***Chapter 1***
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer and Jonathan are packing their suitcases.
Jonathan has to go to Mexico to close a deal and check on some factories, and Jennifer is heading to Boston for a writer's conference, and to interview someone for an article.
Jonathan would be gone 2 weeks. She would be gone 2 1/2.
"I don't want to leave you darling".
"I know, me either. Why don't you come to Boston after you are done in Mexico?"
"I can't-I have several board meetings I have to be back here for right after".
She threw her arms around his neck. "Well, when I get back, we will have to spend some time at the beach house, with no interruptions".
"You got it".
He kissed her several times.
After they both finished packing, they put their suitcases on the window seat and changed for bed.
He gave her one of his first-class massages, and they made love a few times and then fell asleep.
***The next morning***
Max made them breakfast, and then told them goodbye. He and Freeway were heading to Vegas for a poker tournament while they were gone.
Freeway had a ticket at the doggy spa, that he really enjoyed.
Jonathan drove Jennifer to the airport, and their planes were parked side by side.
They spent several minutes kissing and saying goodbye.
"Call me when you get there?"
"Absolutely".
One final hug and kiss, and she boarded her plane and he boarded his.
5 hours later, he was in Mexico. He pulled out his phone to call Jennifer, and saw that he had no service.
He figured he would wait till he got to the hotel and give her a call.
***Jennifer's plane***
Jennifer had settled into one of the couches on the plane, and had turned the TV on. She was watching her soap operas, and she started writing down questions for her interview.
She was interviewing a reclusive rock star, Ashley O'Grady. Ashley had been immensely popular about 20 years ago, and had been at the absolute top of her game. Until one day, when she just walked away from it all, and quit the music business with no explanation.
Thanks to her success, she was set for life. But her fans were devastated.
She had never granted interviews before, but this time, she requested Jennifer.
They were going to land in Boston in about an hour, and the captain let her know that.
About 10 minutes later, she received another phone call from the captain.
"Mrs. Hart, can you come to the cockpit? It's urgent".
"Is everything alright?"
"Not really…"
"Well, you know I don't know much about flying the plane, so if you need help, you should call it in".
"All I know is that I need you up here".
"Ok, I will be right there".
She moved all her stuff off her lap, and headed to the cockpit.
"Brad...what is it?"
As soon as she had pushed the curtain back, she heard the click.
She felt the gun to her head.
"Sit down, Mrs. Hart".
She did as she was told.
"As I explained to your pilot already, we will not be going to Boston. We will be going somewhere else. If you or he gives me any trouble, you or he will die. Simple as that".
"What do you want from us?"
"It's simple. You are taking me where I want to go."
"Well, you could drop us in Boston like we planned and then, I tell you what. I own this plane. If you drop us in Boston, unharmed, you can take my plane anywhere you want to go, no questions asked".
"I don't like that idea". She stared at him. He was tall, had a thick Italian accent, and dark hair and dark eyes.
He looked at her. "Do you know how to fly a plane?"
"No, I don't".
"Ok, so Brad does flying. Got it".
"Where do you want to go?"
"Italy".
"I promise you, if you drop us off in Boston or anywhere really, you can take my plane and go to Italy. I won't press charges, I swear it".
"That is very generous, but there is no way I can show up in Italy with a plane that doesn't belong to me".
"Why did you pick this plane?"
"Well, I was on the tarmac, and this one was parked next to another one and the crew was getting this one ready, and they got off the plane and left the door open, and I snuck on. I hid in closet till time was right".
"You are completely mad".
He ordered Brad to fly them to Italy.
"We are going to have to stop for fuel, probably in New York. We won't make it to Italy if we don't".
"Ok, but no tricks".
He got some rope and tied Jennifer's hands behind her back and had her sit in the jumpseat. He took the second pilot's chair, and Brad was flying them in the first one.
"I am sorry I have to do this, but you might escape".
She wasn't resisting at all.
He didn't do the rope too tight, thankfully.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name".
"Carlo".
