Chapter 4 - The Target Lock
The piercing, continuous tone of the missile lock warning echoed loudly through the small cockpit.
Laura knew exactly what that high-pitched, synthetic sound meant.
The heavily armed fighter jet behind them was completely ready to shoot them out of the sky.
Why would our own military target a civilian passenger airliner? the First Officer panicked loudly.
Because we went drastically off course, went completely dark on civilian radar, and dropped altitude suspiciously, Laura explained rapidly.
To them, we look exactly like a hijacked rogue plane actively preparing to strike a surface target.
Laura had flown intense intercept missions exactly like this one during her active duty military service.
She knew the interceptor pilot had strict, lethal orders to neutralize any rogue threat flying over the ocean.
She grabbed the heavy fire extinguisher tighter, her tactical mind racing through her severely limited options.
I have to get my son back safely before they blow us entirely out of the sky, she declared.
You have to break their active radar lock right now, Laura told the terrified First Officer.
How do I possibly do that in a massive commercial jet? he cried out helplessly.
Turn off the backup transponder and drop the plane a thousand feet into the thickest part of that storm cloud ahead, she instructed.
The heavy metallic clouds will give me exactly two minutes of radar cover to aggressively deal with the hijacker.
The First Officer nodded nervously and forcefully pushed the yoke forward.
The massive plane shuddered as it dove straight into a huge wall of dark, violent, turbulent clouds.
Laura stepped out of the cockpit and slammed the heavy door securely shut behind her.
The first-class cabin was dead silent, the passengers trembling in their seats with yellow oxygen masks dangling freely above them.
She moved swiftly and silently down the carpeted aisle toward the rear of the aircraft.
The severe turbulence violently tossed the plane around, making it incredibly difficult to keep her balance.
She finally reached the heavy blue curtains separating the final economy section from the rear galley area.
She carefully peeked through a small, narrow gap in the thick fabric.
A tall man wearing a dark, expensive suit was holding Leo aggressively by the collar of his shirt.
He held a sleek black pistol pressed firmly against the crying boy's small temple.
Laura felt a massive surge of adrenaline so incredibly powerful it temporarily blinded her vision.
She tightened her sweaty grip on the heavy, red metal fire extinguisher.
She prepared to charge recklessly through the curtain and strike him down with maximum force.
Suddenly, the man looked directly at the fabric curtain and smiled warmly.
I know you are standing right there, Viper, the man called out casually.
He slowly reached up with his free left hand and peeled away a highly realistic silicone disguise mask from his face.
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Laura gasped out loud, accidentally dropping the heavy fire extinguisher onto the carpeted floor with a thud.
The man violently holding her son hostage was General Thomas Vance, her late husband's very own father.
