Taking Control: Soaring Into The Night

Jack picked up Cupcake by the scruff of his neck and started dragging him toward the front hall and the way out. I was right on his heels with Brian and Gina right behind me. There were no guards in sight, but I do not think any of us were betting on an unchallenged exit. Jack threw open the door and marched out, dragging Cupcake like a rag doll.

"Drop your guns and come out with your hands up," Jack said in a loud commanding voice, "or el jefe is going to have lead for brains."

"Instead of just in his ass," I said.

"Would you look at that," Gina said. A dozen, maybe more, men came out of hiding with their hands benignly raised into the air.

"I have to say I didn't really expect that to work," Brian said and Jack replied, "Neither did I."

Cupcake said, "Look, nobody here wants any trouble. Take my Hummer, just leave us alone and you have my word we will be gone and no more trouble to you or anyone else."

"You really are a cupcake," Gina said.

"We're probably lucky he didn't wet himself," Jack said.

"What makes you say he didn't?" Brian asked.

Jack said, "Don't tell me that."

"I supposed it could just be blood soaking his pant leg," Brian said.

"Keys?" Jack asked, twisting cupcake to look at him.

"There in the car," Cupcake said.

I opened the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, there were keys dangling from the ignition. He might as well have left a sign on the vehicle saying, "Take me!" I shook my head and climbed up into the seat. The engine roared to life and the gauges actually showed a full tank of gas. It was a good thing too, because the way it would burn fuel we would probably be lucky to have a half tank left by the time we made it to San Cristobal.

"Scoot over," Jack said climbing up next to me.

"I think I can drive," I said.

"And yet you felt the need to declare me your driver," Jack said.

"You won't win this one," Brian said, climbing into the backseat.

I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and moved over into the passenger seat. The way things are going, it will be years before I hear the end of calling him my driver. Personally, I thought the bit about him being a part-time bodyguard was more amusing. Gina climbed into the back next to Brian. Jack tossed Cupcake onto the dirt driveway before securing himself behind the wheel. Cupcake's men stayed put, either afraid to help their boss or possibly just as amused as we were, by his lowered status.

Jack sped off onto the road and I asked, "Do you know which way?"

"Yeah, I've been through these parts before," Jack said.

"How long until we reached the airport?" Gina asked.

"Twenty minutes, if this thing can do 90," Jack said accelerating.

I pulled out the phone and tried dialing Tom again. The phone rang and rang and just when I thought it was going to land in voicemail again, Tom picked up. We exchanged terse greetings punctuated by the sounds of bullets flying. The noise was enough to get my heart racing, but somehow Tom was able to keep his voice calm and almost relaxed. Not for the first time, I wished I was with him instead of Jack.

Tom said, "Seems like we had some of your friends waiting for us to land. They grabbed Gene straight away, but I managed to get Kyra and myself out."

"We're on our way. Should be there in twenty," I said.

"They've got us penned down and I'm not sure I can hold them off that long," Tom said.

"Just do the best you can," I said.

"You know I always do," Tom said. "They're making another push for us. I'll call you back when I can."

"Okay," I said, but the call was already dead by the time the word left my lips.

"What's going on?" Jack asked and I filled him in.

"Why would they want Dr. Michaels?" I asked the world at large.

"Sounds like they want all of you," Brian said.

"Maybe they just want it to look that way," Gina said. "I agree with V, it seems like they wanted him specifically."

"What makes you say that?" Jack asked.

"Because if they had them upon landing, they could have taken them all and the plane, if that was their goal, and at best Tom might have escaped," I said.

"Alright say your right," Jack said, "Why Gene?"

"V shot and killed his daughter," Gina said. "Maybe they think they can use that to get his help against you."

"Gene's not like that," Jack said. "Olivia was his daughter, but he knew she was on the wrong side and her actions might well get her killed."

"You know that, but does this man in the shadows know that?" Gina said.

"You have to admit it's logical," I said.

"Yeah, but Gene won't turn on us. He'll blame them for what happened to Olivia," Jack said.

Up ahead the lights of the airport flickered underneath the night sky. A few more minutes was all we needed to get there, but that was the easy part. The only advantage we had is they were expecting us to be arriving in a sedated condition and it was unlikely Cupcake bothered to call ahead and warn them we were going to be a little more lively. If we could get in close enough before they realized, we might stand a chance. No matter what, the odds were not in our favor though and I doubted the numbers would look any better.

The cell rang and I answered. "They've pulled back," Tom said "The're loading Gene on a plane and it looks like they're leaving."

"Cupcake must have called ahead," I said.

Jack raised and eyebrow to me. I held my hand up, telling him to hold on. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me.

Tom said, "Cupcake?"

"I'll explain later," I said. "Any chance you can slow them down?"

"I could try to mount a rescue, but I don't have much to work with," Tom said.

I relayed the information to Jack, allowing him the luxury of deciding the next move. If he appreciated the gesture or the effort behind, I cannot say. His eyes glazed over a bit and it was almost like he was someplace else rather than driving right next to me. If there had been any traffic on the road, it would have been a frightening moment.

"Tell him to hold his position," Jack said.

"Jack wants you to stay put," I said. "We're almost there."

"No problem here, but that plane isn't going to wait for you," Tom said.

We were running alongside the airport and out Jack's window I could see the plane maneuvering onto the runway. There was no other traffic in sight so it had to be the plane Dr. Michaels was on. I pointed out the window at it and Jack nodded. Time was up and I was lacking a plan of action that stood any chance of success. Jack seemed to have his own though.

"We'll do what we can," I said and disconnected the call.

Jack turned off the main road, aiming us at the chain link fence. We plowed through it, ripping a section free and sending it flying through the air. I held tight to the roof handle riding out the uneven terrain. We hit the runway a few feet ahead of the plane and Jack married the accelerator to the floor. I still had no idea what he was doing, but it did not take a degree in psychiatry to figure out it was crazy.

I stared at Jack, grim determination painted on his face and just beyond him, one of the plane's wheel struts. He ignored me and steered us closer to the wheel, pushing the Hummer's engine to its breaking point. Jack punched the cruise control and rolled down his window.

"Take the wheel and hold it steady," Jack shouted.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, shouting right back and grabbing hold of the steering wheel.

"You have to find that mountain before they do," Jack said, looking into my panicked eyes.

He unfastened his seatbelt, started to climb out the window and I said, "Jack!"

"Q5 is your team now," He said and disappeared out the window.

I stared at the empty seat next to me, unable to believe what Jack had done. The jet began to lift into the air, rattling the Hummer and shaking me from my state of shock. I climbed into the driver's seat and fought the wind turbulence for control, applying the brakes and bringing us to a stop. Behind me, Brian and Gina shared a look of relief and together, we watched the plane disappear into the night sky.

Tom and Kyra were sitting on a stationary luggage cart when we found them. The nearby boxes and luggage sported bullet holes and Tom's gun, still gripped in his hand, was locked open revealing it was empty. I jumped out of the Hummer followed by Brian and Gina. Kyra waved to us.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked.

Tom nodded, looking exhausted and Kyra said, "Fine. Where's Jack?"

I glanced to the south, the direction the plane had taken off and said, "With Dr. Michaels."

"Then you made it in time?" Tom said.

I shook my head and said, "No, Jack got himself on the plane though."

"Don't worry," Tom said, "I'm sure he has a plan."

I nodded. "I hope so."