CHAPTER 64

The night smelled of gasoline and smoke.

Fiona lay on her back, staring at the dark sky, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. The roar of William’s jet was fading, but the burn in her muscles reminded her of how close they had come.

Too close.

Darwin groaned beside her, rolling onto his hands and knees. “Tell me we at least did some damage.”

Bella, still breathless, checked her tablet with trembling fingers. A second later, a slow, victorious grin crossed her face. “He’s leaking fuel. He won’t make it far.”

Fiona pushed herself up, wincing. Dirt clung to her palms, her body aching from the impact of their fall. She didn’t care.

Her gaze locked onto the sky, where a thin, barely visible trail of smoke followed the jet’s path.

Marcus’s voice crackled through her earpiece. “What the hell just happened? I lost your signals for a second.”

Fiona pressed a hand against her ribs, steadying her breath. “William’s plane took off. We tried to stop him, but he got airborne.”

A pause. Then, “You’re saying he escaped?”

Darwin wiped a streak of blood from his forehead. “Not for long.”

Marcus responded quickly, his voice sharp. “Give me a second—I’m hacking into the regional air control system. If he’s leaking fuel, he’ll have to make an emergency landing soon.”

Bella looked up from her tablet. “He’ll know we’re tracking him. He’ll try to disappear the second he lands.”

Fiona’s jaw clenched. She was tired. Bone-deep, soul-crushing tired. But there was no stopping now.

“We don’t let him.”

---

The Chase

The airstrip’s control tower was abandoned, but the equipment inside still worked. Marcus, now linked into their communications, was pulling every resource he had to pinpoint William’s next move.

Fiona paced, her adrenaline refusing to settle.

Bella sat near the controls, typing furiously. “His flight path is erratic, but he’s dropping altitude. He’s losing fuel faster than expected.”

Darwin leaned over her shoulder, scanning the screen. “Any nearby airstrips?”

Bella nodded. “Three within range. But if I were William, I’d aim for somewhere less obvious.”

Fiona’s mind worked quickly. “No large airports. No official landing zones. He’ll want isolation.”

Marcus’s voice cut in. “I’ve got something. A private runway—old, barely used. About fifty miles north of his current position.”

Darwin straightened. “Can we get there before him?”

Marcus hesitated. “By air? No. But there’s a highway that cuts close. If you move now, you might get there right as he’s touching down.”

Fiona grabbed her gear. “Then we move.”

Bella stood hesitantly. “What if this is a trap?”

Fiona’s eyes were cold, steady. “It probably is.”

Then she walked out, Darwin following without question.

---

Race Against Time

The stolen Jeep they found near the airstrip was far from perfect—dented, with a cracked windshield—but it had a full tank of gas and more speed than they needed.

Darwin drove.

Fiona sat in the passenger seat, eyes locked on the map, tracking every possible landing site.

Bella was in the back, gripping the seat with white-knuckled hands.

The road was a blur of darkness, only interrupted by flickers of light from distant towns.

Every mile mattered.

“We’re ten minutes out,” Fiona said, tightening her grip on the dashboard.

Bella glanced at the screen in her lap. “William’s jet is descending.”

Darwin pressed harder on the gas. “We’ll make it.”

---

The Landing Strip

The abandoned airstrip was nothing more than cracked pavement and overgrown grass. The skeletal remains of an old hangar stood to the side, rusted and forgotten.

And in the middle of the runway, William’s jet was touching down.

Fiona’s breath caught. They had made it.

Darwin didn’t slow. The Jeep barreled forward, tires kicking up dust as they raced toward the plane.

William’s silhouette was visible through the cockpit window.

He saw them.

And he moved.

The second the plane’s wheels scraped against the pavement, the side hatch swung open. A figure darted out—William, carrying a duffel bag, moving fast.

Fiona didn’t hesitate.

“Go!” she shouted, already kicking the Jeep’s door open before it had fully stopped.

Darwin veered the vehicle toward the plane while Fiona and Bella jumped out, sprinting across the uneven ground.

William ran toward the trees at the edge of the airstrip.

Fiona raised her gun. “Stop!”

He didn’t.

A shot rang out—Fiona fired, aiming for his leg.

William twisted at the last second. The bullet grazed his thigh, but he kept running.

Bella panted behind her. “He’s heading for the woods!”

Fiona cursed. If he disappeared into the thick forest, tracking him would be a nightmare.

Darwin was right behind them now. “We cut him off.”

The three of them split—Darwin circling wide, Bella taking a side flank, Fiona pushing straight ahead.

William was fast, but Fiona was faster.

She burst through the first line of trees, branches cutting against her skin. The undergrowth made every step harder, but she kept going.

Ahead, William was slowing—his injury taking its toll.

Fiona didn’t wait. She lunged.

Her body slammed into his, the impact sending them both crashing to the ground.

William grunted in pain but rolled quickly, attempting to shake her off.

Fiona grabbed his wrist, twisting sharply. His gun clattered to the ground.

He swung at her—wild, desperate. She dodged, driving her elbow into his ribs.

William gasped, the air forced from his lungs.

Darwin appeared beside them, weapon raised. “Don’t move.”

Bella arrived seconds later, her own gun shaking in her hands.

William coughed, blood staining his teeth. But he smiled.

“That was impressive,” he rasped.

Fiona pressed her knee against his chest, pinning him down. “You’re done.”

His gaze flickered toward the duffel bag he had dropped. Fiona followed his eyes.

Then she saw it.

The detonator.

Her blood ran cold.

“Move!” she shouted, pushing away just as William’s hand closed over the device.

A deafening explosion tore through the air.

The shockwave threw Fiona backward, her body hitting the ground hard. Her ears rang, her vision blurred.

Smoke filled the air.

Darwin’s voice was distant. “Fiona! Bella!”

She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head. The ground was scorched where the duffel bag had been, flames licking at the debris.

William was gone.

Bella groaned somewhere nearby, coughing. “Where is he?”

Fiona forced herself up. “Find him!”

Darwin was already scanning the area, his expression dark. “No body.”

Bella clutched her arm. “You think he…?”

Fiona’s jaw tightened. “No.”

She knew William.

This wasn’t how he died.

And as she stood there, surrounded by fire and smoke, she knew one thing for certain.

This wasn’t over.

Not yet.