Page 71 of Captive Hearts
‘Where?’ He turned to the pilot as she unzipped the bag and pulled out a wad of cash. ‘Shit!’ the pilot cried, fumbling it. The money dropped directly onto Pete’s face.
‘What the fuck?’ Pete said, waving the gun around, blind. Gina grabbed hold of Ashley. ‘Duck!’ They both dived down just as he squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The crack of the bullet was loud in the cockpit. Gina looked around for blood, but he seemed to have missed everyone. However, there was a smoking hole in the side window, exactly where Ashley’s head had been moments ago.
But Pete wasn’t done. He was pulling the money from his face, saying, ‘I’ve fuckinghadit with you two!’ He pointed the gun at the pair of them, his eyes blazing.
Gina turned away from him, tucking into Ashley. She felt Ashley do the same. They held on to each other tightly, waiting for the end…
But nothing happened.
After a few seconds, Gina turned very slowly to look at Pete down in the footwell. But he wasn’t pointing his gun at them anymore. He was handing it to the pilot. She had her own gun pressed to his skull.
‘Pete Ennis?’ the pilot said, her silly demeanour vanished, replaced with ice-cold calm. ‘You’re under arrest.’
‘Fuck my life,’ Pete said quietly as he placed his gun in the front, out of harm’s way.
The pilot turned briefly to Gina and Ashley, still frozen. ‘Anyone hurt back there?’
Gina shook her head, recovering from the shock. She looked at Ashley. She was scrutinizing the pilot. ‘Wait a second, I recognise you now! Didn’t you fit us for the bulletproof vests?’
Gina turned to the pilot. ‘Oh. Yeah! You were wearing shades then.’ She wasn’t sure what else to say, so she added, ‘Nice to see you again.’
‘Don’t be polite to her!’ Ashley said. ‘What was with the silly act?’ she asked the officer.
‘I was just waiting for a good distraction so I could get my gun to this idiot’s head without taking a bullet in the face first,’ the woman explained.
‘What were you going to do it if it never came? He would have found out you weren’t a real pilot!’ Ashley said.
‘Iama real pilot. How do you think I drove this thing in here? It’s not a Ford Cortina. Can’t just jump in and have a bash.’
‘Hang on, is she a cop or a pilot?’ Gina asked, baffled.
‘Both. But the plane thing’s a hobby. Got my license a couple of months ago, luckily. Professionally, I’m an armed unit officer. DI Hazel Kennedy, since you never asked.’
‘I’ll remember that name,’ Pete warned from the floor.
‘Shutit, you,’ Hazel said, she told Pete coldly. Pete was immediately cowed. Hazel looked back at Gina and Ashley. ‘This was always the plan. We don’t just let dickheads ride off into the sunset with a hundred large just because they hold a pizza joint up. Otherwise, everyone would start doing it.’
Ashley shook her head. ‘Glad to know therewasa plan. DI Conway’s been fucking useless up to now.’
‘Oh, thanks,’ DI Conway said, opening the door. ‘Right, you two out first.’
Gina took a breath. It was over. It was all over.
But before she got out, she had to say something. She looked down at Pete, in every sense. ‘I’d like to say it’s been nice knowing you Pete, but you’ve been an absolute fucking nightmare.’ She clambered out of the plane.
‘Same to you, bitch,’ he called after her.
‘I thought you were a feminist, Pete,’ Ashley said as she climbed out next.
‘Fuck right off, Ashley. Right fucking OFF!’ was the last thing Gina heard as they stepped away from the plane.
‘Right, get to the cordon,’ DI Conway said urgently.
‘With pleasure,’ Ashley told her.
