Fatal Flight Read online

  “She’s a caring woman.” Pops hugged Sky. “You’ve made a good decision. Remember there is always room for more love in our hearts. And that’s all she’s offering…love.”

  Sky found herself trailing down the stairs after Gita, a tiny piece of her hurting heart reluctant to let the woman go.

  Chapter Ten

  Adam strode into his father’s office at the end of the day. They’d planned dinner together at their club. His father was speaking on the phone, so Adam stood gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Houston skyline. He didn’t see the splendid scene. His mind was full of Sky, and her abrupt dismissal of him from her life. Her lack of trust had hurt more than he’d expected, and he couldn’t cover up his pain with a coat of anger, because his sense of loss acted like dark marks refusing obliteration.

  “That’s great, Gita. Thanks for letting us know. Just enjoy yourself and fly safely.”

  Adam’s attention went from inward to outward at the sound of Gita’s name. “What’s she up to now?” he growled, as his father ended the call.

  “She’s in Tahoe, flew over to tell Sky you didn’t set her up in Houston, and apologize for upsetting her before the race.”

  “Oh, God.” Adam raked his hands through his hair. “I can only imagine how that is going.” His mind speeded through several scenarios of Gita confronting Sky; yet again, none of them ended well. “Look, Dad, I’m going to cancel on you. I have to get over there, fast, and do damage control.” He calculated the four-hour flight, plus the drive from the airport to Stravinski’s airfield. How much trouble could Gita cause in that time?

  “You know, son, the work on the infra-red lighting for the Harrier contract is finished. She’s scheduled for a test flight tonight. Since you’ve had all your licenses re-instated, you could fly the test.” His father shuffled papers on his desk, not looking up as he threw Adam a lifeline.

  “Thanks, Dad. Will you call the test center and approve the change in pilots? I’ll be there as soon as I change and pack an overnight bag.” He tossed the last words over his shoulder as he rushed from the office.

  “We’ll need the Harrier back tomorrow, early. The military is picking it up then.”

  “I’ll have it here.”

  “Fly safely, Adam.” His dad’s voice followed him down the hall.

  In less than two hours, Adam flew the Jump Jet, as they were affectionately named, over Stravinski Airfield and hovered, waiting for clearance from the closest tower. Max came out of the office and looked up, hands on hips. Adam bet a VTOL landing had never happened on his airstrip before. The Harrier had the envious ability to take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. It made it possible for the military to access places with no landing strips, and yet, still move and fuel up at speed.

  He landed the heavy machine with the lightest of bumps and rolled it off the airstrip and onto the concrete pad in front of the hangar. Max hung back, anticipating the heavy rush of air that powered the plane while it landed. As Adam cut the duel jet engines, Max came alongside the door.

  “Adam. This is quite the surprise…the Harrier, not your arrival. I expected your appearance the second you knew Gita was here.”

  “How bad is it?” Adam climbed out of the seat of the plane and jumped to the ground.

  “No blood spilled,” Max continued, walking around the plane, examining as much as he could see from his position on the ground. “This is some machine. How did you get hold of it?”

  “I’m purportedly test flying it for Hamilton, before we hand it back to the military.” Adam’s wry tone had Max looking over.

  “Well, I’m glad you have your licenses back, and you’re flying legally, if you’re borrowing a multimillion dollar aircraft from Uncle Sam.”

  “I’m flying legitimately, at least.” Adam chuckled. He liked Max.

  “Well, damn, Adam, I’m glad for you. That’s great news.”

  “Now tell me the bad news. How upset is Sky?”

  “You can stop revving your engines. Sky did what I expected she’d do, once I forced her to listen to her grandmother. She crumbled like a piece of overcooked bacon. They’re already pals, out flying together right now. Should be back any second. Gita’s flying and can’t land in the dark.”

  Adam didn’t know whether to curse or be happy. Sky had put him in a wringer and turned the handle each time he’d asked her to meet and hear Gita out. But Gita waltzes over, says a few words, and everything is just grand. “Seems like I flew over here for no purpose.”

