“Noah’s totally lost it,” Jessie said jerkily. “Dee’s trying to use his feelings for her, but he’s not buying it. She’s playing a dangerous game.”
Lynch nodded grimly. “There’s no way we can let that plane take off with her.”
They rounded a corner and were met with a volley of gunfire! Kendra and Jessie dove behind a row of barrels and Lynch hit the ground just beside them.
The gunman was twenty yards ahead, crouched beside a small TWA jet.
“That’s the guy we saw leaving Noah’s plane,” Lynch whispered.
Kendra peered around the edge of the barrel. “He’s giving cover to Noah. He and Dee are just a few feet away.”
“I don’t see them,” Lynch said.
“Their shadows are just over the gunman’s left shoulder.”
“Got it.” Lynch shimmied back a few feet. “I’m going to try and get between them and the plane. Keep them here for as long as you can.” He stood up and sped away.
Kendra shouted, “Let Dee go, Noah. You’re making a mistake. The FBI knows all about you. As long as you have Dee, they’ll never stop looking for you.”
“You’re lying. I have contacts. I can handle anything you throw at me,” Noah yelled. They still could only see his shadow. “Where’s Charlotte?”
“No use you calling out for her expecting her to save you,” Jessie answered. “I made sure that she won’t be helping you ever again.”
Noah cursed. “You bitch. Do you know how valuable she was to me? I may make you pay for that one day when you least expect it.”
“Let Dee go,” Kendra said. “Let her go and we won’t stop you from getting on that plane. You’ll be the FBI’s problem, not ours.”
“You’ve got to be kidding, Kendra. We’ve all come too far for me to just give up now. Delilah is what this is all about. It’s not as if I can’t still win. With all the money I’ve got, I can still find a way to have anything I want. All I have to do is—”
The gunman cut loose with another barrage from his assault weapon!
Kendra and Jessie ducked. When they looked up again, the gunman was gone and there was no sign of the shadow that had been Noah.
Kendra jumped to her feet. “They’re on the move. Come on.”
* * *
Noah pushed Dee ahead of him as they neared his jet. “I remodeled my plane’s interior, Dee. I even hired that Italian designer you like so much. Storaro?”
She just stared at him in disbelief.
“Nice man, even though he doesn’t speak a word of English. He appreciated the honor I did him. And it was all for you.”
“Stop this,” she hissed. “You were right not to have believed those lies I told you. I never wanted this, Noah.”
“Sometimes we don’t know what we want. Or what we need. I’m sorry the past few days have been so uncomfortable for you. We needed to be in position to hop aboard my jet as soon as my arrangements were finalized. But when you see the place I built for you, I think you’ll agree the wait was worth it.” He spoke to his pilot, who was leading them down the row of planes. “You’ve fueled the jet for the trip, Chester?”
They’d finally reached the airstrip where his plane was positioned and warming for takeoff. Chester gestured toward it. “Yes, only one more refuel in Maui.”
She wasn’t getting through to Noah. He seemed to have lost touch with reality. “Didn’t you hear what they said, Noah? You’ve lost. It’s over.”
“I never lose. Though it may be more difficult now that they’ve taken my Charlotte away.” His lips tightened bitterly. “The first thing I’ll do when we get in the air is contact my friend Nick Parillo in Las Vegas and arrange a contract on both of them.”
Dee stopped short and whirled to face him. “Leave them alone! I’m the one who took her away, you idiot. I knew all I needed to do was give Jessie the opportunity to make her move. I knew that bitch was going to kill her, and there was no way I’d let that happen.”
He flinched. “You shouldn’t have told me that. I really preferred to ignore the possibility. I’m afraid I’ll have to punish you, too. I really owe it to Charlotte. But not before I’ve enjoyed you in all the ways there are. I’m afraid some of them will hurt very much, Delilah.”
“Go to hell, Noah. So much for—”
“Hush.” Noah stiffened and then turned back toward the rows of old planes behind them. “Do you hear that?”
Chester nodded and raised his assault rifle. “They’re right behind us, sir.”
“Not for long.” Noah whirled toward Dee and jerked his thumb toward his jet’s open loading stairs. “Get inside and move toward the back of the plane. Stay away from the door and all windows.”
“No.” Her hands clenched into fists. “It ends here. I’m not going anywhere.”
His hand lashed out and connected with her face with full force.
Pain.
Dizziness.
She fell to the ground and was only vaguely aware of him standing above her. His eyes were blazing down at her and he was pointing his gun at her. “It could be that you’re right,” he said hoarsely. “Maybe it does end here. Maybe Charlotte was right about you.”
She shook her head to clear it. “What a cowardly son of a bitch you are. What do you think you’re going to do?”
“I’m finishing it.” He aimed his gun at her. “Go.”
Dee hesitated; she had no doubt in this moment that he’d press that trigger. She had no weapon but perhaps she could find one on the plane and use it to go after him. He wouldn’t expect an attack from behind. At any rate, she’d have to make certain that Noah found a surprise if he made it back here to the plane alive.
“Whatever you say.” She struggled to her feet and gave him one more defiant look as she started up the steps toward the plane. “By all means finish it, Noah. I’ll be waiting for you.”
* * *
With the sound of Noah’s idling jet engines as their guide, Kendra and Jessie made their way through the maze of old airliners.
“We’re almost there,” Kendra said. “Just one more turn, and—”
She and Jessie froze.
Noah stood on the path in front of them, his assault rifle leveled at their heads. “Throw your guns down. Both of you.”
“Let Dee go, Noah,” Kendra said. “Do that and we won’t try to stop you. You won’t get a better deal all day.”
“Throw down your guns,” he repeated. “You won’t need them. Dee is already on the plane. If I get so much as a scratch out here, my pilot has been ordered to kill her immediately.”
“Nice. Does she know that?” Jessie said.
“It doesn’t matter. She’s a great prize but self-preservation is everything. If you really care about Dee, get rid of your guns. Throw them as far away as you can.”
Kendra and Jessie looked at each other, then tossed their handguns.
Noah cautiously looked around. “Where’s Lynch?”
“We don’t know,” Kendra said.