The Storm

Chapter 2

Declan didn't have to wait for an airplane, his private jet was patiently waiting for him. Dave and Declan got onto the plane and the captain greeted them.

- Good afternoon, sir.

- Hello, Benedict. Good luck with the flight. - Declan knew Benedict didn't need luck, but it was the right thing to say.

Declan took his suitcase and sat down on one of the luxury seats, Dave sat at the end of the row - workers always had to keep their distance; even when they traveled with their boss.

It's been a couple of hours since the flight began, and Declan was peacefully sleeping when he heard Benedict's voice.

- Sir! We have a big problem! There's a bomb on this plane. - Benedict ran into the compartment with fear written in big letters on his face.

- What do you mean? What happened, Benedict? - Declan jumped up from his seat and ran up to Benedict.

- Sir, I thought I checked the jet before the takeoff. But... but... there's a bomb in here. - he started stuttering.

Declan shook Benedict by his shoulders to try and calm him down. He turned pale in just a second showing his fear.

- We can't land anywhere in the next hour, but I can't risk your life. You and Dave will have to jump with a parachute. You'll land on a tree if you jump in the next ten minutes. Sir, please, we have to hurry up. - Benedict started searching for the parachutes in the cupboards.

He took out two parachutes and gave them to Dave and Declan. Declan raised his eyebrows in worry as he understood that there wasn't a third parachute.

- No! Benedict you can't do that. Your family's waiting for you. You're not sacrificing yourself.

- Sir, I have to. They will understand my actions, I'm a pilot and looking after your safety during the flight was my responsibility. I didn't fulfill my purpose, I wasn't able to keep you safe. - Tears started showing off on his eyes.

Benedict came up to Declan and helped him put on his parachute; he repeated this and helped Dave.

- Please, sir, promise me you'll look after my children. I want to know they'll be safe and that they won't need anything. - Benedict's face showed off his pain and regret - regret for not checking everything before the flight; he could have prevented this from happening, but he didn't.

- I promise you, Benedict. I'll look after them.

Declan knew he didn't have a choice and Benedict's decision was final. Him and Dave quickly put on their parachutes while Benedict opened the jet door. Declan glanced at the pilot for a second and jumped out; Dave did the same. They were both now floating in air, hoping not to break into millions of pieces once they hit the ground.

It almost felt magical - Declan flying, clouds hiding any sign of life on the ground. He was sure that this was the best experience he ever had and ever will have. The wind made his coal-like black hair tremble making him even more attractive. It was almost impossible to hear anything because of the thick layer of never-ending clouds. Declan tried to touch them, thinking they're as fluffy as they look, but he couldn't. Nobody has the power to touch a cloud, not even talking about grabbing one. He just felt like his hand was going through fog; it was ice-cold. Declan's mood switched from light-hearted to depressing: he remembered the sacrifice Benedict made to save his life. All the guilt suddenly came back with a greater power. Just when he stopped thinking about the bomb, the pilot, his uncle, everything came back. Especially the pain, the guilt that he wasn't able to prevent Benedict and Jack's deaths, the happy memories they shared together.

Declan heard a loud bang; the jet exploded. He turned his head in the direction of the noise and saw his jet in pieces. This was it. Just like that, a member of his crew died and he was unable to save him.

Declan got lost in thoughts while enjoying the beauty of the nearby territory. They were in Italy already, it was obvious. The beautiful landscapes, small houses,  big ranches - everything was out of this world, yet, so many people weren't aware of the war that was going on for a very long time. How can the opposites coexist? Most countries in the world have two sides: the peaceful one and the chaotic one. The chaotic side works quietly and effectively; all the casualties are either hid or burnt. If not, the police won't say anything anyway. They'll make up a convincing story and people will believe them. Why? Because they're the ones who are supposed to protect them and always speak the truth. How sad is that?

His parachute landed on one of the tall trees and the ropes got tangled in the thin branches. Declan was hanging ten feet above the ground and needed to find a way to get down from the tree. He looked around but wasn't able to see Dave anywhere near.

- Dave?! - he yelled but got no answer.

He started untying himself from the parachute and unknowingly cut one of the major ropes and fell down. Excruciating pain reflected in his whole body - he broke his leg. Declan started looking around desperately trying to find any help.

*Bang* Declan collapsed to the ground unconscious, falling into the world of dreams.

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After a long break I'm finally back :)

Published on: 30/07/2021

With love, gulya_0411