The Poseidon Project, page 18
“The guard asked why the pilot had a blanket over his shoulders. I told him it’s because I like the air conditioning on full blast, and the pilot doesn’t.”
Lukas rolled his eyes and silently pretended to laugh. “Don’t quit your day job, Patrick.”
Taylor’s eyes grew when he saw the Goose, with Diego standing outside to greet them by the boarding stairs. Patrick positioned the van so that it would block anyone’s view of the multiple passengers exiting the vehicle. He remotely opened the sliding passenger door, and Lukas stepped out while helping Donna, Linda, Betty, and his mother exit the van. John and Lukas carried the Poseidon unit in tandem up the stairs. Patrick called out to a parking valet to take the Sprinter van to the outside parking lot. He handed the valet the keys, wondering when he would be back to pick the vehicle back up. Taylor slowly walked up the stairs, with Patrick assisting him when needed.
When Taylor stepped into the cabin, he froze. The passengers sat together at the rear of the jet with grim expressions. What’s going on? he thought. He suddenly felt cold steel against the back of his head. “Shut the door,” a voice demanded. Taylor reached for the door and saw Malik and Diego standing defiantly by the cockpit, each holding two guns aimed at their passengers.
Chapter 26
“Where’s Tory?” Diego pointed toward the cockpit. Taylor pushed past him and stuck his head inside. There, Tory sat strapped into the co-pilot’s seat, her head hanging forward, unconscious or asleep. Or drugged. “What did you do to her, you bastard?” He restrained himself from punching Diego, knowing it would likely mean being shot.
“I gave her a sedative. There’s a lot to talk about. I need you in the co-pilot seat for take-off. I can have Lukas and his dad carry her back to the crew rest area.”
Taylor’s head spun as he grasped what was happening, but his focus was on making sure his daughter was okay. He called Lukas from the back of the plane to help him and fought back tears when Lukas hugged him.
“She’ll be okay, baby. She’ll be okay,” Lukas whispered into Taylor’s ear while rubbing his back to comfort him. “Let’s get her back to the bed to sleep this off.”
“I swear to God, I will fucking kill them with my bare hands if they’ve harmed her.” Taylor was furious, his face flushed with anger and powerlessness.
Normally, Taylor would have been able to carry his daughter by himself, but with a wounded shoulder and waist, his strength had dissipated. Lukas helped carry an unconscious Tory with Taylor to get her to a place where she could lie down. They placed her on the resting area, about the size of a twin bed. Taylor gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “What the fuck is going on?” Taylor growled at Diego. Questions flooded his mind. Who is this guy? Does Tory know? Why did he sedate her? Why the fuck is Malik on board?
“I’ve got to take off. Please join me in the cockpit.” Diego’s voice was cold and demanding.
“Where are we going?” Lukas asked.
“I will announce our destination when appropriate,” Diego said calmly. “Now let’s go.”
Diego stormed toward the open cockpit door with Taylor following him closely. The vintage Poseidon machine sat on the cabin floor. Molly, Donna, Linda, and Betty sat at the same four-seat table they had on the flight to Dubai. Malik sat closest to the cockpit, facing backward, glaring at the passengers. Patrick sat alone by a window, and John was soon joined by Lukas as they readied themselves for departure.
Taylor sat in the co-pilot’s seat and strapped himself in, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed as he awaited instructions from his hijackers, Diego and Malik. The intercom crackled with instructions he could barely understand, and Diego responded to the control tower in what sounded like a mix of English and Arabic. The Goose was pushed back and pivoted to face the taxiway, and once they began the taxi, the tower would switch to English instruction. Taylor grabbed his phone discreetly and opened Google Translate to capture whatever communications were between the tower or between Diego and Malik. Once the Goose was in position, the aircraft tug decoupled itself and drove off to another plane awaiting assistance. Diego fired up the engines, the whirring noise, normally a comfort, adding to Taylor’s indignation on the commandeering. Diego awaited taxi instructions from the tower. “Spectrum N-4136 Alpha, you are cleared for taxiway 6E, over.” Taylor clearly understood the air traffic controller’s English.
