closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed herself off the seat.
The belt muffled her screams, but nothing could stop the tears from rolling down her face as spasms of pain radiated up and down her leg. Whimpering in the icy solitude of the cramped cabin, it took several minutes before Alex was calm enough to shine the light toward her seat. Using the end of the flashlight, she bent the bloody spike protruding from the seat to the floor, and wrapping the scarf around her thigh to stop the flow of blood, she pulled it tight.
Settling back into her seat, she was about to wake up Maggie when she felt the plane shift ever so slightly. Hearing the groan of the fuselage as it rubbed against something outside, Alex frowned. She knew they had landed. She remembered the hard thump as the belly of the plane touched down and the whirling spin as it skidded across the field…or was a field? Realizing that they could have easily exited the forest and ended up on the side of a mountain, or precariously perched at the edge of a cliff, her heart began to pound.
Unlocking her door, Alex carefully pushed it open and shined the light around. Seeing snow-covered earth as far as her eye could see, a small grin appeared on her face, but it disappeared almost as quickly. Another loud groan filled the air as the fuselage strained against something unknown and the plane shifted again.
Baffled, she climbed out and slowly put pressure on her injured leg. Discovering that the pain was now dull and quite manageable, she walked carefully around the wreckage searching for the source of the noise. Following the sound with the LED beam, Alex found her answer. The tail of the plane was submerged in water.
“Fuck me!”
No sooner had the words left her mouth when something crackled under her feet. Shining the light on the ground, and seeing nothing but snow, Alex shuffled her feet, and feeling the ice beneath them, the color drained from her face. Swallowing hard, she carefully retraced her steps, holding her breath as the frozen water cracked and strained with every step she took. Reaching the cabin door, she flashed the light toward the nose of the plane, and seeing it buried in a small stand of spindly trees, Alex couldn’t help but smile. Land was only a few feet away. Taking a long, calming breath, she carefully climbed back into the plane.
As if working on a criminal case, Alex methodically sorted the facts. The pilot had told them to head north, so shining the flashlight on her wrist, she checked the compass displayed on the heavy silver watch to get her bearings. Relieved that north was in the direction of the trees rather than the lake, Alex began to make ready for the trip. Within seconds, she found Campbell’s carry-on lodged under a seat and the half-filled bottle of water she had placed in the holder on the door, but her backpack was nowhere in sight. Scratching her head, Alex was about to give up when she spied it wedged under the pilot’s slumped body.
“Shit,” Alex said under her breath, staring at the lifeless form. Taking a few moments to get up the nerve to disturb the dead, she gently extracted the backpack from under his shoulders. Grimacing as he slipped further between the seats, she reached over and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, George. I’m so, so sorry.”
Settling back into her seat, she hunched her shoulders as a gust of wind and snow whipped through the plane. Fighting off the chill, she emptied the bag containing Maggie’s disguise and began tearing apart the black wool skirt. Using the first strip as a bandage, she wrapped it around her head to stop the flow of blood still trickling down her face, and wincing, she pulled it tight. What was left of the skirt, she quickly fashioned into two scarves, and after covering her head with one, she set the other aside.
Leaning over, she placed her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “Campbell, wake up,” she said firmly. When Maggie didn’t move, Alex began to shake
The belt muffled her screams, but nothing could stop the tears from rolling down her face as spasms of pain radiated up and down her leg. Whimpering in the icy solitude of the cramped cabin, it took several minutes before Alex was calm enough to shine the light toward her seat. Using the end of the flashlight, she bent the bloody spike protruding from the seat to the floor, and wrapping the scarf around her thigh to stop the flow of blood, she pulled it tight.
Settling back into her seat, she was about to wake up Maggie when she felt the plane shift ever so slightly. Hearing the groan of the fuselage as it rubbed against something outside, Alex frowned. She knew they had landed. She remembered the hard thump as the belly of the plane touched down and the whirling spin as it skidded across the field…or was a field? Realizing that they could have easily exited the forest and ended up on the side of a mountain, or precariously perched at the edge of a cliff, her heart began to pound.
Unlocking her door, Alex carefully pushed it open and shined the light around. Seeing snow-covered earth as far as her eye could see, a small grin appeared on her face, but it disappeared almost as quickly. Another loud groan filled the air as the fuselage strained against something unknown and the plane shifted again.
Baffled, she climbed out and slowly put pressure on her injured leg. Discovering that the pain was now dull and quite manageable, she walked carefully around the wreckage searching for the source of the noise. Following the sound with the LED beam, Alex found her answer. The tail of the plane was submerged in water.
“Fuck me!”
No sooner had the words left her mouth when something crackled under her feet. Shining the light on the ground, and seeing nothing but snow, Alex shuffled her feet, and feeling the ice beneath them, the color drained from her face. Swallowing hard, she carefully retraced her steps, holding her breath as the frozen water cracked and strained with every step she took. Reaching the cabin door, she flashed the light toward the nose of the plane, and seeing it buried in a small stand of spindly trees, Alex couldn’t help but smile. Land was only a few feet away. Taking a long, calming breath, she carefully climbed back into the plane.
As if working on a criminal case, Alex methodically sorted the facts. The pilot had told them to head north, so shining the flashlight on her wrist, she checked the compass displayed on the heavy silver watch to get her bearings. Relieved that north was in the direction of the trees rather than the lake, Alex began to make ready for the trip. Within seconds, she found Campbell’s carry-on lodged under a seat and the half-filled bottle of water she had placed in the holder on the door, but her backpack was nowhere in sight. Scratching her head, Alex was about to give up when she spied it wedged under the pilot’s slumped body.
“Shit,” Alex said under her breath, staring at the lifeless form. Taking a few moments to get up the nerve to disturb the dead, she gently extracted the backpack from under his shoulders. Grimacing as he slipped further between the seats, she reached over and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, George. I’m so, so sorry.”
Settling back into her seat, she hunched her shoulders as a gust of wind and snow whipped through the plane. Fighting off the chill, she emptied the bag containing Maggie’s disguise and began tearing apart the black wool skirt. Using the first strip as a bandage, she wrapped it around her head to stop the flow of blood still trickling down her face, and wincing, she pulled it tight. What was left of the skirt, she quickly fashioned into two scarves, and after covering her head with one, she set the other aside.
Leaning over, she placed her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “Campbell, wake up,” she said firmly. When Maggie didn’t move, Alex began to shake
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