Read Annihilate Me 2: Vol. 1 Online
Authors: Christina Ross
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Later, just before seven, we
emerged from our suite, showered and dressed.
We met Blackwell and Tank in the
conference room, which was blinding with the sunlight pouring through the
windows on either side of us.
Blackwell was the definition of perfection—already in a red Chanel
suit, with her makeup and bob expertly attended to.
Tank was in a black pinstriped suit with
a blue tie.
Each had a cup of
coffee in front of them.
“Good morning,” Alex and I said.
“Well, good morning,” Blackwell
said, turning to me.
“Goodness, you
certainly don’t look so pale today, my dear.
In fact, if anything, I’d say that, for
some unknown reason that’s a mystery to me, you look as refreshed as you do
flush.”
“We’ll see how that changes once I
get a whiff of breakfast.
That’s
generally when I make a dive for the restroom.”
She reached for my hand as I sat
next to her.
“It’ll pass,” she
said.
“Probably in another month or
so.
You’ll see.
It does get better, Jennifer.”
“Amy said that you’ve already
eaten?”
“That girl is terrific,” Blackwell
said.
“She should be working at
Wenn along with the rest of us.
She
offered us fresh eggs, bacon, bagels, fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, and
coffee.
I took the coffee.
Tank here ate for two.
I took the grapefruit, and offered him
my breakfast to go along with his own.”
Tank held out his hands to us.
“What am I supposed to do with two
eggs?” he said.
“Look at me—I
need the fuel.”
“So do you, Barbara,” I said to
Blackwell.
“A grapefruit isn’t
enough.”
“I eschew the carbs,” she
said.
“If I give myself over to
them, it’ll be sheer ruin.
I’ll
chew on some ice later.
That always
does the trick.”
“You’re neurotic.”
“What I am, darling, is a perfect
size five.”
“Barbara, give me some good news,” Alex
said as he sat at the head of the table.
“Where is our stock at today?”
“I’m afraid we’re down another
eleven points.”
I turned to Alex when Blackwell
said that, but saw that he had no reaction.
His face remained impassive.
“Any correspondence that I should know
about?”
“Nothing from the board, if that’s
what you’re asking.”
“Any word from Wei
Jei
?”
“Just that he’s looking forward to
seeing us.
He plans on taking us
out to dinner tonight.
Tomorrow
morning, we’ll officially meet with him at his offices and hopefully make him
understand that he’s contractually obligated to find our phones the memory
chips they need.
If he doesn’t,
he’s in breech of contract.
His
best option is to find a new manufacturer for the memory chips he’s short on,
and eat the additional cost.
Our
job is to make him see that.
If he
doesn’t, you’re going to need to decide if it’s Wenn that eats that cost, which
of course it must.
Nothing can get
in the way of getting that phone to market for obvious reasons.
So, you pay for the chips, and on the
sly, you choose the moment when you think it’s best to sue the bastard.”
“And here is why I brought along
Barbara,” Alex said with a smile.
He nodded at her.
“That’s
exactly what I was thinking.”
“What other choice do we have?”
“None.”
He sat back in his seat.
“So, we begin with dinner.
That’s a fine way to try to butter me
up—not that it will work.”
“How can our stock be down eleven
points?” I asked.
“How much more
ground are we going to lose before things turn around?
Where is Robert on this?
What is PR doing to get the word out
that the
SlimPhone
is a hit?
Yes, it cost us plenty in R&D, but
that’s finished for now.
People
must know, after selling over two-million units in its first week, that the
damned thing will become profitable, especially after the favorable
reviews.
Alex already has made the
rounds with the media.
He met many
of them one-on-one.
What is it
going to take to put a positive spin on this—and on everything Wenn is
doing?”
“Time,” Alex said.
“That’s all we need—just some
time.
I’ve been through this
before, Jennifer.
I saw my father
go through it several times.
It will
be all right.”
“But how much longer do we have to
wait?”
“It could go on for the next
month.
Or the next three
months.
You need to be prepared for
that.
But at some point, Wenn will again
be considered a ‘buy.’
I was hoping
that it would happen sooner, but it hasn’t yet.”
“And in the meantime, Stephen Rowe
is angling to get you ousted.”
“You and I both know that’s not
going to happen.”
“Regardless of how I threatened
that sonofabitch, I still don’t trust him.
I think he’s capable of anything—particularly when we’re
away.
God knows what he plans to
say to the board in our absence.”
And with that, Alex shot me a
look.
“But he won’t, will he?
Everyone at this table knows why.”
“He better not.
Or I will expose him.”
“I believe he knows that you will,”
Blackwell said.
“That man might
come off as some wannabe alpha male, but at his core, he’s a coward.
