Page 104 of Rescued Faith

Sosa paused and then shrugged. “Sure, that too.”

The plane banked to the right, but Sosa didn’t let up on the trigger or lose his balance. The space was too small to make any sudden moves. Penny seethed to watch the criminal tower over them, his gun to the governor’s head.

But he wasn’t all-powerful.

Lord, I’ve seen some pretty miraculous things today that make me believe You really do hear us and care. Please get us out of this alive and protect the innocent.

Noble studied the papers in front of him. “How do I know you’ll let them live?”

Finally the gov was showing a little backbone.

“Don’t do it, sir.” Bryce’s hands gripped the armrests until his knuckles were white. He was probably dying to do something. She got it. It was everything she could do to stay seated and not pounce on Sosa herself.

“Is that something you want to risk?” The sneer on Sosa’s face was too much like his uncle’s. Penny wouldn’t put it past the evil man to have the papers signed and still kill an innocent kid if he could.

The governor must’ve thought so too. He picked up the pen and signed the paper. Penny didn’t miss the slight tremor in his hand though.

Sosa kept the gun trained on him while he tucked the paper into an inside pocket of his jacket. “Gary, are we high enough?” he asked the pilot.

“Yes, sir. Eight thousand feet.”

“Is there anyone on my staff youhaven’tcorrupted?” Noble’s voice sounded more like a growl. “Now have them release my wife and son!”

Sosa laughed. “Release them yourself.” He backed up to the cabin door.

Penny had one chance. She had to stop him. She sprang off the chair and aimed for the gun.

A boom sounded. He managed to get a shot off before she kicked it out of his hand. Sosa roared, but rather than go for the gun, he yanked the handle on the side door.

“Are you cra—” Bryce’s voice cut off with the wind that rushed in. Penny fell in the aisle, grabbed the gun, and pulled the trigger as Sosa was sucked out of the plane. The whole aircraft listed hard to the left.

Penny looked past her feet dangling out the door and caught a glimpse of a white parachute floating in the night sky.

Sosa! The scumbag had a parachute! The plane flew at a weird angle, though not completely spiraling, so it was probably on autopilot. But it was the human pilot that worried Penny. His head slumped to one side.

“Bryce! The pilot!” Penny nodded toward the front of the plane. She still lay in the aisle, hanging on to the bottom of the seat. The governor and Bryce grabbed her arms and pulled her farther into the plane. Bryce helped her up to the chair while Noble wrestled to close the door, straining to pull the cable in and lift the stairs. Bryce had to help him to finally secure the door and latch it once more.

Once it was closed, he turned and walked past the four other passenger seats to reach the cockpit.

“Well?” she asked him.

Bryce leaned farther over the pilot’s seat, probably checking the man for a pulse.

He looked back at Penny. “Buckle up. See if you can call Jude. Anyone. We need someone to tell me how to land this thing.” He had to yell over the wind and engine noise.

Her eyes went wide. “What?!”

Rather than take the time to explain, Bryce wiggled into the open seat in the cockpit. He yanked the spare headset on, situated the microphone near his mouth.

Oh my word. The pilot was dead? Did Bryce know how to fly a plane?

She looked over at the governor. He looked like he was going to be sick. She couldn’t sit here and do nothing. She stood and moved toward the cockpit. She had to hold on to Bryce’s seat to keep her balance.

Oh man.

The pilot was dead all right. Sosa’s shot had gone right through his skull.

“Mayday, Mayday. Anybody hear this?” Bryce spoke into the microphone. He studied the lit screens and knobs in front of him.

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