A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome back to Easy! :D
Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!
This is a slightly shorter chapter, but you all get some answer this chapter so I hope you all enjoy!
James sat in the leather chair of Deckard Shaw's plane, staring down the barrel of Jake Ryan's gun just as he had been for the last hour or longer. In that time, he'd invented a dozen potential ways of getting out of this situation, and dismissed them one after the other due to his lack of weapon and ability to fly.
The layout of this plane was the same as his family's. The furnishings were more upscale but far less comfortable. James surveyed the clouds passing by the window, surprised at how un-freaked he was about being in a plane. Then again, being held captive by a guy who'd likely shoot you as soon as the plane landed really put the risks of air travel into perspective.
Jake sat in a chair opposite him, swiveled sideways, so he could keep one eye on Ethan in the cockpit while keeping track of James in the living area. James hadn't heard from Ethan since they'd first taken off. Jake had shoved him into a seat near Ethan in the cockpit and then forced Ethan to input coordinates and take off in some crazy-ass way that had made Ethan flush red and mutter things about recklessness and suicide. Then Jake had yanked James up again, as soon as they'd reached cruising altitude, and brought him back here, no doubt to keep him away from Ethan, who vibrated with crazy anger just being in the proximity of Jake.
James needed to talk to Ethan if they were ever going to find a way out of this alive, and James needed at least Ethan to survive, for Kendall's sake. Shane and Jett would have each other, plus Shane had his work, and Jett had his mom. But Kendall...James couldn't imagine what he must be feeling right now, having his brother ripped away from him again, after all that Kendall had gone through, all he'd sacrificed. James rubbed his thumb over the pocket of his shorts, feeling the outline of Kendall's lucky quarter against his finger. A lump lodged in his throat.
He needed to get Ethan back to Kendall.
He watched the madman sitting across from him, gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Jake was hunched forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, breathing erratically. He kept running the cell phone across his forehead in a nervous way like he was waiting for it to ring with a call from wherever the hell they were headed. Would Jake deliver him and Ethan to his real bosses, the people who'd paid Jake to kill his parents?
"Jake," James began, and Jake's head flew up, eyes wild. James shrank back, making himself as non-threatening as possible. "I just...I was wondering. Who paid you?"
"What?"
"A year ago, the crash," James whispered. "We already figured out someone must have paid you to kill my parents."
Jake's head went back, a smile forming on his lips. "Why the hell would I tell you?"
"Why wouldn't you?" James swallowed. "I mean, you're going to kill me anyway when we land, aren't you?"
"Maybe," Jake shrugged, his eyes cagey. "I haven't decided yet. It might be better to keep a hostage for a while, and you're a better bet than Schmidt."
"Right, okay. Well, I'm assuming you will at some point," James said sadly, letting real fear thread through his voice, real tears spring to his eyes. "I think I'd kind of like to know the truth before it happens. Wouldn't you if the positions were reversed? Call it my last request."
Jake laughed, a single quick bark, then a longer stream of chuckles. "Aww. You're scared aren't you, James?"
James nodded seriously. "Of course. You're the guy with the fucking gun."
"Hmmm. Yes, I am," Jake agreed. His smile turned smug. "Crazy thing about your parents. I had to set it up to look like an accident. I had to be above reproach." He rolled his eyes. "Harder than you think."
James nodded and glanced away, and as he did, he saw something move from the corner of his eye, a sliver of reflected light from further down the hall, from the bathroom and bedroom area. He kept his gaze trained there, hoping Jake would think he was trying to compose himself, and he saw it again-a definite flash of light, reflected off the surface of a picture in the gangway.
Was there someone else on this plane? James' pulse kicked up and he sat straighter. Had Kendall or one of the others somehow managed to sneak aboard? How could he twist this to his advantage?
"Who engineered it?" James demanded, wanting Jake's attention focused on him.
Jake snickered and leaned back in his chair. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Can't be any crazier than some of the thoughts I've entertained this week," James argued. "Kendall thought for a while that Shane was involved."
