“I’m thirsty.” I grabbed two cans of Coke. These would be safe to drink.
She stepped to the side and gestured for me to get back to my seat.
I sat down again and chugged the sweet liquid. Bubbles burned my throat as I quenched my thirst.
“If you do that again…” She reached into her Hermes handbag and pulled out a taser. “I will zap you.”
Eyeing the taser warily, I assumed it was the same one Helete used on Barret. If it was powerful enough to put a man of his size down…
“I won’t be a bother,” I said softly, hoping she’d believe the lie.
She tucked the taser back in her handbag. “Do what I say.”
I popped the lid open on the second Coke. “Sure.”
The plane banked left and, as I peered out the window, I saw lights glinting through the ominous dark clouds. A brightly lit cityscape came into view. “Where are we?”
“Everything you do from now on is very important,” she demanded with an even tone. “Should you cause any trouble, I’ve been instructed to make things very uncomfortable for you.” She spoke her threat calmly, fastening her seatbelt before pointing to mine. “We’re landing.”
The view had become bleak and there were no landmarks to give away our location.
When the wheels touched down we bounced on the runway and then continued toward the lights of an airport. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt so vulnerable.
This woman knew how to open a plane door. A burst of cold air rushed in. She peered down at the metal steps that were shoved against the plane by some unseen airport employee.
She led me down onto the tarmac. A man in overalls gave a nod of thanks as he accepted a package she shoved at him. I turned to look back at him, but she gripped my arm painfully and pulled me away. It was dark beyond the central lights and I strained to see any clear landmarks that could pin down where we were.
I’d be ready to scream once we entered the terminal.
Only she was leading me directly toward a car. Two burly men exited the vehicle behind it, and closed the gap between us.
I broke away from her grip and bolted toward the terminal, my heels wobbling on the asphalt.
A strong arm wrapped around my waist and dragged me backwards. I elbowed him, striking hard muscle as I struggled to get free.
“Careful with her,” Galina yelled.
“Get her in,” ordered another voice in the dark.
They shoved me into the backseat of a car and I scrambled over to the other side. Before my hand reached the handle the locks clicked shut.
Through the glass partition that separated the front and back seats, I saw Galina settling in next to the driver. She spoke to him, but I couldn’t hear what was said. Not that I’d have understood either of them if I had. Turning in my seat to peer out the back, I saw the two men get in the car behind us.
I was jolted back as we sped off, my panicked gasps echoing around me, my heart pounding fast.
As we approached a highway, I spun around and read a sign. We were leaving Paris Le Bourget Airport.
We weren’t even in the States.
They won’t find me.
The Russian kept her focus ahead. My eyes stung from the tears I held back. A nagging tiredness scratched at my raw nerves. Rubbing my eyes, I stared out at the dawn landscape, watching as sporadic homes and other buildings whizzed by, along with a few cars and the occasional foreigner.
Where the hell was she taking me?
Up ahead, a middle-aged couple were out walking their dog. I banged on my window to get their attention.
We flew past them.