Chapter 7 - Race Against Time
The municipal airfield was a windswept expanse of asphalt under a darkening, stormy sky. Rain began to spit against the windshield of Matteo’s black SUV as he tore through the security gates, the vehicle's tires screeching against the wet tarmac.
Ahead of them, a sleek white private jet sat on the runway, its turbine engines already whining at high pitch as it prepared to taxi toward the main strip.
"They're taxiing!" Liana cried out, clutching the dashboard as Matteo slammed down on the accelerator.
"They won't take off," Matteo said grimly, reaching for the car's satellite radio phone. He connected directly to the air traffic control tower. "This is Matteo Varric. Ground that aircraft immediately. Unauthorized departure under federal investigation. If that plane moves another inch, I will personally buy this airfield and bulldoze it into the ocean."
The control tower operator, recognizing the absolute terror and power in Matteo's voice, immediately flashed the runway lights and broadcast a red-alert stop command to the jet.
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The jet's engines decelerated with a sharp, whining groan, coming to a halt just fifty yards from the runway threshold.
Matteo skidded his SUV to a violent stop right beneath the jet's rolling boarding stairs. Before the plane's door could even open from the inside, Matteo leaped out, rushing up the steps with Liana right behind him.
