Sounds Like Obsession (Sounds Like 1)

“I know.” His eyes pinched together. “It will take hours for them to vet your threat before they act on it, but it might be the only communication we can get to the ground. And let’s face it, if something happens to us, they are going to need a trail of bread crumbs to figure this thing out.”

I nodded. “You’re right. I’ll send out a chain message that will keep resending until someone opens it. That’s the best I can do.”

AJ smiled. “You never have given yourself enough credit, Syd.” He sighed. “How quickly can you plant that in the FBI’s email system?”

I typed in a few more codes and worded the email. I wanted it to sound credible so that it didn’t end up on the bottom of the stack of threats to examine.

“Done,” I announced.

“Incredible.”

As if on cue, the speaker crackled overhead.

“Good news, folks. This is your captain. I have an update from the flight deck. We have been cleared to land. Flight crew, cross check for arrival.”

There was a flutter of cheers around us. If only they knew they were being led down a trail of lies.

My stomach dropped. Despite the relief and shift in atmosphere coming from the passengers, I knew something else horrible was about to happen.

Chapter Fourteen

AJ pulled out his phone. He tried to restart it. “I think I was looking for the wrong device when I checked the cabin earlier. I was looking for a bomb when I should have been looking for a speaker like box.”

We played along and buckled our seatbelts like the other passengers when Jeff eyed us, but both of us knew there was no way Beechum was going to land the plan. The marketplace was still open and the documents along with control over the crew was for sale.

I was certain Beechum wasn’t landing until he had orders from his new boss. I had no idea how long something like this could continue. It was likely Jelly Bean Jack didn’t care. He wanted to vet the buyer and secure funds. A man willing to hijack a plane wasn’t playing by a standard rulebook. There was no guide where he was concerned.

“What do you mean a speaker?” I asked.

“My phone jammed when we took off. Have you seen anything about me in the files for sale? Any mention of an agent?”

I shook my head. “Not from what I’ve seen. It’s primarily for Project Compass and Silver Siren.” I winced even using that alias.

“Good. That’s good. I doubt they know I’m on the plane. I didn’t fly as AJ Hart. Whoever bought this flight would have checked the manifest. They don’t know there’s an agent onboard. They don’t know my identity. We have a fucking break, finally.”

“Then why jam the signal?”

“I’m sure it’s a precaution. If an air marshal had boarded last minute, trying to make another flight, I doubt they would have been able to kick him off. He would have had an outside line. The jamming frequency was just a fail-safe. So let’s find it and get my phone back on.”

“In the plane?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We need to turn it off. It has a manual switch. Someone on the crew used it once we were in the air.”

“That means you’re sure it’s in the cabin.”

“I’m positive. If we can turn it back on, I’ll be able to communicate with the Bureau. We’ll have backup on the ground wherever they put this jet down.”

It felt like there was a small shred of hope. Something we could do to shift the power back into our hands. But where were we going to find it? And how did we start walking around when everyone else was preparing to land? We had been instructed not to move around the cabin and Beechum had turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Any movement on our part would be noticeable.

I looked out the window. I could see the Capitol in the distance. It was as if the clouds had parted just enough to let the sun bounce off the rotunda. If I peered hard enough I could see the Washington Monument beyond that. It didn’t look as looming from this vantage point. That’s how everything looked from the sky. Unassuming and miniscule. Although, I knew in the parks and buildings below people were busy sloughing through their lives. Some were in church on a Sunday. Others were spending time together on their day off.

Carrying on. Living. Oblivious that overhead an entire plane full of innocent passengers was at the mercy of some of the world’s darkest and soulless creatures. Men who put a price tag on life, and payed it for sport. The bile rose in the back of my throat.

But just as we began to descend into the D.C. area I felt the plane start to pull up. I glanced at AJ.

“Folks, this is your captain again. Looks like we have a slight mechanical issue we need to deal with before we’re going to be able to land. Just be patient with us while my co-pilot and I go through the safety procedures for ensuring our landing gear is functioning properly. I don’t want you to worry. We’re going to get you on the ground safely. Just hang tight a little longer.”

“And that’s how they’re going to buy a little more time, while someone buys this flight and everything they have on Project Compass.”