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“Where ya headed?” Leo yelled as he ran over to the Land Rover.
“Home!” I yelled back.
“What? Are you crazy?” Leo exclaimed.
“That’s what I said,” Sonny interjected, running a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “There are roadblocks everywhere.”
Leo shook his head and grimaced.
“Forget it,” he told Sonny. “You gotta get them to the airport. The embassy wants everyone evacuated.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, managing to edge my way back into the conversation. “Why?”
“Looks like there’s a coup happening,” Leo replied. “Jamie got an interview with the top generals back at the palace. They’ve already taken it over.”
A felt a sudden wave of terror wash over me. What about Lena? Did the army arrest her and the Sultan? And where was Jamie? How could he put himself in such a dangerous situation? I felt I should do something but I was powerless.
“Where’s Jamie now?” Sonny asked, relieving me of at least that question.
“Fucked if I know,” Leo replied.
“We can’t just go off and leave him!” I cried, but Sonny had my arm and was pushing me back into the Land Rover.
“Oh my God! Where’s Jamie? Where’s Jamie?” Maggie began to wail. “Oh my God, my God, my God …”
“Shut up!” Sonny screamed back. I could see the veins sticking out on his neck and his eyes bulging again, so I grabbed Maggie by the shoulders and practically threw her into the back seat.
“The airport road is open!” Leo shouted as he jumped back into his jeep. “Come on, follow me.”
We took off after the jeep as it sped away, the sounds of gunfire and helicopters creating a steady roar of sound. My head was spinning. I could hear Maggie mewling next to me. I wanted to smack her silly.
It seemed to take forever but the airport’s tower soon became visible in the distance. As we drew nearer, I could see a plane on the runway. I silently prayed that it was the one we wanted. My heart was pounding so hard I thought my head would explode. I took a deep breath and looked at Maggie, who thankfully had stopped her hideous noise-making.
“Please let that be our plane,” I whispered. “Please, please, please …”
As we sped up onto the tarmac, I could see the airplane was getting ready for takeoff. The engines were starting up and people were darting about desperately, throwing bags and packages into the cargo hold and scampering up the stairs. Everyone looked as though they were scared out of their wits.
“Come on, let’s go!” Sonny yelled as he stopped the Land Rover and kicked open his door. He practically dragged us out of the vehicle and up the stairs.
“Here’s three more!” he yelled, as Maggie, Leo and I clambered up. I was so frantic to get into the cabin, I tripped on the top step. Arms reached out to catch me, and pulled me inside.
This time, Edmund was my saviour. He held me steady, protectively guiding me to a seat.
“Where were the bunch of you?” he asked sharply. “I was frantic looking for you. I’m responsible for you, don’t you know that?”
“We’re fine, Edmund. I’m fine,” I told him. I could see he was more worried than angry, despite his curmudgeonly demeanour.
“Take it easy,” Leo added. “We got here, it’s OK.”
“Where’s Jamie?” Edmund asked, his eyes darting up the aisle to see who else was coming. “Isn’t he with you?”
Leo’s eyes met mine. He was just as concerned as I was about Jamie’s welfare, but obviously didn’t want Edmund any more riled up.
“Where is he?” Edmund bellowed, grabbing Leo’s shirt.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Leo yelled back.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Edmund demanded. “Wasn’t he with you?”
Leo’s reply was drowned out by a loud commotion at the front of the cabin. Throughout the cabin, people were yelling and looking out their windows. Sonny soon appeared in the doorway, trying to support a limping, bloodied Jamie.
“Oh my God! He’s bleeding,” Maggie began to screech. “Oh my God! Oh my God!”
Indeed, Jamie’s head sported a tattered white bandage, through which a fair bit of blood had seeped. Sonny managed to get him over to a seat and sat him down. Jamie’s head lolled back and his eyes closed. He moaned and dropped his leather camera bag to the floor.
“He needs a doctor,” Sonny said, squatting on the floor and trying to look in Jamie’s eyes.
“No shit Sherlock,” Edmond hissed, pushing Sonny aside. “Just what the hell happened to him?”
“Look, back off, asshole!” Sonny growled, standing up.
Edmund glared back at Sonny, nostrils flaring. For a second, I thought there was going to be a fight but Leo quickly stepped between them.
“He was at the palace, trying to get an interview with the military,” Leo explained. “I guess he had some trouble.”
“Damn straight,” Jamie spat. We all turned to look at him again.
“What happened, bro?” Leo asked, putting a hand on Jamie’s shoulder.
“I couldn’t even get into the palace,” Jamie replied. “Got a rifle butt to the head.”
“You’re lucky you weren’t killed, you jackass,” Edmund glowered, as one of the flight crew appeared with a first aid kit.
Edmund crouched down next to Jamie’s seat and took his hand.
“Dumb kid … stupid kid,” Edmund kept muttering over and over. He looked like he was trying not to cry.
Jamie moaned again and sank back into his seat as Edmund and the flight attendant began removing the bloody bandage.
“Take care of him,” Sonny told me as he headed back out.
“Wait a minute,” I said, dashing after him. “Aren’t you coming with us?”
“Nope.”
“Well, where are you going?” I asked him.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” Sonny answered. “Take care of your friends.”
He turned and ran back down the steps to the waiting Land Rover. Just before the stairs were pulled up, he waved to me. Then he was gone.