“We copied a transmission from the aircraft with the call letters you gave us. The pilot advised Air Traffic Control that he was experiencing electrical problems and intended to land at an airstrip adjacent to an abandoned open-pit mine about a mile south of Blue Moon.”
Alarm raced through Max. “They’re making an emergency landing?” Images flashed through his mind of the plane crashing and bursting into flames, killing everyone on board and eliminating his chance of seizing control of the Calder empire through the child.
The copilot shook his head. “He never declared an emergency, sir. It seemed to be a precautionary measure. The pilot did say he had a registered mechanic on board. I got the impression he didn’t want to risk an electrical problem escalating into a crisis. That can happen in these high-tech birds.”
Max smiled at the unexpected opportunity that had just been given him. “How far ahead are they?”
“Roughly fifteen or twenty minutes.”
“We’ll land at the same airstrip and offer our assistance to their passengers.” A smug calm settled over him.
“Yes sir.”
Turning, the copilot headed back to the cockpit. Max waited until the door closed behind the man, then picked up the phone and placed a call.
After the fourth ring, Donovan’s voice spoke in his ear. “What do you need?”
“You,” Max replied. “A plane is about to land at Dy-Corp’s old runway. Sloan’s onboard with the baby—”
“Sloan?! What’s she doing coming back here now?”
“That’s not something you need to know,” Max retorted. “Your job is to get down there and make sure she doesn’t connect with Calders before I arrive.”
“You’re on your way here? To Montana?” Donovan repeated in a stunned voice.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Rutledge snapped in impatience. “I should be there in fifteen minutes. And don’t let Sloan see you. I don’t want her raising any alarm that might bring a lot of unwanted witnesses.”
“I’ll take care of it. Just a sec.” There was a slight pause. “I think I hear a plane.”
“Then get moving.”
The cabin attendant was the first to come down the airplane’s steps, Sloan’s bag slung over his shoulder. At the bottom, he turned and offered an assisting hand to Tara. Sloan followed, carrying Jake in her arms, a corner of his blanket covering his face. A gust of wind flipped it off, exposing him to the sun’s full glare.
“Hand the baby to me.” Tara reached to take him when Sloan paused to cover his face.
“I can manage,” Sloan assured her and descended the last few steps.
Shielding her own eyes from the sun and blowing dust, Tara looked around, making no attempt to disguise her irritation. “It was absolute nonsense to land here when we were so close to the ranch.”
It was a protest she had voiced numerous times since being informed of the pilot’s decision, often enough that neither the cabin attendant nor Sloan bothered to comment on her complaint. Instead the attendant gestured in the direction of an open metal hangar a short distance away. “You can get shelter from the wind and dust over here.”
“I am not about to wait around in a drafty old hangar while the repairs are being made,” Tara informed him and opened her slim black handbag.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Calder,” he began with tested patience, “but as I explained, it’s going to get too stuffy on the plane with all the onboard systems shut down.”
“Fine. But I am not waiting in that hangar when there is a perfectly good office building over there. As I recall, when I stopped here last spring, there was still an old chair in the lobby. We’ll wait there.” She unzipped a small compartment inside her purse.
“It’s bound to be locked, Mrs.—”
Tara held up a solid gold key. “Not a problem,” she replied. “I have a master to all the Dy-Corp properties. It was one of the last things my daddy gave me. I always carry it with me. Now, go fetch my sable in case it turns cooler.”
“And a cell phone, if anyone has one,” Sloan added.
“I have one in my flight bag,” the attendant told her and ran lightly up the steps into the cabin
.
“Let’s get the baby inside.” Tara’s hand urged Sloan toward the single-story building with dust-caked windowpanes “It’ll be a bit dusty in there, but it’s better than standing out here.”