Chapter 1

Our family jet bounced and swayed as it plowed through thunderous black clouds thirty-five thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean. A light flashed outside the window. Then another. And another. Engrossed in my game, I ignored it until I flung the iPad aside to grab the armrests. The seatbelt held me down like strong hands tugging on a kite caught in a gust of wind.

When my breathing resumed, I looked for the iPad. Where the hell was it? There wasn't a row of seats right in front of me like on a commercial jet. We didn't live like ordinary people. Screw it. I'd find it later.

The change in altitude made it a little less bumpy. A little. We had been flying for hours and my parents, sitting together up front, had not once bothered to visit me since leaving Los Angeles. Okay, maybe some of it was my fault. I had carried on about Maria coming with us.

I leaned to the side to peer down the jet's cabin. If Maria's seat hadn't been reclined I wouldn't have seen her. I guess she had been sleeping. Now she was upright, even if her seat wasn't, leaning over to peek through the window.

Maria was new. I hadn't gotten to know her yet, not even learning her last name. I didn't want to know her. Why was she there? My mother had said she was hired to help. Help who? Do what? She ran errands and other stuff, but we had a slew of servants to do that, not that any of them were accompanying us on this family vacation. I had my suspicions. A boy my age didn't need a nanny, but since my parents didn't have time for me, one came in handy. For them. Not me. Maybe when I turned sixteen in a month and had a driver's license it would eliminate the need for her.

Now without something to do, I drummed my fingers on my thighs. I looked around again. No iPad. At least Maria was nearer my age. Maybe her job was to keep me company. There weren't many children at the places we vacationed. I'm sure that was the case with the South Pacific resort catering to the super rich we were heading for. I glanced up. The seatbelt sign was still on, but it was much smoother now. What the hell. She wasn't that far away.

I flicked the buckle open and eased out of the seat. The jet rocked and bounced and shuddered as I walked on unsteady legs to a table in one of the conversation areas on my left. I grabbed it, bracing myself before taking a few more steps. The jet tilted to the right and I staggered, almost running to keep my balance, until crashing into the wall. I pushed off the wall and lurched for the closest seat and draped both arms over the back, hugging it to my chest with all my strength as the vibration spread throughout my body. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

I looked around the cabin. There's something eerie about a commercial jet designed to squeeze in over 100 people that was modified for the comfort of a few. There were tables, large leather seats, and even beds that folded up when not in use. So there was a lot of empty space. About to slide into the seat I was clutching, I realized Maria wasn't far. I bolted for the seat next to hers and plopped down with only a few bruises. She jumped and let out a little squeal, but my attention was on fastening my seatbelt. Only then did I look at her.

"Are you afraid?" I asked.

"A little."

"Don't you fly a lot?"

"This is my first time on a plane. I—"

The jet dropped and tilted. Maria's fingers turned white as they gripped the armrests. Her eyes clamped shut and her lips moved. Praying?

I placed a hand atop hers and patted it. "Don't worry, it's just bad weather. I'm surprised we haven't climbed above it. It must be big."

She looked at my hand now holding hers, but didn't pull hers away. "You must think I'm acting like a baby."

"Not at all. How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-one."

"And you've never been on a plane?"

The jet bounced and rattled. Her body fell back and sprang back up. Her eyes were shut tight. I squeezed her hand and waited for her to look at me.

"Don't worry," I said, "it's a big jet."

"How come you have such a big plane for only us?"

"Well, my parents like to fly in style. Anyway, a smaller plane wouldn't have enough fuel to take us to—"

"We don't have enough fuel?" This time her whole body tensed and she rocked back and forth.

"We have plenty of fuel. That's why we have such a large jet. It's made for traveling long distances."

I pressed the button on her armrest and the seatback smacked into her. She looked over her shoulder and then at me.

"You won't bounce around so much now," I said.

A weak smile started, but a flash of lightening caused her to spin around to look out the window. When she turned back to me, she was pale. I patted her hand again. But when the window lit up with several more bright flashes and the jet rocked so much that I was thrown left and then right, my fingers tightened around hers.

The cockpit door flung open. The co-pilot dropped to a knee with his hand flat on the wall, yelling, "Got electrical problems. Radio's out. No navigation. Everyone stay in your seats. I never saw a storm like—"

My seatbelt dug into my belly. I gasped. Maria screamed. The co-pilot flew into the air like a launched rocket. I'll never forget the thud his head made slamming into the ceiling or the impossible way his neck bent. He crashed to the floor, his lifeless body rolling back and forth.

"Bobby, are you all right?" It was my mother screaming.