'Out!' shouted Johnny.
Ethan and Kat tumbled out into the street.
'Make like you're walking back from town,' said Johnny. 'You're a couple and you've had a great night. Make it look good.'
Ethan saw The Dude quickly swap the number plates on the van as Kat slipped her arm round his waist and pulled him away. They walked round a corner into the main street.
Ethan heard the sirens, and instinct told him to run especially when the police cars turned onto their street, lights flashing. But Kat pushed him up against a wall and snuggled in, her body warm and soft against him.
'What are you doing?' he asked.
'Saving our arses,' Kat hissed.
The police cars sped past, disappeared.
Ethan didn't move; didn't really want to.
Kat spoke first. 'OK, we're in the clear.' She pushed herself away.
'Well, that was all very cloak-and-dagger,' said Ethan. 'Done this before?'
Kat just smiled. 'See you at FreeFall tomorrow?'
'Just a minute,' said Ethan. 'How are you getting home?' He didn't like the idea of leaving Kat to her own devices. It was late and dark.
Kat pulled out her phone. 'Taxi,' she said. 'Need a lift?'
In the shop the next morning, Ethan was finding it difficult to concentrate. He'd already narrowly avoided making a couple of errors with takings at the till. The events of the night before were still buzzing in his head. The BASE jump had been exciting enough, but being chased by the police had added an edge to the proceedings. As had the brief moment when Kat had pressed herself against him even if it had only been an act to avoid the police.
'Good morning, Ethan.'
Ethan looked up. Natalya, face serious as ever, was waiting at the counter. He nodded, said, 'Hi.'
'I have heard that you had an interesting evening last night.'
Ethan wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a faint smile on her face. He shrugged.
'Such secrecy,' said Natalya. 'A pity Jake called a few people to tell them about Kat's BASE jump.'
Ethan sighed. He was beginning to wonder if the whole world knew about that.
'You should be more careful,' Natalya told him. 'Sam does not like his team taking too many risks.'
'Sam knows?'
Natalya shrugged. 'Perhaps. Probably. Sam knows most things.'
'What have you heard?' Ethan asked her. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong. So why was he nervous?
'Nothing much,' said Natalya. 'I have not seen Sam today so I cannot say for sure what he does or does not know.'
'Why would Sam care anyway? It was Kat's decision. She didn't need his permission.'
'Maybe not. But the team is more important to Sam than you could possibly know.'
'You make it sound like he's their dad!'
'In many ways he is,' Natalya said simply.
And that answer really worried Ethan. It suddenly felt like there was something mysterious about 'the team'. Something going on that he didn't know about. And he didn't like that at all.
'Anyway, I just came in to see if you were around all day. We are having a little meeting later about the competition,' Natalya told him.
Ethan wanted to ask her more questions, but he couldn't think of any that made sense. So he just said, 'What time?'
'One, I think. In the hangar. Luke would like to do a quick check to make sure we are all prepared.'
Ethan wasn't surprised. Luke had been given responsibility for looking after the accommodation and flight details. And Luke, as Ethan now knew well, was obsessed with detail. They all made fun of it, but they respected it. After all, no one would want Johnny in charge of getting everyone to the airport on time.
'I will see you then,' said Natalya as she left the shop.
For the first time that morning, the shop was empty. Ethan found the silence deafening. It had been bad enough being chased by the police for trespassing, but now he had Sam to worry about. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of his fury. After all, Sam had kicked Jake out for taking a risk that jeopardized the team. What was to stop him doing the same to someone else?
'Ethan!'
A cheer from Johnny greeted Ethan when he arrived at the hangar. Johnny and Kat were the only ones there.
'Hey, Johnny,' said Ethan, but he was unable to disguise the worry in his voice.
Kat came over. 'What's up?' she asked.
'Everyone knows,' said Ethan. 'About last night. Jake shopped us, and I think Sam has probably found out about it. But does that matter? I mean, would Sam be bothered?'
Ethan saw a nervous glance flick between Kat and Johnny.
'Yeah, he might be,' said Johnny, none too reassuringly. 'Ah, well, I guess we should've expected it. Who gave you the heads up?'
'Natalya,' Ethan told him. 'She came into the shop this morning to let me know about the meeting.'
'Nothing we can do about it now,' said Kat. 'You jumping today?'
Ethan ignored the question. 'So what if Sam does know?'
Kat was just opening her mouth to say something when the hangar door opened and Ethan turned to see Luke and Natalya. He wanted an answer to his question but wasn't given a chance to press any harder as Luke came over.
'This is going to be quick,' said Luke. 'I'm not going to give out tickets just in case someone loses theirs.'
Ethan couldn't help but laugh as Luke looked hard at Johnny.
'We meet here at five on Friday. Flight's at eight. I've managed to persuade someone to drive us down to the airport in the minibus. Don't forget to bring your passports. That's all you really need to know. Questions?'
'Yes,' said Johnny. 'Have you managed to upgrade us to first class?'
Before Luke could reply, the hangar doors opened once more, and Sam marched in. 'Right,' he snapped, staring at Kat and Johnny. 'I'm not here to listen to your excuses. I'm not interested.'
'Well, that's that, then,' said Johnny. 'Thanks for the chat, Sam.'
'Neither am I interested, Johnny, in your pathetic attempt at humour.'
