not want to stick around to fly it back to Nice.”
“I do as instructed. I was told your employer would take care of returning our aircraft and that you will be continuing in this same plane to your final destination.”
Lars blew out a pleased breath. As usual, lady luck was with him. His life would be much simpler without the copilot hanging around. It would make it easier to have a frank discussion with Tamara. FAA regulations aside, he didn’t need a second pilot to fly the plane. Now if he could just clear New York without anyone bothering him about that little detail, life would truly be sweet.
Chapter Five
Tamara feigned sleep because she didn’t want to have to make small talk with the other pilot. Once he went back into the cockpit, she straightened in her seat and looked outside. They’d backtracked through dawn across the Atlantic, and the sky along the eastern seaboard was just pinking with the first rays of today’s sun. She buckled her seatbelt and readied herself. The plane cut smoothly through the air, landed with barely a shudder, and taxied into an enormous hangar. Once they came to a stop, she got to her feet.
The cockpit door opened and the copilot rushed past her, flight bag in one hand and a garment bag slung over his arm. “Hope you had a nice flight,” he called over one shoulder and popped the rear door. She stared after him. Should she follow? Tamara took a few tentative steps toward the plane’s open hatch.
“ Fraulein ,” Lars called from the cockpit. His voice was so clear it took her a moment to realize the copilot had left the door open. “Wait, if you please. I must shut things down here, and then I will assist you.”
She looked longingly at the cockpit door, wanting to spend more time with Lars, even if it was only walking from here to customs. I’m being ridiculous—and pathetic. I can take care of myself. It’s best for everyone if I leave now, wind my way through the customs line on my own… “Sure and I’ll be all right,” she called back. “Thank you so much for your kindness.”
Lars exploded through the cockpit door. “Do not leave. It is not safe. I have five more minutes work.”
“What do you mean not safe?” she sputtered. “I just arrived. Surely no one could possibly know—” In lieu of an answer, he grasped her wrist and pulled her down the plane’s aisle after him. Back in the cockpit, he sank into a plushy, padded seat.
Tamara gaped at the array of instrumentation. The entire dashboard, and much of the plane’s ceiling, was covered with round displays, square displays, levers, dials, and everything in-between. “By all the blessed saints.” She tapped a few of the displays and shook her head. “How do you keep them straight?”
He interrupted clicking things off, and making notations in a leather-bound notebook, long enough to look at her. “You should see the large, commercial jets. They have many more controls. There.” He got to his feet. “We can leave now. I will instruct a flight crew to have the plane ready for us. We depart in eight hours.”
His words hit home. “We?” She squeaked the word out. “What are you meaning by we ? I must find my own way. I can’t let you—”
“Ssht. Enough.” He set his jaw in a hard line and nudged her back into the cabin.
She walked to where she’d left her suitcase, hefted it, and tried again. “Like I started to say earlier, thank you kindly. Might you have any idea where I could stay in this city?”
He nodded curtly, dropped the satellite phone into his computer case, and picked up his two bags. “We can discuss that—and other things as well—once we have cleared customs.”
“Sure and we can be discussing it.” Concern warred with her better judgment. “Why are you believing I’m still in danger?”
“We need privacy for that conversation, fraulein . It will occur once we have finished with customs.”
He sounded so distant, so formal; she stared at him. Was this
“I do as instructed. I was told your employer would take care of returning our aircraft and that you will be continuing in this same plane to your final destination.”
Lars blew out a pleased breath. As usual, lady luck was with him. His life would be much simpler without the copilot hanging around. It would make it easier to have a frank discussion with Tamara. FAA regulations aside, he didn’t need a second pilot to fly the plane. Now if he could just clear New York without anyone bothering him about that little detail, life would truly be sweet.
Chapter Five
Tamara feigned sleep because she didn’t want to have to make small talk with the other pilot. Once he went back into the cockpit, she straightened in her seat and looked outside. They’d backtracked through dawn across the Atlantic, and the sky along the eastern seaboard was just pinking with the first rays of today’s sun. She buckled her seatbelt and readied herself. The plane cut smoothly through the air, landed with barely a shudder, and taxied into an enormous hangar. Once they came to a stop, she got to her feet.
The cockpit door opened and the copilot rushed past her, flight bag in one hand and a garment bag slung over his arm. “Hope you had a nice flight,” he called over one shoulder and popped the rear door. She stared after him. Should she follow? Tamara took a few tentative steps toward the plane’s open hatch.
“ Fraulein ,” Lars called from the cockpit. His voice was so clear it took her a moment to realize the copilot had left the door open. “Wait, if you please. I must shut things down here, and then I will assist you.”
She looked longingly at the cockpit door, wanting to spend more time with Lars, even if it was only walking from here to customs. I’m being ridiculous—and pathetic. I can take care of myself. It’s best for everyone if I leave now, wind my way through the customs line on my own… “Sure and I’ll be all right,” she called back. “Thank you so much for your kindness.”
Lars exploded through the cockpit door. “Do not leave. It is not safe. I have five more minutes work.”
“What do you mean not safe?” she sputtered. “I just arrived. Surely no one could possibly know—” In lieu of an answer, he grasped her wrist and pulled her down the plane’s aisle after him. Back in the cockpit, he sank into a plushy, padded seat.
Tamara gaped at the array of instrumentation. The entire dashboard, and much of the plane’s ceiling, was covered with round displays, square displays, levers, dials, and everything in-between. “By all the blessed saints.” She tapped a few of the displays and shook her head. “How do you keep them straight?”
He interrupted clicking things off, and making notations in a leather-bound notebook, long enough to look at her. “You should see the large, commercial jets. They have many more controls. There.” He got to his feet. “We can leave now. I will instruct a flight crew to have the plane ready for us. We depart in eight hours.”
His words hit home. “We?” She squeaked the word out. “What are you meaning by we ? I must find my own way. I can’t let you—”
“Ssht. Enough.” He set his jaw in a hard line and nudged her back into the cabin.
She walked to where she’d left her suitcase, hefted it, and tried again. “Like I started to say earlier, thank you kindly. Might you have any idea where I could stay in this city?”
He nodded curtly, dropped the satellite phone into his computer case, and picked up his two bags. “We can discuss that—and other things as well—once we have cleared customs.”
“Sure and we can be discussing it.” Concern warred with her better judgment. “Why are you believing I’m still in danger?”
“We need privacy for that conversation, fraulein . It will occur once we have finished with customs.”
He sounded so distant, so formal; she stared at him. Was this
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