skymarshals3

Part 3 Sky Marshals

JD swallowed hard, his throat suddenly very dry as the hijacker stepped closer to him. Trying to follow the earlier orders, JD dropped his gaze to the floor and tried to scoot further down in his seat. He felt like he was in a sudden cone of silence. Chaos reigned in the background but in the area right around him, in that moment, there was nothing but those malicious black eyes.

He flinched when he felt the barrel of the hijacker�s gun scrape against the skin under his chin. The applied pressure forced him to tilt his head up and face the terrorist.

�That?� The man jerked his head towards the black aluminum case, his question clear. JD opened his mouth to answer but not fast enough to appease his captor. The blow to his jaw almost knocked him into the next seat. Angrily JD suppressed the urge to fight back, Chris� order to stand down and the other hijacker reminding him that it wasn�t the time. So instead of fighting, he cowered.

�Please,� he pleaded

�What is it?� the man asked again, gesturing with his weapon.

�Just a computer, please,� JD hated the weakness and panic in his voice and prayed the others would realize he wasn�t really this much of a coward.

�Ahh�� The hijacker seemed to be processing the information and for an extra long moment JD feared that the man would investigate but instead, with a sneer, he focused on JD again. �Rich boy,� he stated knowingly.

�No.� JD�s protests were cut off when the terrorist grabbed him by the hair and roughly yanked his head back.

�You with me.� The black eyes glittered with anticipation as JD felt himself violently hauled from his seat and shoved towards the cockpit.

�Oh no,� Buck moaned into his hands as he listened to the hijacker push his friend around.

�What?� Korine leaned closer, but Buck ignored her.

�Chris?� he implored when he heard another yelp from JD.

�Easy, Buck, he can hold his own,� Chris reassured; knowing JD could still hear them.

�Who the hell are you talking to?� Korine�s volume rose slightly, invoking another shout for silence from the hijacker guarding their section.

�Shut up!� Buck hissed.

�But�� Korines eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him, her voice lowering again. �You know what�s going on don�t you?�

Buck shook his head. �I need you to stay quiet and follow directions. I don�t have time for you right now,� his hushed voice was authoritative. �To keep us all alive you need to just sit there and trust me.�

Korine pulled back, her expression slightly shocked. The fear she�d been repressing in lieu of her curiosity became evident as she obediently nodded.

************************************

�Chris?� Vin heard Buck�s fear and Chris� calm assurance that JD would be fine. Rubbing his thumb against his bruised temple, he attempted to clear the pain from his head and get a grasp on his bearings.

Ezra had reported that there were only six hijackers. �Not an impossible mission,� he thought calmly. His head throbbed but he was thankful he�d had the half-second to see the blow coming at him. If he hadn�t have turned with it, he was sure he�d still be out of commission. His gaze flickered to the unconscious woman across from him then up at the one hijacker pacing up and down the aisle, promising himself that the time for action would come soon enough.

From JD�s Com unit he could plainly hear the hijackers screaming at the pilots to reroute the flight. The Kid had to be right in there with them. Vin supported his aching head in his hands, what would they do if the hijackers decided to search JD? If they found his identification and badge, it would insure an instant death sentence. The shouting continued and Vin listened with fascination as Ezra continued a steady whisper of translation.

�They�re demanding the flight go to Libya,� Ezra, keeping his head down, monitored the location of the hijacker closest to him by focusing on the man�s scuffed and battered military boots. Preemptively, Standish folded his hands in his lap, hoping that if his whispers were noticed at all, Rashid would yell at him for praying and let it go with a warning.

�Claiming to be members of Husam Al Din.� He knew the others on the team would recognize the name of the group. Translated as �Sword of Faith� the sect had been behind numerous terrorist incidents in the recent years, under the direction of their leader, the currently incarcerated Imran El Farran. �They want El Farran released immediately.�

Ezra heard both Vin and Chris curse. El Farran was in an Israeli prison charged with organizing the bombing of a Jewish elementary school. The casualty count had been over one hundred. The leader was also wanted in suspicion of terrorist attacks and threats in four other countries, including the United States. There was no way any government would even consider letting the man out of prison.

�More names of our current hosts, Naji and Malik. Frequent references to an Ayyad.�

�Ayyad Taymullah?� Josiah questioned rhetorically. Another recognizable name, Taymullah was third in command of the Husam Al Din.

Josiah fought off the wave of hopelessness that threatened to crash down on him with Ezra�s words. Seven years spent as a CIA counter terrorist specialist ensured his familiarity with groups like Husam Al Din. If he�d had any doubts before, he knew now that the men rampaging through the airplane were prepared to die for their cause, and they had no qualms about taking anyone else�s life with them.