Ethan looked at Sam, and was struck more than usual by his size and presence. The scars on his face seemed more pronounced than usual, like they were projecting his ill-contained annoyance. Ethan avoided speculating how someone like Sam had come to get such scars they looked horribly deliberate. But right now, it was clear that Sam was furious. It suddenly seemed a lot darker inside the hangar, like he was sucking the light out of the moment.
'But-' said Johnny.
'Stand down,' said Sam. 'And for once in your life, listen.'
They were all listening, thought Ethan. What choice did they have?
'I don't expect you to stop BASE jumping,' said Sam, his voice a deep rumble, every word clear. 'But I do expect you to at least have some sense as to when when you do it.' you do it.'
'Look, if you're worried about the police-' said Johnny, but Sam cut in, and Ethan was beginning to wish he was somewhere else.
'I'm not worried about the police,' said Sam. 'You dodged them well enough. I'm worried about you.'
'We did everything by the book, Sam,' said Kat. 'We've been training for this for months.'
'And I've been training you for months to be the best there is. Did you think it was a good idea to do this only days before we fly to France?'
Ethan glanced at Johnny and Kat. They were both looking very uncomfortable.
Sam spoke again. 'You're a team,' he told them, 'and as a team you have to know where and when not not to take risks. Haven't you learned anything?' to take risks. Haven't you learned anything?'
'I know,' said Johnny, 'but Kat was ready. If Jake hadn't shopped us-'
'Irrelevant,' said Sam. 'You've known about the competition for long enough to plan things around it. Only Ethan can be excused that.'
Ethan saw Sam shoot a glance at him, but his eyes displayed no emotion. Then he turned back to Kat and Johnny.
'You're both good,' he continued. 'I know that because I trained you. I'm not saying you could've been killed, but an accident would have made the trip a waste of time. And if there's one thing I don't like it's my time being wasted.'
Kat and Johnny remained silent.
Ethan was beginning to feel pretty confused and uncomfortable himself. Sam was talking to them like he was back in the army. This whole skydiving thing was obviously a whole lot more serious than he'd realized.
'So tell me' Sam's voice was quiet which, thought Ethan, made it all the more terrifying 'am I wasting my time?'
Johnny and Kat both muttered, 'No.'
'Good,' said Sam. 'And what about you, Ethan? Have you got what it takes?'
Ethan nearly took a step back at finding himself under the full focus of Sam's penetrating gaze. But he didn't hesitate in his reply. 'Yes,' he said firmly.
'That's the end of it then,' said Sam. 'We won't mention this again. I don't want our sponsors to think they've wasted their time and money, and I don't want you to make me look like a pillock. Now sort your heads out and get in the air.'
CHAPTER 23
Climbing out of the minibus, Ethan looked across at the airport. It was early-evening busy, and buzzing with buses and cars dropping off and picking up. The air smelled hot with exhaust fumes, junk food, sweat.
It was a week since the meeting in the hangar with Sam, and they'd all been doing as much as they could to get into the air and practise. No one had mentioned the BASE jump again not even Johnny. Sam was now away on his business trip, so it was down to the team to get themselves ready and arrive at the competition in time.
Ethan was excited. And nervous but not just about the competition. He'd never been on a passenger flight before. The only plane he'd ever been in was the one he'd been jumping out of all summer. He guessed now wasn't the time to start telling people that after all, he didn't want to look like an idiot.
Luke had got out of the van first and was already standing outside the main entrance to the terminal, waiting until everyone had gathered up their kit.
'Flight's been changed,' he said when they reached him. 'We leave in twenty minutes.'
Ethan didn't understand. 'I thought we had to check in,' he said.
'Already done,' Luke said simply. 'At least we'll get there quicker. Ready?'
Everyone nodded.
Ethan started to ask more questions, but Johnny looked at him and said, 'Come on last one on the plane fancies Luke.'
Luke didn't laugh; he just set off. 'We're boarding at gate sixteen A. It's this way. We'd best get a move on.'
The change of flight seemed strange to Ethan, but no one else seemed bothered not even Luke, which was reassuring. In fact, the change of plan seemed to have made everyone even more excited. Ethan shrugged and followed along behind. It wasn't as though he was a seasoned traveller, used to the ups and downs of international flying. Perhaps this kind of thing was normal.
It was only when they were all on board and the door to the plane was pulled shut that Ethan realized it wasn't normal at all because the only people on the plane were the team. Every other seat was empty.
The plane taxied along to the runway and took off. Ethan was used to the sensation of being in a plane as it went airborne, but this was different. For one thing he was sitting in a proper seat and facing forwards. For another, this plane totally dwarfed the one he was used to jumping from.
After the plane had broken through cloud, the seat-belt light flicked off and Ethan gazed out through the window. Clouds, like snow-covered peaks, stretched to the horizon. For a moment he wondered what it would be like to jump from such a height, to do one of those HAHO jumps Johnny had described. The thought made him sit back in his seat and grin.
He was about to reach for the in-flight magazine when a man with blond hair came from the front of the plane. Ethan recognized him immediately as the man he'd seen at FreeFall from time to time Sam's friend.
Just as Ethan remembered, he was in his early thirties, smart, clean-shaven, his blond hair swept back, not a strand out of place. His suit looked just a shade over very expensive. And he looked at Ethan as if he was studying him for an exam. It made Ethan uneasy.
Johnny nodded at the guy. 'Hey, Gabe,' he said. 'Figured this was your handiwork. What's up?'
'Change of plan,' said the man, leaning against the back of Johnny's seat.