Page 50 of Deceptive Lies

Another man climbed into the front seat, but then all the others stepped back, away from the helo. For some stupid reason, they seemed to have believed that the game was already over and they had already been crowned the winners, but in reality, they hadn't even stepped foot on the field yet.

And now thanks to their stupidity, the ball was no longer even in their court. It was firmly in his and he couldn’t wait to pick it up and make the first toss.

Whether it was stupidity or cockiness on their part, no one had rebound his hands, he was free, and if they thought that being in the air with two armed men in the helo was enough for him to just sit there like a docile little soldier, they were about to learn that they were sorely mistaken.

He liked these odds.

Loved them.

When they lifted off the ground, he felt adrenalin floodthrough his system as he already began to formulate a plan. There was every chance that he was going to wind up shot, but so long as a bullet didn't hit anything vital, and he was able to get this helo safely back down to the ground, he didn't care.

Time seemed to tick by slowly. Even though he wasn't wearing headphones, he could see the lips of the man beside him moving so he knew their babysitters were involved in a conversation. Distracted. Perfect. They weren't expecting any trouble and all he had to do was make his move quickly and efficiently.

Although he couldn’t see her, there was the big body of one of their abductors between them, and it was dull inside the helo, Cooper could feel the energy pouring off Willow. She was smart, she knew this was their chance and he was planning something, and he knew he could count on her to do her part.

Over the loud roar of the rotors, there was no way he was going to be able to communicate verbally with her so he was going to have to hope she would be able to read in his facial and hand signals what he needed her to do.

Shifting slightly, he turned his head a little to see that she was looking in his direction. Their gazes met, he held it, and then looked down at the floor of the helo, hoping she would understand that when he made his move, he needed her to get down low.

Despite how they were acting at the moment, these men weren't stupid, and they knew the best way to ensure his compliance was to threaten Willow. That meant he had to make sure she was as out of the line of fire as he could get her.

She gave him a minute nod a split second before the man between them roughly shoved him back against the seat, shooting him an irritated frown.

Resting back against the seat, Cooper bid his time. They had to be far enough away from where they’d been held so that when he landed the helo they wouldn't see and come after them. But he also couldn’t wait too long because he had no idea where they were being taken and how long it was going to take to get there.

After what he estimated to be about ten minutes of flying, he decided that wasenough.

Time to make his move.

With lightning speed and pinpoint accuracy, Cooper snapped out his hands and grabbed the weapon resting uselessly in the lap of the man sitting beside him. He yanked it forward and up, slamming it into the man’s face as he twisted his body and dragged the other one with it. Kicking out with his feet, he pushed the man from the helo, managing to keep hold of the weapon.

Praying Willow had understood his orders and followed them, getting herself down on the floor, he felt the sting of a bullet as it zinged past him, tearing through the flesh on his arm before hitting the seat behind him.

With a roar he lunged forward, ramming the weapon into the face of the man in the passenger seat of the helo.

Immediately, he slumped forward, and Cooper wasted no time in relieving him of his weapon.

Then he pointed one at the pilot.

Keeping the weapon steady, he clambered over the seat and into the passenger seat, ignoring the other man’s slumped body, but snagging his headset and putting it on.

“Land the helo now,” he ordered the pilot.

“I … I have orders,” the man babbled. It was obvious that he wasn't trained the same way their captors had been. This man looked ready to pee his pants if he hadn't already done so.

“Your orders have changed. Put us down,” he commanded as he glanced into the back to see that Willow was now sitting on the seat, her eyes wide. There was no other headset he could give her since the man he’d kicked out of the helo had taken his with him, and he needed this one, and for the pilot to keep his.

When he arched a brow at her, asking if she was all right she gave him a shaky nod. Since he didn't need two weapons right now, and he didn't like the idea of her being vulnerable even if he had things under control, he passed her the other assault rifle. Her hands shook as she took it, but she held onto it and he saw the determination he was familiar with in the blue depths of her eyes.

Just as he took the first proper breath he’d taken since he realizedWillow was definitely being held against her will at Professor Mahmoud’s house, Cooper sensed it.

Movement.

He was a split second too slow responding, and an arm clamped around his neck.

Willow screamed, maybe he heard it or maybe he just imagined it, he wasn't sure, but he was sure of the fact that he, too, had gotten a little too cocky. He’d thought the other man would stay unconscious or at least be too woozy to attack.

Stupid.

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