Page 110 of Axe-ing for Trouble
“Headset is on your seat. Sit in the middle. We’ve got to stay balanced,” he said as Jude swung himself into the passenger seat and slid his headset on like a pro.
Feeling like a deer in headlights, I dropped into the seat.
Finn gave me a big smile. “Just sit tight and enjoy the ride. People pay big money for these views.” With that, he shut the tiny door and walked around the plane, giving it one more inspection.
He climbed in, started the engine, and toggled all kinds of switches. He followed that up with pressing a series of buttons. I sat frozen in my seat, focused solely on breathing.
I’d flown in more than one small plane and had experienced a few very bumpy flights, so this wasn’t new to me, but the shock of the day had officially swamped me, making it difficult to digest any of this.
“Ready?” Finn asked through his headset as the sound of the propeller became deafening.
Jude gave him a thumbs-up, so I did the same, and then we were off, gliding over the water as we picked up speed.
The nose lifted, and my stomach clenched in response. In seconds, we’d accelerated further, and the next thing I knew, we were in the air.
As Finn circled around the lake, I took in the view. Gus stood on the edge of the dock, waving. Ripley stood beside him, her nose in the air.
The sight of her made my heart pang. I already missed her.
Within minutes we were out of town, soaring over the endless miles of forest. The sky was bright blue, and beyond the green ocean of pines, wild foliage grew. Thousands of trees and leaves in every shade of red, yellow, and orange dispersed throughout the dense canopy.
We soared and swooped across mountains and rivers, with nothing but vast wilderness spread out in front of us. It was breathtaking.
After forty minutes, we began to descend. It was a bit nerve-racking, given the size of some of the trees, but Finn seemed completely at ease.
He banked right, and a large, glittering lake came into view. The water was bright blue, and a dock that looked newly built stood out against the wild backdrop. It was alone out here. There wasn’t a house, a road, or a boat to be seen.
Finn circled twice before reducing speed and touching down with precision on the glassy surface. We taxied a bit to reduce speed before he steered toward the dock.
When we were close, Jude climbed out and stood on the wing of the plane. And when we approached the dock, he jumped onto its wooden boards. While he tied off, Finn flipped all his switches and read his instruments.
“Where are we?” I asked as Jude opened the door and hit me with a devastating smile.
“Paradise.” Finn’s grin looked so much like his brother’s. “Also known as Big Eagle Lake.”
Jude helped me down, then went straight to the cargo hold and began unloading. I followed, grabbing one of the backpacks as he picked up a gas can and a large axe. We piled the supplies on the dock, and when it looked like we had everything, Finn handed Jude a clunky satphone.
“It’s charged. Should be good for a week. As agreed, check in at eight every morning. We’ll give you updates then.”
With a nod, Jude clipped the phone to his belt. “Thanks.”
Finn, hands on his hips, turned to me. “You’re in good hands. No one knows the woods like Jude.”
“Will you come pick us up?” I asked.
How long were we expected to stay here? It was beautiful, but the weather had taken a turn lately. It was already freezing, and the nights would be almost frigid. While I was no stranger to roughing it, I certainly wasn’t used to being completely alone in the woods.
“When you’re ready,” he said. “Call me anytime.”
He gave us a salute and then swung his giant frame back into the cockpit.
Jude waited for his signal, then untied the line. Then Finn was off, zipping across the water before taking flight. Leaving us alone in the wilderness.
It was then that I officially couldn’t take it anymore. I was scared and tired and hungry.
“What the fuck is going on?” I shouted, the words echoing off the nearby trees.
Jude, who’d picked up a gas tank, set it down again.
