Page 109 of Exit Strategy
“I’m just doing a job. I can’t recall what you look like, and I legit do not know who you are,” the rent-a-pilot said. There was sweat on his forehead.
“We appreciate it. Neither of us was ever here,” I said with a smile. I could feel Callie squeeze her arms around me, and I returned her embrace with my good arm. I was feeling myself stiffen from the beating I had taken.
“Are you leaving?”
“We are. In a few minutes, my girlfriend and I are going to play D. B. Cooper and bail out of the plane. We have friends waiting for us.”
“We do?” Callie asked, her eyes suddenly bright and full of renewed hope.
“We do. They’ll be along to pick us up in the cigarette boat. We’ll just bob for a little while.”
“I can’t believe this.” She looked up at me. “It’s too insane.”
“Why?”
“Because even the movies aren’t like this,” she said.
“Ah, the movies are imaginary, and this is real. If this were a movie, I wouldn’t have more than a bloody lip and we’d already be making out.” I laughed.
“We will be doing that, just as soon as you’re able.” Her eyes were like diamonds.
“We’ve got one more stunt to pull first,” I said. “Do you know how to skydive?”
“No, I don’t,” she said. “I didn’t realize that’s how we’re getting off the plane.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve done a batch of tandem jumps, and you’ll be completely safe. What do I always say?” I asked.
“I’ve got you?”
“Always.”
Arizona paged the intercom, that we were down to twelve thousand and that he was lowering the ramp. It should be good for us to go. I looped the chute over my shoulders and pulled the harness tight.
“I don’t know that I can hold on like that,” Callie said, her voice worried.
“You don’t have to,” I said. “You’ll strap to me and have this across your chest.” I showed her the other half of the chute. “This one is for one or two people.”
“Be careful,” Cass said, as she opened the door to the cargo hold. It was loud, the wind roaring around the ramp. I nodded, and at the bottom of the ladder I made sure that the hold was empty, that none of the bastards had managed to hold on for their lives. Good riddance.
Before we got to the ramp, I pulled Callie to me and hugged her tight. I felt her shake a little, then she pressed her back to me as I hooked the straps of the harness and backup chute against her chest. She felt nice, her ass tight against my crotch.
We duck-walked to the ramp and I turned at the last moment. Cass and several of the other girls were crowded in the door and their eyes were almost lost and far away. I gave them a salute and leaned backwards.
Callie screamed as we plummeted from the plane. It turned into a rapidly moving gray cross in an endlessly blue sky.
Once we were well and clear of the jet, I pulled the cord and the chute came out perfectly, snapping against the air and dragging us to a much slower drop. This wasn’t a combat drop or a thrill-seeker escape. It was getting both of us to safety.
We drifted down, and it wasn’t long before I had to make a decision – island or water.
Given how my leg felt, I didn’t think I could stick and walk off a dry landing, so I brought us down into blue water a few hundred feet from the sandbar island.
“That, that was… wild,” Callie said.
“Let’s cut the chute free and get to land.” I felt weird.
“Kurt?” she asked.
I reached and tugged the harness release, popping her free from me.