Noting that the hijackers were concentrating their attention on the front of the plane and in the cockpit, Josiah took the advantage to carefully do a visual check on the passengers around him. He�d been concerned about the drunken passenger from earlier, but the intensity of the situation had sobered the man up quickly. He now sat subdued, pale and as quiet as the rest of the hostages around him.

�They�re spread pretty thin,� Josiah murmured as he settled back in his seat. The young man next to him turned his head to the side to watch him, his eyes wide with confusion.

�Need to wait.� Chris� voice cut through the sounds from the cockpit. From the muffled voice of the pilot, it sounded like they were informing air traffic control that they were changing course.

�Need a better fix on all of �em,� Vin added. �They�re moving around too much.�

Josiah nodded, his hands curling into fists at another grunt of pain from JD. He understood the reasons for waiting but that didn�t make it any easier.

JD tried to suppress a moan when the hijacker, referred to by the other one as Hakim, smacked him solidly in the side of the head and then shoved him at the leader.

Ayyad Taymullah gripped JD�s neck and pulled the smaller man close to him. His dark brown eyes roamed over JD with pure hatred emanating from their depths. JD struggled to breathe as the grip tightened slightly, leaving him absently wondering if Taymullah�s fingers were made out of steel.

�You�re with me, boy.� Ayyad jerked him roughly through the cockpit door, his grasp moving from the front of JD�s neck to the back, as he issued an order to Hakim in Arabic.

�You and me will join the rich folks.� Ayyad�s smile was frightening and Chris� order to stand down was the only thing that kept him from spinning and stripping the weapon, now bruising his ribs, out of the other man�s hands. He wasn�t sure what was worse at this point�staying with trigger happy Hakim, or hanging out with the pushy psycho leader.

Stumbling, JD tried to keep his balance on the stairs but he missed the third step from the bottom and ended up sprawled on his face. He grunted painfully as Ayyad pulled him up by his hair and dragged him through the business section and into first class. He searched for Nathan but it was all he could do to keep on his feet as Ayyad consistently pulled him off balance. The soft �oh damn� let him know that Nathan had seen him though.

Suddenly they stopped moving and Ayyad release the grip on his hair, choosing instead to wrap an arm around his throat. The gun moved from his ribs to his temple. It felt crowded in the front of the plane, the four hijackers conferred briefly before two headed toward the back of the plane. JD�s gaze darted around the cabin before settling on Ezra. Their eyes met for a moment, reassurance going both ways, before JD looked away, not daring to raise any suspicion from Ayyad.

Suddenly the arm around his neck tightened. The gun pressed brutally against his head and he gasped, fearing that Taymullah had made a connection between him and Ezra. His vision began to blur and though he knew the shouting around him was in English, he was concentrating too hard on breathing to understand what was being said. As everything began to fade to gray he wondered if Chris would ever forgive him for screwing up.

Ezra had just reported that two hijackers were headed back toward the others and that JD was okay when his eyes met momentarily with JD�s. It was a relief to see the young agent was maintaining his calm much better than it had sounded earlier. The anger and frustration in Dunne�s eyes betrayed the truth. Ezra would have to remember to commend him on his acting skills.

Out of the corner of his vision, Ezra saw a flash of movement and turned to see Rogers trying to stand up.

�Sit down!� Ayyad yelled, instantly tightening his grip on JD. �Sit down or I kill him!� He jabbed the gun into JD�s temple causing his captive to flinch. JD�s hands clawed desperately at Taymullah�s muscular arm.

Rogers shook his head and raised his arms in a placating gesture. �You don�t want to do this,� He spoke in a sickeningly soothing voice.

�Shut the hell up, Rogers,� Ezra hissed angrily.

�Who?� Chris sounded livid.

�Sit down!� Ayyad screamed again.

�What�s going on?� Vin questioned.

�How�s JD?� Ezra ignored Buck and the others, blocking them out as Ayyad spun JD around and thrust him backwards. Disoriented, JD stumbled back a couple of steps and swayed as he gasped for breath. Ayyad leveled the gun at Dunne, his face contorted with determined rage.

Launching himself to his feet, Ezra slammed sideways into JD, sending his friend flying out of the aisle and into Rogers. Ezra never heard the weapon go off, but the fire in his side told him without a doubt that Taymullah had pulled the trigger. Spun around by the force of the impact, Ezra found himself face down in his seat for a moment and then he was sliding. He landed on his back, the jolt of the landing evoking a sharp grunt of pain. Stunned, he lay there blinking up at the curved ceiling and listening to Chris� angry whisper, demanding answers.

