Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker

Author:Kellie M. Parker [Parker, Kellie M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2023-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

16

STRANDED

10:40 p.m. CDT

The five of us stick close together as we work our way back through the plane, the words on that paper hovering like an invisible sword of Damocles over our heads. Lights flicker in our faces when we reach the dining compartment, and Amir, who is in the lead, throws his arms up to shield his eyes.

“Hey, we can’t see,” he says.

“Sorry.” Dylan drops his light, and the glimpse of curly dark hair and blue blazer behind him must be Taylor.

“Did anybody find the flight staff?” Ann asks. Her voice floats at the end of the question with a hint of hopefulness.

Silence.

“Something must have happened to them.” I hate to be the one to say it, but after what happened to Evan, it’s the only logical conclusion. It’s hard to keep my voice steady.

“Why?” Taylor asks. “What did you guys find?”

Dylan walks around her, stopping a few paces from me. He scans me with his light, and I blink furiously in the blinding beam before he drops it again. “You okay?”

No, not really. But since I’m trying to act like I’ve got things together, all I say is, “We found Evan. In the bathroom.” I jerk my thumb over my shoulder, though no one can see in the dark.

“The bathroom?” Dylan repeats, like the words don’t make sense.

“He’s dead.” Liam’s words ring in the silence.

Taylor gasps, swaying like she might go down, until Amir offers her an arm.

“What . . . what happened?” she stammers.

“We don’t know,” Lily says. “His throat was . . . slit.”

Next to me, Dylan places both hands on the top of his head, his flashlight beam illuminating his hair like a golden halo. He lets out several quick, short breaths in succession.

“What are we gonna do?”

“We need to gather the others,” Liam says, his voice steady and sure.

Like stray cats. We’ve spent half this flight trying to “gather the others.” Is that when the killer makes his or her moves? Because there is a killer on board. If what happened with Taylor and Paige wasn’t enough to prove it, Evan’s death has removed all doubt.

“And we really need to find an adult,” Ann adds.

I’m caught off guard by the sudden, intense longing for everything to be okay. A need for security. How long has it been since I truly felt safe? Like someone capable was taking care of me? Maybe not since Dad left and me and Mom were on our own. Even my friendship with Nikki, my cornerstone for years, has decayed without me knowing it. I’ve become a piece of driftwood tossing on the churning ocean waves.

“The pilots.” Dylan’s words snap me out of my uncomfortable thoughts. He pushes past me, like he’s going to bust open the cockpit door this second.

“Hold up, man,” Liam says, grabbing his arm. “We need to make a plan. Together. Without freaking out.”

“I’m not freaking out.” Dylan shakes him off, but then I catch his blazer sleeve.

“Dylan, wait. We can’t just barge in there. They can’t come out, legally.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.