"Shane? Your brother?" Jake laughed out loud. "Oh, God! I wish I'd thought of that. Did you believe it?"
"Not really," James said, watching the light creep closer along the gangway. "But I wondered who else it could have been. Maybe one of his competitors?"
Jake shook his head, enjoying the game. "Nope. Much, much closer."
James ground his teeth together at Jake's taunting tone and looked to the side again. The light had gone, but now James could see a shadow. Someone was standing right in the bedroom doorway, listening to them. "What would you say if I told you it was one of your father's most trusted friends?"
"One of dad's friends?" James repeated. His attention caught now, between the shadow in the bedroom and the story that Jake was telling. "Who?"
"Guess."
James rubbed at the back of his neck impatiently. "I...I don't know. I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt my dad. Was it someone from the board? Carl, maybe? Or maybe the guy below him in the department, Drew?"
"Closer than that." Jake's voice was sober now, all his humor gone. "One of his best friends ever. Someone he trusted implicitly."
Jake's eyes darted unconsciously to the cell phone in his hand, and James saw what he'd been missing all along.
They were in Deckard Shaw's plane, with Deckard Shaw's assistant. "Uncle Shaw," he breathed. "Not possible. He loved my dad."
Jake nodded. "He did. Killed him to do it, but your dad made his bed." Jake shrugged.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What did Dad ever do to Uncle Shaw that could possibly have led to this?" James fought to keep his temper in check, but how dare this man talk so casually about ending his parents' lives?
"The usual." Jake shrugged. "Screwed him over. Left him hanging in the wind. Your dad made it clear he couldn't be trusted."
"You're wrong," James argued. "Dad was totally trustworthy."
Jake shook his head with mock regret, then smiled. "You still think your dad was a saint. It's so cute. Probably better you die thinking that way, huh?"
The shadow was still standing in the doorway, and James wondered for a second if it could be Uncle...no. Deckard Shaw was not his uncle, and it couldn't be Deckard out there, or he doubted Jake would have spoken so frankly. If it was someone who could help James and Ethan, he had to get them in the proper position and somehow neutralize Jake's gun. Whether James made it off the plane or not, he needed to make certain Deckard Shaw would pay.
He forced himself to shrug and look unconcerned. "Maybe we won't die today anyway."
Jake smiled and turned the gun so it pointed directly at James. "I think it's up to me though, isn't it?"
"Well, Ethan's flying the plane," James said. "Who knows where we'll end up."
"Nah," Jake said, but his eyelid flickered. "He inputted the coordinates for a small airport outside of Miami, just as I told him to."
"He can't change them in flight?" James asked innocently. He was pretty sure Ethan could and probably would. "You'd know better than me."
Jake's eyes narrowed as he realized the flaw in his plan. He glanced back at the cockpit and his breathing hitched. "You're just trying to get me to leave you here while I go check on Ethan," he accused.
James' eyes widened. "Of course not. What could I do? I don't have a weapon."
Just as he'd hoped, Jake looked more suspicious than ever. "Get up," he commanded. "We can both go sit in the cockpit."
James stood slowly and pretended reluctance. "I could just stay here…"
"Get your ass over here," Jake said, rising to his feet and backing up, leaving plenty of room for James to precede him. James stepped forward until he was blocking Jake's view of the cockpit. He turned his head to glare at Jake and get a direct line of sight into the tiny bedroom in the rear of the plane. He caught the faintest glimpse of a man with dark hair before Jake barked at him to get moving.
James' stomach plummeted. Was that Dak? Had he been involved in this plot the whole time? Was he working with his father and Jake? Suddenly, being trapped in a cockpit with Ethan and this madman didn't seem like any sort of a decent plan.
"I was just messing with you," James said nervously. "Ethan wouldn't play games like that, not with me on board."
"Too late for second-guessing," Jake sneered. "Move your ass."
James didn't have to feign his reluctance as he walked the short distance into the cockpit.
