British Exchange Agent

Chapter 15

My heartbeat hammered my chest, my breaths coming out in strangled gasps. The groaning noise of complaining metal increased, sending the passengers into hysterics.

I struggled to contain my frustration as I clambered with the controls, and I growled, sending a harsh look behind me.

"Zip it!"

The woman who had been emitting an annoying wail snapped her mouth shut, her watery eyes narrowing.

"You try facing death." She yelled back, her voice nasally. I didn't bother gracing her with a reply as all my past missions flashed around in my mind.

The steam from the volcano misted the windscreen, blocking my vision as I battled with the aggravating chunk of metal.

The grinding noise suddenly stopped, a loud click echoing in the plane as I pulled it upwards just in time.

The volcano's crater scraped the bottom of the plane, causing it to judder and squeal. I tried to hold back a wince as I imagined the damage.

"Alright." I breathed. "We're over the volcano now."

I heard him let out a relieved gasp, before he informed the others around him.

"Can you tell me the landing location, sir?" I asked, steadying the plane. The man informed me quickly, and I scanned the horizon, the pilot in me activated.

"Alright, by my calculations, we should arrive in two hours and eleven minutes."

"That would be correct...um....what is your name, miss?" He asked curiously.

"I think miss will do fine for now." I responded easily, making it through the mist and emerging into a clear zone. He coughed.

"Not meaning to be impertinent miss, but we'll need your name and security number - the company will probably give you a reward for your work."

"That's alright; I don't need a reward."

"But-"

"Miss will do the job." I interrupted, my voice almost snapping. I cleared my throat. "Thank you."

He was silent for a while.

"Alright, your call...if I were you I'd cash in on the reward though."

I let out a shaky laugh, my hands still trembling slightly.

"I'll think about it."

The next two hours and nine minutes sailed by, the passengers chattering away about their narrow call with death. I narrowed my eyes as the runway came into view.

"I believe we have arrived, over."

The line on the other end crackled slightly.

"Yep, you should be coming into the airport now. Over." He replied, letting out a yawn. "I'm assuming you know how to land?"

"Sure." I responded. "Can't be that hard..."

"Pardon?"

I ignored his anxious voice as the plane dipped forward, towards the black tarmac below.

"Seatbelts on, everybody!" I called out.

"Miss? You do know how to land your plane, right?" The man enquired, his voice panicked.

"Thank you sir, you've been incredibly helpful. Your work had been priceless."

"Miss! I-"

I pulled off the headphones as we came into land, trying not to cringe as the pressure in my ears grew. The plane soared towards the runway giving me a short window to land.