“What?”
“Shh.” Micah switched to Tiampian and spoke rapidly to reassure the passengers. He banked, taking the most direct route to the base. He grabbed the mic. “Achor base, this is Micah, and we got a problem.”
“Yes, we know. You’ll have to hold until the runway is clear. Everything we have is taking off right now, but we’ll hold the last plane for you to land.”
“Jolly decent of you.” He put the mic down and looked at Jael. “You OK?”
She nodded.
“Crossed something else off your bucket list I assume.” His hand touched hers.
She laced her fingers into his for a brief moment, taking comfort from his touch. Was the fear she felt mirrored by what she saw in his eyes? “Actually, this wasn’t on my bucket list at all.”
“Nor mine.” He squeezed her fingers, then took his hand back, gripping the controls. The plane jerked and he altered course slightly. “We’re fine,” he told her.
Wishing she believed him, Jael gripped the seat, praying the rest of the flight. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this scared. Had she ever been? Even during the earthquake she’d been grounded in the knowledge that should the worst happen, it’d be quick, but now?
The base came into sight underneath them, and Micah’s reluctance to hold grew. “Achor, this is Micah. I really need to land. Now. Running low on fuel. So you either give me a space, or I land in a field and we’re one less plane.”
“OK, land now.”
“Thank you.”
He lined up with the edge of the runway and came in straight and true without a single bump. He taxied direct to the hanger by the fuel tanks and parked the plane inside the building. “I’ll refuel and meet you inside.”
“Can you refuel in here?” she asked, glancing around the enclosed space.
“It’s not advised in the manual, but right now it’s a heck of a lot safer than out there, wouldn’t you say?”
Jael nodded. “Be careful.”
He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. “Always honey.”
Jael ran to the main building, passing a load of people scrambling onto a small plane with engines running. Ash fell around her and the sky overhead darkened as the clouds of death grew.
Danny appeared to be in panic mode. “Jael, thank the Lord you’re back. Grab what you can from your room, then pack up the clinic—”
Zeek shook his head from where he sat hunched over a laptop. “There’s no time. The readings are no good and getting worse.”
Another plane took off and one landed. Jael glanced out of the window. Lightning flashed in the huge ash plume rising from the volcano. “How much worse can it get?” she wondered. But she didn’t get a reply.
Steve rushed into the room, his feet barely touching the ground. “OK, the boats have arrived and need to leave fairly quickly. Can we take the people down to the harbor to be transferred to the navy vessels?”
Kevin breezed in. The man didn’t even look flustered, as if this happened every single day. “The clinic is empty of patients now. Jael, can I have a word?”
“I’m going to get my stuff. Danny wants us all out.”
Kevin grabbed her arm. “And I need a word. Now.” He pulled her into the dispensary. As he turned to face her, his face changed. His eyes narrowed and darkened, an expression of pure hatred filling every crease and pore. “What did you say to Danny?”
Terror ran rampant through her. “When?” she managed, wondering if she could bolt past him and into the hall without him grabbing her. “I’ve said lots of things to him…”
“He fired me.”
“What?” She swallowed hard, bile rising in her throat. She hadn’t wanted that to happen.
Kevin took a step closer. “He fired me. No references, no nothing, and it’s all down to you.”
“Me?” Jael took a step sideways, her terror rising as he encroached on her personal space.
Kevin moved swiftly, backing her into a corner, one arm blocking her exit, the other running down her
“Shh.” Micah switched to Tiampian and spoke rapidly to reassure the passengers. He banked, taking the most direct route to the base. He grabbed the mic. “Achor base, this is Micah, and we got a problem.”
“Yes, we know. You’ll have to hold until the runway is clear. Everything we have is taking off right now, but we’ll hold the last plane for you to land.”
“Jolly decent of you.” He put the mic down and looked at Jael. “You OK?”
She nodded.
“Crossed something else off your bucket list I assume.” His hand touched hers.
She laced her fingers into his for a brief moment, taking comfort from his touch. Was the fear she felt mirrored by what she saw in his eyes? “Actually, this wasn’t on my bucket list at all.”
“Nor mine.” He squeezed her fingers, then took his hand back, gripping the controls. The plane jerked and he altered course slightly. “We’re fine,” he told her.
Wishing she believed him, Jael gripped the seat, praying the rest of the flight. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this scared. Had she ever been? Even during the earthquake she’d been grounded in the knowledge that should the worst happen, it’d be quick, but now?
The base came into sight underneath them, and Micah’s reluctance to hold grew. “Achor, this is Micah. I really need to land. Now. Running low on fuel. So you either give me a space, or I land in a field and we’re one less plane.”
“OK, land now.”
“Thank you.”
He lined up with the edge of the runway and came in straight and true without a single bump. He taxied direct to the hanger by the fuel tanks and parked the plane inside the building. “I’ll refuel and meet you inside.”
“Can you refuel in here?” she asked, glancing around the enclosed space.
“It’s not advised in the manual, but right now it’s a heck of a lot safer than out there, wouldn’t you say?”
Jael nodded. “Be careful.”
He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. “Always honey.”
Jael ran to the main building, passing a load of people scrambling onto a small plane with engines running. Ash fell around her and the sky overhead darkened as the clouds of death grew.
Danny appeared to be in panic mode. “Jael, thank the Lord you’re back. Grab what you can from your room, then pack up the clinic—”
Zeek shook his head from where he sat hunched over a laptop. “There’s no time. The readings are no good and getting worse.”
Another plane took off and one landed. Jael glanced out of the window. Lightning flashed in the huge ash plume rising from the volcano. “How much worse can it get?” she wondered. But she didn’t get a reply.
Steve rushed into the room, his feet barely touching the ground. “OK, the boats have arrived and need to leave fairly quickly. Can we take the people down to the harbor to be transferred to the navy vessels?”
Kevin breezed in. The man didn’t even look flustered, as if this happened every single day. “The clinic is empty of patients now. Jael, can I have a word?”
“I’m going to get my stuff. Danny wants us all out.”
Kevin grabbed her arm. “And I need a word. Now.” He pulled her into the dispensary. As he turned to face her, his face changed. His eyes narrowed and darkened, an expression of pure hatred filling every crease and pore. “What did you say to Danny?”
Terror ran rampant through her. “When?” she managed, wondering if she could bolt past him and into the hall without him grabbing her. “I’ve said lots of things to him…”
“He fired me.”
“What?” She swallowed hard, bile rising in her throat. She hadn’t wanted that to happen.
Kevin took a step closer. “He fired me. No references, no nothing, and it’s all down to you.”
“Me?” Jael took a step sideways, her terror rising as he encroached on her personal space.
Kevin moved swiftly, backing her into a corner, one arm blocking her exit, the other running down her
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