“For a little while. I think he was supposed to protect me from Charlotte. I appear to be her least favorite person.” Her eyes suddenly lit with eagerness. “What do you know about Dorset?”
“Not enough. But we were on our way to locating him before I took my spectacular dive tonight.” She sat up and reached out for Dee’s hand before she realized she was still wearing manacles. “And Kendra and Lynch and the others will keep on working to find you. They won’t give up. But we can’t give up, either.” She added grimly, “Because it appears we’re at ground zero.” She glanced at the door leading to the back of the plane. “And I’ve got to learn as much as I can as quick as I can before your dragon bitch comes back. So I’m going to fire questions at you. Okay?”
Dee nodded. “I don’t know what Charlotte’s real name is if that’s one of the questions. And I have no idea who is responsible for taking me. I’ve heard her on the phone talking to someone occasionally, but it was brief, and I didn’t get a hint of who it might be. I don’t know much about her except that she has enough power to argue about how I’m being treated with whoever is in charge.” She made a face. “And she believes it’s far too good. She disapproves not only of me, but of everyone and everything connected to the kidnapping.”
“Why?” Jessie asked. “And why would anyone who had staged such an elaborate crime pay any attention to her? Twenty-five million dollars is a lure that must be irresistible. How would she dare to argue with him?”
Dee shrugged. “All I know is that Dorset was nervous about crossing her and she was always super confident.”
“Why?” Jessie asked again. “Blackmail?”
Dee shook her head. “I’ve told you all I know.” She added, “Except that I believe she could be very dangerous. At first, I thought she was almost like a cartoon character, but the longer I was with her the more viciousness I noticed. She might not be the one in control, but I can see her striking out like a rattlesnake.”
“Which brings me back to that remark you made about poison. Did she try to poison you?”
“No. She told me she’d poisoned you.” Her lips tightened bitterly. “It was one of her sweet tricks to try to make me bleed a little more. You were delivered here by three guys who had been part of grabbing the money drop. She was pissed off that you’d been brought here for her to care for and she exploded. She was yelling that you were sopping wet and stinking like a drowned rat and ordered them to toss you in the shower and get the smell off you.” She swallowed. “You were still unconscious. I thought they were really going to drown you then. They wouldn’t let me help, Jessie.”
“Well, it appears I survived it.” She looked down and realized for the first time she was wearing jeans and a black cotton shirt. “Where did I get the dry clothes?”
Dee shook her head. “They brought them with them in a canvas bag.” She grimaced. “And they changed your clothes. Like I said, they wouldn’t let me help.”
“I’m sure I didn’t care at the time.” She was gazing down at the jeans. “They fit. They were prepared. Your Charlotte might have caused a fuss about my arrival, but I’d bet someone was expecting me.” She added slowly, “Which brings another layer to be explored. One more question. Are you ready to blow this joint?”
Dee smiled. “You bet I am. Willing and very ready.”
“I thought you would be.” She was looking around the aircraft, checking out the plaques beneath the windows.
“And we might just get lucky. This is an old Airbus A300 that Frontier Airlines evidently discarded. We had Airbus cargo planes when I was in Afghanistan, and there may be some similarities.”
“I assume you’re not going to try to fly us out of here?”
“Not practical. Instead, I believe we’ll have to see how much you remembered about what I taught you—”
“I see you’re awake,” Charlotte said as she opened the silver door and swept into the compartment. “Pity. I was hoping to put our Delilah through a little more stress before she realized that her old friend Jessie would be around a bit longer. Spoiled brats like her need every lesson we can give them.”
“I’ve never found her spoiled,” Jessie said coldly. “She’s incredibly disciplined considering what her lifestyle demands. And you didn’t fool her for long, Charlotte…if that’s really your name. She’s smart enough to realize what’s real and what’s just plain ugly.”
“You’re fooled by her like everyone else.” Charlotte’s lips curled. “That pretty face and her bouncing around on that stage singing and making her seem like she’s something special. She’s nothing but a troublemaker.”
“Then why didn’t you let her go after you got the money?” Jessie asked. “Then all your trouble would have been over.”
“No, it wouldn’t. I told you, she can fool anyone.”
“Second question. Why am I here? That doesn’t make sense, either. You didn’t need me once you had that ransom.”
“You’re here because we obey orders. And you have no right to question me. He thought he needed you, so you’re here.” She scowled. “It’s just more foolishness, but that’s the way it has to be. Now be quiet or I’ll have you gagged.”
“You broke the agreement with the FBI. You didn’t release the hostage. They’re going to assume you’ve killed her and go after you with guns blazing.” Jessie’s voice lowered to a hiss. “You may think Dee’s not important, but she’s enormously popular with her fans. The sheer public pressure to catch you will make certain they’ll have you in jail on death row within a few months. The only way to save yourself is to let her go.”
“You don’t know anything. No one is going to put me in jail. He’s smarter than all of you. He got what he wanted, and this will all be over soon.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “One way or the other.” She took a step closer to Jessie. “So you keep your mouth shut and you might live through this. Though I doubt it. I’ve told those three men outside on guard that they won’t receive any part of those millions if they let you escape. I’m going to have them handcuff both of you to those chairs over there and check you every hour.” She added with a sneer, “Those fools told me you were supposed to be so tough while they were scrubbing you down. But here you are handcuffed and helpless and so that must have been lies.” She turned away. “Just like all those lies about your bitch friend Delilah.”
“Where are you going?” Jessie’s eyes were suddenly narrowed on Charlotte’s face. “That sounds like you’re leaving us. I was told you ran things around here.”
“Of course I do. But that doesn’t mean I have to stay here and wipe your asses. I’m going for a drive. We’re coming down to the end and I have a few arrangements to make. I don’t want those goons listening to my calls. They brought a case of champagne with them and that might make them so stinko, they might not care what I’m saying. I have to be sure, though.” She shrugged. “Those idiots will do exactly what I tell them whether I’m here or not.” She added sarcastically as she headed for the silver door, “Do be good for them, Jessie. Otherwise I’ll tell them they have permission to rape Delilah. You might have been the one who was brought here to exert pressure, but I’d much rather see it happen to her. And it would be amusing to give those assholes their last chance at screwing the great Delilah.” She was smiling maliciously. “Oh, yes, definitely their last chance. I guarantee they’d be willing. They won’t see why they shouldn’t have their fun now that they already have the money. That’s even funnier.” She was laughing as the heavy door slammed behind her.