Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Where are you from, you sick, twisted bastard?
The engine started. Under my feet, the plane’s floor hummed to life. I strapped myself in as we made our way around the airport. Outside, the sun climbed down the sky’s steps, weary and exhausted. Orange flames trailed at its back and melted into subtle shades of darkness—violent violets and bruising blacks.
My plane zipped by the others. Like it was on a mission to save the world.
Maybe we are. A world without Benny is a good one to live in.
The plane took off and I returned myself back to the mystery, flipping through pages and pages of Benny’s nonsense, searching for something. It was all red slashes of words on dulled, wrinkled paper. Every other chapter, he drew odd symbols—triangles inside of double circles, bent squares with dots in the corners, ovals attached to rectangles full of tiny smiley faces. None of the illustrations made sense. None of the chapters flowed together.
How long has he been recording his thoughts?
After a good hour of piling through all of his notebooks, I stopped at the end of the fifth one and grinned.
The first chapter read The Story of My Life.
... The great Bells of St Mary-le-Bow Church are known as Bow Bells. If you’re born when they rang, then you’re considered a Cockney.
I’m a Cockney.
I wear the name with pride.
Others didn’t.
Some felt ashamed ...
Was it the truth or more nonsense? Could I really be this lucky in this horrific week? Will it all be this simple? He’s a cockney.
The book fell from my hands. I rushed up to standing position, banging my knee against the chair’s arm as I raced to the cockpit. It was the fourth time I’d banged my damn leg today. Jasmine’s absence had me looking like a grumpy, drunken idiot to my staff and guards. I probably wasn’t the only one that prayed for her return.
Cockney, huh? I got you, Benny.
They all tried to keep me out—Troy thought I would be better far away from Jasmine, and she mistakenly believed it. Their mom thought she could toy with my mind and drag me around by a leash. Benny believed he could bully me and take away everyone I loved. The time for making friends and being nice had ended.
These next days would play out like a well-orchestrated symphony of death.
Benny’s death.
Anger coursed through my veins and froze my blood. Pressure nudged at my ears as I made it through to the cockpit. It was the worst part about flying. The ringing and pain in the ears. I knocked on the door and decided not to wait for an invitation. The pilot and co-pilot jerked a little as I rushed in.
“Change in plans.” My breath left me in a burst of wind. “We’re going to London.”
The co-pilot seemed to look behind me as if wondering where the stewardess had gone and why she hadn’t stopped and talked to me first.
He cleared his throat. “We’ll need to get permission to—”
“Get what you have to get done, and make sure it is as soon as possible.”
“Okay, sir.” The co-pilot nodded. “But, we will need to you to understand that complications may—”
“There are no buts!” I yelled at him. “You don’t get paid for buts. When we land, we land in London. If not, then kiss your family good-bye. Their blood will pour all over the streets. Do you hear me?”
The pilot’s face reddened as his mouth dropped open. “I just wanted to say that it might be an hour delay. That’s all.”
Suddenly, the room closed in on me.
I may need to stop reading Benny’s journals. That was a bit too gangster just now.
I cleared my throat. “Of course.”
“It wouldn’t be difficult to change the destination, sir.”
“Yes, that makes sense.” I forced myself to calm down. “I’m sorry. That will be fine.”
They said nothing else. And I lingered in there, standing in uncomfortable silence. After several seconds, I scratched my head. “I just want to apologize about that comment earlier. The little threat. I’ve been under a bit of stress.”
The co-pilot kept his attention on the sky. “We understand, sir.”
I placed Benny’s journal behind me. “I’ve also been watching a lot of gangster movies. You know the classics—Godfather, Casino, Goodfellas, all of those. I don’t usually threaten my employees and their families. I’ve never done anything to anyone’s family. That’s just crazy.”
No one responded.
I backed away. “Thank you very much for your service.”
“You’re welcome, sir. We should be in London in six hours.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Yes, that’s good. And ... about your family. Again, not my usual.”
“No problem, sir.”
“Okay.” I fled the cockpit, before I threatened them anymore and had us all crashing into the ocean.
Chapter 14
Jasmine
No rain decorated the London sky. Today showed clear blue skies and sun.
Troy held the door open for us as we walked inside Westminster Abbey. Scattered chatter mingled around low chanting of some sort. I wondered if they played music or had a ceremony going on somewhere off in the distance. It sounded like monks humming or nuns singing low in prayer. Something spiritual. But I didn’t see anything besides people moving throughout the space and drinking the Abbey’s gothic beauty in.