"Sit," Jake said, gesturing toward the copilot's seat. James glanced out the window, but there was nothing to see except unrelenting blue-clear blue sky over a darker blue ocean, no land anywhere in sight. He swallowed hard, felt his stomach lurch, but he didn't have time for a panic attack right then. Death was a lot more certain than a plane crash.
Ethan glanced over as James sat down and stared at him, but unlike his brother, Ethan couldn't relay messages to James with just his eyes. James had no idea what Ethan was trying to tell him.
"I'm sorry," James said to Ethan. If it hadn't been for him, Ethan wouldn't have been on this plane at all.
Ethan lifted his chin in acknowledgment before he said, "I didn't do it for you, Diamond. I did it for Kendall. He loves you."
"Shut up," Jake said, motioning with his gun. He glanced at the instrumentation and must have somehow determined that they were still in the correct course, because his posture relaxed. "Not a word from either of you."
But James was done following orders. If he was going to die, there were things he needed to say first.
"It's not like that for him," he explained to Ethan. "Kendall...we...I don't know what we could have had, but he wasn't there yet. It's okay, though. I know he cared, and he knows how I felt." He dug into his pocket and retrieved Kendall's quarter.
"Hey! Keep your hands where I can see them," Jake said, but he relaxed when James displayed the simple coin in his hand.
James held it up, turning sideways in his seat to show it to Ethan, and he saw that Jake's attention was riveted on it, too. From the cabin beyond, he saw movement and prayed that Dak or whoever was out there wasn't working with Jake.
"Kendall let me borrow this," he told Ethan. "He told me you gave it to him a while back."
Ethan looked at James like he was crazy. Maybe he was. From the corner of his eye, he watched the shadow outside the cockpit door creep closer. Whoever was out there was trying to conceal their presence. James knew he needed to distract Jake and give them the element of surprise.
"I figured you'd want it back," James told Ethan, trying to convey with his eyes that Ethan should play along. And then he flipped the quarter in a perfect arc.
Jake's attention was focused on the coin as it sailed through the air, heading for Ethan's outstretched palm, and he never noticed the arm reaching around to grab him from behind. James jumped from his seat, both of his hands reaching for the wrist of Jake's gun hand and forcing it up to the ceiling, even as the fourth person yanked Jake backward, trying to wrestle him to the floor. James lost his grip for a split second, falling forward as Jake was wrenched back, and in that second, Jake fired.
Ethan cried out as sparks shot from the control panel. The plane dipped precariously.
James' stomach roiled, but he levered himself up anyway, grabbing Jake's wrist again, his knee digging hard into Jake's thigh as they wrestled on the tiny floor. The other man-Dak. It was Dak-was trapped underneath Jake, his arm still around Jake's neck, but he was losing the struggle as Jake elbowed him relentlessly with his free arm.
James made it up onto his knees, gaining leverage over Jake and pushing his wrist in the opposite direction so Dak could have more room to maneuver himself free. James pinned Jake's wrist to the floor, moved his knee onto Jake's forearm, then grabbed the gun from his hand. The men on the floor continued to wrestle.
"Stop!" James shouted, holding the gun in both hands. He was balanced on his knees, his back braced against Ethan's seat as Ethan struggled frantically to bring the plane under control. "Jake, I swear to God, I will shoot you if you don't leave Dak alone," he promised.
Jake froze, stomach to the floor, and Dak scrambled away from him. Dak's nose was bleeding copiously and tears seemed to brim his eyes as he kept a protective arm coiled around his ribs.
"Dak?" Jake asked dumbly, as though he'd only just processed who he'd been fighting with for the past minute.
"Are you okay?" James asked as Dak backed himself over to the cabin wall. He managed to get his feet underneath him and slid himself up the wall using it for support. He looked as though he might vomit.
"No," Dak whispered, staring at Jake with disgust and betrayal stamped onto his features. "I am not okay. You killed them?" he demanded.
"Dak, baby, I can explain!" Jake pleaded.
Baby? Now the utterly wrecked look in Dak's eyes made so much sense.
And also, holy shit.
"Shaw was behind everything? And you were working with him the whole time? I thought...I thought we…" Devastation was evident in every word Dak spoke.
