A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) (36 page)

"Hunter? I'm here," she called out. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. "We have to talk this out. I got a call about you being hurt."

"You might be here, but Hunter isn't," a cold voice said from behind her. It was the same voice she heard on the phone.

Bile rose in her throat.

This had been a set up. Where was Hunter?

She'd been so upset and worried about him that she never once considered the fact that the call hadn't been real. But why would she have?

Was this the person who'd sent the letters and left the dead animal on Hunter's porch?

Becca whirled around as the plane door was pulled shut, shrouding her in darkness with the unknown person on board. Becca opened her mouth to scream and no sound came out. Her scream died in her throat.

"Want to go for a little ride? I think there's so much to catch up on. I was hoping for a full reunion, but Hunter left a while ago. I should have really made sure he was hurt. I'll deal with him later, but you, well, it's your damn fault I was on the plane all those years ago."

The lights came on. Becca stared at the woman. Her hazel eyes blazed with rage.

"Don't think about going anywhere. We have company. Just a friend." A man stood by the door, looking all too eager to pounce if she made a move to get near that door. "Sit down, Becca," she snapped. Then she turned to the man. "Ready for your first flight as a pilot?"

Hunter opened his eyes when he heard an engine roar to life. It was loud and rumbling. He blinked, trying to recall where he was. He'd fallen asleep in his car. What the hell? The last thing he recalled was driving away from the house in a panic because he'd hurt Becca. How did he get here, and were exactly was here?

As he jarred to reality, he realized exactly where he was and what that sound was.

The airport.

How did he get here? When? Why?

The plane taking off wasn't doing a good job. He watched in horror until it smacked him in the face like a rubber band.

That's my plane taking off!

His feet were tingling from the way he'd been sitting. As he darted across the field where his car was parked, he nearly fell. He kept darting his gaze to his plane. Someone inside better have a damn good explanation about this.

He spotted Arthur. When the man noticed him running toward him, his eyes widened.

"If you aren't flying your plane, who the hell is?" Arthur pointed.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know!" Hunter snapped as he skidded to a stop. His eyes were on the plane, which was now in the air. "Who the hell cleared this plane to take off?"

"I have no clue. If you aren't on that plane, where have you been? Is Becca with you?"

Hunter's heart almost stopped at the sound of Becca's name. "What are you talking about?"

"Becca came by just a little while ago, saying she was meeting you here."

"You've got to be kidding!" Holy hell, was Becca on that plane right now? With who? Hunter ran inside the building to talk to anyone with a clue.

"Who the hell is flying my plane?" he yelled, slamming his fist on the counter. The woman behind the counter raised her brows at him and immediately looked up the information. She must be new, because Hunter didn't recognize her.

"There's no scheduled flights on-"

"Hello! I know that! You'd better do something. Someone just took off in my plane," he fumed. "And they don't look like they know what the hell they're doing." Something occurred to him. "There's not that much fuel right now, either. I haven't flown in a while, so I haven't had the need to have it filled."

An eerie feeling washed over him.

Was Becca on that plane, and if so, who was with her?

He reached in his pocket for his phone and dialed hers.

*****

"Still hate planes, huh? You look like you're about to get sick." The woman snarled at Becca.

"Who a-are y-you?" The stuttering worsened. Clutching the armrests of the seat, Becca never let her eyes waver from the stranger's face.

"You don't remember me?" she mocked. "No, of course not. Your family was the reason I took that flight."

"Wh-what does that h-have to do with m-me? I w-was only eight!" So what did she want with her now, after twenty years? The plane went even higher, making Becca's stomach clench. She squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted off this plane, now!

"We've got a problem!" the bearded man yelled from the cockpit.

The woman slapped the side of the plane in frustration. "What now?"

"We're low on fuel. We ain't gonna make it to where you wanna go. I'm going to have to land this thing much sooner, which means you need a back up plan."

"Are you a fucking idiot? How do you not pay attention to this stuff sooner?"

"Hey, you're the stupid bitch that pulled this spur of the moment shit. We weren't supposed to do this yet, not without the guy."

