Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)(67)

The plane lurched forward, and Alia realized Ben was back in the cockpit.

A burst of gunfire sounded from outside.

“Um, guys?” said Nim.

Alia shoved against Jason, and when he didn’t budge she turned and bit his hand. Hard.

He yelped, and she pushed away from him, scrambling past Theo and Nim to look through Nim’s window, nearly falling against it as the plane rumbled over the uneven terrain, picking up speed.

Diana was racing across the Great Lawn, blue dress in shreds, dark hair streaming behind her. A group of soldiers exploded from the woods, close on her heels.

“Jason, she’s coming!” Alia shouted.

Jason grabbed her arm again, trying to pull her back as the plane picked up speed and Theo and Nim braced themselves against their seats. “Those men are coming after you, Alia. To kill you.”

Your cause is mine.

A voice crackled over the radio. “Learjet N-535T, we have emergency vehicles en route to crash site. Please report your status.”

“Ben, if you take off, you’re fired!” Alia yelled.

“She can’t fire you!” Jason retorted.

“He signs the checks,” Ben called over his shoulder.

“Alia, we have to go!” said Jason.

“Diana!” Alia shouted pointlessly, face pressed to the window.

As if she had heard her, Diana put on a burst of speed.

“Damn,” said Theo. “That girl can run.”

She almost seemed to be flying, her strides long. Alia could see that the fabric of her gown was singed, and there were welts on her skin, but she seemed whole and unharmed.

Alia braced her hand against the side of the jet and faced Jason.

“Open the door,” she demanded.

“We can’t stop, Alia. There’s not enough runway.”

The jet jounced along, faster and faster.

“We need her help to get to the spring!” she insisted.

And she saw it then. The doubt that flickered over his face. Jason had agreed to go to the spring because he’d wanted to give her hope, but he’d never really believed.

“Jason, if you don’t open that door, I will find a way to end my life before the new moon. I swear it on our parents’ lives.”

The words struck him like a slap. Alia almost regretted them, but if that was what it took to make him listen…

“Damn it,” Jason swore. He strode to the door and yanked down on the handle. Immediately, an alarm began to sound.

Ben’s voice crackled over the radio. “Don’t know what you’re doing back there, but this is your captain speaking, and he’d like you to cut it the hell out.”

“Diana!” Alia screamed again. The door opened wider, spreading like a clamshell, the night air rushing through. Alia could see the brightly lit baseball diamonds and Diana hurtling toward the jet.

She shouted something, but Alia wasn’t sure what. She was waving her arms frantically.

“Something’s wrong,” Alia cried, then realized it was a ridiculous understatement.

“No, you idiot,” said Theo. “She’s saying get out of the way.”

Theo shoved up from his seat and yanked her away from the door just as Diana took two huge strides and leapt, launching herself through the air like a missile. She dove through the door of the plane, tucking into a somersault and slamming hard against the banquette. Gunfire pelted the side of the jet.

Jason jammed the handle up, and the door started sliding back into place as Alia’s stomach lurched and the jet lifted off. She stumbled backward into Theo, nearly falling into his lap.

Jason threw her into a seat, hurling himself down beside her, and then they were in the air, climbing.

Alia heard a horrible crunching sound as the plane jolted and shook. The wheels, she realized. They’d scraped the tops of the trees. She dared to look down through the window as the plane arced over the park. Craning her neck, she could just make out the baseball diamonds, the men standing on the ruin that had been the Great Lawn.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision. For just a moment she’d thought— But that was impossible. Had she hit her head again? Were the fear and adrenaline playing tricks on her? She thought she’d seen what looked like a chariot drawn by four massive black horses cutting across the field toward the soldiers, floodlights glinting off the driver’s plumed helmet. Alia gave herself a shake. She needed a good night’s sleep. She needed a month of good night’s sleep.

“Learjet N-535T, you are not cleared for takeoff,” said the voice over the radio. “Report your status.”

The crackle of static died as Ben switched off the radio. “My status is most likely looking at a career change,” he said. “Everyone okay back there?”

“You tell me, Ben,” said Jason.

“We’re in a wait-and-see situation. If we triggered a scramble out of Barnes, we’re going to know pretty quick when they shoot us down.”

Alia swallowed hard. She peered through the window as the city lights gave way to the vast, unending black of the Atlantic. Would she see death coming? She tried to breathe, to leash her heart rate. Silence enveloped the cabin, the only sound the thrum of the jet’s engines as they all waited, wondering what might be headed toward them in the dark.

Beside her, she saw that Jason had somehow managed to split his lip during the fight, and the sleeve of his jacket had become almost completely detached. Across the aisle, Theo had his head tipped back and his eyes shut. Alia didn’t know if he was praying or if he’d actually fallen asleep. Past him, Alia could see Nim staring straight ahead. Her eyes were ringed with mascara, and there was blood on her jumpsuit; her chest rose and fell in rapid, panicked hitches. Alia wished she could put her arm around her, tell her it would be all right. But that was a lie. Nothing was all right. Maybe nothing would ever be right again.