The low hum of the car engine droned on incessantly while I waited for the inevitable doom to come forth my way. I knew the car would take off at some point and bring me to a Swiss prison for further questioning. It was only a matter of time. I’d lost Jack...and now I’d lost the only chance at saving my father.
CLICK.
The passenger door across from me cracked open and a disheveled man was tossed inside, before the door closed and locked back up. The man ran a hand through his tussled hair and looked up to me.
“Miss me?” Jack smiled, looking a little worse for wear.
“Jack!” I yelled, lunging over at him and embracing that handsome man with all my might. “You scared me!” I breathed into his ear. “What happened?”
“Quite a bit,” Jack said, holding onto me tightly as well, and squeezing my shoulders tenderly.
“I knew you wouldn’t get past them with all that...stuff.”
“The stuff wasn’t the problem,” Jack said, rolling back into his seat and sinking into the faux leather stylings with ease. “They had some other concerns.”
“Like what?” I fawned, on the edge of my seat. “Furthermore, how are we gonna get out of here?” I motioned to the handles on the door and yanked them to no avail, before banging on the front glass divider. “See?”
Jack nodded, patting down his clothes searchingly before bending down and fishing behind the heel of his right sock. A button clicked and the sole of his shoe opened with a slide. With that, Jack pulled out a tiny communicator, which looked like a sleek tablet screen.
My mouth opened wide, as I took in the impressive act. Finally some actual spy stuff!
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“Good!” I said, pawing his arms, “we can call for help now!”
Jack smirked and dialed a number on the phone, while I awaited the dial tone with anticipation. After a long few moments, the call answered. Silence came through the other end. “We’re ready,” Jack said.
With that, the shield divider lowered from the front of the vehicle giving view to a black clad driver and the turning grey haired head of a thin, stoic man in the passenger seat, clad in a fashionable grey chambray suit.
He looked at Jack with contempt in his eyes, as Jack lowered the phone quietly, returning the gaze. The stare off was tense and filled me with anxiety.
The man broke the silence first.
“Thought you could escape us this time, Jack Welker,” he pronounced in a thick Swiss accent.
Jack held the gaze for a few moments longer, before a grin cracked across his lips.
“You son of a bitch” the man reached back and grabbed Jack’s hand, shaking it tightly, brandishing a now jovial grin above the tight blue paisley tie hanging in a windsor knot from his collar. “I’ve been trying to get you to visit for years!”
“WHAT!?” I hollered aloud.
Jack held the forearm of the man with a brotherly shake. “You had them make it look good, I appreciate it.”
“You were worried for a little bit, admit it?” The man fired back.
“Never,” Jack added, beaming.
“What’s going on here?!” I chirped.
“Ari,” Jackie said, “meet Stenley Corbin, an old friend.”
“Miss Ari,” Stenley said, extending his hand to kiss the back of my limp hand, “tis a pleasure.”
I sat in a state of confusion. “This is your friend?” I asked.
“Had to make it look good for everyone, while we processed the paperwork, but yes,” Stenley said. “This man,” he pointed to Jack, “saved my life. Anything for him.”
“It was nothing,” Jack pushed the notion away.
“My yacht would still be sailing the high seas of Somalia without you!”
“Judging by their captain...not well,” Jack smirked.
“Ah-hahaha,” Stenley laughed proudly. “He wasn’t the most skilled pirate, no?”
“What is going on here!?” I begged again in confusion.
“I promised we’d be okay,” Jackie said, adding a warm smile, “didn’t I?”
I nodded understandingly, but cautiously at first, and angrily to some extent.
“We’ll be better than that,” Stenley announced, “we’re taking the baby!”
Jack’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“What’s that?” I asked.
Jack grinned. “I always wanted to fly Air Corbin.”
