blonde with her hair in a tight bun leaned over him. Dom was relieved to see Adara Sherman, the transportation director for his organization, and immediately he felt like this ordeal in India had come to an end.
Adara did not speak directly to Dom, but this was no surprise. Dom had been around Adara regularly for more than two years, and he knew her to be polite, but he also knew her to be all business, all the time. Their mutual boss, Gerry Hendley, had warned Dom and the other young single men in the organization that Adara was off-limits. Even so, Dom and his mates, on occasion, had tried to at least establish a friendly camaraderie with her. But whenever Dom or the others attempted to establish a rapport with her, even in the most jocular and nonthreatening manner, their efforts were met with stark professionalism.
She wasn’t cold, really . . . but she was most definitely not warm.
Adara Sherman looked Dom over in a manner that seemed to Dom as if she was checking to make sure she had the right piece of luggage. She gave a quick nod to the two ambulance personnel and the two policemen and said, “I need you to put him on the plane, if you will. There is a sofa I have prepped as a bed in back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” one of the attendants replied.
Dom started to sit up on his own, but Adara put her hand firmly on his shoulder and pushed him back down flat without saying a word. He knew he could have gotten up and walked on board himself; it would have hurt, but he’d prefer it to being carried up on a gurney. Still, he wasn’t going to fight Adara Sherman to do it.
He had no doubt these local cops thought she was just the good-looking stewardess on a ritzy corporate jet, but Dom knew something these boys didn’t know. He knew where to look on her blue blazer to see the very faint imprint of a .40-caliber SIG Sauer pistol in her waistband. And he knew she kept an HK MP7 Personal Defense Weapon stashed in a hidden spring-loaded locker just inside the galley opposite the door, and she was trained to deploy the weapon and address threats to the aircraft in under three seconds.
Sherman was both a flight attendant and a transportation coordinator, but she was a hell of a lot more than that, and Dom knew better than to go against her wishes.
Adara stepped out of the way and Dom felt the gurney being lifted and carried through the hatch of the Hendley Associates Gulfstream G550.
The medics deposited him on the sofa, they weren’t particularly gentle with him, and his rib cage felt every jostle and twist. They let his legs hang off to the side, then they left the aircraft after a quick look around at the beautiful high-end furnishings. Dom noticed one of the police officers had boarded as well, and this man stayed behind.
After the men from the ambulance had deplaned and Dom was alone in the cabin with the cop, the Indian leaned over the American and said, “Naidu wanted me to tell you to give him a call sometime. If you ever have any information.”
Dom shrugged; it hurt his bruised ribs to do it. “You tell him I appreciate his hospitality.” And then he waited for the man to leave. The cop deplaned behind the medics and stood outside on the tarmac talking to Sherman for a moment. Dominic took the time to pull himself up to a sitting position. He grunted and groaned with the sharp pain in his ribs and the dull aching in his head, but in no time he was on his feet, heading for the galley at the front of the plane.
He wanted to fix himself a drink.
He was halfway up the length of the cabin when Sherman entered the aircraft. She saw him standing and pointed to the sofa bed. “I need you on your back right now, please.”
Dom raised an eyebrow. “Well, now you’re talking.”
She glared back at him. Annoyed.
“Can I grab a quick—”
“No, you may not. Lie down. I’ll take care of everything once we’re airborne. Right now we need to go.”
Dom reluctantly returned to the couch, but he found he had
Adara did not speak directly to Dom, but this was no surprise. Dom had been around Adara regularly for more than two years, and he knew her to be polite, but he also knew her to be all business, all the time. Their mutual boss, Gerry Hendley, had warned Dom and the other young single men in the organization that Adara was off-limits. Even so, Dom and his mates, on occasion, had tried to at least establish a friendly camaraderie with her. But whenever Dom or the others attempted to establish a rapport with her, even in the most jocular and nonthreatening manner, their efforts were met with stark professionalism.
She wasn’t cold, really . . . but she was most definitely not warm.
Adara Sherman looked Dom over in a manner that seemed to Dom as if she was checking to make sure she had the right piece of luggage. She gave a quick nod to the two ambulance personnel and the two policemen and said, “I need you to put him on the plane, if you will. There is a sofa I have prepped as a bed in back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” one of the attendants replied.
Dom started to sit up on his own, but Adara put her hand firmly on his shoulder and pushed him back down flat without saying a word. He knew he could have gotten up and walked on board himself; it would have hurt, but he’d prefer it to being carried up on a gurney. Still, he wasn’t going to fight Adara Sherman to do it.
He had no doubt these local cops thought she was just the good-looking stewardess on a ritzy corporate jet, but Dom knew something these boys didn’t know. He knew where to look on her blue blazer to see the very faint imprint of a .40-caliber SIG Sauer pistol in her waistband. And he knew she kept an HK MP7 Personal Defense Weapon stashed in a hidden spring-loaded locker just inside the galley opposite the door, and she was trained to deploy the weapon and address threats to the aircraft in under three seconds.
Sherman was both a flight attendant and a transportation coordinator, but she was a hell of a lot more than that, and Dom knew better than to go against her wishes.
Adara stepped out of the way and Dom felt the gurney being lifted and carried through the hatch of the Hendley Associates Gulfstream G550.
The medics deposited him on the sofa, they weren’t particularly gentle with him, and his rib cage felt every jostle and twist. They let his legs hang off to the side, then they left the aircraft after a quick look around at the beautiful high-end furnishings. Dom noticed one of the police officers had boarded as well, and this man stayed behind.
After the men from the ambulance had deplaned and Dom was alone in the cabin with the cop, the Indian leaned over the American and said, “Naidu wanted me to tell you to give him a call sometime. If you ever have any information.”
Dom shrugged; it hurt his bruised ribs to do it. “You tell him I appreciate his hospitality.” And then he waited for the man to leave. The cop deplaned behind the medics and stood outside on the tarmac talking to Sherman for a moment. Dominic took the time to pull himself up to a sitting position. He grunted and groaned with the sharp pain in his ribs and the dull aching in his head, but in no time he was on his feet, heading for the galley at the front of the plane.
He wanted to fix himself a drink.
He was halfway up the length of the cabin when Sherman entered the aircraft. She saw him standing and pointed to the sofa bed. “I need you on your back right now, please.”
Dom raised an eyebrow. “Well, now you’re talking.”
She glared back at him. Annoyed.
“Can I grab a quick—”
“No, you may not. Lie down. I’ll take care of everything once we’re airborne. Right now we need to go.”
Dom reluctantly returned to the couch, but he found he had
Similar Books
