Page 52 of Fall

The pilotand one female crew member emerge at the airplane door nearest to the cockpit, waving for us to come aboard.

I don’t know why none of us paid much attention to the refueling truck that rolls up between our SUV and the plane steps. Nothing aboutit seemed out of place.

Until it was.

Just as Vinny opens my passenger door, five men dressed in jumpsuits that match the refueling truck charge toward us from the other side of the truck holding automatic weapons. Their faces are covered with balaclava masks.

Everything happens so fast. Too fast. Vinny pushes me back into the SUV. He and the driver reach for their weaponsat their backs, but they’re outgunned and outnumbered.

My gut wrenches tight when I see their hands raise slowly above their heads.

My body starts to shake uncontrollably.

I have no way to defend myself other than with my hand my legs my limbs. One of the armed men pulls my door open, and I try to jump out of the other side.

That’s a mistake.

A big fucking mistake,because another guy is waiting in the shadow of this side of the SUV. I try to scamper back inside, but he grabs me by the throat. His other arm rears back, and for a split second, I catch a peripheral glimpse of the hypodermic needle he stabs into my neck.

The last thing I see as I'm dragged up the aircraft steps are Vinny and the driver being forced down onto their knees, and two menwearing airplane refueling jumpsuits are pointing automatic weapons toward their heads.

My vision blurs, and the last thing I hear is four distinct gunshots popping off one after the other.

Then everything goes black.