She gave a short nod. “Right now, I feel pretty good. Like I could conquer the world. Other than being a little sleepy, that is.”
“Good, we’re going to have to use that ‘conquer the world’ feeling as soon as we’re in the air.”
“How so?”
“Sarah,” McClain said, “glad to see you’re awake and feeling better. For now.”
Gavin wanted to smash the smirk off the man’s face. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and waited.
The plane banked left and the pilot said something to McClain, who jerked his attention to the window.
A police helicopter closing in. Thank God. Gavin leaned closer to Sarah. “The bird’s here. Please tell me you’ve parachuted out of a plane before.”
She hesitated. “Twice. For a story I was doing on a special forces team. Both times I was strapped to someone who knew what they were doing.”
“Twice?”
“I enjoyed it so much the first time, I wanted to do it again. They humored me.”
“Okay, good to know.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve got one under my seat, but I’m going to be the distraction that gets you out the door.”
She gulped and her eyes went wide. “So . . . you’re saying . . . ?”
“Yeah. I’m just saying, if it comes down to it, you’re going to have to do a solo jump.”
Sarah shook her head and noted the pilot and McClain were still in heated conversation about the helicopter. McClain had a headset on and every so often would tell the pilot what to say, then turn and check on them.
After his last check, Sarah worked quickly. She unbuckled the lap belt Gavin had fastened and stripped off her oversized sweatshirt. She slipped her arms through the straps of the parachute he’d stuffed behind her. She wouldn’t be able to get her legs in the harness but fastened the buckle that went across her chest, then yanked the sweatshirt back over her.
She really wasn’t planning on jumping out of the plane, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. She’d have to get the sweatshirt off before she pulled the cord, but for now, at least she had a parachute.
Her heart pounded as she kept an eye on the men still arguing in the front. She pulled the shoulder straps from the seat belt back into place. “Your turn,” she whispered to Gavin.
McClain spun in his seat, the weapon passing over her and Gavin.
“You need to land,” Gavin said. “There’s no way out of this.”
“We’re not landing.”
“They’ll just wait until you have to land due to low fuel. Or crash.”
The man shot him the weirdest smile Gavin had ever seen. “I’ll be done by then.”
“What?”
McClain got out of his seat and turned to Sarah. The gun never wavered in his right hand. In his left, he held four pages and a pen. He thrust the items at Sarah. “Sign it or die.”
“We’ve already been over this.”
“Which is why I brought him.” He turned the weapon on Gavin’s knee. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way, but one way or another you’re going to sign those papers.”
“Why not just forge my name?” she cried. “You didn’t have to go through all of this! Just sign my name yourself.”
“I can’t. One of the terms for releasing the money is that a handwriting expert verify the signatures. Now sign or I’ll shoot him!”
The look in his eyes said he was close to pulling the trigger. He’d do it. He’d strategically place bullets so they wouldn’t kill him quickly, but the pain would be excruciating. Sarah grabbed the papers and the pen.
“No, Sarah,” Gavin said, “don’t do it.”
“What does it matter at this point?” She scribbled her name on each page and shoved them back at him. “There! Now what?”
McClain shrugged out of the overcoat he wore, tucked the papers into his front pocket, and pulled the flap over them. “Now, the money will be transferred to my offshore account. Now, it’s time for me to disappear.”
He turned and pulled the trigger. The pilot’s blood and brain matter coated the windshield. Sarah gaped, but before she could make a sound, he turned the weapon back on Gavin. “Right now, the plane is on autopilot. Give me the parachute under your seat.”
Gavin complied. McClain pulled the emergency lever and the door of the plane flew off. Cold wind whipped around them. He then turned and fired the weapon at the instrument panel of the plane. Once, twice, three times. Sparks flared and the instruments went haywire.