Read Online Pleasure Island by Anna-Lou Weatherley - Free Book Online Page B

Aki’s voice was authoritative. ‘We’re experiencing some extreme turbulence but it is nothing to be concerned about, I assure you nothing to be...’ but she was suddenly drowned out by a diabolical high pitched whining sound followed in quick succession by a loud explosion similar to that of a car backfiring. The plane began to shake and roll...the sound of glass smashing causing Billie-Jo to scream in terror.
    â€˜It’s OK, Bee.’ Nate instinctively put a hand on her leg as they veered violently to the right once more. The plane was rolling now, careening from side to side. He was aware of objects falling, but couldn’t locate where they were coming from. An acrid smell of burning machinery quickly contaminated the cabin.
    â€˜Shitting hell on earth …’ Mia attempted to pull herself upright but the g-force prevented her from moving. She was pinned to her right, her forehead impacting with JJ’s knee.
    â€˜What the fuck’s happening, man?’ JJ’s voice crackled with fear. ‘This gotta be some fucking turbulence …’
    â€˜One of the goddamn engines must’ve blown.’ Rupert scrambled to reach for the safety card he’d spied in the front-seat pocket earlier. ‘Where are the fucking exits on this plane?’ he shouted, panic evident in his voice. ‘Where are the goddamn exits?’
    Angelika struggled to breathe; it was getting unbearably hot inside the cabin and the acrid stench felt as if it was going straight to her lungs.
    â€˜I can’t breathe, Ru,’ she spluttered. Everything was happening so quickly.
    â€˜If one of the engines has blown it’s OK … we’ll make it with just one.’ Rupert was struggling, his shaking fingers finally making contact with the safety card, snatching it into his grasp.
    â€˜Are we gonna crash?’ Billie-Jo started to cry, fat black tears escaping from her heavily made up face. ‘I don’t wanna die … I’m too fucking young! I don’t wanna die!’
    â€˜Bee, Bee, it’s OK, just stay still … hold my hand.’ Nate attempted to calm her but as usual Billie-Jo was following her own agenda.
    Angelika turned round to her with an outstretched hand.
    â€˜It’s OK, honey,’ she said, taking Billie-Jo’s fingers in her own. ‘It’s going to be fine. OK, just relax, yes?’
    â€˜What in God’s name is going on?’ Rupert unbuckled his belt and attempted to stand as the plane once again appeared to steady itself. ‘Where’s that bloody Jap gone … excuse me! Aki … hello … can someone tell us what the hell is happening here? Is there a problem with the engine … the Hydraulics?’
    Rupert glanced over in Mia’s direction. She appeared to be praying.
    â€˜Dear God,’ she said as she frantically rubbed the small Graff diamond cross necklace she was wearing between her fingers, ‘don’t let me die like this...not like this...’
    She felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She supposed in a way it would somehow be befitting: ‘former superstar dies in luxury jet crash’. Admittedly it had certain cache. Besides, many of the greats had gone the same way, like poor old John Denver. She’d sung with him once upon a time when she’d been a slip of a girl and the memory caused a small cry to catch in the back of her throat. She glanced over at Joshua. He looked pale and scared and so terribly young that she suddenly felt ashamed of herself. What a stupid, selfish woman she was inviting him to accompany her on this godforsaken, ridiculous trip. He would die too now, long before his time without even having made his mark on the world.
    The plane suddenly dropped violently like a rollercoaster and Angelika felt her stomach lurch and rise up into her diaphragm.
    â€˜Is this it, Ru?’ her voice was low and shaky, her mind desperately struggling to come to