Sounds Like Obsession (Sounds Like 1)

He huffed and jumped to the floor. “I don’t miss.”

I crossed my arms, hoping I had been loud enough for AJ to hear me, although beneath the main cabin it was loud. There was a constant roar of the engine. The baggage rattled.

“What are you going to do with me down here? I can’t just disappear.”

“You can’t?” he mocked.

“Someone up there will notice I’m gone.”

“You’re flying alone.” He waved the gun, motioning me to move backward. I sat on a stack of suitcases.

“Are you sure about that? Maybe you should have done more research,” I taunted. “I’m not alone.”

“Shut up. I have no idea why they want you. You talk all the damn time. You’re hot as shit. I’ll give you that. But that mouth is more than I could put up with.”

I didn’t take the bait. I wasn’t going to give up. I still had a bargaining chip to play—my fortune. “Whatever they are paying you, I’ll pay you more,” I pleaded. “Name it. I can wire it here and now from the flight. Let me go. You can walk away with as much money as you want.”

I didn’t like the hollowness in his eyes. It was as if part of him was missing.

“I’m good. I don’t feel like renegotiating. I got a good deal.”

“You don’t want more money?” I tried to keep my eyes on him, but it was tempting to look for AJ. He was still here. I was positive.

“If you’re thinking about personally sweetening the deal, then we can talk. Why don’t you tell me just how far you’re willing to go.”

The nausea hit me hard. “No,” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Your loss, baby.” He revealed a set of zip ties and I froze with horror.

“What are you doing with those?” I stammered.

“Until we land you need to stay put.” He lumbered toward me and I cringed. “Give me your wrists.”

I held them forward as he zipped them together. “Ouch.”

“Stay still,” he ordered. He lowered to the floor and zipped another pair around my ankles. He turned for the stairs once he was confident I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Landings get a little bumpy down here.”

He took the stairs and closed the door above me.

I didn’t know how I kept the tears in. I tried to move my ankles and wrists but they were pinned. My lungs seized when I heard a shuffle in the suitcases.

“Syd, fuck, are you ok?” AJ jumped over the luggage and rushed over to me.

I slid to the floor, unable to keep my balance.

He wiped the tear off my cheek. “I’m going to get you out of this. Ok? Let me find something to cut the ties with. Just hold on.”

I nodded, trying to keep the rest of the tears inside. I knew I couldn’t break down. Not now. We had a long way to go.

AJ rested his gun on the floor next to me. It had been drawn the entire time he was watching us. It was the smart move to resist firing it, although I knew he wanted to put a bullet in Hancock.

He started to open suitcases, digging through them for a set of tweezers or scissors. Anything with a sharp enough edge that wouldn’t have passed the TSA security line.

I yelled to him too late. The door above opened and I saw Hancock. Only this time he wasn’t alone. He was back with another plain clothes passenger.

The men jumped to the floor, but there was nothing I could do to warn AJ. His gun was by my side and the men were armed. There wasn’t enough time. I wasn’t fast enough. I couldn’t outmaneuver them