Blackmail at 35,000 Feet

Anonymous: Are you awake?

Charlotte: Who is this?

Anonymous: I need you to do something for me.

Charlotte: Who is this?

Anonymous: That's not important.

Charlotte: Seriously?

[Charlotte glances at the time on her phone.

[She's only halfway through the five-hour flight to Paris.

Anonymous: I'm someone you owe a favor.

Charlotte: Um, nice try, creep.

Charlotte: Blocking your number.

Anonymous: WAIT!

Anonymous: You don't want to do that.

Charlotte: I don't want to block your number?

Charlotte: Doubtful.

Anonymous: If you do, the woman sitting three seats in front of you will die.

[Charlotte's eyes shoot open.

[She desperately searches the crowded cabin of the 737 airplane, but most of the passengers are fast asleep.

Anonymous: You can look all you want.

Anonymous: You'll never find me.

Charlotte: I don't know who this is, but this isn't funny!

Anonymous: I'm not trying to be funny.

Charlotte: What do you want?

Anonymous: I told you...

Anonymous: I need you to do something for me.

Charlotte: Why would I do anything from someone texting me from a blocked number?

Anonymous: Because you owe me a favor.

Charlotte: A favor?

Anonymous: I know what you did, Charlotte.

Anonymous: I've been keeping your secret for two whole years.

Charlotte: What I did?

Charlotte: What does that even mean?

Anonymous: You thought no one would ever find out...

Charlotte: You're lying.

[Charlotte's phone dings, a picture of her and Lucas pops up on the screen.

[It's the last photo they ever took together.

[Charlotte brings a shaky hand to her mouth.

Anonymous: You look surprised.

[The color drains from Charlotte's face.

Charlotte: Who are you?

Anonymous: I haven't decided if I should tell you yet.

Anonymous: But, you're wasting precious time.

Charlotte: What do you want me to do?

Anonymous: Go to the lavatory at the back of the plane.

Anonymous: When you get in, open up the towel dispenser and peel off the taped package.

Anonymous: I'll send directions once you have it.

Charlotte: No.

Anonymous: Excuse me?

Charlotte: I said, "No!"

Anonymous: Charlotte, you don't want to do that.

Charlotte: Are you threatening me?

Anonymous: It's not a threat, it's a promise.

[A cold shiver snakes down Charlotte's spine.

Anonymous: Now get into the lavatory or that woman in 11A won't be waking up.

[Hands trembling, Charlotte gets up and makes her way to the back of the plane.

[Someone is already in the bathroom.

[Charlotte's head spins and her heart thumps rapidly in her chest.

[Finally, a man with short black hair exits, and she ducks in.

[Fumbling, she manages to open the paper towel dispenser.

[Taped to the inside is a pink envelope.

Charlotte: I've got it.

Charlotte: What's in here?

Anonymous: Open it and find out.

[Charlotte slides open the envelope.

[Inside is a picture of a man in his mid-fifties, a pair of latex gloves, and a small vial.

Charlotte: What am I supposed to do with this stuff?

Anonymous: The man you see in the picture is sitting in seat 27C.

Charlotte: And?

Anonymous: Don't get snappy with me, Charlotte!

Anonymous: One wrong move and I'll tell everyone about your little secret.

Charlotte: Shut up!

Anonymous: You're really pushing it.

[Charlotte's phone dings again.

[The anonymous texter has sent her a picture of an outstretched hand.

[Charlotte's head starts to spin.

[She knows exactly when that picture was taken...

[The night Lucas died.

Charlotte: What do you want me to do?

Anonymous: Put on the gloves.

Charlotte: Why?

Anonymous: Well, you're welcome to get the vial's contents on your skin, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Charlotte's chest constricts.

[She goes over her options.

[She could tell a flight attendant, maybe they'd make an emergency landing.

[Charlotte chews on her lower lip, what if this person really does have something on her?

[Something about Lucas...

[Something she's kept hidden for two years.

Anonymous: Do you have the gloves on?

[Several minutes pass.

[Charlotte is frozen solid in fear.

Anonymous: You have ten seconds to answer me or the woman in 11A is dead.

Charlotte: Please don't hurt anyone!

Anonymous: Oh, good to see you're still with us.

Anonymous: Are the gloves on?

Charlotte: Yes.

Anonymous: Good.

Anonymous: Open the vial and carefully pull out the clear strip inside.

Charlotte: Why?

Charlotte: What will it do?

Anonymous: It's better if you don't know.

Charlotte: Is it dangerous?

Anonymous: I wouldn't touch it if I were you.

[Another picture comes through, it's of Lucas' obituary.

[When her phone dings again, ice radiates through Charlotte's veins.

[It's a picture of a broken tequila bottle, the jagged edges are covered in Lucas' blood.

Anonymous: Such a shame...

Charlotte: Stop it!

Charlotte: I'm doing what you ask!

Anonymous: Just making sure you aren't getting cold feet.

Charlotte: I'm holding the strip.

Charlotte: Now what?

Anonymous: I need you to put it on the back of the neck of the man in the picture.

Anonymous: He's asleep right now.

Anonymous: But you need to be quick.

Charlotte: What will it do to him?

Anonymous: Nothing you haven't done before.

Charlotte: Don't say that.

Charlotte: It was an accident.

Anonymous: Tick tock, Charlotte.

Charlotte: I can't.

Charlotte: I won't hurt anyone else.

Anonymous: What if I told you it would just send him into a deep sleep.

Charlotte: Why do you need him to be in deep sleep?

Anonymous: You ask too many questions.

Anonymous: Now do what I've told you or you're going to be sorry!

[Charlotte rips up the picture and envelope before throwing them away.

[She swallows the lump in her throat and exits the lavatory.

[Spotting the man, Charlotte pretends to put her hand on the back of his seat.

[In one swift motion, she places the small strip onto the back of his neck.

[As she makes her way back to her seat, she nonchalantly slips off the gloves, making sure to keep them inside out.

Charlotte: It's done.

Charlotte: Now please, leave me alone.

Anonymous: Oh, Charlotte.

Anonymous: We're just getting started.

[Someone screams in the back of the plane.

[Charlotte turns around, her eyes landing on the man in the picture.

[His eyes are wild and he's foaming at the mouth.

[Two air stewardesses rush to his side and desperately call out for a doctor.

Charlotte: WHAT WAS IN THAT VIAL?

Anonymous: Nothing you need to worry about, just as long as you didn't touch it.

Charlotte: Is he going to die?

Anonymous: Yes.

Charlotte: You lied to me!

Anonymous: You lied to the police about Lucas.

[Commotion in the back of the plane sends sharp pains shooting through Charlotte's chest.

Charlotte: Why did you target that man?

Anonymous: He's the air marshal.

Anonymous: Now I'm free to do this...

[An alert dings overhead.

Airplane Captain: This is your captain, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for an emergency landing.

Charlotte: What's going on?

Charlotte: We aren't in Paris yet?

Anonymous: No, we're in Moldova.

Charlotte: Why?

Anonymous: The United States doesn't have an extradition treaty with Moldova.

Charlotte: Extradition treaty?

Charlotte: What have you done?

Anonymous: Oh...

Anonymous: A little of this and a little of that.

Charlotte: You're disgusting!

Anonymous: And you're a killer.

Anonymous: Well, this concludes our little session.

Anonymous: Thanks for your help, Charlotte.

Anonymous: Oh, and if you ever tell anyone about what happened tonight...

[Charlotte's phone dings.

[Her stomach clenches as her eyes land on a picture of another vial, this one with her name scrawled across it in red letters.

Anonymous: Goodbye. 

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top