Blink of an Eye (Kendra Michaels #8) - Roy Johansen Page 0,101

I found one!”

Kendra turned toward him. “How in the hell did you pull that off?”

“I got here a minute or so before Noah did. The pilot was obviously better with a flight stick than he was with a handgun.”

“No, not that.” Kendra grimaced as she pointed to the bloody jet engine. “I mean that.”

Lynch gently turned her away from the plane. “Just a matter of turning the throttle from minimum idle to full thrust. I noticed that Calderon’s thug was in flagrant violation of FAA safety rules. So I took advantage of the situation.”

Headlights were suddenly piercing the darkness. They looked over to see a small convoy of FBI vehicles entering the Boneyard and roaring down the landing strip.

Lynch smiled. “Just in time to do clean up.”

“Kelland isn’t going to be happy about that job description,” Kendra said dryly.

“You take what you can get,” Lynch said as he started toward Kelland’s vehicle. His attitude was brimming with pure triumph and a hint of malicious mischief as he stepped out into the beams of Kelland’s headlights. “We got the bad guys, so he has to settle for what’s left over.” He lifted his head and called out to Kelland: “Welcome. I was just telling Kendra you’re right on time. Let me tell you about it…”

EPILOGUE

Come on, Dee!” Jessie threw open the door of the FBI van Kelland had assigned to Dee while his agents took her statement. “The invasion has started. I’m getting you out of here.”

“What are you talking about?” Dee jumped to her feet and ran toward the door. “What invasion? What’s happened?” Then as she pushed past Jessie and looked outside, she stopped short. “Oh, shit.”

Driving toward the plane graveyard was a virtual armada of vehicles of all descriptions, but principally jeeps and cars emblazoned with network news insignias and a cavalcade of television and cable trucks. Dee wrinkled her nose. “Invasion, indeed. I thought I’d have a little more time.”

“And you will,“ Jessie said grimly as she grabbed Dee’s arm. “Come on. I’ll get you out of here. I’ve borrowed a car from one of Kelland’s guys and parked it on the runway. You’ve had enough to contend with, and I’m not going to let the paparazzi tear you apart.”

“They’re not all paparazzi,” Dee said quietly. “There are probably quite a few first-rate journalists in that horde who are only trying to do their jobs. I’m a big story.” She pulled away from Jessie’s hold. “And the quickest way to get rid of them is to give it to them.”

“Then let me do it.”

She shook her head. “You opted out years ago and it’s taken me a long time to let you go.” She smiled teasingly. “And look at you, still being all protective. It’s no wonder that a kid like me could get confused.” She looked back at the reporters, who had almost reached the planes. “This is my life and I’ll figure it out. It may take a while and I’ll make mistakes. But I’ll stand tall and I’ll never be a victim again.” She gestured to the journalists now pouring out of their vehicles and running toward them. “So step away so that they can get some good shots of me that will please them. I’ll handle this, Jessie.”

Jessie hesitated. “I would have let you do it. I just thought you needed a break.”

“After all the sedatives that witch pumped down me? Be for real. If I were more relaxed, I’d be comatose.” She held up her hand as she was suddenly deluged by the crowd. “Hi, everyone.” Her smile was brilliant. “I’m so glad to see you. Now give me a minute to get my breath and I’ll try to give you something to tell those nice people who have been so concerned about me. First, I want to thank everyone in the media who was so helpful during the kidnap negotiations.” Her smile faded. “And I want to express my sadness at the loss of those who died because Noah Calderon was a monster. You’ll hear more about him and his ego and selfishness later, but that’s how I’ll always think of him. You’ll all receive a copy of the statement I gave the FBI regarding what occurred that night and here today, and it will be the entire truth. But after you receive that statement, I’ll never speak of what happened at that concert ever again.” A smile lit her face. “So accept that in another month I’ll be old news