Page 10 of Maverick

“What do you need?” she whispered. Mav stared down at her, then heard Pax clear his throat.

“Chipper’s got the bird on the runway. Let’s go.”

CHAPTER SIX

“Um, what kind of helicopter is this? I mean, I think it’s an Osprey, but it has some very strange things attached to it. And that control panel isn’t normal either. Neither is that. Or that.”

“I like her,” smirked Chipper. “Welcome aboard, honey. I’m Chipper. One of the best pilots on the planet. The others I’m lucky enough to work with.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” smiled Katelyn. “I’m Katelyn.” She shook his hand, and he nodded at her.

“You pick a seat and relax. Once we’re in the air, the boys can get you some food, coffee, anything you like. The seats recline to a full bed, and you can sleep if you like. There’s a shower in the back with clean clothes if you need to use it.”

“Crazy,” she grinned.

“Chipper? Fellas, listen up,”said the voice of AJ.“Eight miles from the runway and coming fast are six black SUVs, probably agency, but I can already see the weapons hanging out of the windows. Get a move on.”

“Got it,” said Chipper. “Strap in, boys. It might get choppy.”

With just the press of a button, the door closed and sealed on the chopper. Everyone took their seats, watching as Chipper initiated stealth mode for the engines, rotors, and the bird itself.

“They’re going to shoot us out of the sky,” said Katelyn, staring out the window. She was gripping the arm of the seat so hard her nails were digging into the soft leather. Someone grabbed her hand, gently squeezing.

“As much as I love that you want to hold hands, could you please leave some flesh for when it’s all over?” smirked Mav.

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I guess I should have mentioned that I don’t fly well. I mean, I did mention it, but I really, really don’t like to fly. It’s another reason I was working remotely. I just don’t like the thought of being up in the air and not having control.”

“Chipper wasn’t lying,” said Mav. “He’s one of the best pilots in the world. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“But they’re going to start shooting,” she said in a panicked voice. Mav turned toward her, squaring her shoulders to face him.

“Look at me. Do I look panicked?” She shook her head. “This bird has equipment that no one knows about. Not even the agency. We have technologies that allow her to fly with whisper and stealth technology.”

“Wh-whisper?”

“Yep,” he grinned. He pushed back a long strand of red hair, tucking it behind her ear. “Do you hear the rotors? The engine? Do you hear anything at all except for the sound of my voice?”

“No,” she said with surprise. She turned and looked out the window, realizing they were already well on their way and no one was chasing them. No fighter jets, no one shooting at them. Nothing.

“That’s right, because of the whisper technology. The stealth technology allows for the image of the bird to be distorted to the point of abstract mirage, blending with her surroundings. The whisper technology operates everything on a silent mode, even though the engines are running. You should understand it. It’s the same technology that Thomas developed when he was just a kid.”

“That is the coolest thing ever. Way cooler than what I’ve been working on.” Mav laughed, shaking his head.

“I don’t think it’s a competition, but you’re doing some pretty cool things as well.” That damn loose hair was hanging in her face again, and he tucked it back one more time.

“It’s useless,” she said, looking up at him. He frowned with a questioning look. “The hair. It’s useless to try and tame it. Believe me, I’ve tried for years. It’s thick, wavy, and out of control. Top it off with the fact that I don’t like to spend more than three minutes on hair and makeup, and I’m a lost cause. It’s one of many reasons I never had a lot of girlfriends, or boyfriends for that matter.”

“I don’t think you’re a lost cause,” he whispered. Katelyn swallowed, her big green eyes sucking him in. “I think you’re the most beautiful, intelligent woman I’ve met in a very long time. And for some strange reason, it makes me happy as fuck that you haven’t had a lot of boyfriends.”

Katelyn couldn’t think of a thing to say to him. She wasn’t great with men, hence her track record of one date and then they would ghost her. She was always awkward talking to them, mostly because she couldn’t talk about work. She didn’t have a childhood to discuss, and she was overall a relatively private person.

“Are you hungry?”

“I-I think I am. Chipper said I could take a shower.”

“Uh, yeah,” said Mav, clearing his throat. “Let me show you the way. I’m going to bet that there are VG sweats that will fit you. We try to keep a stock of various sizes.”

He walked to the back of the bird, opening the small door. Katelyn looked up at him, squeezing through the space between his massive body and the shower. He pulled down a towel, opened a small door to reveal shampoo and soap, then turned, opened a drawer, and pulled out a sweatsuit in extra-small.

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