Chapter 23

 

Cash was in the cockpit, and there was a door closing him off from the rest of them. When his voice came over the loudspeaker to buckle up, Sky was thankful that Ryleigh remained by her side.  She was offering her silent support, but also her friendship.  Sky needed those things right now. 

The takeoff was smooth, and she and Ryleigh chatted about the other members of Alpha Team, NAC, and The Holly Group.  Bas had told her a lot, but it seemed there was a hell of a lot more to learn.  She didn’t know how she fit into all of this. Sky designed and built bikes, it was her passion. How was she going to do that when she wasn’t ever going to be able to leave these people? 

Their flight had been going smoothly right up until they hit some turbulence.  Sky wasn’t an experienced flyer, but she had felt this before going over the mountains on the way to Salt Lake City one time.  When Bas got up a few seconds later and made his way to the cockpit, she was still pretty comfortable with what was happening. 

Ryleigh grabbed her hand and squeezed it.  It didn’t even alarm her until she said, "Sky, we need to get some things together. Something isn’t right."

"What the hell are we supposed to get together? We are in a plane fly thousands of feet above the ground!" Sky exclaimed.

Bas came back into the area and started pulling packs out of the compartments.  Sky could feel the plane turning and descending at the same time. What was happening?

"Ladies, I need to you to get up and put these on,” Bas said holding up what appeared to be backpacks.  “Cash has lost one engine, and now we are losing fuel fast.  If that fuel is leaking anywhere near the still functioning engine, we are going to have some major problems on our hands.  Cash also can’t engage the autopilot, so he is going to hold this bird steady so until we can make our way out." 

Make their way out?  What? Why? If the plane was going to crash wouldn’t they be safer in it instead of outside of it landing God knew where?  All these questions were running through her mind and Sky was frozen in her seat. 

Bas approached Ryleigh, "Ryleigh, we need to do a tandem jump; belly to belly to protect the baby.”

Sky watched as Ryleigh got up and started to put on a harness.

"No Bas, you’re going to have to take Sky down,” Ryleigh declared. “I have jump experience and I don’t think she does.  The baby will be okay."

"Fuck Rye, listen, we have no idea what we are jumping into. Cash had to deviate his course because of storms. We are going to be landing in an isolate part of Canada.  That means trees, rocks, snow, and who knows what else. You can’t risk the baby."

It looked like Ryleigh was going to argue so Sky unbuckled herself and got moving.

"I can do it, just tell me what I need to know," Sky interrupted.

Bas handed her the parachute and helped her to strap in. "Okay, honey, I’m going to open the doors.  Rye and I will go first. Count to five and then follow.  The wind is going to be strong, but once Cash gives the signal, I need you to dive just like you would off of a diving board.  Head first and fast.  Give yourself a little room and momentum.  Once you’re airborne, first and foremost don’t panic, put Rye and me in your sights and watch.  As soon as you see my chute, you need to count to five and then pull this" he said as he pointed to her ripcord.  "When the chute expands, it will jerk you hard as it pulls you up. But don’t panic. Lift your hand up and use the handles to guide yourself toward us, kind of like a chopper,” Bas smiled. 

Okay, Sky could do this.  She could jump out of a perfectly good plane and land on the ground safely. Yep, she could do this... nope, no fucking way!

Sky started to hyperventilate and Bas slapped her cheek.  "Listen, babe, I can’t coddle you. We don’t have any other choice.  We need to get this done so Cash has time to get out of the plane.  Harness some of your anger and use it to get you through this.  Once we are on the ground, I will let you throw the biggest fit anyone has ever seen. Sound like a plan?"

Sky nodded, and Bas kissed her on the forehead.  She watched him strap Ryleigh to his chest. When Cash’s voice came over the loudspeaker, she waited behind Bas for him to open the door.  She would do this for Ryleigh, her unborn baby, and Cash.  Taking a few breaths, she centered herself. Sky had a couple of minutes of doubt when Bas opened the door on the plane. The wind rushed in. This was insane!  Once she saw Bas’s body leave the aircraft in a dive, she counted and did exactly as he instructed and jumped.