"Carlo. I have a bad back, I will not be able to sit in this seat the whole way to Italy. I need to be in a cushioned seat. Now, there are cameras in here and you can watch me the whole time, but I need to go and sit back on the couch where I was, otherwise I won't be able to walk when we get to Italy".
"No tricks, or you die".
"No tricks, honest".
He untied her from the chair, and led her to the couch.
He tied her hands in front of her and then returned to the cockpit.
She pulled out her laptop, and quickly sent Jonathan an email.
"Darling, plane has been hijacked. His name is Carlo. He said we are going to Italy. Please help. I love you, I love you, I love you… He has taken over the plane's phones, so you can't call me on the plane phone or my cell. I love you darling…-J".
She hit send and then he came into the room.
"What are you doing?"
"Well you said you weren't going to Boston, and I am supposed to be at a writer's conference. So, I was just telling them I wouldn't be there, that's all".
"Well, no tricks. I am watching you on camera."
He went back to the cockpit.
She turned off the sound on her laptop, but left the window minimized. She wanted to know when he got the email.
She thought about emailing the conference and telling them what was happening, but she was afraid that it would end up in the press. She did not want Jonathan to find out that her plane had been held hostage from TV.
She didn't often think of her mom, because doing so usually made her upset.
However, this time she knew she couldn't do this alone.
She said a silent prayer to her mom to get her back to Jonathan.
***Mexico***
Jonathan landed and headed straight to the hotel. He wanted to call Jennifer as soon as possible.
He checked in, and headed up to his room. It felt weird traveling without her. They usually took their trips together, and if they couldn't, they weren't separated for more than a few days at a time.
He put his things on the bed and sat down and tried to call Jennifer. The phone wasn't working. No dial tone.
He went back downstairs to the front desk.
"My phone in my room isn't working".
"We no have phone service here, senor. Been gone 2 years".
"So why have phones if you don't have service?"
"They look nice in the rooms".
"Is there a place in town that has a phone that I can use?"
"The hotel across the street, in the lobby."
"Thanks".
Jonathan walked across the street, and tried to call Jennifer from there.
No answer on the plane.
"Hmm. Maybe she's landed".
He called the hotel that she was staying at in Boston.
"No, sir, she has not checked in".
He thought it was strange. He was starving though, so he decided he would try again later.
He took off in search of food and a nice, cold drink.
***Jennifer's plane***
She was checking her email every few minutes. Nothing from Jonathan.
She was beginning to get worried, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.
She tried to relax, but who can relax when you are being held hostage?
One thing she knew was that Jonathan would have everyone's head for leaving the plane unattended when this was all resolved...if it was all resolved.
They had stopped in New York, and refueled. Nobody had said a word, nobody had questioned them at all.
Carlo came and sat in the room with Jennifer.
"Ok, so here is the plan. Your husband is Hart, yes?"
"Yes, that's my husband".
"2 years ago, your husband purchased an art gallery in Italy. I do business with them. I bring them art pieces, like vases, sculptures, paintings, and when they sell it, they give me a cut. So, I need you to go into the gallery when we get to Italy, and tell them you are Mrs. Jonathan Hart, and you are bringing some of the pieces back to the American gallery".
"Why would I do that?"
"You will think of a reason".
"That will hurt my husband's business. I would never do that to him or anyone else".
"Well, this time you will". He pointed the gun at her.
"I just don't understand what you want me to do with the pieces after you get them".
"Nothing. We will bring them back to the plane and then I will drop you off somewhere and I will keep the pieces".
"This isn't making sense".
"Do as I say and you don't have to worry about things making sense".
She tried to not show that she was nervous, but it wasn't easy.
He had to know that she was nervous. He was taking her plane hostage for god's sake. Hijackings typically make the victim's nervous.
He made a phone call and was speaking in Italian. She couldn't let on that she knew how to speak Italian. That secret would need to be kept a little longer.
She wished his phone call was on speakerphone so that she could hear both sides. But, she was able to gather from his side of the convo that he was working with a partner, and that he and the partner had planned to make this look like a robbery.
Her only hope was that Jonathan would see her email, and contact the Italian authorities in time….