Chapter 5 - Fulton County Airfield
The storm had escalated into a full torrential downpour by the time Maya’s silver sedan sped along the outer perimeter fence of Fulton County Airfield.
In the back seat, Daniel sat pale and trembling, his hands tied behind his back with an old extension cord Sarah had pulled from the garage. Sarah sat in the front passenger seat, monitoring the airfield terminal through a pair of high-powered binoculars she had retrieved from her house.
Through the rain-streaked windshield, Hangar 4 loomed like a dark monolith against the grey night sky.
A sleek, matte-black Gulfstream G550 sat on the tarmac outside the open hangar doors, its twin engines whining softly as they idle-warmed for takeoff. A black SUV with tinted windows was parked near the rear stairs of the aircraft.
"We have twenty minutes before air traffic control clears them for departure," Maya said, her hands tight on the steering wheel. "Look at the gate. There are two private security guards in black tactical gear holding automatic sidearms. We can't just drive through."
"We don't have to," Sarah said, turning to look at Daniel in the back seat. "Daniel is going to drive."
"What?" Daniel stammered, panic rising in his voice. "Sarah, those men are armed mercenaries! They'll shoot us before we cross the tarmac!"
"They won't shoot," Sarah said calmly. "Because you are the man who signed the custody release documents. You're going to tell them that you need to deliver a missing legal addendum that Arthur Vane’s lawyers insisted on before leaving U.S. airspace."
She pulled out the signed hospital consent form she had retrieved from the archive vault.
"If they think it's a legal issue that could hold up their clearance at their destination, they will let you approach the aircraft," Sarah continued. "Maya, you stay here and keep the engine running. As soon as we get inside the hangar perimeter, call the State Police special operations unit and report an ongoing armed child abduction at Hangar 4. Give them Arthur Vane's name."
"Got it," Maya said, taking out her phone. "Sarah... be careful. You're still bleeding through your dressing."
Sarah looked down at her scrubs. A small circle of dark red had soaked through the fabric over her lower stomach. She pressed her hand firmly against the wound, feeling the deep, thumping ache of her stitches.
"I'll rest when I have my daughter," she said.
She climbed into the driver's seat of Daniel’s luxury SUV, which they had taken from his garage, and forced Daniel into the passenger seat, cutting his wrist bindings but keeping a heavy steel wheel-lock bar resting against his ribs.
"If you make a single wrong move, Daniel, I will drive this car straight into the engine intake of that plane," she whispered.
Daniel swallowed hard and nodded.
Sarah slammed the accelerator down. The SUV surged forward, its headlights cutting through the dark rain as it approached the security checkpoint of Hangar 4.
The metal gate was lowered. Two guards in rain ponchos stepped out of the guard hut, illuminated by floodlights, their hands resting on the holsters at their hips. One raised a hand, ordering the vehicle to stop.
Sarah brought the SUV to a halt inches from the gate.
Daniel rolled down his window, forcing a shaky smile onto his face.
"Mr. Miller?" the lead guard asked, flashing a heavy flashlight beam into the cab, blinding Daniel. "What are you doing here? The transfer was completed at the hospital."
"I... I have an urgent document from Dr. Reed," Daniel lied, his voice cracking slightly before he pulled himself together. "Arthur Vane’s legal team called. There’s an un-notarized maternal waiver sheet missing from the file. Without it, customs in Zurich will impound the aircraft upon landing. Dr. Reed sent me to hand-deliver it to Mr. Vane before departure."
The guard hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Daniel's frantic face. He unclipped his radio from his shoulder.
"Base, this is Gate 2. We have Miller here with an urgent document update for Mr. Vane. Requesting permission to clear him to the tarmac."
A pause filled with radio static hung in the freezing air.
"Clear him," a voice crackled through the speaker. "Bring him directly to the stairs. The plane leaves in eight minutes."
The steel gate swung open with a loud hydraulic hiss.
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Sarah kept her head down, wearing a dark baseball cap pulled low over her eyes, keeping her face hidden in the shadows of the driver's seat as she pressed the gas pedal.
, The SUV rolled slowly onto the slick, wet tarmac, heading straight toward the towering tail fin of the Gulfstream G550.
