Page 28 of Hostile Extraction

“It’s ten miles. About a half hour, but this time of night, I’m hoping we can cut that in half. Mark gave me a heads up while you were aboard the Virtuosity. Amorosi’s plane was being prepared for takeoff. It’s probably airborne by now.”

“He’ll come for me,” Asia whispered. “You’ll see.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Dusty muttered back, staring out the window.

The roads were narrow. They raced up a hill through a stoplight and down the other side. She watched structures flash by: boat storage facilities, automotive repair garages, boat rental shops, another marina, charter companies, seafood places. The roads were steep and winding. They climbed higher and higher, then down again, through less populated areas with few lights, and more urban areas.

Finally, they arrived at the airport, taking an entrance toward private jet hangars. She remembered it from when she arrived with Nico.

“Chris, look over there,” Dusty hissed.

“I see them.”

Asia glanced in the direction of the blue hangar Nico used, and she saw men in suits talking to airport security.

The pickup circled around another building, but there were more men there.

“This could be tricky,” Dusty muttered.

The small window between the cab and the truck bed slid open, and one of the men leaned to it.

“Don’t think we’re gonna stroll up to the plane without being stopped, boss.”

“I think you’re right,” Chris replied.

“You want to try commercial?” Dusty asked.

“They’ll have the terminal covered. Dammit.”

“You got any ideas?” Dusty asked.

Asia saw they were drawing attention from the men standing around, their heads turning to follow the movement of the small pickup. One lifted a flashlight and aimed it in their direction, but he was too far for the light to reach them.

“I’m getting the fuck out of here until we figure it out.”

They drove out an open chain-link gate and tore up the road. She saw Nico’s men scramble to a vehicle. They’d follow. They’d stop this madness. She had to have faith.

Dusty was acting crazy. She couldn’t understand why he’d want to abduct her.

They drove through the populated area of St. Thomas, and Chris pulled down an alleyway between a small used car lot and a home improvement store, and parked. He ran a hand down his face, his eyes shifting around.

“Any ideas?” Dusty asked.

The men in the truck bed hopped out and gathered around the driver’s door. Chris climbed out, then Dusty. They began tossing ideas around.

“We wait ‘em out. They’re bound to let up, eventually.”

“We could try to distract ‘em. Half the team could act as decoys.”

“We could get a private helicopter in here. Pick us up at a location other than the airport.”

“Like where?”

“The top of the hospital has to have a helipad, right?”

“From where? It’ll take too long. Amorosi will be here by then.”

“Take her by boat to another island?”

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