Donovans 02 - Jade Island

runway. Walker opened the door of the plane in time to grab the dark backpack that came hurtling out of the darkness. Even though he had been prepared, he grunted as he caught the backpack.
    “Heavy bastard,” Walker muttered.
    “Tell me about it,” Kyle retorted. “I’ve been hauling it at a trot for the last fifteen minutes.”
    “Yeah, that Archer’s a mean son of a bitch, isn’t he?” Walker asked cheerfully.
    “I heard that,” Archer said. “Catch.”
    Walker snagged the second backpack and stowed it next to the first.
    “Incoming,” Jake said, shrugging out of his backpack.
    “That you, Mallory?” Walker said.
    “Yeah.”
    “Heard about your marriage. My condolences.”
    Jake gave a low crack of laughter. “Haven’t changed, have you?”
    “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Shag your butts, boys. Those guards might get curious.”
    “Hold still, sweetheart,” Kyle said.
    “Sweetheart,” Walker drawled. “Sugar boy, you’re a real piece of work. We haven’t even been formally introduced and already you’re coming on to me.”
    “Screw you, Walker. I’m talking to Lianne.”
    She laughed and wriggled out of her backpack, only to gasp as Kyle tossed it up into the plane. “Be careful!”
    From the far end of the runway, blades of white lightsliced through rain and darkness, outlining the Aztec. Jake and Archer dove into the ditch. Kyle was a half step behind, dragging Lianne. They went down flat, but Kyle was up instantly, peering out at the runway. Archer was right beside him.
    “We got problems, children,” Walker said. “I can’t take off with that Jeep on the runway, and there’s no time to unload the backpacks. You want those two guards healthy or real quiet?”
    “Healthy,” Archer said. “If possible.”
    Lianne ripped off her jacket and began kicking out of her dark, loose slacks.
    “Get the hell out of here before they see you,” Walker said. “I’ll think of something.”
    “I don’t like it,” Archer said.
    “Come on,” Kyle said to Lianne.
    “Help me get out of the wet suit,” Lianne said, dragging at the top.
    “What?” Kyle said.
    “Help me!”
    He didn’t know what she had in mind, but he knew a fast way to get out of neoprene. He yanked out his dive knife and started cutting. Within seconds Lianne was wearing nothing but rain and the bottom of her bikini swimsuit. She grabbed her jacket.
    “Take everything else and go,” she said urgently. When he hesitated she gave him a push. “Just do it! Hurry! They’re almost here!”
    “But—”
    “I’ll be all right,” she interrupted. “Get out of here. Please, Kyle. Just go!”
    He would have argued, but Archer and Jake were grabbing up pieces of wet suit and crawling off into the darkness. They knew there wasn’t any time to object to or add to whatever Lianne had in mind.
    With a savage curse, Kyle grabbed the slacks she had abandoned and followed the other two men into the darkness beyond the reach of lights.
    Lianne gathered herself, shrugged into her lightweight jacket without zipping it, and climbed out of the ditch. Headlights silhouetted her, picking up the creamy length of her legs and turning the windblown jacket into a breathless striptease that revealed and then concealed her breasts and hips. Ignoring the guards scrambling out of the Jeep, she held her hands up to Walker.
    “Okay,” she called to him. “I’m done. Let’s get a mile high real quick.”
    Walker pulled her into the plane with a strength that startled her.
    “A mile high, huh?” he said. “They might go for it. Anything else I should know?”
    “I had to pee.”
    “I figured that out. There’s a tarp over the backpacks. Go decorate it. And don’t fasten that jacket. Nothing like some bare tits to muddle a man’s mind. Bare ass is even better.”
    “Some things are better left to the imagination,” Lianne retorted as she scrambled by him.
    Walker smiled. “Not that thing. It halves the male IQ in nothing flat.”
    “Hey!” Murray yelled, slapping the Aztec’s wing with his palm. “What the hell is going on? I saw people out here!”
    “You just saw me helping my little sugar girl take a pee,” Walker drawled. “You know how it is with women. Can’t pee in a beer bottle like men.”
    “Huh?” Murray said.
    “Sugar girl, show your sweet little face.”
    “Baby,” Lianne said, putting her best whine into it, “I’m cold. When are you going to get this piece of crud a mile high so we