need to find a place to land,” I said, urgency sharpening my tone. “We’ve got maybe fifteen minutes before we start falling out of the sky. The fuel’s fine, but the wires in the panel must’ve been damaged when something hit us. Did you see where it hit?”
Raven didn’t look up. “Yeah, I think something struck right under the nose,” he replied, his voice tight.
“That’s not going to help,” I added as he tapped the panel again. “I’ll have to rewire it, but that can only happen once we land.”
“All right,” he said, exhaling slowly. “Let’s start looking for a spot to land.”
“I’ll stay up here with you while Oliver and Gage sit with the women. I can keep an eye on the panel,” I offered, scanning the flickering controls.
“Have you ever rewired a plane panel before?” Gage asked as he passed behind me, his tone skeptical but not dismissive.
“No,” I admitted with a smirk. “But I know wiring. Don’t ask me how—I just do. My dad says I’ve been taking things apart and putting them back together since I was three. I drove him and my mom crazy.”
“Buckle up. This is going to be a crash landing,” Gage said, his expression grim as he turned to the back.
“I will,” I replied, turning to Raven. “You buckle up, too.”
The shaking worsened, and the hum of the engines took on an unsettling whine. My eyes scanned the horizon, desperate for something—anything—that could serve as a landing spot.
“What’s that over there?” I asked, pointing toward a faint stretch of flat terrain. “It looks like a small landing strip.”
Relief flickered across Raven’s face as he adjusted the plane’s course. “Good eye,” he muttered.
The front of the plane began to rattle violently, a sound that felt like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere. Suddenly, the panel went dark. My heart leapt into my throat.
“You have to land it now!” I shouted, gripping the edge of the seat. “Hang on, everyone!”
I sent up a silent prayer. Lord, please keep us safe. My family needs me.
“The landing gear isn’t going down—wait, there it goes,” Raven said, relief and tension battling in his voice. “This will be rough. Hang on tight.”
The plane hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, skidding across the uneven strip. Metal groaned, and the cabin lurched violently to the side before grinding to a halt. For a moment, silence enveloped us, broken only by the faint crackle of the cooling engines.
Raven and I sat in stunned disbelief before laughter bubbled out of us, shaky and tinged with relief. We hugged briefly, the adrenaline draining from our systems.
When we walked to the back, everyone was still seated, their faces pale and wide-eyed. The tension in the cabin was thick, but no one spoke. Outside, the sun was sinking fast, painting the sky in deep orange and purple hues.
“Let’s get some rest,” Raven suggested, his voice cutting through the quiet. “We’ll start repairs in the morning. We’ve got plenty of food. Do you think you can fix it in a couple of days?” he asked, glancing at me.
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “It shouldn’t take long.”
I slept fitfully, the events of the day replaying in my mind. An hour later, I woke with a start, my thoughts consumed by the wiring issue. Slipping out of my seat, I made my way to the cockpit. The dim light from my flashlight illuminated the controls as I crouched down to inspect the panel. Gage had left out some tools for me, neatly arranged on the console.
The panel inside looked fine—too fine. My stomach sank as realization dawned: the main wiring panel was outside. There was nothing I could do until daylight. With a sigh, I leaned back in the seat and let my eyes drift shut.
I woke to the feeling of being watched. Blinking groggily, I turned to find Gage sitting in the other seat, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Good morning,” I said, my voice still heavy with sleep.
“Good morning,” he replied, his tone even. “I took the panel off under the front end. I remembered seeing the wires there before. Figured that’s why you stopped working last night.”
“Thank you,” I said, surprised by his thoughtfulness. “This panel looks fine, but I’ll need replacement wires. Do we have any extras?”
“River keeps a box of wires in the back, along with tools. Just in case.”
“Smart,” I replied, making a mental note to check later. “You all work together like this often?”
“Yes,” he said simply, his voice carrying a quiet pride.
“That’s great,” I said, already mentally preparing for the repair.
“I made coffee,” Gage added, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“You did? I love coffee. My sister says I drink too much,” I replied, chuckling.
Before we could say more, Oliver approached, holding my bag. “Your bag’s beeping like crazy,” he said, his brow furrowed.
Frowning, I unzipped the bag and checked my phone. My stomach plummeted as I read the message: Dad is in the hospital. He had a heart attack. You need to get home as soon as possible.
“Is everything okay?” Gage asked, his voice soft and concerned.
“No,” I said, my voice trembling. “My dad’s in the hospital. He had a heart attack. I need to get home.” My hands shook as I swiped at the tears streaming down my cheeks.
Gage stood and stepped closer, wrapping me in his arms. His warmth and steadiness were a stark contrast to the chaos in my mind.
“We’ll get you home,” he said firmly, his voice a quiet promise.
“We’re lucky you’re here,” Gage said softly as he stepped back, his gaze lingering on me for a moment. I nodded, forcing myself to pull it together. There was no time to dwell on emotions—not with everything that still needed to be done.
“I’m okay,” I said, though my voice trembled slightly. I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “It’s just… my dad fought so hard to survive cancer. When Mom died, it shattered him. I wasn’t sure I could help him put himself back together. They loved each other so much. He’s only fifty-five, but he’s been through hell.”
Gage’s expression softened, the sharp edge of his demeanor melting into something gentler. “I’m sure he’ll be okay,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Why don’t you call the hospital and see if you can talk to him?”
“You’re right,” I replied, exhaling a shaky breath. “Can you grab the wires for me? I’ll have this plane running in no time.”
