Chapter 9 - The Final Flight
We threw Sheriff Watkins aggressively into the trunk of the battered SUV and sped toward the airstrip.
The county airport was a small, private runway used mostly by wealthy executives and local crop dusters.
Lucy pushed the damaged vehicle to its absolute limit, the engine roaring in loud protest down the empty highway.
"If he gets in the air, he falls under international jurisdiction, and we lose him entirely," David warned bleakly.
I clutched Mom's fragile hand in the backseat, praying silently we wouldn't be too late to finish this nightmare.
We crashed violently through the flimsy wooden gate of the airfield just as a sleek white jet began warming its engines.
The deafening, high-pitched whine of the turbines echoed loudly across the dark, flat landscape.
Wade was standing at the very top of the boarding stairs, clutching a metal briefcase full of cash and forged documents.
He saw our bright headlights approaching and frantically yelled at the pilot to take off immediately.
David slammed hard on the brakes, sliding the SUV horizontally to block the jet's path on the runway.
We all jumped quickly out of the car, using the heavy steel doors as reliable cover from the jet's powerful exhaust.
"It is officially over, Wade!" I screamed loudly over the deafening roar of the jet engines.
"You have absolutely nowhere left in the world to run!"
Wade pulled his weapon and fired a wild, desperate shot that completely shattered our remaining taillight.
He grabbed the metal railing of the stairs, absolutely refusing to surrender to the people he thought were beneath him.
"I built this family's wealth, and I am taking every cent of it with me!" he roared like a madman.
He turned to step inside the luxurious cabin, but the pilot suddenly appeared blocking the doorway.
The pilot kicked Wade squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling violently down the metal boarding stairs.
Wade hit the hard tarmac, dropping his gun and spilling the briefcases of stolen cash completely across the runway.
The pilot pulled off his aviator sunglasses and walked slowly down the stairs with a confident swagger.
It was a man wearing the unmistakable, gleaming gold badge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
But instead of arresting Wade immediately, the federal agent aimed his weapon directly at David's chest.
"Drop your gun right now, Miller, or I put a bullet in you," the corrupt federal agent ordered coldly.
May you like
Wade laughed maniacally from the ground, picking up his scattered cash and preparing to board the plane again.
"I told you I have absolutely everyone on my payroll, Claire," Wade sneered with victorious, sickening pride.