Sky’s heart was beating so fast and hard that she could feel it in her head.  She couldn’t help but think that human beings were not meant to jump out of airplanes, and she was also pretty sure she had peed her pants a little.  This was not cool.  She was falling so fast that the skin on her face felt stretched.  She watched as Bas opened his parachute and started counting at five she reached up to pull her, but she couldn’t find it at first.  It took her a couple of additional seconds to locate the cord and pull.  She expected it to be easy, but she really had to yank the sucker.  Her parachute opened, and just as Bas had said, sent her back up like a rocket. 

What he didn’t prepare her for was how fast the ground would be approaching.  She tried to steer just like Bas had said, but she was finding it hard and she was moving off course.  Her descent had slowed but not nearly enough. What was she supposed to do when she hit the ground?  How hard and fast was she going to hit the ground?

Sky pulled the down on the handles as she approached the ground. It seemed to slow her more.  Unfortunately for her, it didn’t slow her enough, and she landed with a thump.  The chute caught and it pulled her up again like a rag doll, only to dump her back to the unforgiving earth.  She saw Bas running her way, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop another pull upward.  He was yelling, but Sky couldn’t hear what he was saying because of the ringing in her ears. 

Before she could hit the ground again, he grabbed her, pushing her to the ground and started to gather up the cords of the chute, pulling it towards him.  Sky hurt and didn’t even try to move from the fetal position she was in on the ground.  Bas maneuvered her body, taking off the harness and checking her out.  He was talking, but still, she couldn’t hear what he was saying.  Bas sat her up looking in her eyes and feeling around on her head.  After a couple of seconds, he shook her.  "Sky, baby, talk to me?"

"My name might be Sky, but that is a place I never want to go to again," she said. 

Bas laughed and hugged her close, “Okay, babe, no more ‘Sky’ diving for you, I promise.  However, you did well for a first-timer," Bas said with a grin.

Bas helped her to stand. Her knees were still wobbly, and her feet felt weird being on the ground.  She took a couple of steps, but her legs would quit shaking. Bas just picked her up and took her over to where Ryleigh was standing.  She was staring at the skyline, and the look on her face was one of complete horror.  She pointed, and Sky looked that way only to see the plane they were once in collide with some trees off in the distance.  Then flames were shooting out everywhere.

"Fuck!” Bas screamed. “Shit, you two need to stay here and find some shelter or something.  I need to go and check on Cash."  Seconds later Bas’ bear erupted from his body, and the bruin took off towards Cash and the fire.

Ryleigh wasn’t moving or saying anything.  Sky was sitting on the cold ground looking around.  There wasn’t anything to see except snow, trees, and more trees.  Where exactly were, they supposed to find shelter?  Sky wasn’t even dressed for this type of weather; wearing only a hoodie, t-shirt, and jeans.  Ryleigh had on a sweater and jeans, but neither of them were going to last long if they didn’t do so something fast.  It was frigid out here.

Sky gathered everything in her and stood, coming face to face with Ryleigh.  Ryleigh had tears in her eyes, and she was still pointing towards the fire.  Sky tried saying her name a couple of times but wasn’t getting the woman’s attention.  Taking her shoulder, Sky shook her and said her name again, and this time Ryleigh looked at her like she hadn't seen her before and said one word, "Cash?"

"I know, Rye, but Bas is going after him.  We have two choices here: we either need to go towards them or away.  I don’t have any experience with this, so you’re going to have to tell me what to do.  Shit Rye, I don’t even know where we are or what direction we should go."

Ryleigh thankfully took over issuing commands," Grab the parachutes. We can use the fabric as added insulation.  I think we need to walk towards Bas and Cash.  We should all stick together. It’s safer that way."