You’ll see.
He won’t dare touch Alex now.
Not after the way you handled him, for
which I continue to applaud you, my dear.”
I thought about the dozen black
roses that Rowe had sent me, and I had to wonder if Alex and Blackwell were
right.
What was Rowe capable
of?
I didn’t know, and that’s what
concerned me.
When Amy brought Alex and me our
breakfast, the combination of smells was enough to do me in.
The bacon, the eggs, the
coffee—all of it was too much.
As quickly as I could, I excused myself from the table and ran toward
the bathroom in our master suite, but not before I heard Blackwell say to Alex,
“Just sit, love.
She needs a mother
now.
I’ll take care of her.
Don’t be concerned.”
And Blackwell did take care of me.
As I hurled into the toilet, she
came up behind me, held my hair away from my face, and said, “Don’t worry if
you get any of it on the Chanel.
It’s four years old, and I don’t care.
Just know that I’m here for you.”
When I finished, I sat back and
took the towel she handed me so I could wipe my mouth.
“Do I look flush now?” I asked.
“I was just trying to lift your
spirits earlier, Jennifer.
I was
hoping that some humor might settle your stomach.”
“None of this can be good for the
baby.
It’s not getting any proper
nutrition.
I can’t keep anything
down.”
“Anything?”
I thought about that for a
moment.
“I can do pasta,” I
said.
“That seems to be relatively
safe.”
“Then you’ll eat pasta—even
if it is loaded with carbs.
It
doesn’t matter that it is.
And
you’ll eat it for breakfast if you have to.
You need to eat—and I refuse to be
worried about you.
If I have to
make you pasta three times a day myself, I will.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“What are you sorry about?”
“I should be at my best at that
table, and yet I’m not.
And now Amy
is probably thinking this is all because of her.
I’m too fond of her to think that, but
I’m sure that’s what she’s thinking.
I’m really screwing up right now, Barbara.
This is not the time for me to be sick.”
“I disagree.
It is if you’re going to give your
husband a child.
It comes with the
territory.”
“So I’m learning.
And it’s already affecting everyone
around me.”
“Look, if you’re worried about your
husband, don’t be.
Alex is
delighted about the pregnancy.
Here’s something you should know—Diana never wanted to have
children, but Alex always wanted many.
Don’t think for one moment that what you’re going through affects Alex
in any way other than his heart going out to you.
He loves you more than I’ve ever seen
him love anyone else in his life—including Diana.
He’d be here right now if I hadn’t
intervened.
But I wanted to have
this moment to talk to you.
To see
what you’re going through, and to reach out to you.
You have nothing to be ashamed about,
Jennifer—for some, this is that natural course of having a child.
You’re creating life, and life is never
easy, even at inception.
What you
need to understand is that this might not happen every time you get
pregnant.
Your next pregnancy could
be a breeze.
Or not.
We’ll never know.
What I do know is that I don’t want it
to put you off having another child, because this grandmother wants another grandchild.”
“Grandmother,” I said.
“You’ll be such a good grandmother.”
“You have no idea.
I fully plan on spoiling that child
rotten, and serving it its first heaping of roughage.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at that.
“That’s more like it.”
“Thank you for making me
laugh.
I’m sorry if my hormones are
out of whack.
I know that they
are.
I know I’m making an embarrassment
of myself.
The thing is, I can’t
seem to control it.
I’ve never been
so moody in my entire life.”
“Don’t be sorry.
And you know I’m always here to make you
laugh—no matter what it takes.”
“You know, despite how rotten I
feel, I’d never not do any of this.
I know that Alex wants a brood of children.
I’m willing to go as far as
four—that should be enough.
And we’ve agreed upon that.
Even if I have to be sick for a few months with every one of them, I’ll
do it.
I love him that much.”
“And that’s just one of the many
reasons why he loves you,” she said.
“And one of the many reasons why I love you.
Now, come on.
Are you all right now?
Yes?
Good.
Where is your makeup kit?
Oh, here it is on the vanity.
Why don’t you brush your teeth again,
and let grandmother tend to your face?
How about that?
Bernie has
taught me well.
By the time I get
through with you, no one will suspect that you’ve been sick—and you’ll
look like you’re nothing if not one hundred percent on the job, which I know is
important to you.”
“Thank you, Barbara.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” she
said.
“It’s what mothers are for.”
Hours later, when our meeting was
over, we joined the others in the main living space.
Daniella and Alexa were awake, showered,
dressed, and fed, but I could sense in them the fatigue that came from being in
the air so long.
Daniella was a fidgety
mess—she had her earbuds in and was dancing to whatever music she was
listening to on her iPod.