�What happened? Damn it, Ezra? JD? Somebody tell me what the hell is going on!�

�Fuck,� the word was out before Ezra could reconsider. He blinked once at his own misappropriated concern, wondering absently what kind of man worried about sounding like a gentleman when he had a gaping hole in his side.

�Ezra? What the hell happened?� Chris� voice again, slightly distorted but clearly frustrated. �Is JD okay?�

Ezra struggled to move his hand to his left side, biting his bottom lip and pressing down on the wound with as much strength as he could. He felt the warmth of his blood as it oozed between his fingers.

�Ezra?� Chris� voice was sharp and demanding.

�I don�t know,� Ezra admitted weakly. He was pretty sure JD hadn�t been hit; he only remembered hearing one shot, but at the angle he�d landed he couldn�t see anything very well.

�Check, damn it.� Buck ordered angrily, barely able to stay in his seat as he waited. Reaction to the gunfire echoed through the aircraft -- passengers crying out in fear, their captors shouting for silence and punctuating the orders with fists. All of it becoming background noise as Team 7 focused on their two agents in first class.

Ezra winced, throbbing pain taking his breath away. Riding it out, he closed his eyes, marveling at how his hearing seemed to sharpen. He swore he could hear his own heartbeat racing wildly, or maybe that was his misconception since he also thought he could feel it under his sticky, cramping fingers. �Think, Standish,� he commanded himself.

�Come on, Ezra,� Buck insisted again.

Ezra turned his head to the side but the only thing he could see was the floor under the seat in front of him. He�d landed lengthwise between the seats with his feet in the aisle. Arching slightly in an attempt to lift his head enough to view his friend, a bolt of agony raced up his side. �Hell,� he bit out, his head thumping back to the floor.

�I believe JD is alright, Mr. Wilmington, but I�m afraid I can not get a visual right now.� He strained to keep his voice as level as possible.

�Ezra, are you hit?� Nathan�s question cut through the communication as Ezra struggled to apply more pressure to his side, the awkward angle of his arm coupled with his lack of energy prevented him from being overly effective in the task. Taymullah was shouting at Rashid in Arabic to get the other passengers to shut up.

�Yes, Mr. Jackson,� Ezra answered as he tried to blink the sweat from his eyes and wondered how he could sweat and shiver at the same time.

JD knew he should be moving. His neck ached from where Taymullah had half strangled him. His head was pounding thanks to the hijacker�s overzealous attempt to drive the barrel of his weapon through his skull. He could hear Chris and Buck demanding reports. �I�m okay, guys,� he rasped, pushing himself half off Rogers. He ignored the look of confusion from the now complacent man. Pointing a finger at him, he warned in a hiss, �You move and I�ll kill you myself.�

�Chris,� JD whispered again, eyeing the still agitated Taymullah. �I�m fine.� He frowned listening to Ezra explaining that he couldn�t get a visual. It finally registered that the others couldn�t hear him. Looking down he saw his transmitter was missing. �Damn!� Quickly he began searching for the small device disguised as a button, but couldn�t find it. Taymullah started yelling again, and Ezra confirmed that he was hit. �Shit.� JD searched for Ezra, finding him sprawled on the floor in front of his original seat. Instinctively he moved toward his friend then froze, realizing he�d just drawn Ayyad�s attention. �Oh damn.� He ducked his head trying to avoid eye contact but was still ready when he was hauled roughly to his feet.

�You lucky rich boy.� Taymullah�s smile was sinister. �Your hero.� The terrorist pointed with his weapon at Ezra. JD inhaled audibly seeing Ezra�s expression of pain and zeroing in on all the blood. �He�ll die now, in your place,� Ayyad snarled. �You want to watch him die?� JD shook his head as Taymullah pulled him close and growled in his ear. �No? See if you can save your savior then, rich boy.� With a hard shove JD landed heavily on his knees beside Ezra.

�Oh God,� JD kept his voice low, squeezing in as close to Ezra as he could. His back pressed painfully against the corner of the passenger seat in front of Ezra�s.

�Mr. Dunne, good to see you�re alright.� Ezra smiled weakly, his voice barely more than a whisper. JD heard Buck�s �thank god,� and Josiah�s �good, good.� Checking quickly, he noted that Taymullah had moved to the far side of the cabin and was speaking animatedly with Rashid.

�Yeah, well one of us is.� JD ran his hands over his face, as Ezra chuckled softly, then grimaced and tried to suppress a groan.

