We walked carefully out into the middle, between the giant wheels of a jumbo jet’s landing gear, standing up-right like a giant metal tree, and the severed tail end of a Cessna.
I stopped and pulled her back once we were in the open again. Planes surrounded us, each window an eye, watching our every move. I badly wanted to run and hide, to get out of harm’s way. But if they didn’t see me with Sophia, they wouldn’t know how damn serious I was.
“Hello?” I called out, my voice bouncing back from the motionless aircraft. I cleared my throat and yelled, “I have your sister. You know what I want.”
I looked around in circles, searching every creepy corner of the boneyard, as far as I could see. They could be everywhere.
And nowhere.
I put the gun to Sophia’s head. “If you’re lying to me …” I ground out.
“I’m not,” she moaned, obviously in distress. Good. “I told you the truth. They said planes. You brought me here.”
Shit. Fuck. Shit.
Was I wrong about this place? Were they somewhere else entirely?
Was Camden already handed over?
Already dead?
I swallowed hard and rubbed my lips together. I couldn’t lose it now. Not now. Not until I knew.
“Look,” Sophia whispered. I followed her gaze over to one of the airplanes.
There was a face at the window.
I let out a gasp and then started looking closer. There was someone crouched behind a lone passenger seat. There was another person behind a wing.
We weren’t alone.
There was a shuffle by one of the decapitated plane heads and someone that could only be Vincent Madano came out, gun held lazily to his side. Like Javier, he was fond of slick suits and he looked like a complete Mafia stereotype, from the Roman nose to the jutting chin and greasy hair.
“You must be Ellie Watt,” Vincent said as he stopped a few yards away, tumbleweeds rolling between us like we’d been placed in a Western TV show set. “Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard many great things, all second-hand information, of course.”
“Where’s Camden?” I asked, my voice shaking against its will.
“Camden McQueen,” he said, his eyes darkening. “I don’t know. I expected to see him here, not you and not my sister.”
I pressed the gun into her head. “I don’t want to kill her but I will if I have to.”
He nodded as if he were impressed. “I can see that. Hopefully you won’t have to make such … tough decisions.” His eyes darted to the side. “And there’s the man of the hour.”
I whipped my head to look. Camden was walking toward us, Javier behind him with the gun aimed at Camden’s back. He was wearing a denim shirt, black shorts, hands raised above his head. I took in the details like I’d never see him again. Because maybe I wouldn’t.
We locked eyes and in his beautiful blues, he was telling me to stay calm. To stay focused. To not worry.
That made me worry.
Oh, god that made me worry.
Because Camden was the kind of person who would give his life for yours if it meant you getting out alive. And I didn’t want that. I didn’t want life if he wasn’t in it. I wanted he and I, with the waves crashing at our feet.
“Here he is,” Javier announced, pushing Camden forward, just for fun it seemed. Camden stumbled but righted himself, dust and rocks scattering at his feet. The sun continued to sear us, making the whole scene jump in contrast. Surreal.
Yet, this was reality.
Harsh, cold truth.
He stopped a little ways away and looked over at Vincent. “I brought him for you, the peace offering. Now I hope we can do business.”
Vincent nodded and wiggled his hand. “Send him over.”
“No!” I screamed, losing all control, like the devil was being ripped out of my throat. “Camden stays there, no one fucking hurts him or I will kill Sophia!”
Javier shrugged and pushed Camden forward until he was walking. “I don’t care if you kill Sophia.”
Sophia stiffened against me, feeling the fear. I stared at him, pleading with his blank, reptilian eyes for an ounce of humanity, of love, of compassion toward me. “Please, Javier.”
“What? I don’t.” He motioned to Vincent. “Does he?”
I looked to Vincent. He smiled sympathetically at me and tilted his head downward.
“I’ll get over it,” he said.
My world froze.
Sophia cried out in indignation, anger and betrayal spilling from her lips, and I was too dazed to even hold onto her. She ripped herself out of my grip and ran toward Vincent, fists in the air, screaming her head off, ready to pound on him.
He raised his gun and shot her in the chest.
She crumpled to the ground, dust flying around her.
My collateral was dead.
The planet slowed on its axis. Every second stretched longer.
I looked at Camden who had stopped in the middle of it all, hands still above his head, halfway in between Javier and Vincent. Camden looked back at me.
He smiled sadly.
“Take care of Ben for me,” he said.
I blinked, trying to understand the implications of what he was asking while my heart sunk as hard as rock, blasting through me until I knew it wasn’t beating anymore.