Page 55 of Shielding Lexi (Temptation)

I let out a fit of quick high-pitched laughter that surprises both of us.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” I say, looking out the large picture window through the pouring rain at the plane my gate is loading people into. “This plane is about six feet long and probably fits eight people.”

In the background I can hear Margo is distracted. It sounds like she’s ordering coffee. “Sara… just come back and I’ll buy you another flight. Maybe you can stay here another couple of days instead of—”

“Thanks, I know you would, but—” The attendant calls for last boarding Flight 8998 to Mystic Island. “I gotta go. Text me when you can. Safe travels.”

I don’t give her time to answer before hanging up to pull the barcode up on my app.

“You’re on the first plane to therightof the jetty,” the woman says. This one is kinder, thank God. My nerves have already had enough splitting today without another dose at boarding.

I repeat her directions in my head… first plane on theleft, first plane on theleftas I roll down the jet way, and down the steps toward two small planes sat on either side of the staircase.

First plane on the left,I say to myself again, as I run into the heavy rain toward the plane that’s just about to pull up its steps.

The man at the steps says something, but his voice is muffled through wind and rain as he holds his hat in place. He must be asking me if I’ve checked my bag, which I have, so I nod, and hurry up the steps, ducking as I enter the small plane where everyone looks to already be in place for takeoff.

“I’m sorry,” I say to the flustered attendant as I swipe my wet hair from my face. “I thought I was leaving at ten, but—”

“It’s okay,” she says, sounding agitated. “There’s an empty seat right there. Go ahead and get settled. We’re running behind schedule.”

My mouth is dry and suddenly I have an aimless feeling in the pit of my stomach as I slide into the empty seat. The plane is so small that seats are lined one on each side. I didn’t look up much to see how far they went back, but I’m guessing by the echo the engine makes as it starts up, it’s not that far.

A crack of thunder hits close by, and rain drops down heavier than it was. Is it smart to be flying in this weather? I want to ask, but I’m sure this path has been flown hundreds, if not thousands of times. Besides, I can’t imagine this island is far away. Unless it is. My stomach rumbles and I feel my hands start to sweat.

Looking around, it seems that other people are calm. The man next to me is listening to music, and the woman in front of him is messing around on her phone. No one seems panicked. Maybe I shouldn’t be either. I snap my seatbelt into place and close my eyes, thinking back to last night with Brad. It was the first time in forever that I felt so safe and comforted, so cared for. I try to imagine he’s here with me now, his arms around me. I don’t make it far without berating myself for getting emotionally attached so fast. My thoughts get scattered from their debate as the heavy pull of the plane speeding down the runway brings me out of the moment, and when we lift off into the air, the night with Brad is cleanly tucked back into my subconscious.

“Bad day for this, isn’t it?” the man next to me says. He’s in his mid-forties, wearing swim trunks, a sleeveless t-shirt, and flip flops. I guess it is island attire. “You watch the show much?”

My eyes narrow. “The show?”

“Yeah, Commando Island.”

“Commando Island? No. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it,” I say, a little happy for the distraction. “Is it any good?”

“Yeah, it’s why I tried out. I’ve been wanting to do this for years. My wife finally convinced me. I’m taking home that million.”

“Oh!” I say surprised. “You’re on the show?”

He nods. “You’re not? This plane is taking people out to the island. I didn’t realize there were other people on the—”

“Welcome to season five of Commando Island,” a woman says over the speaker of the plane. “To celebrate this year’s anniversary season, we’re doing something a little different.”

A woman walks down the aisle with a backpack for everyone as the speaker continues, and I notice two cameras with flashing red lights mounted to the ceiling of the plane, their heads swiveling intermittently.

“Once we’re at twelve thousand feet, the door to your left is going to open, and your very first challenge will be to jump and swim to safety.”

My throat tightens, and without thought, I shoot up from my seat. “Excuse me, I’m on the wrong flight… my—”

The woman who delivered the backpacks a moment ago, comes to my side. She’s a young blonde with tight braids on both sides of her head. “You signed a contract,” she says quietly, as though she doesn’t want anyone else to hear. “There’s no backing out now.”

“That’s just it, I didn’t sign anything,” I beg. “I’m supposed to be going to San Francisco, not—”

“Once you jump, you’ll see two sides of the island,” the woman on the speaker continues. “You’ll be swimming straight ahead to meet up with your team. From there, we’ll split you into two teams and you’ll build camp for the night. Remember, the last person standing wins a million dollars.”

A million dollars?

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