Diego responded, “Roger, N-4136 Alpha confirms. Heading to 6E and awaiting instructions.”
There were two jets ahead of them, one a large Atlas Air 747-400 freighter and behind it, another Spectrum. Its model type was not clear to Taylor, but it was smaller than the Goose. The massive Atlas Air jumbo jet lumbered slowly to the runway, turned, and paused. In less than fifteen seconds, the four massive engines roared as the monster jet slowly gained speed. Even now, Taylor watched this older plane barrel down the runway, his eyes focused on the giant’s tail elevators that would tip the 747 upward. These gracious, older behemoths were known as the Queen of the Skies and had revolutionized air travel decades earlier. Taylor focused on the moment the nose lifted and the jumbo jet became airborne, its tipped wings arching upward to support the massive weight of the plane. The thrill of flight, especially takeoff and landing, was something Taylor would never tire of watching.
Shortly after, the smaller Spectrum took its trip down the runway, lifting effortlessly into the air with much efficiency and speed but not nearly the grace displayed by the 747. They were up next. The Goose pulled into position and awaited instructions. Taylor hoped to get a clue of their destination. “Spectrum N-4136A destination OAH, you are cleared for take-off.”
Diego glared at Taylor as if daring his defiance. A resigned Taylor simultaneously accelerated the plane as it quickly sped down the runway and lifted into the air. Taylor cloaked his own fears and wished he was flying with Tory, as it was their special thing. Instead, he was stuck with this stranger, hijacker, imposter, whatever he was.
Chapter 27
They climbed out of Dubai and headed out over the Persian Gulf before circling the city. Despite the tension and uncertainty Lukas felt, the grandeur of the Burj Khalifa towering over the forest of skyscrapers beneath it grabbed his attention. Dubai’s skyline reminded Lukas of shards of glass protruding from an impossibly flat desert. He sat back in his seat, confused, exhausted, and daydreamed of being tucked against Taylor’s body in a comfortable bed far away from here. So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours—leaving Tucson, learning about his mom’s past adventures, getting to know this beautiful man named Taylor, rescuing his father, and blowing up a potential doomsday machine. Now they were again held captive, essentially hijacked in Taylor’s own plane and with no idea where they were going or why.
As the plane leveled off, Lukas noticed Taylor exit the cockpit and rush toward the rear of the plane. He knew he was going to check on Tory, and he held out his hand to touch him as he walked by. Their hands met, and Taylor dropped to his knees at eye level with Lukas.
“I feel so stupid,” Taylor said. “We fell into a couple of traps.”
“We are safe, and we are together…all of us. That’s what matters,” Lukas replied. “Even if we don’t know where we’re going. Let’s focus on getting Tory awake and then kicking these guys’ asses.”
Taylor kissed Lukas on the forehead and walked over to the crew rest area. Tory lay on her side, her eyes open and staring at the wall of the fuselage. Taylor sat on the bed next to her and rubbed her arm. Tory was still coming out of the sedative, and her eyes told a story of bewilderment and betrayal. She broke into tears when she saw her father.
“Honey, it’s gonna be all right,” Taylor whispered, his chest tightened seeing her in such pain.
“Dad, are you okay?” She stared at Taylor’s bloodstained shirt. “My God, what happened to you?” Her dad looked tired, his normally calm face etched by the pain coming from his recent wounds, both physical and mental.
“I’m okay, so don’t worry. I got shot twice trying to rescue Lukas’ father, and well, Lukas, too. It’s been a busy night. How are you feeling?”
Tory tried to stifle her crying, but she let it all out with her father there. “I feel so stupid, Dad. I really thought he was the one. I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”
“Baby, you didn’t get any of us into this mess. You were the first person there to help us because that’s just you. You’ve always been that way…worried about other people before yourself.”
“Diego, or whoever he is, I just thought…” She started to cry again but quickly composed herself. “We had so much in common. He’s funny and warm…I just can’t understand why and how.”
“How? What do you mean?” Taylor asked.