As I glanced at my phone, I was surprised to see full signal bars. Relief washed over me. There had to be a cell tower nearby. Without hesitation, I dialed the hospital.
“Hello, my father, Eddie Daniels, had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Can someone tell me how he’s doing?” I asked, my voice taut with urgency.
“I’ll transfer you to his floor so you can speak with his nurse,” the receptionist replied, her tone calm and professional.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
The line clicked, followed by a moment of static, and then I heard his voice—warm and familiar. “Hello?”
“Dad? Is that you?” I asked, relief flooding my chest. Tears blurred my vision, and I swiped at them quickly.
“Who else would it be? Sweetheart, are you crying?” His voice carried the faintest note of amusement, but also concern.
“Sammy left me a message saying I needed to get home immediately. I thought the worst!” My voice cracked as the tears threatened to return.
“I’m fine,” he reassured me. “My heart rhythm was a little erratic, but I’m going home today. Samantha is picking me up. Where are you?”
“I’m not sure I should tell you,” I teased, letting a small smile creep onto my face. “You’d be so jealous.”
“Tell me,” he insisted, his tone light but curious.
“Our plane went down, but we managed to land safely. Now I’m fixing the wiring. It’s not as bad as we thought. We were at an airport when a suicide bomber attacked. Debris hit the plane, causing the problem. I hope there weren’t many casualties.”
“If you’re talking to me, people must be nearby, or you wouldn’t have a signal. I’m glad you’re okay. Are you with the Golden Team?”
“Yes, it’s their plane. I’m going to rewire it and get us out of here. I love you, Daddy. But why was your heart acting up?” I asked, the concern creeping back into my voice.
“Samantha jumped to conclusions,” he explained with a chuckle. “I’d just gotten off the treadmill and was breathing hard when she showed up. The next thing I knew, I was talking to an EMT. I told them I was fine, but Sammy was crying so much I agreed to go to the hospital to calm her down.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” I said, my voice softening. I hesitated, debating whether to share what Samantha had told me. Finally, I added, “Sammy told me she caught her husband kissing another woman. I told her to divorce him. Hopefully, she doesn’t let him talk her out of it this time.”
“I should’ve kicked that bastard’s ass the first time he cheated on her,” Dad growled, anger bleeding into his tone. “She’d better divorce him, or I’ll give her an earful. I want him out of our lives.”
“Dad, don’t say anything,” I said gently. “Let her tell you herself.”
“Okay, I won’t. I love you, kiddo. Stay safe, and come home as soon as you can.”
“I will, Dad. I’ll see you in a few days.” I hung up, exhaling a long breath. When I turned around, Gage was watching me, his eyes filled with quiet curiosity.
“My dad’s fine,” I said, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “My sister, Samantha, panicked when she saw him breathing hard. Dad let her call an ambulance just to calm her down.”
“She’s married to the dickhead?” Gage asked bluntly.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “But she’s finally seeing a lawyer—an old friend of ours named Nathan. Let’s focus on fixing this plane so we can get these women home.”
Gage nodded and followed me to the plane’s nose, where we inspected the wiring together. The cool air nipped at my fingers as I pulled back the panel. Burned wires greeted me, their scorched edges curling inward.
“This won’t take long,” I said, peering into the compartment. “Maybe a couple of hours. I need a ladder.”
Gage fetched one from the cargo area, his footsteps crunching over the frosted ground. As I climbed up and got to work, my thoughts drifted. The first time I’d seen Gage Sparrow, he was playing basketball with kids in Afghanistan. The sound of their laughter had filled the dusty air, a stark contrast to the harsh reality of the base. After that, I couldn’t stop noticing him—his quiet intensity, the way he carried himself like a man who’d seen too much. I’d had the biggest crush on him.
“You amaze me,” Gage said suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts. “How do you even know how to wire a plane?”
“It’s just a matter of connecting the right wires with a wire nut,” I said with a shrug. “There’s usually a chart to follow, but if a mechanic needs the chart, maybe they shouldn’t be fixing your plane,” I added with a smirk.
Oliver approached, holding two sandwiches wrapped in foil. “I made you two a sandwich,” he said, handing one to each of us.
“Thanks, Oliver,” I said, accepting it. “What have you been up to?”
“I’ve been working with my team for the past two years since I retired from the service. When did you get out?”
“I left when my dad got sick,” I explained. “He didn’t want me to, but I was ready. I’d already started doing freelance journalism, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I go overseas a lot for stories.”
“Really?” Gage asked, leaning against the ladder. “What kind of stories?”
“I tell the truth,” I said firmly, bracing myself for his reaction. “I tell the world about the Taliban stoning women for no reason, babies starving in Afghanistan, and old men forcing nine-year-old girls into marriage. People need to know.”
Gage’s expression turned sharp, his tone serious. “Please tell me your pen name isn’t Laura Lancaster.”
“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Because if it is, there are a lot of dangerous people looking for you.”
“I don’t care,” I replied, my voice unwavering. “I tell the truth.”
“Don’t let anyone else know your pen name,” Gage warned.
Oliver nodded in agreement. “You were in the same city as us once. They were scouring the streets, hunting for you.”
“You’re the only ones who know my pen name,” I assured them. “Not even my family knows. I’m working on a different kind of military story now.”
“Tell me about it,” Gage said.
“Maybe I will,” I replied with a small smile. “It’s just some notes I’ve written down for now.”