Page 17 of The Unlikely Pair
My gaze flies to Harry opposite me, but besides his pallor, he looks perfectly composed.
“The pilot knows what he’s doing,” he says. “He will have practiced for this scenario.”
I’ve always suspected Harry Matheson is a cyborg. Now I have conclusive proof, and it appears I won’t be able to share this news with the world because I’m currently plummeting towards Earth in a small metal tube.
Gravity is a cruel mistress.
The plane continues its harrowing descent. Out the window, the ground rears up at an alarming pace. Hills, forests, and lakes become more distinct in detail, but now is definitely not the time to admire the beauty of the Scandinavian wilderness.
It feels like the landscape is reaching up to grab us and pull us down to Earth.
Kade’s voice is back on the intercom. “Prepare to brace.”
Holy shit, this is actually happening.
I lean forward, clutching my ankles, my head between my knees, my breathing coming in ragged gasps.
Then, with a deafening roar, we slam into the ground. The world becomes dizzying, tumbling chaos. I’m thrown forward, the seatbelt cutting into my chest. My ears are filled with the screeching of metal, the shattering of glass, and the splintering of trees.
I swear every bone in my body rattles.
Miraculously, the plane skids to a stop, the sound of tortured metal giving way to eerie silence.
I keep perfectly still for a second, my uneven breath the only thing I can hear over the pounding in my ears.
Is it over?
I cautiously raise my head, blinking as my eyes adjust to the dimness of the cabin without lights. The once-immaculateinterior now looks like it’s been through a particularly aggressive bout of redecorating by a pack of hyperactive toddlers.
I’m alive.
And despite my feelings towards Harry, a flood of relief flows through me when I see he also appears to be in one piece.
His eyes meet mine, and for a fleeting moment, I feel weirdly connected to him. Shit. The crash must have rattled my brain more than I thought.
“Are you all right?” I ask.
“Considering I’ve just been in a plane crash, it appears I’m surprisingly intact,” Harry replies.
I tentatively stretch out my legs, testing that they are still in working order.
My stomach seems most affected by the events of the last few minutes because it’s still sloshing around. My only other discomfort is a tender feeling across my chest where the seat belt dug into me during our landing.
I unbuckle my seat belt as the door to the cockpit opens with a metallic screech.
There’s no trace of Kade’s cocky smirk now as he pokes his head through the divide.
“Are you both okay?”
I gingerly roll my shoulder, testing it. “Yeah, we’re fine.”
“Thank you, Kade. We owe you our lives,” Harry says pompously.
Kade grimaces. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
“No, I’d say we’re actually right in the middle of the woods,” I comment.
Neither Harry nor Kade appears in the mood to appreciate my wit right now. But it’s the only way I know how to fight the panic swirling inside me.
