Read Online Finding Kate Huntley by Theresa Ragan - Free Book Online
Authors: Theresa Ragan
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be all that bad. Take care,” Rick said as he walked off. “And let me know if you hear from Jack.”
“Will do.” Not in this lifetime . A.J. liked the man, but as he watched him walk away, he realized he couldn’t trust anyone. Not yet anyhow...not until he located Jack and found out what was going on.
Jack held tight to Kate’s arm and together they inched past the open door. His ears popped. A paper bag flew by. An empty can rolled across the floor. Once they reached the cockpit, together they pushed the cockpit door shut and latched it into place.
Jack looked to the console and took a calming breath when he saw that the controls were set on autopilot. He slid into the pilot’s chair and strapped himself in. The instruments hummed within the cockpit.
The Learjet featured two screens, including a colorful mapping display. Everything right in front of him—a weather forecast, locations of other planes—was all on a graphical moving map.
Kate moved to his side after looking about the cockpit. “I can’t find any parachutes.”
Jack nodded as he studied the controls. He flicked a few levers in the center console and took control of the throttle.
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve done this before?”
“Any computer geek worth his processor has put in hundreds of hours of Flight Simulator.”
“Ahh, a simulator. That’s reassuring.”
“Yeah, you might want to buckle up.”
The clouds were thick, making it look as if they were flying through a never-ending mass of marshmallow. He couldn’t see a thing. Kate took a seat in the co-pilot’s chair and pulled the wide strap over her shoulder.
Jack flipped another switch. “Looks like we have enough fuel to get us to the desert, a few miles west of Las Vegas.”
Kate pointed to another screen. “What’s that dark splotch?”
“It looks like we’re headed for—shit!”
The clouds became feathery tufts, giving Jack a clearer view. They were headed straight for Red Rock Canyon. “Hold on!” He pulled on the yoke, which immediately deactivated the autopilot. Damn! That’s not what he wanted to do! The aircraft was too low to go over the mountain. He needed to bank a sharp right. He pressed down on the right rudder pedal and raised the aileron. They were losing altitude fast. An alarm went off. He took control of the throttle, increasing power as he tried to clear the mountain.
Perspiration trickled down the side of his face. “Come on,” he said, pulling up on the yoke. Just a few more feet.
Thump! Jesus! Jack jerked forward as his knee slammed into the control panel. Both engines shuddered. The plane vibrated and the wings wobbled. “We hit a wing!” Jack held tight to the yoke. The left wing had clipped the mountain, but somehow they cleared the rest of the cliffs. The plane dipped to the left. Jack turned hard to the right. It was the only way he could keep the aircraft level. He increased engine power, gaining lift from the added thrust. With part of the wing missing though, the plane bobbed slightly before it pitched downward.
The control panel flickered. They were plunging fast. Afraid of losing all power, Jack flipped the lever to deploy the flaps, pulling back on the yoke. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he heard the flaps move into position.
Just as he feared, the engine shut down. And for about three seconds it was eerily quiet. Kate stared ahead, her fingers white-knuckling the edge of her seat. The displays flickered before turning black. Both engines were dead.
The altimeter spun, indicating a rapidly approaching reunion with the ground. The sight of dry, barren land stretched out for miles before them. “This is going to be ugly,” he warned her. “Hold tight.”
Kate hardly moved as the plane continued its sharp, stomach-tumbling plunge. Jack yanked up hard on the control wheel, every muscle taut. The nose of the plane came up and the belly of the airplane hit the ground with a neck-jarring thud.
“Will do.” Not in this lifetime . A.J. liked the man, but as he watched him walk away, he realized he couldn’t trust anyone. Not yet anyhow...not until he located Jack and found out what was going on.
Jack held tight to Kate’s arm and together they inched past the open door. His ears popped. A paper bag flew by. An empty can rolled across the floor. Once they reached the cockpit, together they pushed the cockpit door shut and latched it into place.
Jack looked to the console and took a calming breath when he saw that the controls were set on autopilot. He slid into the pilot’s chair and strapped himself in. The instruments hummed within the cockpit.
The Learjet featured two screens, including a colorful mapping display. Everything right in front of him—a weather forecast, locations of other planes—was all on a graphical moving map.
Kate moved to his side after looking about the cockpit. “I can’t find any parachutes.”
Jack nodded as he studied the controls. He flicked a few levers in the center console and took control of the throttle.
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve done this before?”
“Any computer geek worth his processor has put in hundreds of hours of Flight Simulator.”
“Ahh, a simulator. That’s reassuring.”
“Yeah, you might want to buckle up.”
The clouds were thick, making it look as if they were flying through a never-ending mass of marshmallow. He couldn’t see a thing. Kate took a seat in the co-pilot’s chair and pulled the wide strap over her shoulder.
Jack flipped another switch. “Looks like we have enough fuel to get us to the desert, a few miles west of Las Vegas.”
Kate pointed to another screen. “What’s that dark splotch?”
“It looks like we’re headed for—shit!”
The clouds became feathery tufts, giving Jack a clearer view. They were headed straight for Red Rock Canyon. “Hold on!” He pulled on the yoke, which immediately deactivated the autopilot. Damn! That’s not what he wanted to do! The aircraft was too low to go over the mountain. He needed to bank a sharp right. He pressed down on the right rudder pedal and raised the aileron. They were losing altitude fast. An alarm went off. He took control of the throttle, increasing power as he tried to clear the mountain.
Perspiration trickled down the side of his face. “Come on,” he said, pulling up on the yoke. Just a few more feet.
Thump! Jesus! Jack jerked forward as his knee slammed into the control panel. Both engines shuddered. The plane vibrated and the wings wobbled. “We hit a wing!” Jack held tight to the yoke. The left wing had clipped the mountain, but somehow they cleared the rest of the cliffs. The plane dipped to the left. Jack turned hard to the right. It was the only way he could keep the aircraft level. He increased engine power, gaining lift from the added thrust. With part of the wing missing though, the plane bobbed slightly before it pitched downward.
The control panel flickered. They were plunging fast. Afraid of losing all power, Jack flipped the lever to deploy the flaps, pulling back on the yoke. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he heard the flaps move into position.
Just as he feared, the engine shut down. And for about three seconds it was eerily quiet. Kate stared ahead, her fingers white-knuckling the edge of her seat. The displays flickered before turning black. Both engines were dead.
The altimeter spun, indicating a rapidly approaching reunion with the ground. The sight of dry, barren land stretched out for miles before them. “This is going to be ugly,” he warned her. “Hold tight.”
Kate hardly moved as the plane continued its sharp, stomach-tumbling plunge. Jack yanked up hard on the control wheel, every muscle taut. The nose of the plane came up and the belly of the airplane hit the ground with a neck-jarring thud.
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