Sky wondered about that because Bas had taken off and just left them.  She understood his need to check on his friend, but leaving two vulnerable women in the middle of the wilderness should have at least crossed his mind.  They didn’t even have proper clothing, tools, or anything.  Sky started to pat her pockets down. She found a pencil in her back pocket and a lighter in the front pocket of her jeans.  She didn’t have anything else.  She noticed that Ryleigh was doing something similar but came up with a pocketknife and some keys with a little flashlight attached.

Sky gathered up the parachutes while Ryleigh cut the cords.  Winding some of the string up and handing it over to Sky, she put it in the front pocket of her hoodie not knowing what else to do with it.  They wrapped themselves up like mummies with the parachute material and tied it off so it would be easier to walk. Then they started out in the direction that Bas had gone. 

It was cold, but between her clothes and the parachute, Sky wasn’t freezing.  Well, her feet felt like they were, but that was because she was only wearing tennis shoes.  Ryleigh’s feet had to be burning because she had been wearing flat ballerina shoes.  Sky looked down and noticed that the tops of Ryleigh’s feet were red, but she had never once complained and just continued forward.

"Rye, wait a minute,” Sky stopped. “Let’s put something else on your feet.  The parachute material will slip, but it I cut off some pieces from my t-shirt. It will at least offer you some protection from the snow and cold." 

"It's fine, Sky, let’s just keep on going."

"It’s not fine, Ryleigh. Do you want to lose your feet to frostbite?  They are red, and swollen. Come on; let me do this for you.  When Bas and Cash get back to us, we can do something else. But for now, let’s just do this much.  It will only take a minute and we can’t be that far behind them."

Sky knew she was pulling at straws.  They weren’t close to Bas or Cash. Things always looked like they were just right up ahead when many miles could be separating them.  Shit, they had already been walking for what felt like hours.

"I say we head over to those trees and try and find a dry spot to sit in for a while,” Sky suggested. “I will take off my t-shirt, and then we can wrap your feet.  I also think we need to melt some of this snow and get us something to drink." 

Ryleigh wasn’t saying much and let Sky lead her.  Sky found a couple of evergreens that had some space underneath them that wasn’t snow covered.  Sky sat Ryleigh down and got to work.  Ryleigh’s feet were a mess.  They were so swollen that Sky was afraid to take her shoes off.  She removed the parachute material and then her hoodie.  The chill from the air made her teeth chatter when she removed her t-shirt.  No time for modesty. She didn’t even care that Ryleigh could see her boobs.  Sky hated bras and only wore them when she absolutely had to.  She didn't find that need often as big bulky hoodies could hide her unharnessed breast, so no one was the wiser and she liked it that way. Right now though, the extra material would have been nice. Even the underwire would have come in handy. Maybe she should reconsider her stance on bras. Yeah, still not happening.

Sky gathered some pine needles the remaining pieces of her t-shirt and some rocks.  She made a little pile and noticing some dried leaves closer to the tree, she grabbed them as well.  Sky used her lighter to get a small fire going with the things she had collected.  Leaving Ryleigh to rest, she walked around the area and grabbed sticks and anything else she found that she thought would burn. There wasn't much that was not snow covered and wet.  Carting her newfound treasures back to their makeshift campsite, Sky noticed that Ryleigh appeared to be sleeping. 

Adding her new finds to the fire, Sky warmed her freezing hands.  She decided that the next thing she needed to do now that they had a little warmth was to get some water.  Driving some sticks that she gathered into the ground close to the fire, Sky made a little teepee type thing.  Then she knotted a piece of the parachute material together making a pouch.  Sky placed it close to the fire but not close enough to catch the stuff on fire or melt it and put some snow inside.  She had no idea if the fabric would hold the melted snow but if worse came to worse, they could squeeze the fibers to get the liquid out.

Rubbing her arms, Sky knew they needed to address another thing; the wind was brutal.  The low hanging branches provided some shelter, but not much.  She went to work cutting more branches off other trees and dragging them back to the temporary home for the moment.  Ryleigh was still sleeping. Sky didn’t know anything about hypothermia, so she kept on jostling her and test her skin to see if it was too cold.  The fire was doing its job, but not good enough.  Fuck, where the hell was Sebastian?