  “Oh, I think you had a purpose,” Max said with a sly grin. “Just not the one you’re telling yourself.”

  Adam glared at him. Yes, he’d used Gita’s actions as the only excuse he had to see Sky.

  Max shrugged and brought his hands to his eyes, slanting out the brilliant rays of the setting sun. A small speck appeared in the distance. “Sounds like the Cessna now. You ready for this?”

  Adam realized he wasn’t. If he didn’t have to intercede on Gita’s behalf, or protect Sky, he’d be standing there looking like an idiot when they touched down. He jerked around and headed for the office.

  Max chortled and followed. “Damn hard for a man when a woman has him by the necktie and keeps tying more knots,” he commiserated with Adam’s misery.

  Adam paced around the desk. As usual, it was covered with piles of paper. The edge of his leather jacket caught one pile sending several pieces floating to the floor. He stooped and picked them up.

  “What’s this,” he asked Max, when the words Cooper Land Developers on the letterhead caught his attention.

  Max grabbed it, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at the garbage can. “I told Ruby to throw all those away without answering. It’s taking her forever to catch onto this job. She’s just not working out. I’ll have to let her go and find someone else”

  Adam retrieved the paper and straightened it out. “You threw a letter away one other time. Was it from Cooper, too?”

  “Yeah, the guy’s been bugging us for almost two years. He wants to buy the airfield, build high rise condos on it, and bring in more skiers. He owns two of the ski hills in this area.”

  “And you rejected his offer?”

  “Damn right. Stravinski Airfield is a going concern. We’re sitting on prime land and using every foot of it. Told him to get lost each time he upped his offer. He’s persistent, just won’t go away.”

  “And you don’t think the dollars involved in owning this land might be motivation for getting you off it, one way or another?” Adam asked.

  Max took in the significance of what he’d said. His eyes widened. “You think Cooper might be behind the fire, the explosions, the sabotage?”

  “Not the fire. Daniel confessed to starting that. But it might have given Cooper the idea that destroying your business would encourage you to sell. As Sky told the sheriff, the guy who fired at the plane and fuel tank had a clear shot at her, but didn’t take it. Maybe, his orders were to scare you off the property.”

  “Well he doesn’t know Stravinskis, if he thought we’d fold.” Max slapped his butt into his chair and swiveled back and forth.

  “He found out you were made of sterner stuff and went after Sky, instead. Whether he scared her into quitting or killed her, it would have affected your decision to keep the airfield going.”

  “You’re right. If Sky died in a crash, I wouldn’t have the heart to keep going. I would have sold it. But Andre confessed to sabotaging her plane?”

  “And we all assumed he’d done it to put her out of the running, win the prize money, but what if he’d been hired to get Sky out of the way?”

  “Should we bring the sheriff in on this?”

  “I think we should update the sheriff and speak to the District Attorney in Los Angeles, who is trying Andre’s case. Maybe he can get Andre to finger someone, if he offers him a lesser sentence.”

  “I’ll call the sheriff, you get hold of the D.A.” Max already had his phone in his hand.

&nbs
p; “I might still reach him tonight.” Adam checked his watch and calculated the time change to the west coast. He scrolled through his contacts and pulled up the number. He ended up leaving a voice message, then sent a brief text, explaining their thinking, and asking the D.A. to call him.

  ****

  The Cessna landed and rolled onto the cement pad beside the Harrier. Sky and Gita emerged, followed by two of Gita’s bodyguards. They all circled the huge Jump Jet, exclaiming over its size and capabilities. Sky was the first to guess he’d flown it in. He sensed her awareness as she looked toward the office and saw him looking out the window. She said something to Gita, and the two of them started toward the hangar.

  Before they could exchange a greeting, Max jumped in. “Sky, you won’t believe what Adam and I have come up with.” He started into a lengthy explanation of their theory and his conversation with the sheriff.