She was
dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, and there was nothing on her feet.
She was shaking her ass suggestively
near Cutter, who was busy ignoring her while reading his Kindle.
Alexa was sitting in front of the
television watching what looked to me like a documentary on whales.
She seemed bored out of her skull to me.
Lisa now was seated next to Tank
with her head on his shoulder, and even she appeared as if she’d rather be
anywhere other than here.
And so I took Amy aside and asked
her how long before we reached Manila.
“We should be on the ground in two
hours.
And then we’ll begin the
eight-hour flight to Singapore.
“So, another eleven hours or so, at
the least?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I think Daniella is going to spin
herself right into Cutter’s lap.
And Lisa’s about to dive into napsville.
Any ideas on how we can entertain
everyone?”
“I could always bring out a tray of
cocktails.”
“Barbara would have my ass if we
did that, but that’s nothing new—and it’s not a bad idea.
Maybe it would numb Daniella into
submission.
What time is it now?”
“In which time zone?”
“Thank God you’re clever.”
“Just trying to help.
But for us, it’s just after noon.
How about if I serve lunch?
Then, if you give me the nod, I could
serve one cocktail each?”
“What the hell?
Let’s have lunch and then haul out the
booze —none for me, though, because I’m not feeling well.
Maybe an early afternoon cocktail party
will spark everybody back to life.”
“I’m on it,” she said.
When she left, I went over and sat
opposite Lisa and Tank.
“Don’t look so excited,” I said to
her.
“I’ve never flown this far in my
life—how do people do it?”
“No idea.
I’m itching to just get my feet on the
ground.”
“Hell, I’m ready to go all pope on
your ass, and kiss the ground when we land.
How are you feeling?”
“Better.
The mornings are the roughest.”
“Tank told me that you got
sick.
I’m worried about you.”
“It’s just morning
sickness—don’t be.”
She nodded over at Daniella, who
was twerking to music the rest of us couldn’t hear.
“At least you don’t look as rough as
that,” she whispered.
“Let’s just say that she’s working
out a few issues…”
“Boy trouble again?”
“Good guess.”
“A shopping spree should put a
temporary end to that.”
“You’re good to do this.”
“Hey, I get to see Singapore.
It’s my pleasure.”
I was about to reply to her when
the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.
“Folks, just an update.
For some reason, our heating system has
malfunctioned.
It’s likely just a
loose wire, or a faulty chip, but it’s nothing to be alarmed about.
Amy, if you wouldn’t mind getting
blankets for our guests, including one for yourself, we’ll need them very shortly.
In an effort to stay warm, we’re going
to drop below the cloud line, where the air mass is warmer.
You’ll still feel a chill, but it won’t
be nearly as bad as it would be if we remained at thirty-five-thousand
feet.
We’ve already radioed ahead to
Manila.
They know of the issue, and
they are prepared to fix the malfunction before we leave for Singapore.
When we dip below the cloud line, we
expect some turbulence, so if you would please buckle yourselves in, we’d appreciate
it.
We’ll be in Manila before you
know it.
Our apologies for any
inconvenience.”
I furrowed my brow at Lisa, patted
her on the knee, and then went over and took the window seat next to Alex.
“What’s this about?” I asked him as
I buckled myself in and put my arm around his shoulders.
“Sounds pretty minor to me,” he
said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
I looked out the window, and saw
below us that the clouds weren’t just dark—they were nearly black.
“Are we heading into a storm?” I said in
a low voice.
“Look at it out
there.”
He leaned over and glanced out the
window.
“I’m not sure.”
“If this plane starts to rock, you
know what’s going to happen to me.”
“We’ll be fine.
Our crew is among the best.
Trust me on this, OK?
I don’t hire just anyone.”
Nevertheless, I reached for the
barf bag tucked in the pocket on the left side of my seat, and held it in my
lap.
“I trust you, but I’m not
taking any chances.
And I apologize
now should anything happen.”
“I wish you wouldn’t apologize,
Jennifer.
There’s nothing to
apologize for.”
I reached for his hand and squeezed
it in my own as the plane began its descent.
I looked ahead of us and watched Amy
come from the front of the plane and start to hand out blankets to
everyone—except to Daniella, who was still dancing in front of Cutter to
the beat of someone else’s drum.
“Look at her,” I said.
“She
probably didn’t even hear the pilot.”
“Blackwell will get her in line.”
“She’s a handful.”
“She always has been.”
“Daniella,” Blackwell said.
“Sit down and buckle your safety belt.”
But Daniella didn’t hear her, and
she continued to dance with her back to her mother as the plane drifted into
darkness and we plunged into the warmer air.
Amy handed Alex and me the last two
blankets, and then she walked toward the front of the plane, where she stopped
to talk to Daniella.
