Chapter 162: Crash Landing into Death

Chapter 162: Crash Landing into Death

The ear-splitting radar alarm echoed through the darkened cabin, nearly rupturing eardrums.

Penelope gripped the leather armrests of her seat as the red wine that had been spilled on the carpet rushed forward with the plane's sudden tilt.

Dominic stared out the window. Through the thick cloud cover, two massive shapes were closing in fast.

Those were definitely heavily modified attack helicopters. The heavy cannons mounted beneath their wings glinted coldly in the dim light.

Preston wasn't playing by any rules.

He couldn't even wait seventy-two hours. He'd arranged a lethal intercept right at the border.

"Dominic, what's happening out there? How many armor-piercing rounds can this thing take from heavy cannons?"

Dominic expertly worked the bolt of his heavy sniper rifle, chambering a gleaming large-caliber armor-piercing round.

"It can't. One direct hit and we'll be fireworks at ten thousand feet."

Just then, the cockpit door burst open. The foreign pilot they'd paid a fortune to hire stumbled out, terror written across his face.

"Ms. Hartwell, we're completely locked on radar! They're demanding we land immediately or they'll fire heat-seeking missiles!"

Penelope looked down at the pathetic, pale-faced pilot sprawled at her feet. Cold contempt flashed in her eyes as she kicked him aside.

Dominic strode over with the sniper rifle, tossing the pilot into the back corner.

He turned to Penelope, a heart-stopping madness gleaming in his eyes.

"Penelope, buckle up tight. This flight's about to get a little bumpy. Try not to throw up."

He spun around and kicked open the cockpit door, his large frame squeezing into the narrow space.

Penelope quickly fastened the five-point harness, her gaze locked on his retreating figure.

Dominic settled smoothly into the captain's seat, his calloused hands dancing across the dense control panel. He shut down the autopilot and transponder, forcing the plane into full manual mode.

The instant he completed the sequence, two blinding flashes lit up outside the window.

Heat-seeking missiles.

"Hold on tight. Today I'm gonna show these Aurelian bastards what a real ace pilot looks like!"

Dominic gripped the control yoke, veins bulging in his forearms as he yanked it hard to the right.

The plane executed an impossible barrel roll at altitude. The massive centrifugal force sent everything in the cabin flying.

The two missiles screamed past the belly of the plane so close that the blazing exhaust was visible through the windows.

Without pausing, Dominic pushed the engines to maximum thrust and dove straight into the storm clouds ahead.

The thick black clouds flashed with brilliant lightning. Thunder threatened to shake the plane apart.

Flying in these extreme conditions was suicide.

But Dominic flew like a man possessed, wild excitement burning in his eyes. He used the chaotic electromagnetic environment to jam their radar lock while dodging between lightning strikes.

The plane bucked violently in the clouds. Warning lights flashed across the instrument panel like a sea of chaos. The airframe could disintegrate from the stress at any moment.

Penelope shouted from the back, "This plane's structure can't handle these G-forces! The wings are going to snap!"

Dominic whipped his head around. Lightning illuminated his chiseled features twisted in a savage grin.

"Penelope, as long as I've got breath in my body, I won't let these bastards kill you. Now get back there and sit down!"

He roared and yanked the yoke again.

The plane burst from the storm clouds. Dense jungle sprawled below.

But at that moment, an attack helicopter emerged from the flank, its heavy cannon erupting in flame.

A stream of large-caliber armor-piercing rounds shredded the tail and right flap. The hydraulic system collapsed instantly. The control yoke became dead weight.

The plane's balance system failed completely. The entire aircraft began an uncontrolled tumbling descent toward the primitive jungle below.

The piercing stall warning screamed through the cockpit. The altimeter plummeted at a terrifying rate.

Dominic cursed and abandoned the useless controls. He spun around and pulled Penelope into his arms.

He shielded her with his bandage-wrapped body, his broad back bracing against the hard instrument panel.

The plane plummeted like a burning meteor, crashing through the jungle canopy with horrific force.

Thick branches speared through the fuselage like lances, each one slowing their fall. The hull tore open with massive gashes. The shriek of tearing metal mixed with explosive fire consumed the cabin. The shockwave hurled them both into the air.

Even airborne, Dominic held Penelope tight, taking the punishment of sharp branches and metal shrapnel across his back, refusing to let her get hurt.

They hit like a cannonball, slamming into a deep, reeking bog at the jungle's edge.

The icy mud water shocked Penelope awake.

She struggled frantically to get her head above the surface, gulping the decay-scented jungle air.

Dominic lay less than three feet away, half-submerged in the bog. Blood soaked through the shirt on his back.

The adrenaline shot he'd taken before takeoff had clearly worn off. His face was deathly pale.

"Dominic, wake up. Don't you dare scare me. Open your eyes!"

Penelope crawled toward him, hands frantically digging through the mud around him, panic reaching its peak.

She instinctively reached for her waist, confirming the metal briefcase secured to her tactical belt was still there.

Just as she managed to pull Dominic partway from the bog, rustling sounds came from the surrounding brush. Her eyes contracted.

In the dark depths of the jungle, over a dozen blazing red laser dots appeared.

Those red dots were like eyes from hell, weaving a suffocating web of death in the darkness, converging on her forehead.

A hulking figure in camouflage combat gear emerged from the shadows, gripping a suppressed assault rifle.

He looked down at Penelope, filthy and desperate in the mud, a cruel smile twisting his lips.

"Ms. Hartwell, Mr. Ward has been waiting for you. I'm afraid you'll need to come with us."