CHAPTER 7: THE PLANE

Celine Hendrix suddenly slammed his fist on the table, making a sound that made the rest of the people's eardrums vibrate: "Jack, get rid of all your rubbish desk papers! We're dealing with more than a dozen lives, and God only knows what happened on that damn plane!"

Celine took a deep breath and continued: "If you don't give me all the data, I'm sure I'll have to ask for full command here. Don't throw our good relationship in the landfill at Langley. Until then, I'll find a way to shove you in Hoover's ass! You wretched bastard!"

Jack stood up, gritted his teeth, looked at Celine Hendrix, pointed his finger at Celine's face, and warned: "Don't threaten me! More than anyone else, you know this is in the national interest, right? Celine Hendrix! Who are you serving? Your country or your self-esteem?”

“Both of you are still my guests! CDC, FBI, and CIA have no official documents on this case. So this place is still my home ground.” Danny Hurst stepped between Celine Hendrix and Jackie Campbell.

Danny feels the perfume scents of both Celine and Jackie blending like a dramatic confrontation between Bergamot and cedar.

Danny Hurst right now wants to rush into Jackie Campbell's chest to sleep. He looked at her and then closed his eyes, was silent, sat down, and Celine Hendrix was still staring at him in dismay. Jackie Campbell's quote made Celine Hendrix think.

Just as the group was still agitated about the list of passengers on the ferry, Daniel Lopes suddenly thought of something. At the same time, a police officer from the LAPD came in to report to Danny Hurst.

Danny's face darkened immediately, and she turned to everyone with a startled voice: "The plane is showing signs of heat, and the reporters have started reporting."

Danny had a scowl on his face, oddly annoyed. Danny added: “The Mayor is pressing. Because once the plane explodes or something like that. Maybe the honor and career of that Mayor and all of us will be ruined. She doesn't care if the people on the plane are dead or alive, but they all must be taken off the plane. So no matter what you say, the rescue team and LAPD will work together immediately.”

Jackie Campbell immediately stopped Danny Hurst, he asked her to wait for him to make one more phone call, and he would be one of the first to approach the plane.

Celine Hendrix mocked Jackie Campbell as if he were living in a shell made from the butts of respectable older women. Celine spoke so harshly that Daniel thought her second job was as a stand-up comedian.

Millie Williamson was distraught because she did not want this to be delayed another minute.

Daniel Lopes then suggested to Danny Hurst to let him and Millie Williamson come in first to approach. Celine Hendrix and Jackie Campbell immediately stopped him and said he shouldn't be playing the 'superhero' role.

However, Daniel Lopes replied: "I don't care what the two of you are fighting for. But if there were a virus on that plane, it would be like me. It will not care about politics, parties, ethnicities, religions, security… even power and status, or anything else. Viruses just need to know the host and reproduce.”

Daniel's words shocked everyone. Daniel added: "When the two of you are still trying to fight for your victory like two teenagers, you are contributing to the virus's proliferation and spread out there. By then, there won't be anything here that you used to care about."

After he finished speaking, he motioned for Millie Williamson to go outside. She was pretty surprised by Daniel Lopes's reaction. So did the other three, so they just followed him silently.

Danny Hurst smiled happily from the control room to the ferry terminal. As for Celine Hendrix, she always said that she liked Daniel Lopes' wild, rational personality. Jackie Campbell was different. He silently watched him and Millie Williamson and then quietly walked behind.

Daniel Lopes' uncompromising attitude caused the rest of the people to lock their mouths. A canoe pulled to the shore to prepare to take Millie Williamson and him out to the plane. She carefully checked Daniel's protective gear. The two looked at each other with eyes of absolute trust.

Millie Williamson put her hand on Daniel Lopes' shoulder and asked softly: "Have you thought it through? If there are those 'tiny monsters' on the plane, then once we land on the ground, we won't be able to come back."

Daniel Lopes laughed: “Even now, you still see me as a little kid in high school? Millie, I'll protect you. Don't worry anymore!"

“As always, Daniel Lopes!” Millie Williamson turned her eyes to a car waiting for LAPD personnel in protective gear. The two headed straight for the plane without thinking about it.

The breeze rippled like someone's hand waving water on the wave-like someone about to lift a mysterious curtain. Daniel Lopes felt that the protective gear still could not make him angry because the cold waves running down his spine kept rising again and again.

An orange-white plane loomed in front of him, Daniel Lopes didn't hesitate to touch the stairs, but he felt nothing but the surprisingly cold metal.

He turned to Millie Williamson: “Do you find it strange that this plane is completely cool as if it has never flown? Could it be… it landed here a long time ago?”

Millie Williamson frowned. She didn't know how to explain this but just shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she climbed into the plane. Millie took Daniel Lopes's hand and pulled him up carefully. As soon as Daniel Lopes's feet touched the floor, he was completely surprised when he was covered in silence and darkness.

Danny Hurst's voice sounded on the walkie-talkie, making him jump: "Turn on the infrared cameras, boys! We're looking to see what that mess is like!"

Millie turned it on and immediately helped Daniel Lopes because he was still confused with the camera on the right side of his temple. He reminded him to keep a flashlight in hand, and then the two of them cautiously entered the passenger compartment of the ferry. The ivory-white light could not drown out the cold, icy black everywhere.

Daniel Lopes's legs became strangely shaky for some reason. He gently grabbed Millie Williamson's arm and said: "I have absolutely no good feeling about this. May Our Lady of Santa Muerte protect us now.”

Above both heads was a helicopter hovering around, but it didn't help but create a series of chaotic noises ringing in the ears. Daniel Lopes went straight inside and met his eyes with nearly ten people lying on the ground.

Daniel squeezed Millie Williamson's arm. Daniel's dazed eyes made her regret the decision to bring him here.

Faces stiff as if covered with a thin layer of mothballs. Hands hung limply to the ground. People piled up like chunks of rotten meat from some stinky Brooklyn store that Daniel Lopes had once passed.

The sound of the helicopter blades was still much slower than the pounding of his heart. Before he was a beautiful picture of death through a baroque prism full of charm and obsession, Daniel Lopes followed Millie Williamson.

She told him to check out the scene around him while she specialized attention to a woman nearby.

According to them, that woman was probably in her thirties, a very lovable European lady. Millie knew that because her fancy clothes were very unreasonable to go on a plane.

Americans wouldn't choose flounced skirts with blazers and a few Chanel pearls around their necks like this to go to New York and die in Los Angeles.

They like jeans and t-shirts. They are passionate about comfort, dynamism, and convenience, not wanting to be a moving picture frame. Millie raised her hand to trace her eyelids lightly, her pupils had shrunk, and her wrinkled skin had lost its elasticity as she purposely gave her a pretty dimple.

“Aaaaah!” Startled, Millie Williamson ran towards Daniel Lopes. He panted, pointing at a man, more precisely, a burning man's body. Millie Williamson realized the man's hand was still in the large electrical outlet.

She didn't want to touch this body, especially knowing that he was the plane's captain through his uniform and nametag on his chest.

Daniel Lopes felt his eyes pop out of their sockets and stared at him eagerly. And his monstrous, defiant smile seemed exclusively for him.

Daniel Lopes noticed blood from his mouth and nose spilling out along with mucus with each joking voice. His twisted, burned hair was like small snakes slithering on his head.

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