�There�s so much blood, god, help me, Nathan.� JD leaned low over Ezra�s chest so that Ezra�s transmitter would pick up his voice. �My transmitter is gone but I can hear you, please,� he pleaded, trying to remember where to start as he pressed his hand down on top of Ezra�s to try and stem the blood flow.

�Get pressure on the wound, JD. You�ve got to stop the bleeding,� Nathan sat wringing his hands anxiously. It�d barely been five minutes since Ezra�d been hit but time was a foe fighting against them now. �Where�s he hit?�

�His side, � JD answered, �low, like right above his hip I think.�

Nathan looked around for the hijacker closest to him and realized the man must have moved to another section of the plane. �Get his tie off and loosen his collar. Take his belt and jacket off too. Can you raise his feet any?� Nathan rattled off his instructions trying to keep his voice low and yet clear enough for JD to hear everything. He knew he was getting strange looks from Mrs. Swertfager and the others close to him but he ignored them and kept watching for the hijackers.

JD listened as his fingers worked at loosening Ezra�s tie. �Not without moving him, and there�s nothing around to use other than his briefcase.�

�Bend his knees then, keep his feet flat on the floor.�

�My gun,� Ezra hissed when JD unbuckled his belt and slipped it from the loops of his pants.

�Behind you?� JD asked, remembering Ezra had the same type holster as Chris and Buck. Ezra nodded his reply, biting his lower lip for control. �I�ll slide it under the seat when I take your jacket off.�

Very carefully, JD eased Ezra up against him and slid the other man�s jacket off. He paused a moment to shove the weapon into hiding. �Shit,� JD cursed, overwhelmed by the sight of the second wound where the bullet had exited Ezra�s body.

�What?� Nathan asked anxiously.

�The bullet went through,� JD rolled the jacket into a lump and pushed it under Ezra�s head as he gently settled his friend down again.

�Damn,� Nathan knew it was probably better in the long run that the bullet had gone straight through but right now he was concerned with blood loss. He tried to picture where JD had described the location of the wound, praying that no vital organs had been hit.

�Are you okay, son?� Mrs. Swertfager leaned close, her eyes filled with concern.

Nathan put a finger to his lips. �Shh,� he reminded softly. �I�m fine, ma�am.� To JD he asked, �You find anything to stop the bleeding?�

JD glanced around knowing if he used Ezra�s shirt, he�d mess up the other man�s communication with the others. �Yeah, I can use my shirts,� he said, rapidly unbuttoning the blue cotton oxford. Shrugging it off, he checked to see where Taymullah was as he quickly folded the shirt into a soft pad of material. Thankfully the hijacker had no interest in him for the time being. JD whisked off his t-shirt next and folded it up the same as he had the shirt.

�Put pressure directly on the wounds,� Nathan instructed. �Can you get his pants off?�

�My pants are just fine, Mr. Jackson,� Ezra murmured in response, causing JD to smile despite the situation.

�Get them out of the way if you can,� Nathan added, shaking his head. Leave it to Standish to be worried about dignity over bleeding to death.

Quickly JD unbuttoned Ezra�s pants and unzipped his fly, pulling the soaked material of both the pants and boxers back carefully. �You�re okay, Ez,� he soothed, feeling Ezra stiffen. Gently he rolled Ezra up onto his side and pressed the larger shirt against the exit wound, flinching as Ezra cried out in pain.

�I�m sorry, Ezra,� he apologized as he rolled the southerner back; hoping the man�s weight would apply the pressure needed to stem the flow of blood from the exit wound. Ezra�s eyes were closed and his jaw tight but he nodded to JD when he sensed the younger man�s hesitation. �This is gonna hurt too,� JD warned as he peeled back Ezra�s shirt, pulled Ezra�s hand away and pressed the folded t-shirt against his side.

�God,� Ezra growled, his bloody fingers latching onto JD�s forearm in a tight grip. He could feel the muscles flexing as Dunne held the makeshift compress in place.

�Easy,� JD breathed, using his free hand to adjust Ezra�s shirt and then reach for his other wrist to check his pulse. Ezra jumped slightly at his touch. �Just checking.� JD managed a faint smile.

�I�m still here, Mr. Dunne.�

JD noted the thickening accent before answering. �You better stay here too,� he admonished earning a snort and half grin from the other man, as the grip on his arm tightened.

�How is he, JD?� Nathan asked.

�I am fine,� Ezra growled in frustration, �you can ask me.�

�He�s okay,� JD echoed, but wasn�t completely successful at keeping the worry out of his voice.

