Alice tugged Knox into a bathroom stall and closed the wooden door behind them. She pressed him against the tiles, kissed him, then moved to undo his pants. “I bet I know what you want,” she whispered.
“I know that you do.”
Alice kissed him as she slid his zipper down. Outside she could hear shouting, so somebody had discovered the fire in the jet. Quickly she dug her fingers into Knox’s crotch, got a good grip, and squeezed so hard his eyes flew open.
“Ow!” Knox yelped, bewildered.
“Do I have your attention? Our jet is on fire, and if I get lucky, it’ll blow up.”
Ka-boom! Suddenly, something detonated outside. Percussion shook the building. A siren went off.
“I need you to get me to my car,” Alice said, holding on. “Do what I say or I’ll tell your boss you set the fire. They’re your cigarettes that started it, and your matches. I’ll say you set it, after you raped me. I’ll tell the cops, I’ll tell your wife, too. Everything.”
“No!” Knox shook his head. “I have a record. Please. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Smart move.” Alice released him. “First, get me out of here.”
KA-BOOM! There was a deafening explosion, then more shouting. Another jet must have gone up, the one parked next to theirs.
“Move! Hurry!” Alice grabbed his arm, flung open the stall door, and yanked him out. “Get me to my car.”
“How about another grand?”
“Done.”
“This way, then!” Knox hurried from the stall with Alice, just as another explosion rocked the building. They stumbled but kept their footing, and ran from the bathroom into the waiting room.
The glass windows had blown out in the terminal, scattering shards everywhere. Smoke filled the room. On the runway raged an enormous conflagration, shooting flames into the night sky. It must have been the fuel truck that blew up. An emergency vehicle zoomed toward the blaze. A uniformed employee ran past, shouting into a radio.
Alice used Knox for interference, bolting past doors that read BOND ROOM, then MISSION CONTROL, and out the front door. The blaze superheated the air. Smoke choked her nostrils and stung her eyes.
“This way!” shouted Knox, running to the car.