“This way,” Ivan shouted. “We’ll be able to lock ourselves inside and radio for help. Or maybe we can even fly outta here.”
Jake gasped for breath as they ran. “You know how to fly a plane?”
“No idea. But it can’t be that hard, huh?”
“Sure, sure. Tell it to the goddamn pilot who just crashed that one.”
Ivan could hear the Mexicans shouting in their own language as they continued to chase them. Langdon was with them too – Ivan could hear his voice. They’d stopped shooting now – because the trees were blocking their aim – but Ivan knew as soon as he and Jake ran out into the field, they’d start again.
“Come on,” Ivan said, as they reached the edge of the trees. “Ready to sprint? Give it all you got – one last push, right.”
Jake nodded and dashed out into the open field toward the plane. Ivan ran fast too, and – as predicted – the bullets started up, but thank god neither of them got hit as they fled behind the plane, taking shelter there.
“Now we just need to get round to the other side and open the door without getting killed,” Ivan said. “After that… we’re plain sailing.”
****
Samira breathed hard and tried to get a grip, feeling ecstatic just to be alive and back on steady ground. “You okay, Joseph? I think you saved us!”
She turned to face him and her heart sank. He was bent over the controls, unmoving. He looked dead… Oh god…
“Joseph!” She reached out and shook him. He groaned. She could see that his forehead was bleeding where he’d hit it hard against the console. But at least he was alive.
She scrambled up out of her seat – driven by a desire to get off this stupid plane to find help – so she grabbed the suitcase, and slowly opened the silent plane door, letting in the gloomy air.
The scene before her made her blood freeze with fear. Ivan and Jake were there, with two heavy-set gangster types she didn’t recognize, seemingly ready to fight. It looked as if the two guys had chased Ivan and Jake here. This must be something to do with Langdon and her passport…
The gangsters were both holding guns, and pointing them directly at Ivan and Jake.
She held her breath as Ivan raised his hands and started to walk toward one of the gangsters. “Listen,” Ivan said. “Before you shoot me, there’s something you really need to know.”
The gangster stared at Ivan with cautious interest as he continued to walk slowly towards him. “It’s about the drugs,” Ivan said. “I can help you get really, really rich…”
The gangster opened his mouth to reply as Ivan halted, but he didn’t get the chance to speak, because – in one swift movement – Ivan kicked the gun away from the now-shocked gangster and kneed him in the nuts, causing him to crumple to the grass in a heap. One down…
While ‘gangster two’ was distracted by his friend’s groans of pain, Jake launched himself and punched him in the face – grabbing the wrist of his gun-holding hand, and squeezing until he dropped his weapon. Ivan kicked the incapacitated ‘gangster one’ in the face – making sure he was definitely out – then he darted over to help Jake – punching ‘gangster two’ into unconsciousness, while Jake kicked his gun away.
“That was easy,” Ivan said, surveying the knocked-out gangsters.
“You’re not bad in a fight,” Jake said.
Ivan shrugged. “I guess we make a pretty good team.”
“I guess we do.”
Samira cheered with relief and pushed down the retractable steps so she could get off the plane. “Oh my god,” she said. “I can’t believe we crash-landed right in the middle of this!”
Jake and Ivan looked up and saw her for the first time.
“Samira, what the fuck are you doing here?” Ivan asked.
She strolled down the wobbly steps to the grass and held up the suitcase. “I tried to call you but I couldn’t get through. Joseph flew me here. You’ve got the wrong case.”
“We know,” Jake said. “We found out the hard way.”
Samira opened her mouth to reply, but she suddenly realized there was someone missing. She gazed down at the suitcase in her hands, and–
“Samira, look out!” Ivan shouted.