  “So, Sheriff Anderson is going to do some digging, says if we get a statement from Andre saying Cooper paid him, he’ll have just cause to get a search warrant. A forensic accountant on the force could see if Cooper paid a large sum out around the date of the sniper attack. If so, they’ll follow the paper trail right to Cooper and arrest him for attempted murder and destruction of property.” Pops rubbed his hands together.

  “It all sounds plausible,” Gita pronounced. “But, it would make a lot more sense if I had a scotch in my hands. Let’s adjourn to your loft, Sky, and get comfortable.”

  “You go ahead, Gita. I just want to make sure the ground crew takes care of your Cessna.”

  Adam watched Gita’s face soften with love, as Sky spoke her name.

  “Adam, do you have any special instructions about the Harrier?” Sky looked over at him.

  “I’ll lock it up and hope all the extra security you installed keeps it safe.” He walked out beside her. She didn’t speak again, just headed for the mechanic working at the far side of the hangar, calling out to him. Adam took care of the Harrier, making sure all her systems were shut down and she was locked up tight. He used his phone to file a flight plan for early morning. Hamilton would be at the wrong end of a huge lawsuit if anything happened to the Harrier, while he had it so far away from their usual test zone. His father had really stuck his neck out for him.

  Once in the loft, he saw Gita was alone. “Max is making a few more calls,” she explained. “And I expect Sky will dally out there, finding several more excuses not to come up.” She handed Adam a scotch on the rocks in one of Sky’s colorful kitchen glasses. He couldn’t help comparing it to the last time he’d taken a drink from her hand and all that had unfolded because of the choice he’d made to help her.

  “You could have found Sky on your own and come to see her right from the beginning of this,” he concluded, remembering Sky’s accusation. “Why didn’t you? Why drag me into it?”

  Gita hummed for a minute. “I thought you were becoming too introspective, too focused on your injuries. I worried you’d sink into a depression, and I decided having a project might get your mind off you and onto something positive.” She hesitated and took a sip. The ice in the glass tinkled as she vacillated. “And, I’ll admit I lacked the courage. I was afraid she’d reject me and hoped she’d listen to you. You bring out the desire to trust in people.”

  “And…” He pushed her with a steady gaze.

  “All right, I confess. I hoped you two would hit it off. You’re thirty-two with no woman in your life. Maybe it was a pipedream, but I didn’t think it would hurt anybody. Now, I’m not so sure.”

  Adam didn’t like that Gita foresaw the same pain coming his way he did. “Has she said something about us?”

  “No, the fact she won’t talk about you is clue enough. But I’ll give you this advice. Sky accepted me, because I made myself vulnerable, shared how I was afraid she would reject me because I’d been a poor mother to Erik.”

  “You weren’t a poor mother.” Adam leapt to her defense.

  She raised her hand, slanting him a loving smile. “Never the less, I feared she would think I was the cause of his many bad choices. By opening myself up, I benefited from her compassion. Sky has a deep well of it. I think, in time, we will be good friends. But the thing that really won me a place in her world was my saying I just wanted to love her, wanted her to be my family. There isn’t a one of us who doesn’t want to be loved. So, if you want a place in Sky’s world, you just have to persuade her you love her…”

  Adam opened his mouth to say it wasn’t that simple, but Gita spoke over him, “…because you do.”

  He grimaced. “She doesn’t make it easy, fights me for the sheer pleasure of riling me. She acts like she could care less, whether I am around or not.” He didn’t mention her easy exit, calling the most intense lovemaking of his experience good sex.

  “She’s testing you, because so many others have failed her. Accept her for who she is, the pilot, the dare devil, the businesswoman, the child who fears you, too, will walk away, because she isn’t good enough.”

  “Never.” Adam slammed down his glass, slopping scotch onto the table.

  “You don’t have to convince me. It’s Sky who needs reassurance. Brian stole her confidence in her ability to read character, and she’s confused the issue by concluding money makes a person selfish and demanding. Yes, it’s irrational, but it’s part of who she is. We have to show her, over time, that her thinking is wrong. We’re not all like Brian. She’s halfway there, I believe, and I’ve done what I can to re-build her trust in you. I’ve explained you didn’t ambush her, but have done everything you can to protect her and give her time.”

