Chapter 2
Gillian tried not to hyperventilate. She wanted to be anywhere but here. She didn’t want to be the negotiator for the monsters who’d taken over the plane. She didn’t want to be the person responsible for whether others lived or died. But she didn’t have a choice.
The hijacker who seemed to be in charge—the one who’d told everyone his name was Luis—had shoved a cell phone into her hand after they’d landed and told her to talk to the person on the other end.
She’d been speaking with the condescending asshole assigned to communicate with her and the terrorists for almost two days, and he was acting as if she were a stupid little girl who didn’t understand the situation.
But Gillian understood more than he did.
She understood that when he didn’t immediately agree to send water and food out to the plane, someone would die.
And they had. Another one of the hijackers, Jesus, had shot a man in the temple and shoved him out of the plane.
She’d never forget the thud the body made when it hit the concrete below.
The food and water had been delivered not too long after that.
She’d told the man on the other end of the line that the hijackers wanted someone named Hugo Lamas released from prison, and all he would tell her was that they were working on it.
Gillian was afraid that soon, “working on it” wouldn’t be good enough.
Luis was getting impatient and wanted to see proof that the government was doing something to release his friend.
Luis grabbed her upper arm yet again, and Gillian winced.
She had bright purple bruises all over her arm because the hijackers liked to manhandle her.
He leaned close and once more threatened her.
“Tell them we’re getting impatient. They need to quit fucking around and release Hugo.
We’ve got eyes on the prison and know they’re just stalling.
Also, tell them that this plane needs to be refueled.
Once Hugo is released, we’re out of here.
If they keep stalling, more people will die.
All of this could be done and over with if they just do what we fucking say! ”
Gillian stared up at the man in shock. His beard was growing shaggier by the day, and while she didn’t flinch from his stench anymore—everyone on the plane now smelled pretty rank—she couldn’t help wincing at the new information.
“You’re going to let us all go before you take off though, right?” she asked.
Luis smiled. But it wasn’t a nice smile. It was evil and threatening. He ran his fingers down Gillian’s cheek and said, “I think I might just take you with us. You’ve been such an obedient and good girl.”
She jerked her head away from his touch, but Luis moved fast, fisting her long blonde hair in his hand and yanking her head backward. He licked up her cheek before moving to whisper in her ear.
“Don’t think you’re any better than me, girlie. Your blonde hair and tits might get you whatever you want back in America, but you’re in my world now. And if I want you, I’ll have you. If I want to kill you, I will. You’ll do exactly what I say, when I say it. Got it?”
Gillian’s mouth was as dry as cotton. She’d been terrified of the men since they’d taken over the plane, but she hadn’t ever been worried that they’d try anything sexual…until now. She nodded as best she could with her head still immobilized by his hand in her hair.
“Good.” He untangled his fingers and ran his hand over her head. “You know, if you were nicer to me, then I might be kinder to the others.”
Gillian shivered. She definitely didn’t want to be “nicer” to him…but if she could free some of the other passengers, it might be worth it.
Deep down, Gillian had a feeling none of them would be getting out of this alive.
The hijackers had shown a complete lack of concern for anyone’s well-being.
They’d killed the flight attendants and the first-class passengers, and had been constantly threatening the rest. They couldn’t outright kill them all just yet, they needed them as bargaining chips for the Venezuelan officials, but if they weren’t given what they wanted, Gillian knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill more.
Gillian desperately wanted to live. She wanted to save as many of the other passengers as well. In just two days, she’d formed an intense bond with the women around her.
Like Alice, the woman who’d been sitting next to her on the flight. She wasn’t dealing very well with the situation at all. She’d been crying for two days straight.
Or Janet and her seven-year-old daughter, Renee.
And especially Andrea. She was about Gillian’s age and had been on vacation with some girlfriends in Costa Rica.
Her friends had all been on other flights, and she’d ended up on the hijacked plane.
Andrea also happened to live in Austin, and despite—or maybe because of—the overwhelming situation they’d found themselves in, she and Gillian had clicked.