Max already
was seated and facing us.
I smiled
at him and mouthed the words “Are you OK?”
In response, he returned my smile and gave me a thumbs up.
Amy walked away from Daniella, who
had dismissed her, and reached into a storage bin and removed two additional
blankets.
She handed one to Max,
and then sat next to him so that she also faced us.
She draped the blanket over her lap,
likely because she knew that she might have to get up at any moment if the air
became too rough.
And then she said
something to Blackwell that I couldn’t hear.
The plane started to shake.
I looked over at Lisa, who was staring
straight ahead.
I motioned toward
her in an effort to catch her eye, and asked her if she was OK when she looked
at me.
I knew her well enough to
know that she was on edge, but being the champ that she was, she lifted her
hand, in which she held Tank’s, and said, “I’m good.”
“Hang in there, lady.”
“You too.”
“Daniella,” Blackwell said.
“Sit down.
The captain has asked all of us to get
in our seats and buckle our seat belts.”
But Daniella only danced and
twirled, her eyes closed as she swayed to the music despite the mild
turbulence, which was starting to get worse.
“God, she's a moron,” Alexa
said.
“Let her stand, Mom.
If she falls on her ass, it will serve
her right.”
“Daniella!” Blackwell said in a
stern voice.
“Sit down.”
At that moment, lightning lit the
sky, and it flooded the interior of the plane with sudden flashes of light.
“Jesus,” I said in surprise.
“Take my hand,” Alex said.
“This shouldn’t last long.”
As the plane started to shake even
harder, I felt my stomach start to turn, and I willed myself not to throw
up.
When another flash of lightning
struck, followed by a massive clap of thunder, I looked out my window and saw
that it was smeared with droplets of rain.
I could see the wing from where I sat, and it was starting to tremble
under the pressure of the crossing wind currents working against it.
“We should have stayed above the
storm,” I said.
“This wasn’t a good
idea.”
“Here’s what the captain didn’t
say.
With the heating system on the
fritz, we would have froze at that height.
Because of the heating malfunction, he had no choice but to get us into
warmer air.”
“But he must have known that we
were heading straight into a storm.”
“Of course he knew.
But he must have felt that there was no
other recourse.
I know that you’re
frightened, Jennifer—I understand.
But it’s just a storm, and this plane is a beast.
It can withstand it.
I’ve been through this many times
before.
Did you know that airplanes
are built to resist lightning?”
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Then let me clarify.
There’s a conductive path so that the
lightning runs along the skin of the plane.
It’s dissipated through those
antenna-like devices on the wingtips.
See them there?
They help
electricity flow around the aircraft and toss it back into the atmosphere.
Sometimes, the lightning bolt is
substantial enough that it will actually punch a little hole in the skin, but
that's about all that it can do.
So, yes, lightning can and will strike a plane, but without any serious
consequences.
We’ll be fine.”
Still, as we descended swiftly
through the clouds, it became clear to me that we were moving into one mother
of a storm.
Bolts of lighting were
striking all around us.
Blackwell
called out again for Daniella, who finally looked at her when the plane shifted
violently and nearly toppled her over.
She pulled out her earbuds just as a storage bin popped open above Lisa
and Tank, emptying its contents into the cabin, where they started to roll
around on the floor.
“What’s
happening?” she asked.
“Get in your seat,” Blackwell
said.
“Buckle your seat belt.
Do it now, or I swear to God I’ll
throttle you when we land.
Move it!”
But before Daniella could, our
fortunes changed for the worst.
A crack of lightning ripped loudly
next to my window.
I turned to it
just as it struck one of the engines—setting it ablaze.
In disbelief, I watched a torrent of
black smoke pour out of it, and then looked on in horror as the engine wobbled
before it gave way and fell off the wing as if it were some sort of toy.
Startled, I watched the engine tumble
through the air and fall out of sight just as our yellow oxygen masks dropped
in front of us.
Alexa screamed.
An alarm went off.
The captain’s voice came over the
speakers.
“Our engine has been struck by
lightning,” he said.
This time,
there was a new note in his voice—an undercurrent of shock and fear I’d
never heard in it before.
“Please assume
the brace position as we prepare to land.
Amy, if you are able to do so, assist those who need help.”
But even though Amy tried to move
out of her seat, the centrifugal force was so great that she couldn’t
move.
Helpless, she looked on at us
in despair, but not in silence.
Her
gaze immediately hardened on Daniella, who was holding onto the back of her
sister’s seat for support as objects in the cabin—a glass, a mug,
Cutter’s Kindle, lamps, pillows, and other items—started to lift up in
the air and whirl dangerously around us.