The guy? Were they referring to Hunter?

Where was Hunter?

"Yeah well, with the events of last night, I figured it was the perfect time. Who knew they were going to have a fight and he'd run over here? I'll just take care of him later."

"Why now?" Becca whispered. "After all this time?"

"You weren't the only one who didn't escape without problems," the woman snapped. "Except they locked me up. Called me crazy. Maybe it was too much time alone when that plane went down. Kinda does things to the mind, you know?" She twirled a finger around her ear, leering over in Becca's face. "Or maybe you wouldn't. Of course, Princess Becca wasn't alone. I wasn't supposed to be on that plane. That's why no one ever came across my name. I don't exist. It would have worked out if the stupid thing hadn't crashed. I would have had a new life. Oh, I got a new life all right, but not the one I anticipated!"

Becca's phone went off in her purse. With wide eyes, she reached for it.

"I'll take that!" It was snatched from her hand in an instant. Becca went to grab for it, but a sharp turn of the plane tossed her back. Deep breaths. She'd get through this. She just had to. "Watch it, idiot! I don't know if I'd survive a second crash!"

How could she make light of it? Becca fought down another wave of bile as the woman answered her phone.

"Hello, Hunter. I suppose you're looking for Becca? Oh, what a lovely little plane you have here. It's fun to take for a little joy ride. Don't worry, we'll save a little fun for you. Shouldn't have left the party before it really began."

Becca's arm shot out for her phone with a spike of adrenaline.

"Hold on, I think someone wants to talk to you."

To her surprise, the woman let Becca have the phone. With a shaky hand, she put it up to her ear. Blood thundered in her ears.

"Becca? Angel, listen to me. I love you. You're going to be okay. I'll find a way to you, just like I've always promised. I'll bring you home to me somehow, okay? I'm so sorry, baby." His voice cracked.

Becca choked back a sob as she opened her mouth to speak. To her dismay, nothing came out. Only a squeak as the words died in her throat. No, not now! She should have figured it would happen. She went mute, froze up every time something big happened.

He let out a string of cuss words on the other end. "She's on that plane," he said to someone. "She can't talk to me." More scuffling sounds, then Hunter came back on the line. "Just be strong, Becca. I'm going to find a way. I love-"

The phone was snatched away once again. Becca shot up from her seat to get it back. The woman slapped her hard. With another lurch from the plane, she slipped and hit her head on one of the seats.

"You had your talk, Hunter. Too bad you left the plane and couldn't join the party. It would have been a beautiful, heartfelt reunion. Oh, I would have felt your heart beat like crazy as I slowly ripped it out by taking away every thing you loved, starting with Becca. Bye now!"

Becca watched in horror as her phone was flung across the plane, smashing against a window.

"Miss your family, Becca? How about I help you join them." The pure calm way she spoke drove an invisible stake in Becca's heart. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. She was going to die. "If I didn't hate you so much, I'd like you. Everyone thinks you're such a miracle or something. Oh, if only they all knew the real dirt about Rebecca Lange. She doesn't exist!"

What?

What was that supposed to mean?

She's crazy. Don't let her cruel words seep in. It's just a ploy.

Black spots formed in her line of vision. Becca felt like the world was tipping upside down over and over.

"Cat got your tongue? Should have figured you weren't gonna be able to talk. Yeah, I knew about that. I've learned so much about you and Hunter over the past twenty years. I told you I'd make you remember."

Becca clenched her fist, grasping blindly around her. She held back another sob, trying to stay strong.

"Did you know Rusty Lange had a family before you? Your dad used to be my dad. Well, not officially. He married my mom, but that dumb bitch pushed everyone away. She drove your dad away and then married some crap ass moron afterward. The guy used to beat me, especially when he couldn't get my mom to pay attention. Daddy used to talk to me, until his new family came along. Ahh, Anne and Ellie. Then came you, the biggest surprise of all!

"I'd convinced him to come and get me, take me home with him here. Boy, what truths I uncovered taking the flight that night. I learned about the real you. Perfect for me, I could make my escape. What the- I thought you knew how to fly this thing?" she screeched. "Idiot!"