Although the women had been separated from the men, Gillian had seen the fear in the men’s eyes as well.
The group of four guys who looked to be in their early twenties were definitely freaked out.
And one older gentleman had a constant look of terror on his face and frequently put his hand on his chest, as if in pain.
She didn’t know many of the names of the men, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to save them if at all possible. No one asked to be in this situation.
The last thing she wanted was Luis, or Alberto, or Henry, or any of the other terrorists killing more passengers when they didn’t get what they wanted.
“I’m doing everything I can to make sure the authorities know that you’re serious about getting your friend Hugo freed,” she said quietly.
“He’s not my friend,” Luis growled.
Gillian swallowed hard. “Maybe if you give a little, show a little compassion to the other passengers, they’d work faster to get your demands met.”
Luis smirked. “You think?”
Gillian nodded.
“So…who do you think I should let go? You?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe Janet and her daughter. Or Alice. Andrea. One of the men.”
Luis laughed. “Why don’t I just let them all go?”
She didn’t dare agree or disagree. She had a feeling Luis was just fucking with her now. He turned from her without another word, and Gillian sighed in relief—but it was short lived.
He hauled Andrea up from the floor and pulled her in front of Gillian.
“You think I should let her go?” he asked harshly.
Gillian could only stare at him with huge eyes.
“Well? Do you?” he barked.
She nodded slightly.
“No,” Luis decided. “She’s hot. And much more my type than a spoiled, fat blonde bitch like you.”
Before Gillian could get offended that he’d called her fat—she wasn’t fat; she preferred the term curvy—Luis had bent Andrea over his arm and lowered his mouth.
Andrea frantically attempted to fight him off. She pushed against his chest and tried to turn her head, but Luis wasn’t having it. He used his free hand to roughly grab her chin as he forced his mouth down on hers.
Gillian closed her eyes, but she couldn’t escape Andrea’s keening whimpers.
She would never get used to the violence the hijackers used against the civilians on the plane. She hated it, and wanted to do whatever she could to make it stop.
How long Luis forced himself on Andrea, Gillian didn’t know, but the sudden ringing of the phone in her hand sounded loud in the stifling-hot plane.
Luis straightened, shoved Andrea away from him, and turned back to Gillian.
He flicked open a knife he kept on him at all times and held it to her throat.
“Answer it. And make them understand we’re serious.
You can tell them if they get us food and water within the next two hours, I’ll release ten hostages.
You can even pick them…as long as it’s not your friend Andrea.
Or the bitch with the kid. People care a lot more about children than adults.
I need her to bargain with. You can choose eight men and two women. ”
Gillian hated Luis more with every word out of his mouth.
She glanced at Andrea, who was repeatedly wiping her mouth as she quickly moved back to her spot on the floor.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
Luis pressed the knife a little harder to her neck.
“And we need fuel for this plane. They need to start working on that as soon as possible. But don’t say anything that will make me have to kill more people,” he warned.
Then he took the blade from her neck and pointed it at little Renee. “I’ll start with her.”
Gillian nodded once again and put her back against the door to the cockpit and slid to the floor.
Isaac, another hijacker, sat on the flight attendant’s seat nearby so he could listen to her side of the conversation as Luis walked toward his fellow hijackers, who were guarding the men huddled in the back.
“Hello?” Gillian said shakily after she brought the phone to her ear.
“Gillian Romano?” a deep voice asked.
Surprised when she didn’t hear the nasally, high-pitched voice of the man she’d been talking to for the last two days, Gillian simply said, “Yes.”
“My name is Walker Nelson. I’m taking over the negotiations.”
Gillian wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand, she was glad she didn’t have to talk to the other asshole, but on the other hand, she had no desire to start over and explain from scratch what Luis and the others wanted. But as if he could read her mind, Walker reassured her.
“I’ve been debriefed about what’s been going on. Rest assured that we are well aware of the demands the hijackers have made and the Venezuelan government is working on getting Hugo freed. How are you holding up?”
Gillian blinked. “What?”
“How are you? I know this can’t be easy. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an amazing job. You just need to hang in there a bit longer.”