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“Come on, buddy. We need to go,” Kage said and guided me toward the main doors.

“Who is this friend of yours?” I asked. The smile was still there although my heart was racing.

“A buddy from the Navy.”

“A killer just like you?”

He snorted at my question. “A trained military man who’ll have our backs.”

We walked inside the terminal and I had no clue how he was going to get us through customs. I had nothing to indicate who I was. When he produced a stack of identification, I had to admit I was impressed.

The metal detector picked up his weapon and the ones in the bag. The attendant glanced from one to the other of us, but the man eventually nodded. I wasn’t certain how this could work, but I had a feeling whatever fake identification had been presented allowed a pass.

Questions were asked and I answered them, although my focus was starting to dim as fear took control. By the time we cleared the line, it felt as if hives had suddenly appeared on every inch of skin.

Great.

That hadn’t happened since I was twelve. Not now. Please, not now. I already looked frightful.

He guided us into the waiting room, immediately searching through the crowd of people. When he suddenly stiffened, I realized he’d seen someone.

I did the only thing I thought would work. I put my arm around him. He tensed even more.

“Just act natural,” I told him. “I won’t bite. Unless you want me to, anyway.”

The joke played out on deaf ears.

“Come on.” We walked slowly toward the gate we were leaving from.

Suddenly, a man appeared, walking toward us.

“Trouble,” I whispered.

“Nope. He’s with us.” Kage seemed relieved when the man approached. He was just as huge as Kage, his dark hair coming in waves down to his shoulders. Sexy as hell, he had a mischievous look in his eyes where Kage always looked like he wanted to kill someone.

“Fancy meeting you here,” the stranger said.

“Yeah? I could think of better places,” Kage told him. “We’re not alone.”

“I’ve seen them. Counted fifteen at this point. They want her real bad.”

“Me?” I asked.

“Stone, this is Juliette.”

Stone grinned, his eyes flashing. “Well, you’re the little lady causing all this trouble. We’ll get acquainted once we’re on the plane. The cargo was dropped so why don’t we mosey on outside.”

He wasn’t asking.

He was telling.

Or perhaps I should say he was warning me. The two men flanked my sides, Tank right by his master’s side as we headed through the airport. Stone was chattering on about something, but I wasn’t paying any attention.

The fear had my heart echoing in my eardrums. It was crazy to think we were going to get away. While I couldn’t see anyone carrying a weapon, with Kage remaining tense, I knew they were close.

Once outside, the sun even with my sunglasses was blinding. Unlike passenger planes with terminals leading to walkways, we walked out onto concrete.

“Where’s the ride?” Kage asked.

“Right there. Ain’t she a beauty?” Stone asked, laughing.

“That’s a Beechcraft Baron, for fuck’s sake,” Kage chastised. I knew that voice of his. Surly. He wore it like another badge of honor.

“Hey, that’s my baby. I dropped a load of booze. We’ll all fit. Need to refuel in Charlotte, but no biggie.”

Stone was sure of himself. I felt Kage’s tension only increasing.

The plane seemed like a long way off. We kept walking. I kept looking over my shoulder until Kage gripped my arm with enough force I issued a slight moan.

“Natural. Remember?”

“I’m trying.” I was already winded, the toll of being held captive hitting me harder than it had before.

We kept walking.

They kept looking even though they were doing a damn good job at acting nonchalant.

Suddenly, I felt whistle bells going off. Tank’s low growl was a clear indication something was wrong.

“Don’t look now, buddy, but I think we’re being followed,” Stone said calmly, but I sensed his tension increasing.

Kage shifted his shirt and I knew what he was doing. He was preparing to reach for his weapon.

“If I were you two, I’d run,” Stone instructed.

And so we did.

We took off jogging at first, but with a single glance over my shoulder, I knew we were being boxed in.

“Fuck,” Kage snarled and pushed me with his hand. All I could think about was how much life I had to live and what I’d planned on doing before this horrible experience had been dropped into my life.

“Run. Run. Run!” Kage’s voice was entirely different than before.

Now he was nervous.

So was I.

We took off running, Tank taking the lead. Every few seconds, I glanced over my shoulder only to be pushed by Kage.

“Think those motherfuckers might fire,” Stone huffed, yanking his concealed weapon into his hand. “Keep going, kids.”

Every brutal jar of my cheap tennis shoes hitting the hard pavement roared into my system like an electric cattle prod. The plane was right there, only yards in front of us. I could make it.

We would make it.

Pop! Pop!

“Goddamn it,” Kage roared. “Go. Go. Go! I’ve got your backs.”

His command echoed in my ears just as my knee gave way as it had done before. I was down on the heated surface, the pounding anguish sweeping through me worse than before.

There was no hesitation. Kage lifted me from my position on all fours, tossing me over his shoulder.

Tank was barking. The soldiers behind us yelling.

Another round of gunfire.

Suddenly, Kage was racing up metal stairs, Stone remaining on the ground until the last second.

We were all inside.

Tank still barking.

My heart thumping.

Kage cursing.

Stone wrestling with the plane’s door.

A hard slam jarred my system once again before Kage eased me onto my butt on another hard surface.

“Get us the fuck out of here.” Kage’s voice held an entirely different level of tension. He was hunched over, staring out one of the small windows, his jaw clenched.

“I’m on it, buddy. Let’s see if air traffic control cooperates.” Stone was still laughing as if the entire horrible scene was nothing but one big game.

Tank crowded my space, panting with his tongue hanging out. The terror was real. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. Nothing would drown out the revving of the plane’s engine or the constant cursing Kage was doing from only feet away.

A few additional popping sounds forced a whine from Tank’s throat. I squeezed his warm body even more tightly, issuing a silent prayer we’d make it out of here alive.

As the plane roared to life, almost every other sound was drowned out, actions taken in slow motion.

But Tank was my constant, my rock, pushing his heavy body against mine as if attempting to protect me.

Seconds passed.

Minutes.

I heard a sudden shout.

“I gotta bank to the left, kids. Hold on.” The plane was suddenly pulled, the shift scooting me and Tank across the floor. Only to be caught by Kage.

I stared into his eyes, only able to take shallow breaths. His massive arm wrapped around us both. And for once, he offered a comforting smile. “I’ve got you. Don’t worry. I won’t let you go.”

My teeth were chattering, fear pushing another toxic injection into my bloodstream. “I’ll hold you to that, military man.”

He lifted a single eyebrow as the plane was suddenly righted. “I know you will.”

Additional minutes passed.

Kage barking orders.

Stone yelling at him.

Tank panting.

Pounding in my ears.

It was all too much.

We were going to die.

We were. Going. To. Die.

Yet as a feeling of floating swept through me, a strange sense of freedom became an incredible moment of euphoria.

Maybe we were going to live after all.