The plane was at cruising speed when Jack pressed the autopilot button. Kate was sleeping in the co-pilot seat. He got up and walked to the deck. MeXico was untidily sitting down on a seat, looking out the window.
- MeXico, have you seen if everything is there?
MeXico lost he's blank stare and looked at Jack.
- Yeah, it's all there, they didn't touch it.
- Where are we going to land in Congo?
- Before that. I spoke to Pierre in the control tower.
- Who's Pierre?
- A Canadian officer, and a good friend of mine.
- And?
- Well he gave me some insight about the interpol operations. It seems that they know we are working together, and have put out a worldwide man hunt.
- Well, it's about time. We have been together since I arrived on this fucking rock.
- You don't get it. Before you were unknown to the public, you were part of a covert operation. They could not expose you, but now they changed your status. They ranked you as a level 5 criminal.
- That's gonna make things a little harder then...
- There's no truning back now! Well, I've gotta phone Umbraq.
Paul got up slowly, poured himself some whiskey and walked into the cockpit. He sat down on the pilot seat, picked up the satellite phone and had a sip of the whiskey.
- Umbraq, MeXico here. Yes, I know I'm fucking late. I'm en route right now, I need a place to land.
Kate woke up with MeXico's tone on the phone.
- Well fuck you and your fucking demands. I've got the goods with me, and I've got fuel to get to Russia. If you want this shit then you tell me, because if you don't I've got somewhere else to be. So shut the fuck up with your complaints and give me a fucking coordinate or put the fucking phone down. Ok then. I'll be there in five hours, you better have my money.
MeXico threw the phone on the floor as Jack walked in.
- You thinks it's wise to talk to a war lord like that?
- Yes, as a matter of fact I do. You can't be soft with these fuckers.
- Here, place these coordinates in the navigation panel.
MeXico gave the coordinates to Jack. The system started navigation to Lisala.
- That is the worst part of Congo, you do know that?
- Yeah, I do.
Jack took Kate by the hand and walked to the end of the plane. They laid on a bed inside a small compartment. They both laid on it. Kate looked at Jack for a long while before she started.- Where to from Congo?
- If we make it out of there alive? I'm gonna stop by in South Africa. And then I have to continue the journey.
- You could stay with me.
- Trust me, you don't want me. I'm not what you think I am.
- Jack, I... I...
- Don't I will just fill your life with lies, to then disappoint you.
- Why do you have to go on with this nonsense quest.
- I don't know, I just feel an inner compass directing me to the finish line. If I had a choice, it would be to stay with you.
Kates eyes filled themselves with tears. She looked out the small window. The clouds would pass by in a slow gracious way.
- I will go with you. - She whispered.
- Trust me you don't want to come with me. Can you see the sky from here? It looks lovely, a blue desktop with light colored clouds, but if you step outside it's a long ice cold fall to a rocky surface . It sums up the irony of my life.
- Jack shut up. I feel good around you.
- Kate, I lived alone in a space station for 15 years. I'm broken.
Kate held his hand and cried in silence for a long time.
- Jack... Jack, were the fuck are you? Jack.
MeXico was shouting from the cockpit. Jack got up in a rush and ran to him.
- What?
- Get your ass on that chair, we have 2 F16 leading the way.
Jack looked out the windows. Two military planes, on on each side of their plane where hovering by.
- Shit!
-Well, don't just stand there. Your the fucking pilot.
- Yes, but you the fucking wise guy that got us into this shit.
Their discussion was interrupted by the radio.
- Gulfstreem, this is Captain Marumbo. Please stand by for instructions. Umbraq has given us clearance to take you down in case you don't obey.
MeXico picked up the communicator and started.
- Tell Umbraq that we will land this plane, no strings attached.
- Roger that, please follow us.
The fighter planes move to the front of their plane and panned to the left. MeXico followed them. After some risky maneuvers captain Marumbo spoke.
- Gulfstreem, continue on this bearing for another five miles, maintain current altitude and speed. Then pan to the right and you will see a landing strip between the trees. Land there. Reduce speed to 35% before opening flaps or you will crash into the lake.
- The lake?
- Yes! Don't try anything stupid. We will be close by.
After speaking the planes fell behind and seconds after they were nowhere to be seen. MeXico and Jack did everything as ordered. After panning to the right as instructed they saw the landing strip.
- Fuck, not again!
- This shit is to fucking short.
- Trust me on this, we gotta reduce the speed to 30%, not 35.
- You're probably right.
And they did. The plane decreased the speed abruptly and the landing was clumsy, but they stopped about 10 meters from a huge lake.
- This plane won't sustain much more landings like these.
Before Jack could reply, hundreds of military cars surrounded the plane. Tanks, jeeps, black SUV's and other different vehicles pointed their guns at them. Behind all the weapons, from a limousine came out Umbraq.
- Shit, for a moment there I thought it was the police.
All four of them exited the plane. Umbraq was grinning. MeXico approached him with his right hand stretched.
- So white man, you want to play games with me? - Said Umbraq as he reached for a gun from his suit.
Jack ran to get Kate as he saw Umbraq's movement. But before he could reach her, as pair of arms took hold of him. In front of his eyes, MeXico, Kate and Ahmed were being held by soldiers. A white cloth was being held in front of their nose. Before he could talk, a strong smell came to him. He was also being taken out with chloroform.
1 comentário:
Nice cliffhanger.
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