The plane gave another sudden jerk and several people screamed. Even Kate had to bite back a surprised cry. That jolt had gotten to her, but mostly she was just bored. Turbulence was just that, and she'd been on enough difficult flights to get used to it. Too bad the other passengers weren't dealing as well. A blonde woman was screaming, while her boyfriend tried desperately to silence her. Some fat guy was sweating to drown the plane, and a pregnant woman was breathing in short, hysterical bursts. An older black woman was leaning as far back into her seat as possible, the whites of her eyes standing in marked contrast to the darkness of her skin.
Next to the woman sat a handsome man in a dark suit. He was whispering soothingly to the woman. Kate smiled a bit at that. It was nice to see a little goodness in the world. The man looked up and smiled at her. Kate quickly looked away, and fiddled with her handcuffs, hidden under the Marshal's coat. Had he seen? Did he know her secret? She felt as though a mark stood on her forehead for all to see.
The plane lurched again, and this time Kate did gasp. A crackling came from the plane's intercom, followed by the sound of the pilot's voice.
"Folks, don't worry, we've just entered a bit of turbulence. It should be over in just a few minutes. However, the plane has sustained some damage to our fuel tanks. We'll be redirecting this flight to Fiji, to insure a safe landing and to refuel. Thank you for your patience during this difficulty."
"Patience my ass," a hoarse voice muttered from somewhere behind Kate. She twisted to try and find the source of the voice, but couldn't tell who had spoken in the mass of faces. "I wasn't given no fucking choice here."
"Hey, man," a middle-aged man said, glancing at the young boy beside him. "What your language."
"Love to," the voice sneered. "Soon as Amelia Earhart up there learns to fly a plane."
"Dude," the sweat-drenched fat man said. "It could be worse."
"Amelia was a woman, ponce," a fidgety young man muttered. Kate stifled a giggle. She felt the man next to her move, and she twisted to look into the Marshal's eyes.
"Having fun, Katie?" he asked, a grin on his face. Kate stared at him in disbelief as the plane abruptly dropped a few feet. The Marshal's grin widened. He was actually enjoying this!
"Please buckle your seatbelts," the pilot said again. "We'll be arriving in Fiji in ten minutes."