Page 29 of Fourth Point Of Contact

“That’s sort of the point of a hard takeoff. Now pull the fuck up!”

I let out a scream as I pulled back on the yoke. “This is nothing like pedaling really fast!”

“Keep going! You’re almost there!”

“How the fuck would you know?”

“Rae’s got you on the big screen. Keep pushing.”

I did as he said, but we were barreling down on the vehicles blocking the runway, and if they didn’t move, we were going to crash in a fiery ball.

“I’m gonna hit the trucks!”

“You’re not gonna hit the trucks!”

“They’re not moving!”

“They’re not supposed to. You are!”

I let out a loud shout as I yanked back on the yoke and closed my eyes, praying we made it. An alarm sounded, forcing me to open my eyes. “The wheels are gone!”

“Yeah, you totally hit the trucks,” Scottie chuckled.

But we were in the air, rising higher and higher, and now I understood why he threw up when he flew. “Ugh, I don’t feel so good.”

“Do not throw up until you’re level!”

“‘Fraid that’s not a possibility,” I groaned, scrambling to find a vomit bag. One was shoved in front of my face just as I hurled repeatedly. No matter how level the plane got, I just couldn’t keep the vomit down. I was not made out for flying a plane, and it was a good five or ten minutes before my stomach settled.

I moaned and leaned my head back in the seat, not even sure who was flying the fucking plane any longer. I had no idea where we were, but there was now a mountain range below us. I rolled my head to the side and found Piper in the co-pilot’s seat.

“Do you have any fucking clue what you’re doing?”

She shrugged, looking at me in challenge. “No. Do you?”

“Good point.”

Something crackled from the headset, but just as I reached for it, Chase was rushing up behind me, pointing at the sky.

“Look out!”

My gaze shot up just in time to see another plane on a collision course with us. In my panic, I yanked the yoke to the right, which turned out to be a bad thing. Alarms blared, everyone—including me—fell sideways from the force of the turn, and we were headed right toward a fucking mountain.

“Oh, fuck!” I shouted, raising the yoke with all my might. I had no fucking clue what I was doing, but doing something was better than nothing. We were flying higher and higher, cresting over mountains and leaving the airport in the dust, but nothing about this flight was okay.

Every fucking red light was blinking and alarms were sounding everywhere. “Scottie, what the fuck do I do?”

I started hitting buttons, desperately trying to figure out something that would reset the fucking plane.

“Abandon ship!” Chase shouted, hauling me out of my seat.

“This isn’t a ship!”

A parachute was thrust into my arms and I quickly pulled it on, then rushed over to get one for Nick.

“We’re out of chutes!” Nick shouted, holding up the last one that was for him, leaving Piper with nothing.

“Keep it.”

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