Willing Hostage (32 page)

Authors: Marlys Millhiser

BOOK: Willing Hostage

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“Cal, no!”

Leah was inside and lying across Glade when Cal threw Goodyear and all his toenails onto her chest. “Cal, not you, too.”

“Get them forward into the seats.” A vaguely familiar voice from the front of the plane.

“Do we take Swords?” Cal asked.

“Yes,” Glade answered and the plane moved under them.

“Glade, I can only say how sorry I am and admit that I was royally taken in,” Swords said above the sound of the engine as they jolted over the rough field and the plane increased its speed.

Goodyear moaned terror and Leah clutched him tightly.

Then they were airborne and it seemed quieter.

Cal sat in front with the pilot. “Ben, I'm glad to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?”

“Glade asked me to fly in here today and wait around to see if he needed any help. That's my plane we left down there. It wouldn't have handled this many,” said the short stocky man Leah had met in the restaurant in Craig. He turned around briefly to grin at Glade, who slumped in the seat across the tiny aisle from Leah. “Listen, buddy, you told me to be ready for trouble, but Jesus.â¦”

“Where's the Enveco pilot?” Glade forced himself to sit up straight.

“He jumped me the minute I touched a foot to the field. I left him tied up in back of the hanger. Where do I fly this stolen baby?”

“I'm afraid the place I had in mind won't do now,” Swords said from the seat in front of Leah. And he and Cal and Ben began discussing a fishing lodge in Canada that Ben knew of.

Leah turned to the man across the aisle. “Glade, why didn't you tell me you had another last card to play? I almost committed suicide by throwing the kitty at Frank back there.”

“So much happened today, Leah, I forgot about Ben, too.” He leaned closer to stare at her and the pallor of his skin made the dark eyes appear more shadowed than ever.

“What's the matter?”

“Poor Leah.” His good arm reached across the aisle and she felt a stinging as he plucked a hair from her head. “Poor Leah. And barely ripe, too.” He handed her the hair.

It was tough and wiry â¦ and silver.

“What do you say, cat? Should we keep her anyway?” Glade reached toward Goodyear on Leah's lap.

And the fat Siamese spit and ran claws across the offered palm, leaving whitened streaks on the skin.

Glade Wyndham laughed. The man and the cat seemed always to understand each other.

Leah wondered if she'd ever understand either of them, but she knew she was committed to try.

About the Author

Marlys Millhiser is an American author of fifteen mysteries and horror novels. Born in Charles City, Iowa, Millhiser originally worked as a high school teacher. She has served as a regional vice president of the Mystery Writers of America and is best known for her novel
The Mirror
and for the Charlie Greene Mysteries. Millhiser currently lives in Boulder, Colorado.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Elizabeth Connor

ISBN: 978-1-5040-1021-4

This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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New York, NY 10014

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