Metafire

Dave basically used his formidable intimidation to refuel and steal a twin engine Seneca that had just landed. Dave secured Randy in the back. The FBI had arranged for fighters standing by to shoot down the plane if it strayed in a direction that could not be followed, but the plane headed for New Mexico.

John Ferguson got the phone call at home. "Well, Jack, I think we can now assume somebody kidnapped Erisa. They've now kidnapped your stand-in." He watched as Jack looked up at him. "And they are now in a plane headed in the direction of New Mexico."

But the plane landed in Western Texas. It literally dropped out of the sky and disappeared. By the time agents got to the airfield, there was only a twin engine Seneca sitting there, empty. The airfield was unattended.

In the meantime, Dave drove Randy to yet another airfield, one hour away. There, in the waiting plane, he radioed using a secure scrambler. "We should be at our rendezvous by midnight." The bugged pen in Randy's pocket was too far out of range for any form of reception by the police or the government. He only hoped Steve hadn't completely screwed up. Things were not looking good for Randy.