Nathan watched as the man Ezra had called Rashid hustled from the first class section and past him into the next section, apparently relegated as the group�s gopher.

�We need to move soon, Chris,� he stated, the tightness in his voice betraying the level of his own worry.

Chris had listened to JD and Nathan while watching for any sign of a hijacker to appear in his small section of the plane. He could hear one moving around behind him and randomly ordering passengers to be quiet. �Report,� he ordered without further explanation.

�One, clear shot,� Buck answered instantly.

�One clear shot,� Vin echoed.

�One, behind me and in motion,� Nathan reported.

�One, clear,� Josiah murmured softly.

Chris could hear the concern underlying each voice, along with the irritated impatience. It was time to take action before they missed the slim opportunity. �That leaves Taymullah and one upstairs,� Chris noted.

�Rashid.� Ezra�s voice was notably weak.

�Who?� Chris asked.

�My man in motion,� Nathan explained, �he�s been back and forth.�

�Taymullah�s gopher,� JD added.

�You two stay on him. JD can you handle Ayyad?�

�Yeah.�

�Buck, I�ll need cover getting upstairs.�

�No problem.�

�Gentlemen?� Ezra cut in, Taymullah�s loud Arabic sounding in the background. �May I suggest we move this plan along? Taymullah is calling Rashid back in here to start collecting all forms of passenger identification.�

�Shit. We ready then?� Chris asked, listening to the affirmatives. �We do this quick and easy,� he instructed, using the code for deadly force. �On my count.� The silence over the communication system was eerie as each agent waited, prepared to take the action that they trained hours each week for.

�On three.� Chris� voice cut through the silence.

�One�
two�
three�

Buck stood up, his gun already out of his behind the back holster; he leveled and fired, the hollow point, grooved aluminum slug hitting its target with amazing efficiency. The hijacker slid to the floor, dead. Ignoring the gasp of surprise from Korine and Daniel Buck quickly moved forward into the next section to back up Chris, picking up the now discarded semi-automatic as he went. �One down.� He confirmed to the others.

At the exact moment that Buck took his shot, Vin took his from a seated position, hitting the hijacker with a solid kill shot. �Everybody stay in your seats,� he ordered over the screaming as he moved forward and collected the dead man�s weapon.

Josiah confirmed his kill and calmly tried to reassure the passengers around him that everything was under control. He waved for Bill to help him keep everyone calm, while he moved to search the terrorist.

Buck cleared the galley and took the stairs two at a time to find Chris kneeling over another dead hijacker. �Stay here,� Chris ordered. He could hear the fight going on in first class and though he knew Buck wanted to be there, right now he needed Wilmington upstairs.

Nathan watched Rashid duck into First class with the first gunshot, and cursed that he couldn�t take him out. Moving forward, Jackson cautiously moved into position to provide back up.

JD held his breath as Chris began the count, his eyes locked with Ezra�s. His friend�s eyes widened suddenly, sending a clear warning. As Chris said three, JD spun on his heel, one leg kicking out and sweeping Taymullah off his feet. Springing, JD landed on top of the man, pressing his gun into the side of the terrorist�s head. �Give me another reason, asshole,� JD snarled, looking up quickly as Rashid burst into the room. The second hijacker�s yelling cut off suddenly as the sound of as Ezra�s shot reverberated through the small cabin. JD heard Ezra�s gasp of pain from the weapon�s recoil and Taymullah used the momentary distraction to toss JD up and over his head. JD bounced hard against the low partition dividing the cabin�s center aisle seats and rolled up onto his knees, in a firing position.

�Not an average rich boy.� Ayyad grinned threateningly at JD, enjoying the sudden standoff.

�Not rich at all.� JD answered, wondering how he was going to get out of the situation. Taymullah took a step backwards, closer to Ezra. �He a friend of yours?� he asked arrogantly, then made the costly mistake of glancing in Ezra�s direction. Ayyad jerked in surprise as the bullet entered his body, living only long enough to look back at the man he�d assumed was just a kid, before he slumped to the floor.

JD lowered his weapon slowly, his eyes sweeping the silent cabin before falling on Ezra. Nathan eased into the room, freezing when JD brought his gun up again. �JD!� Nathan squawked throwing his hands in the air. �It�s me.�

�Jeez, Nathan, warn a guy.� JD relaxed as he tried to catch his breath, and wrapped his arm around his aching ribs. �Clear in First Class,� he confirmed to the others, forgetting his transmitter was long gone.

Nathan nodded and repeated the signal as he moved to Ezra�s side. �We�re clear in first class.