“It’s too random, and there are too many coincidences. He just happened to meet me, the daughter of a pilot who was going to fly a bunch of people to Dubai to find a kidnapped guy, then he pairs up with the kidnapper and hijacks a plane to Afghanistan.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. “We’re going to Afghanistan? Where exactly?”
“OAH airport code. I think it’s an air force base close to the Iran border.”
Taylor’s mind spun. Why would they need to go to Afghanistan? He pulled out his smartphone to track their flight. He had entered the Goose’s tail number into an app prior to take off. Luckily, the Wi-Fi was working, so he pulled up the image of the plane. “We’ve just crossed into Iran. If they don’t try and shoot us down, then we know they’ve pre-arranged to allow us into their airspace.”
Tory was silent for a moment. “Dad, I’m scared. I don’t know what they want with us.”
“I don’t either. But we’re together, so we’ll figure it out.”
“Dad? I really like Lukas. You glow when you’re around him. I’ve never seen that side of you.”
Taylor nodded. “I really like him, too. Tory, you’ve done nothing wrong, and I don’t think you should stay back here by yourself.”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. Diego’s the one who lied, and he’s the one who hijacked the damn plane. I didn’t sense anything about him either, so you’re not the only one he’s fooled.”
Tory sat herself upright as she dried her tears. “Okay, Dad. I’ll be right behind you.”
Taylor and Tory approached the main seating area, and Molly jumped out of her chair and gave Tory a big hug, followed by Donna, Linda, and Betty. Tory intuitively figured out the older man was John but had no idea who the other man was because she had been drugged by Diego. Malik approached her and formally introduced himself as Malik Bawadi. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tory.” Malik went to shake her hand, but Tory clasped her hands behind her back to avoid any pleasantries Malik offered. “You’re just in time. I was getting everyone together to have a conversation.”
Just then, Diego walked out of the cockpit to get a glass of water. His eyes locked with Tory’s, and she resisted the urge to punch him, and from the looks on the faces of Molly, Donna, Linda, and Lukas, she wasn’t the only one. Instead, she stared back at him with utter contempt.
Malik addressed the group. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the change of plans. We are headed to Afghanistan to hand over the Poseidon machine. Unfortunately, Demeter was not as fortunate this time, so we will need to build a new one. We land in approximately ninety minutes.”
“Why Afghanistan?” Lukas asked.
“One of my major investors wants to see the unit work, so I bring it to him.”
“Then what?” John asked.
“You leave. Return home, whatever, I don’t care. But I want to have a very special person stay behind with me and Zarak.”
“Who is Zarak?” Linda asked.
Malik pointed to Diego. “I forgot you don’t know my nephew’s real name. But I guess, now you do.”
Chapter 28
Lukas’ mind was spinning at this news. The story continued to unravel, and now he learned that Malik’s nephew, Zarak, had posed as Tory’s boyfriend, Diego. A thousand questions ran through his mind. How did Malik know Lukas would meet Taylor, and how did he plant his nephew so that he could somehow wind up on the Goose?
“Lukas,” Malik spoke, “I can see your confusion, so let me explain. I play the long game, as I told your mother. I set the wheels in motion for this project over a year ago. Now, let me set the record straight. I knew your mother and her friends invented the Poseidon technology. Any idiot with a library card could find the patent filing. The real prize was the engineering that eventually became Demeter. It sounds simple, Poseidon in reverse, but it’s much more complicated and dangerous, as we saw with our friend at the Dubai fountain. These four women invented a great technology to help mankind, but it was another scientist who discovered how to make water disappear.”
“Dr. Thomas Appleton,” Molly interrupted. “He was a good friend of ours. He passed away ten years ago and hid the design formula with us.”
“Right, Dr. Appleton,” Malik continued. “His estate still retained financial rights to his work and, knowing its dangerous potential, held on to it, refusing to sell the intellectual property. But as life takes a turn, the oldest Appleton son died and the remaining children wanted their money, which is where Phoenix comes in, right, John?”
“Other than David, the oldest son who died, the remaining kids didn’t know or care about their father’s work. They were not scientists, and all they wanted was their inherited money,” John explained. “Molly, Betty, Donna, Linda, and I pooled what money we had and offered it to the family, which they accepted and signed an irrevocable purchase agreement we sent them on behalf of Phoenix Equities.”