She wasn't making sense.

The real Becca? What was she saying? What did she know?

Another loud, ringing sound filled the air. Becca didn't know what. Pain exploded in her head, and she couldn't think or see straight. She heard yelling between the woman and the pilot, and there was a lot of shaking.

It's just like that night. It was happening again.

A second time.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

"What the hell are you doing?" the pilot screamed. He sounded terrified. "You fucking shot me! I'm bleeding! You're going to leave me here to die? I've been on your side this entire time!"

"Might as well. You're too stupid to fly this damn thing. I'm jumping ship, or should I say plane," the eerie voice said from somewhere near Becca.

Pain continued to throb in her head as she blinked, hoping her vision would clear enough to see what was going on.

"You're crazy!"

She squeezed her eyes shut once more before finally opening them. Her body felt like she'd been tossed under a bus. She blinked. The blurriness cleared. The woman stood by the plane's door with something on her back. Her hand was on the door.

She scrambled to get up, but her legs didn't want to work with her.

"Don't call me crazy, you bastard." The woman's eyes blazed with an intense fury. "I'm not crazy. Hope you both rot in hell!" She opened the door, pushing with all her weight. What felt like a huge gust of wind blew into the plane, enhancing the instability of it even more. To Becca's horror, she jumped.

Even though she couldn't make a sound, her mouth formed an O.

"Fuck!" the man yelled. He leaped over Becca and staggered toward the door. "She had this damn thing planned." He looked down. He was about to reach out and grab the handle when the plane shuddered. "We ain't gonna be able to get this thing closed. We're at such a low altitude ... she's got a parachute. What a bitch!"

He should be flying the plane!

Becca's headache worsened. Her ears popped to the point they hurt. She covered her ears and winced. Frantically, she gestured toward the front of the plane, hoping he'd get the message and get back there!

"I need your help." The man stood before her now, blood splattered all over his shirt. It continued to spread, like a crimson plague. "We've got to land this thing as best we can before we both die!"

"Mayday, mayday, mayday!"

Becca sat in the co-pilot seat next to the bleeding man. She helped him into his seat as the plane descended. He fiddled with buttons, swearing every other word. Finally, he called for help on the little radio.

She heard a few voices, but Becca couldn't concentrate on what they were saying. It wasn't until she heard Hunter's voice that she focused.

"What the hell is going on up there? Where's Becca? Who the hell are you?"

Becca finally opened her eyes and stared at the pilot.

"She's here. Look, I don't fully know what I'm doing here. The door is open and that bitch jumped out," the man coughed and sputtered, spitting blood. She feared he would pass out or worse, die. Then what next? "She shot me. I'm bleeding."

"How the hell did you get the plane in the air if you don't know what you're doing?" Hunter yelled. "You know what, never mind. That doesn't matter."

Oh Hunter, I wish I could talk to you right now.

She fought to stay calm. Every muscle in her body clenched and spasmed. Just the sound of Hunter's voice began to soothe her. She sucked in a breath, waiting for what would happen next. Her head hurt so bad, every so often she saw spots. At least she was alive. That had to count for something right now and she'd hold onto that as long as she could.

They just had to make it out of this.

"We're descending"
Cough cough cough.
"Really fast." He was now coughing up blood. Becca had a bad feeling about his fate.

"Look for the altitude indicator," Hunter instructed. "You want the wings to be level with the horizon. Pull the yoke toward you and level out."

Becca watched as the man did exactly what Hunter said. They weren't descending like crazy anymore. She breathed a sigh of relief. First step done. They were a long way from being safe, but it was a start.

"What's your altitude?" Hunter asked.

"Seventy five hundred-"
Cough cough
"Feet."

He kept coughing up blood. The man's dark blue eyes fixed on her for a moment. Regret shimmered there. He mouthed a 'sorry' at her.

Sorry? He wanted to say sorry now? He'd helped some crazy woman try to kill her, and now that she bailed on him, he wanted to apologize? Becca hissed. Before he turned back to the controls, his eyes rolled up. All she could see was the whites. Then, he slumped over.