said. “Now I understand what’s happening here.”
“Fall back, men. Give her a chance to stand on her own legs before they’re both broken.”
“Is that how it’s going to be?” Sarah asked. “How did you do it? How could you reroute this plane? Are you that powerful now?”
The thin aisle offered little wiggle room when two well-built men needed to pass one another. Rod forced his way through as best he could and stopped at her seat.
“Sarah, we have danced together too long. It’s over. You’re on American soil now. You’re mine. You don’t have Parkman here to help. No one on this plane knows who you are.” He leaned closer. “Have you no honor? Do this to help your fellow American. Have you no soul? Do what I need you to do to help your fellow human being. Come with me willingly and show me what you’re made of. Help me help them,” he said, waving an arm around the cabin.
She looked away. Outside, all she saw was a distant city, grass and tarmac. It looked like the terminal stood a mile away. Even if she figured out how to get past this many men, where would she run to?
He had finally done it. He got her. She had no choice.
Without looking at him, she said, “Yes, I have a soul. That’s why I do what I do in the first place. That’s why I fight for the weak and I won’t work for the government.”
The couple in the seat in front of her gasped at the same time. She realized they were assuming she justified murder in such a way.
It was time to leave. This wasn’t the place or the time to make a stand.
“I’ll come peacefully,” she said. “Step back, give me some room, and I will leave this plane with you.”
“You’re right you’ll be leaving this plane with me.”
“Cocky much?” Sarah asked.
Rod stepped back and motioned for his men to give her room. Sarah lifted her carryon and edged along the seats until she reached the aisle where she stood and turned to face Rod.
“You bastard. You, sir, are a fucking whore. You have sold your soul to the government. I think I will have to kill you one day, Rod Howley. There will come a time when I will fear you no more.”
Rod didn’t smile. He didn’t act cocky. He stepped aside and nodded his head.
Sarah’s legs were swept out from under her. She barely had enough time to brace herself and protect her face as she hit the carpeted floor of the airplane aisle. She tried to spin onto her back but couldn’t. Too many men pounced at the same time. Someone’s knee jammed into her back with another knee on her neck. They were doing something to her feet.
It ended as fast as it started. Rough hands grabbed her and lifted until she stood on her feet again. She looked down at the two large, iron cuffs on her ankles, connected by a chain.
“Are you serious?”
A nearby passenger asked Rod if that was necessary. Rod cautioned him to mind his own business.
“You will not run from me again,” Rod said. “I assure you of that.”
Her carryon bag lay on the aisle floor having slipped off her shoulder when she was knocked down. One of the men grabbed it.
“Hey!”
Another man grabbed her forearm and, before she could stop him, slapped handcuffs on her wrists. He stepped behind her and turned her shoulders until she was facing Rod again.
“There. You’re all tied up and ready for transport to prison. Let’s go.”
Rod turned and started up the aisle. Sarah caught a glimpse of the couple who had sat in front of her. The woman shook her head back and forth in disgust.
If they only knew.
Sarah shuffled forward as the ankle cuffs offered little leeway. A staircase had been rolled up to the side of the plane. The sun broke through the clouds, reflecting off the white metal steps. The space between her ankles wasn’t enough to manage the stairs. Even before she could protest, a man on either side lifted an arm each and
“Fall back, men. Give her a chance to stand on her own legs before they’re both broken.”
“Is that how it’s going to be?” Sarah asked. “How did you do it? How could you reroute this plane? Are you that powerful now?”
The thin aisle offered little wiggle room when two well-built men needed to pass one another. Rod forced his way through as best he could and stopped at her seat.
“Sarah, we have danced together too long. It’s over. You’re on American soil now. You’re mine. You don’t have Parkman here to help. No one on this plane knows who you are.” He leaned closer. “Have you no honor? Do this to help your fellow American. Have you no soul? Do what I need you to do to help your fellow human being. Come with me willingly and show me what you’re made of. Help me help them,” he said, waving an arm around the cabin.
She looked away. Outside, all she saw was a distant city, grass and tarmac. It looked like the terminal stood a mile away. Even if she figured out how to get past this many men, where would she run to?
He had finally done it. He got her. She had no choice.
Without looking at him, she said, “Yes, I have a soul. That’s why I do what I do in the first place. That’s why I fight for the weak and I won’t work for the government.”
The couple in the seat in front of her gasped at the same time. She realized they were assuming she justified murder in such a way.
It was time to leave. This wasn’t the place or the time to make a stand.
“I’ll come peacefully,” she said. “Step back, give me some room, and I will leave this plane with you.”
“You’re right you’ll be leaving this plane with me.”
“Cocky much?” Sarah asked.
Rod stepped back and motioned for his men to give her room. Sarah lifted her carryon and edged along the seats until she reached the aisle where she stood and turned to face Rod.
“You bastard. You, sir, are a fucking whore. You have sold your soul to the government. I think I will have to kill you one day, Rod Howley. There will come a time when I will fear you no more.”
Rod didn’t smile. He didn’t act cocky. He stepped aside and nodded his head.
Sarah’s legs were swept out from under her. She barely had enough time to brace herself and protect her face as she hit the carpeted floor of the airplane aisle. She tried to spin onto her back but couldn’t. Too many men pounced at the same time. Someone’s knee jammed into her back with another knee on her neck. They were doing something to her feet.
It ended as fast as it started. Rough hands grabbed her and lifted until she stood on her feet again. She looked down at the two large, iron cuffs on her ankles, connected by a chain.
“Are you serious?”
A nearby passenger asked Rod if that was necessary. Rod cautioned him to mind his own business.
“You will not run from me again,” Rod said. “I assure you of that.”
Her carryon bag lay on the aisle floor having slipped off her shoulder when she was knocked down. One of the men grabbed it.
“Hey!”
Another man grabbed her forearm and, before she could stop him, slapped handcuffs on her wrists. He stepped behind her and turned her shoulders until she was facing Rod again.
“There. You’re all tied up and ready for transport to prison. Let’s go.”
Rod turned and started up the aisle. Sarah caught a glimpse of the couple who had sat in front of her. The woman shook her head back and forth in disgust.
If they only knew.
Sarah shuffled forward as the ankle cuffs offered little leeway. A staircase had been rolled up to the side of the plane. The sun broke through the clouds, reflecting off the white metal steps. The space between her ankles wasn’t enough to manage the stairs. Even before she could protest, a man on either side lifted an arm each and
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