“This is where I enter the picture. I offered the kids a significant amount of money. Much more than what they agreed to sell it to Phoenix, and they tried to back out of the deal, but the deal was iron-clad and already sealed. One thing that never changes is people’s greed,” Malik told them.
“And how did you get Diego, I mean, Zarak involved? That had to be more than just a coincidence, Malik,” Lukas commented.
“Oh, it was not a coincidence at all. I researched Mrs. Halloran and her children and learned about you, Lukas. You were a successful technology executive with your own company. I also learned where you live, what you buy at the store, and your perversion with other men. As I continued to dig, I found you were a customer of Nimbus Aviation, and upon researching Taylor, found he was a discharged Air Force pilot and also a homosexual, but with an unexpected twist—he had a daughter. I knew it was only a matter of time that you two would find each other. That’s what your kind does, isn’t it? Sniffing each other out? Anyway, I found out Taylor’s daughter’s name and sent Zarak to find her and unwittingly pulled her into the plan we were building. Once that was set, I dropped the lawsuit against Phoenix, the sale went through, and Mr. Halloran was kidnapped.”
“Yeah, if you call it that,” John growled.
“I had a number of goals in this, but getting my revenge on your mother was an unexpected bonus.” Malik directed his gaze at Lukas. “The whole room of dominoes was ready to go, and kidnapping John was the first one to fall. After that, the plan rolled out pretty much as planned.”
“Malik,” Lukas asked, “Can you explain how all of this is related? What do you want from us now?”
Malik gave Lukas an intimidating stare. “What do I want from you?” The group waited for Malik’s response. “I want Molly Halloran, your mother.
“My plan is to land at Shindand Air Force base. It’s run by the Taliban, like the rest of the country. Zarak and I will depart this aircraft along with Mrs. Halloran. Once we’ve deplaned, you’re free to go wherever you’d like.”
“And what is your plan for Molly?” John asked.
“She will be set free to live as a woman alone in a strange new country with nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. She can use her talents and resourcefulness to find a way to survive. Just like my mother did.” Malik glared at Molly. He paused as an idea came to his head as he looked at Linda, Donna, and Betty. “Actually, I changed my mind. All four of them will be removed from this plane, and I can see to it that they are properly documented and—” Malik searched for the right word. “—and processed. But you’ll have to cover up, ladies. The Taliban doesn’t like their women without burqas.”
Lukas and John protested this insane idea. “Why would you do that to them?” Lukas asked. “They would never survive. What’s wrong with you both?”
“Do you believe in karma, Lukas?”
“You’re not creating much positive karma now, if you want my opinion,” Lukas shot back.
Malik answered, “I don’t value your opinion nor your very existence! Do you not understand anything, Lukas?”
Lukas looked at his father and then to Taylor, both of whom seemed equally confused. He then glanced at his mother, who sat with her face resting in both of her hands. “Mom? What’s he talking about?”
“Damascus, 1972. Do you remember, ladies?” Malik almost spat at them. “The four of you were there as young, pretty girls pretending to be tourists. You murdered my father and cast my family’s life into the ashes of hell.”
****
Lukas reflected on the stories the ladies told him and Taylor about Project Rosemary and their trips to lure terrorists out into the open, where they would be quickly neutralized. Lukas could tell by his mother’s deflated posture that there was a possibility Malik’s story had at least a kernel of truth to it. Why else would Malik go to all this trouble to find them?
“Malik, you are mistaken. We were never in Damascus or Syria. It wasn’t us who killed your father,” Molly explained.
“Do you know what happened after my father died? We were left homeless and living on the street. My mother had to sell her body for us to have food, and then my sister had to do the same, and Zarak is the product of one of her sinful unions. My mother died, and shortly after, so did my sister. She bled to death giving birth to Zarak in jail. I was the only one to survive, and I took in Zarak so that he didn’t meet the same fate of being homeless or entertaining perverted men like your son and his boyfriend.”