  “Time. Where am I supposed to get this time? I’m due back in Houston first thing in the morning. If she doesn’t give me an opening, I won’t see her again.”

  “Then you better make the most of this evening.” Gita finished her drink. “I’m going to get Max to take me out to dinner. We won’t be coming back here tonight.”

  Adam crossed to the window and watched as Gita approached Sky. They talked. Sky looked up at the loft, then back to her grandmother. Gita wrapped her arms around Sky and gave her a hug. Sky’s arms dangled by her side, then rose, and enfolded Gita. Tenderness stirred, tightening his throat, as he noted Sky’s hesitation—not one of refusal, but one of mustering courage. Did she think she would be hurt by Gita if she opened her heart? Is that what she feared from him, as Gita had said? That Sky could consider herself less in any way astounded him. She was the most gifted, intelligent, beautiful woman he’d met. Yet, he knew she’d been devastated and could understand her need to protect herself. He had to find a way behind that barrier, get close enough that he could replace her pain with his love.

  He heard her footsteps climbing the stairs at a much slower pace than usual. He didn’t turn from the window, trying for a casual, non-threatening appearance.

  She crossed to the fridge, took out a cola, and poured it into a glass. “Do you need a refill?” She indicated the drink in his hand.

  “No, I’m fine. I hope you don’t mind. Gita made me a drink before she left.”

  Sky’s plush lips tightened. “A sudden change of plans, I gather. We were supposed to have dinner together.”

  “Sorry, I think she felt it was important we clear up any misunderstandings between us.”

  “If by that you mean I should apologize for accusing you of being in cahoots with your godmother, then I will.” She sat on the sofa, staring into the bubbles rising in her glass. With a deep breath, she met his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not here for an apology. I just want your trust. I wasn’t part of her ambush. I haven’t done anything in the time you’ve known me to make you think you can’t trust me, have I?” He paused, martialing a stronger argument.

  “You’re right, you haven’t. I was out of line jumping to conclusions. As I said, I’m sorry.”

  About to plead his case, he stopped and ran her words through the sieve of his brain cells again. “So, you don’t have a problem wi
th me? We’re good?” He couldn’t believe it was that easy, almost felt a queasy sense of something wrong, way wrong.

  “We’re good.” Her expression reminded him once again of Gita—inner strength hidden behind a ladylike elegance. But Gita’s face most often held a warm smile, her sweet features welcoming. Sky’s was as frozen as the Alaskan tundra. A thaw wasn’t coming soon.

  “Tell me about the Harrier. How does she fly? What are her stats? How did you get permission to fly her? I’d love to go up in her.”

  Adam noted the change in conversation. Going along with her choice of topic, until things eased between them, seemed his best strategy. He settled into the armchair across from the sofa. He told her about the Jump Jet, her speed and capabilities, and how it felt to do a vertical take-off and landing. Sky leaned forward, taking in every word, her lips parted, her eyes brightened as she thought of the possibilities. He remembered how she’d taken him up, helping him release his fear of flying, and wanted to give her the same gift. But it would be irresponsible for him to fly the plane again tonight. He could barely justify registering the return flight as a test flight.

  Sky seemed to understand and didn’t ask to go up. That made not taking her even harder.

  “When I take off in the morning, why don’t you jump in the front seat? I’ll demonstrate a take-off and landing, and you can get an idea of the tremendous power under her when it happens.”

  “That would be super, Adam, but I don’t want you to jeopardize your position for me. I’m just glad you have your license back and can do what you love most again.”

  He wanted to drag her out from behind that cool façade and shake her for making this so hard. He wanted her in his arms, her mouth meshed with his, their bodies trembling together.

  “It used to be that way, but there’s something else that tops flying for me now…making love with you.” He hoped for a reaction, anger or passion, anything to get her out from behind the chill.

  She blushed, the pink flush warming her skin.