Chapter 28
“An intelligent wolf is better than a foolish lion.” ~Matshona Dhliwayo.
Gwen
The trees scraping the plane’s undercarriage can only mean one thing; Slate managed to level us out.
Holy cats! Thank you, Jesus.
The engines roar, the nose tilts up, and the speakers crackle with Suds’ southern drawl. “Thank y’all for flying Air Patten. We’ll be landing in sunny Vilnius in about ten minutes. Please make sure all your gear is stored, your trays are locked, and your seats are in the upright position.”
The huge navy men high-five the Feds, as Axel holds me tight. Wedged between the conference table and the wall, he stares into my eyes.
I love you. Thank you for rescuing me. I’m so fucking glad we’re alive. Literally, I have so many things I want to say, but the words are trite and meaningless compared to the emotions threatening to drown me.
Liquids shine in my man’s eyes as he lowers his mouth for a kiss. The passion born of avoiding death burns deep in my soul. My panties dampen, and the need to have him inside me grows so immense, I forget where we are.
“Oi, lovebirds.” Lucky taps me on the shoulder. “Buckle up. Landing gear won’t engage.”
God Almighty. Give us a break, already.
With no other reason than wanting him close, I allow Axel to lift me onto the closest lounge chair and belt me in. While he settles beside me, I hold his offered hand.
Seconds later, he lifts the shade, and I shudder. Underneath us, emergency vehicles race to the end of the runway.
After the plane tilts and circles once more, our pilot’s calm voice sounds from the ceiling. “Head to your knees. Brace for a bumpy ride.”
The wind wooshes through the open window as we descend. Losing altitude, we pass over the terminal building and through the maple trees. After the weeds next to the landing strip come into focus, my chin bounces on my thighs, and a gut-wrenching screech ensues.
While I cover my ears to dull the noise, sparks worthy of a fireworks display shoot toward the nearby forest. All at once, the scraping halts as we once again become airborne. Then, we land so forcefully, my molars clunk while gray matter slams against my skull.
Before I can register a coherent thought, white foam sloshes against the windows. Outside, sirens scream, and men shout. Wulf unbuckles my belt, and by the time he pulls me to stand, Wheels has the hatch open. The SEALS pick me up and lift me out as if I weighed nothing. Soon I’m placed on the ground, and the team follows. When Suds and Slate exit the cockpit, we trot away from the jet. There, our pilot and copilot receive a round of applause, followed by slaps on the back.
Celebrating, we hardly notice the appearance of uniformed soldiers who usher us away from the disaster site. Walking along the gashed tarmac, we pass silver pieces of the Lear’s fuselage. In front of a shuttle bus, I turn and gasp at the plane's missing underbelly.
Holy fuck. It’s amazing we survived.
Inside the vehicle with the rest of the team, I let out my breath, but when we pass the terminal, adrenaline once again races through my veins.
“Where are they taking us?” Axel points to Rhonda, already tapping the driver on the shoulder.
They speak for a moment in what sounds like Russian, then she returns to her seat. “They’re taking us to the U.S. Embassy.”
“And Ledbetter?” he asks.
The redhead types into her phone, and frowns. “The Lithuanian Police Department has detained him for questioning and resisting outside interference.”