The plane dipped again. "Fuck. The electronics are damaged," Ethan said, his voice thick with tension. "We need to make an emergency landing. The communication system isn't working, James. I need a cell phone."
"Dak, get Jake's cell and give it to Ethan," James said, keeping the gun aimed at Jake.
Dak dropped to his knees, still clutching his ribs as he wrestled the cell phone from Jake's back pocket, handing it to Ethan.
"I have my phone, too," Dak said, bracing himself against James' shoulder as he heaved himself to his feet.
"Dak, call your dad," Jake said. "Explain what's happened. He'll help you."
"Fuck you. And fuck him, too. Don't even talk to me," Dak said. He stepped to one side and kicked Jake in the ribs, flinching and clutching his own stomach tighter. "I heard what you said about him. I heard everything."
"Kendall? Kendall listen to me," Ethan said into the phone. "No, don't put me on speaker. Are you listening? Kendall! He's fine. He's fine, I swear. Yeah, I'm fine, too. The Senator's son is here, and he's fine as well. James got Jake's gun. There was some damage to the plane and I'm setting it down early. I need you to...You did what? Oh my God."
James fought the urge to swivel his head as Ethan groaned.
"No, no, it's fine," Ethan sighed. "Yeah, I know. I get it." His tone was wry. "It'll be alright. It was going to happen anyway. Listen, are you alone? I need you to be alone, Kendall," He paused for a minute, then said, "Listen, we know who paid Jake. It was Deckard Shaw."
From the corner of his eye, James saw Dak bury his head in his hands. Meanwhile, Jake punched the floor and screamed, "Fuck!" He tried to stand, as though trying some misguided, last-ditch means of escape, so James instinctively reached out, bringing the butt of the gun down hard on the back of his head.
Jake collapsed back to the floor and didn't move.
"Uh...that was nothing," Ethan said, obviously trying to soothe Kendall. "Just a little trouble with Jake, but your boyfriend took care of it."
James sat back, his hands trembling as he continued holding the gun tight. Holy crap, what did I just do? He couldn't tell if Jake was still breathing, and he was too afraid to check.
Ethan paused before turning his head towards James. "Yeah, I guess he is. Jury's still out." He coughed slightly. "Anyway, I'm turning back, heaving for St. Michel. They have a small airport, you need to radio ahead and make sure...Right, yes. Exactly. Okay, and whatever you do, don't tell...Alright, okay, you know how to do your job. Yeah, I've got this under control." Ethan's voice was confident. "You can tell him yourself. We're landing in about fifteen minutes." Another pause. "Yeah, brother. I promise."
"What now?" James asked. His head was spinning and his voice was thin. He was barely hanging on.
"Now I land," Ethan said. "You did good, James, but I've got it from here. Just pull down the jump seat and strap yourself in."
"What about him?" James asked, indicating the body on the floor.
Dak swiveled his head and caught James' eye. "Leave him. I hope his balls are whacked all the way up to his tonsils when we touch down."
James nodded. He unfolded the seat Ethan had indicated and strapped himself in, closing his eyes as he felt the plane begin to descend. He thought about Kendall and Shane, then about his parents, and he sent a prayer out to nobody in particular.
If we make it, if we land safely, I will never hesitate again, he promised. I will celebrate every single day. I will hug Shane and maybe even Jett. I'll volunteer again. I will make sure Deckard Shaw gets what's coming to him. I will not be a martyr anymore. I will make Kendall tell me he loves me, even if he tries to be a stubborn idiot, because no matter how it all started, loving him is the truest thing I know.
"Brace yourselves," Ethan said as the plane slipped slowly down from the sky.
Done! So, there you have it! Most of you called Shaw being the one who orchestrated everything with the help of Jake, so I'm sure this didn't come as much of a surprise to you. :P But hey, at least James is alive!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!
Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are staying safe and healthy! Unfortunately, the next chapter of this story is also the last. That'll be up either later this week or early next week. Also, there may or may not be a new story coming within the next week or so as well. ;)
Until then!
-Epically Obsessed
