Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Dante
T he wind buffeted the small aircraft we were flying in from side to side, causing the fasten seatbelt instruction to ping its warning loudly once again.
‘Strap,’ Marco instructed, as he moved his eyes from mine to my waist.
Even though I knew what he was saying was the sensible thing to do, I couldn’t respond. Just thinking of Giovanna on the boat and in danger had me sitting on the very edge of my seat. Because I understood that the very second the aircraft was down and going slow enough, I would be racing for the door.
‘Car?’ I checked for the third time with Marco.
‘It was radioed through. Don Ricolleti will have a car on standby at the airfield. All we need to do, is to make it there safely.’
‘How long?’ I could only imagine how much of a pain in the arse Marco thought I was being. I’d asked the same question several times beforehand. I watched him turn his wrist over once again to check the time.
‘We should have landed three minutes ago.’ He looked towards the windows to the left of him. ‘I can only think in this wind the pilot is having difficulty.’ I watched as Marco instinctively tightened the belt he was wearing and placed his hands back down to the armrests, as he gripped the navy-coloured fabric so tightly his knuckles turned white.
‘Perhaps he needs reminding just who he’s flying.’ I stood up suddenly and immediately had to widen my stance to balance. I didn’t care about the danger we were in; all I could think about was the probable danger I’d placed the woman I loved in. I was either going to rescue her or kill myself trying, and like the arsehole I knew I was, I had no worries about taking the whole crew with me.
Marco raised his eyebrows at me in question.
‘I can’t just sit the fuck here.’ I lifted my arms up and waved my hands in front of him. ‘We either land in the next few minutes or we die trying.’
Again, the fasten seatbelt sign pinged, and I started my walk towards the cockpit. Suddenly, the plane began to descend, and I gripped hold of the seatbacks either side of me to stop the force of the movement propelling me forwards.
‘Prepare for landing,’ the pilot instructed. ‘We have a small window between the storm clouds. But I must advise that I may have to abort the landing at any time. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened securely.’
‘MAKE SURE YOU LAND.’ I bellowed. ‘YOU WILL NOT ABORT!’ I raised one hand and pointed at the backs of the two guys flying the potential composite coffin we were stuck in.
I saw the co-pilot glance quickly backwards, letting me know I’d been heard. I knew I was risking everyone on board with my demands, but I didn’t give a fuck. All I was concerned about was her. As the plane began to descend further, the wind caught us yet again and buffeted the aircraft from one side to another. I sat down heavily on the nearest seat and fastened the belt.
‘Can you hear me, Giovanna? I’m coming for you. Just hold on. We’re coming.’ I repeated the words over. ‘I’m coming for you, amore mio.’
The next few minutes were the scariest fucking minutes of my life. The plane was sent this way, and that. I looked outside, transfixed on our probable demise as the ground beneath us grew in size through the rain splashed, blurred out window. We began to freefall, and for a few seconds everything went silent around us, even the engines. My heart began to thump widely inside my chest.
‘Giovanna.’ I knew I’d spoken her name out loud, but the wind howling around us drowned out everything. I was sure I heard a woman scream in those few seconds, then once again there was silence.
When everything returned, it came back with such power that I winced from the clamour and braced myself for the contact I comprehended would follow. Then miraculously, the mechanical whirring of the wheels descending found me. I opened my eyes and did something I hadn’t done since I was a small child, I began to pray.
I prayed for me, for a life I was once again allowing myself to dream about, but mainly for her. If we both made it through, I knew I would spend the rest of my days loving her and never letting her out of my sight again.
At last, the wheels touched down.
The aircraft bounced, taking us up into the air again. Screams sounded out once again, as the relief of landing was ripped away and once again, we were at the mercy of the storm around us.
‘I’M GOING TO HAVE TO ABORT!’ the pilot shouted. ‘I’M TAKING US BACK UP.’
With an almost superhuman effort, I released my belt and started to make my way as quickly as I could towards the cockpit. Pulling my gun out from its shoulder holster, I held onto the doorframe and leaning forward, I pushed the barrel into the temple of the pilot. Making sure he could feel the cold of the steel against his skin. ‘Take us down,’ I demanded through gritted teeth.
‘It’s madness… the weather.’
‘Take it down.’
‘You could kill us,’ he implored.
‘Down.’
‘This is AE4719, requesting back up for an emergency landing.’ I could hear the fear in his voice.
Looking through the cockpit window, I could see the runway shrinking in length. I understood we possibly had one more attempt at landing the small aircraft we were in. But while that was horrifying, the fact I could also see the sea, and knowing how close I should be to her, was satisfying at the same time.
A crackle came back over the radio, in response.
‘Do it now,’ I insisted, pushing the gun home once again.
‘On two,’ the pilot instructed his second in command. ‘You need to sit down,’ he instructed me.
Satisfied he was doing my bidding, I holstered my gun and wedged myself behind his seat. With the tarmac decreasing rapidly, I curled myself up, placed my head against my knees and once again braced myself for landing.
We touched the ground, and I began to count, knowing we needed to have rubber on the ground within maybe three more seconds.
Once, and then twice, the wheels lifted away and touched down again. Each time, I held my breath and focussed my eyes on the ground and wished. At last, they contacted with the ground and stayed. The wind became the secondary noise to the sound of the tyres screeching as they found enough purchase to stop. I could feel the force of the wind was veering the aircraft off to the left. Standing quickly, I looked out of the window. In slow motion, I saw as the tress behind the fencing at the end of the runway came ever nearer.
‘Pull right… RIGHT,’ the pilot instructed.
The plane veered right, ran onto the grass and eventually came to a shuddering standstill.
‘Thank you, gentlemen.’ I didn’t stop. ‘Marco, we’re moving.’
‘Boss.’ His acknowledgment found me as I released the door and jumped to the grass below.
‘Fight to survive, Giovanna. I’m coming, amore mio.’ My words were carried away on the wind as I ran to the awaiting car.