Chapter 25- Difficult Choices
Michael shivered in the cold. His clothing wet from the earlier rain and the new falling snow. His arm ached where the bullet had gone in and exited through the side. It would be fine, but just not now. Thirty minutes felt like a life time. He had turned his phone on minutes ago. The one bar blinking from the battery told him that he did not have long before it was dead. He hoped she would call soon.
Mintor had informed him that they had reached the airport moments ago and were waiting for a pilot. Michael waited and thought about her. He loved how her hair curled in the Miami humidity, he loved the new look that warm weather clothing gave her, he loved her, but it never felt right. Part of that was her, but mostly it was him and a past he couldn't forgive himself for.
Fi sat on the floor. She didn't know why she had been moved, she didn't understand it. It didn't make sense other than Michael had intervened. She hoped it was worth the bargain. She hoped he had not given too much. The cool water felt good on her burning throat. The room she sat in was dark, and she could hear large engines outside, but on her way in the burlap bag over her head had masked everything. The small room she was in did not have windows and she knew it was a closet guarded by at least one, if not two people on the outside.
From behind the door she could hear talking, but could not make out the words. It was cold and the filthy jacket she was given was not enough considering she was still dressed in her robe. There had been little interaction between her and her captives. Any interaction had been swift and violent leaving her with several bruises and a slight knife slit under her chin.
Minutes after arriving the door opened and a tall man entered and placed the bag over her head again. Pulling her up with her tied hands he forced her out into the cold again. The wind was howling, and snow hit her face. She could hear the engine of an airplane loud in her ears. She was pulled across and closer to the noise. She was loaded into he plane and the pilot got in moments later. The bag was removed and the door was shut.
The pilot moved the plane forward as Fi could not believe her eyes. She was about to take off, in a snow storm, but take off. She looked at the pilot he looked nervous. The plane was wheels up in just a few minutes and they bounced around the sky in the wind.
The pilot handed her a headset and she put it on.
"Where are you taking me?" She asked.
"They said where ever you wanted to go to." He didn't look at her but he handed her a phone. You are suppose to call Michael.
.
She dialed the number, her fingers shaking as she did.
"Fi, can you hear me?"
"Michael, Michael" she said with tears in her eyes. "Is that you?" She found it difficult to hear him with the roar of the engine.
"Yes" he said smiling. "We don't have much time so listen please. Are you OK?"
"Yes, I think so."
"You should have a loaded gun."
"What?" she said surprised as the call began to break up.
"You should have a loaded gun so you can control the pilot. Have him take you home if you can."
"What about you Michael?"
"It was always you Fi, no one else. Always you. I will come for you." The line died. He was gone. The signal broken by the altitude.
Fi stared at the phone. "Michael, MICHAEL." She placed the headphones back on.
"Where is the gun?" she said angrily, not sure how this pilot fit into the big picture.
"Under your seat." He answered back.
Reaching beneath her, she found a 9mm Glock. She checked the clip and loaded a round into the chamber. It loaded nicely, she hoped it would fire nicely too.
"I need to go back." She said pointing it at the pilot's head.
x
"Alright Michael, you have your proof. Now let us have our little chat."
Michael stood from his position. Mintor wasn't far from him, less than 30 meters.. Dropping his gun as they watched he moved forward his hands up as best he could with the injury. He knew they had a sniper trained on him, just something he could feel, and he could also feel the atmosphere relax slightly as his weapon dropped into the grass.
Mintor moved closer. "You see, that wasn't hard. I told you that we could compromise."
Michael smiled a broad smile.
"I hate to back you into a corner Michael, but there is no other way to talk to you. You simply won't cooperate."
Two men moved close to Michael and with a nod of Mintor's head they forcefully tried grabbing his arms. Moving quickly he shot the palm of his hand up and into one mans jaw then turning swiftly and putting his elbow into the others throat. Both men fell back and into the bushes.
Several other men began to move forward, Mintor put up his hand to stop them.
"I could have you shot for that." He said smiling.
Michael smiled back, "But you won't because you need me. Without me you will never find Amir."
x
The pilot looked at Fi. A bead of sweat had formed on his forehead. "I don't now what kind of game you and your friends are playing. I don't understand this." His hands were nearly white from the grip on the controls.
Fi stared at the man. "What do you mean?" She asked lowering the gun.
"They told me they wouldn't kill her." he rambled on.
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Fi yelled at him trying to break him out of the rambling.
"They said to take you up in the plane and once we got to 5000 feet I was to bring you back. I was to tell you anything you wanted to know and they wouldn't hurt her."
"Hurt who?" Fi said.
"My little girl. She is only eight. Only eight."
Fi ran her hands through her hair and stopped half way through. "OK, you will get her back. Just bring me back, but I need you to know that I am just like you, a pawn in their little game. They don't want you or your little girl, they want me.
"Did you log this flight?"
"Yeah. With my company, and they logged it with the tower."
"Good, then someone is expecting you back. Tell them that. They will threaten you, but release you. They don't need cops sniffing around. Just do as they say and please do me a favor. You need to call someone for me."
He looked at her and knew she was telling the truth.
X
Michael took a few more steps closer to Mintor. No one moved in his direction it was subtle.
"Were you ever going to let Fi go?" he said so only Mintor could hear.
Mintor looked at Michael and instantly realized his mistake. He had let a trained killer get too close. Michael moved swiftly, his arm up around Mintor's neck as he pulled the second weapon from behind his back and pointed it to Mintor's head.
The minions moved forward, caught off guard as their leader squirmed under the grip.
"No, no." Michael said backing up and pulling Mintor with him. "Tell them to back away Mintor. You don't want to test me right now."
Mintor could feel the grip tighten around his neck and the coldness of the weapon press a little tighter to his head. He could feel the seriousness of his actions and the anger in his tone.
Michael whispered to him. "If I cut off the head of the snake, will the rest of it just die.'" Tugging at Mintors neck as they continued to back up.
"We still have her, Michael. If I don't return, they have orders to kill her."
"Well maybe I can trade your life for hers, what do you think? Are you worth it?"
"They will never let you leave here alive." Mintor responded. "If they get a shot they will take it."
"If that were true, then I would already be dead. There is no way your sniper couldn't hit me." Mike was nearing the edge of the river. Mintor's team moved slowly, but they moved closer with every minute.
Tell them to back up." Michael choked him a little more and the mans face turned red. You can come with me dead or alive Mintor, I don't care."
Mintor waved with his hands and the men backed up.
"MORE!" Michael yelled. Each of them looked at him and they took another few steps back while Mike forced his captive back onto the gravel off the edge of the steep hill over looking the river. The dark cold water churned below and moved swiftly in the deep canal.
"I can't swim." Mintor said in a last ditch effort.
"Then you will drown." He said with a smirk.
Mike knew he would have only one chance at this. As they passed over the top and angled down. Micheal's grip around his neck became firmer. It took all he had not to snap his neck, but Mintor passed out quickly. Reaching into his pocket and Mintor's he removed two phones. He popped the back battery cover from both and removed Sam's tracking device and placing it in Mintor's phone. It was only good if the phone had power and his was dead. Quickly putting the phone back together, he fired off two rounds into the air. That would keep them busy for a moment and maybe attract the attention of police that were less than a mile away at the burning house. Placing the phone back in Mintor's pocket he headed for the water and escape.