Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

24.2|| Falling

"I'm okay, knock it off," Kyle said, pushing the doctor away annoyed. "We don't need any stupid hospital. We just need to get home and sleep it off."

"Kyle, we don't sleep it off. It's not as if we're drunk," Jerry muttered, but Kyle ignored him.

"I agree. Take us home." Sam moaned in pain. He didn't want a hospital either, not since they somehow miraculously managed to escape without any broken limbs. He wanted to go home. He wanted his bed, his covers, to bury himself under them and pretend that everything was peachy.

"We cannot land anywhere near your house," the pilot said.

"How thick are you?" Jimmy asked annoyed, seeming in rampaging mode again and Sam had a feeling he would go stuff a punch in the pilot's stomach if he could stand up properly.

"Leave us at the airport, please." Jerry said calmly.

"If you say so." The pilot shrugged.

They were almost there. They'd been knocked out for most of the ride, so now Sam was pumped full of pain killers and antsy to get home. He could barely sit still. His knees kept bouncing up and down which was really stupid because one of his knees really hurt, but he couldn't stop himself.

They'd left William and Jim in Magnet Town. Sam had no idea what would happen to them, but he did hope William would get home to Kay and stay with his family. And Billy had gotten Jim's contact information so that was good. Billy at least hadn't been knocked out. Neither had Angie, thank God. Because Sam wasn't sure how much more falling she could take.

Finally, the helicopter landed on a remote runway. Two cars waited for them to take them to the airport building. Sam kept tapping his thighs, his head buzzing, wanting to get this over with faster, to go to his sanctuary, to sleep it off. He felt drunk, no matter what Jerry said.

When the cars stopped, he threw open the door and practically ran inside the airport and towards the exit. He could see the double doors leading outside to where they would find Kyle's car parked. He wanted inside the Range Rover. He wanted to cuddle in the seat, he wanted... He stopped when he noticed everyone else had fallen behind.

A man in a fancy suit and black sunglasses had stopped in front of Angie and given her a folder and what looked like plane tickets. Why did Angie have plane tickets?

She seemed as surprised as Sam felt. "What's this?"

"Your plane ticket to Arizona," the man answered in an impersonal voice. "You have completed your mission. The deal stands. You do want to transfer to Chicago, don't you?"

"Yes, but..." Angie looked from the ticket to them. "The plane leaves right now."

Sam felt a weird shiver. He didn't want Angie to go. By the looks on his brothers' faces, neither did they. Especially Tom.

But she had to. The sooner she went, the sooner she'd get back. "Don't worry, we'll be all right by the time you get back." Sam smiled and she rushed to hug him.

She then hugged Kyle, Jimmy, Jerry, and Billy, but stopped in front of Tom looking at him longingly. Sam turned away, giving them the privacy they needed. He didn't like seeing her and Tom kissing. It felt so weird.

And Angie left. Sam focused on getting home again so he was exceptionally happy to see Kyle's car waiting for them in the parking lot. Except...

"Can you drive?" Sam asked.

Kyle huffed. "Of course, I can drive. I'm not dead."

"You really shouldn't. All those drugs in our system..." Jerry started, but fell silent once he noticed that everyone was glaring at him.