Once she found some privacy on the plane, Ess quickly changed her outfit into a kitschy but rather comfortable pink velour jumpsuit, and began enacting her plan. She filled the perfume bottle with the nail polish remover, careful not to breath too deeply until she contained the mixture. She didn't know what to expect from her concoction, but she hoped that the perfume would at least cause some respiratory irritation, and maybe a little dizziness would occur from the fumes of the nail polish remover. It just had to be enough to hinder her captor from grabbing her when she ran.
Ess quietly approached Angoli. He glanced back at her, but didn't seem to take in the item she carried in her hand. "Have a seat." He commanded, too self-absorbed in his egotistical power to notice that Ess might be exhibiting any unusual behavior.
She made as though to sit down, but rather than fully placing herself in the chair, Ess lowered herself enough to be at eye-level with Angoli. Realizing that hesitation would do her no good, she raised the bottle in her hand, and without a second thought, squeezed three spritzes in quick succession directly into the insufferable man's face. She paused only a moment to gauge his reaction to the chemicals before hurriedly racing for the exit.
Angoli began wheezing and coughing, and then an unexpected reaction set in. A fair amount of the spray made it into his eyes, before his eyelids could react, causing profuse burning and blurred sight. He let out a startled cry at the sting, which alerted the pilots to the disturbance. Seeing their esteemed passenger suddenly debilitated and the young woman hastily leaving the plane, the pilots deduced a security issue, and immediately acted on it.
Ess was only a few yards from the aircraft when the captain tackled her. She hit the ground and skidded along the blacktop. Add scuffed knees and elbows, as well as torn palms to her list of weekend injuries. Thankfully, she did prevent her head from knocking against the pavement, but the luck ended there as the pilot restrained her to the ground, and the first officer used his cell phone to call in a security breech to the TSA.
"No," Ess tried to get the man's attention. "You don't understand. I'm trying to – "
"Save it lady." The captain tightened his grip. "You can explain it to security. We don't take any possible acts of terrorism lightly in this industry."
Terrorism? Ess could not believe it. Her home had been invaded, she was kidnapped four times, she'd been tied up, shot at, knocked down, manhandled, threatened, and reduced to an immaterial possession all in one weekend, and now she was being accused of terrorism?
This made Ess angry beyond belief. She found new physical strength, and fought her way out from under the captain by jamming her elbow into his chest. The first officer grabbed for her as she started to rise, but she dodged and avoided his grasp.
Regrettably, this incident with the pilots had lasted long enough to allow John to return to the plane. Before Ess could get any further, a gun was shoved in her face, stopping her in her tracks. She stepped back towards the pilots, who were also shocked and intimidated by the man with the gun aimed in their direction.
"Now, now, sir," the captain attempted to handle the newest turn in the situation. "There's no need for the gun. We're handling the security breech, and we're perfectly able to detain her."
"Obviously, not." John replied with annoyance at the turn of events. "Since you were so damn quick to call the TSA, we'd better be taking off right now, before they get here. So why don't the three of you just get into the plane, and we'll depart."
He started herding them towards the plane, using his gun as incentive to move, when a thunderous crash happened from behind him. He turned around in time to witness the security gate at the entrance burst forward and fly off its hinges, setting off a loud security alarm as a Rolls Royce squealed through the barrier.
Angoli's man had to dive out of the way to avoid colliding with the front end of the car as it skidded to a halt a few feet in front of Ess and the pilots. The passengers of the vehicle promptly exited, and the woman in high heels acted quickly in snatching the gun away from John before he could pick himself up off of the ground and regain his advantage. With her distinctive flare, she aimed the gun at him, and dared him to try and get up.
"Manda?" Ess couldn't believe her eyes. The woman before her looked like a female Rambo. Ess couldn't decide rather to laugh or to be in awe of her best friend.
She quickly took in her other rescuers. Dr. Roden she recognized from the restaurant, but why was Martin there? He had attempted to take her to Angoli. He wasn't on her side. Something seemed wrong about that.
Then there was Max. He stood there with an indescribable look on his face. So much anger and guilt welled within him that he didn't know what his first reaction should be. He made eye contact with Ess, and she smiled, grateful and pleased to see him. He came for her, just as he'd promised.
The moment was cut short, however.
"Max!" The entire crowd looked towards the plane. "I knew you were trying to fool with my plans, but I didn't think you had it in you to get this far." Angoli descended down the steps of the aircraft. Ess's concoction still affected his eyes and his senses, but he endeavored not to make that too apparent. When he reached the tarmac, he moved with slow deliberation towards the group. Max pulled Ess behind him, and started to push her towards the car, hoping it would still be in drivable condition. Angoli didn't like this, and so he picked up his pace, bent on preventing it by his own physical force, but Max wasn't about to let him get any closer.
Pulling the gun out from under his jacket, Max pointed it at Angoli, deterring him from taking another step. The sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance, though barely discernable over the high-pitched ringing of the nearby gate alarm. Max continued to back away with Ess, causing Angoli's anger to get the better of him. He began towards them again, but Max cocked the gun with a determined click. If Angoli hadn't stopped again upon hearing that notable sound, Max would not have hesitated in pulling the trigger.
"Wait," Ess needed to intercede before the situation worsened. "Max, don't do it."
"Seriously? I don't see why not?" Max replied, never taking his eyes off of Angoli. "He'll keep coming after you if he can. He's a relentless psychopath with too much money and power. The best way to keep you safe is to just get rid of him."
"No," Ess continued, "You don't want to do that. It sounds like the answer, but it's not. Don't throw your life away. You don't have to do that for me."
"I would do exactly that in a heartbeat." Max meant it with every part of him. "And I could definitely sleep at night knowing he's gone."
"Max, no." Ess knew that couldn't be true, especially if he were to find out about Angoli's little 'skeleton in the closet'. She certainly couldn't let Max commit murder for her. She had to reason with him, but the circumstances left little time for delicacy on the issue. "You'd be killing your father."
In her close proximity to Max, Ess could feel a shudder pass through him. His arm faltered in holding the gun towards Angoli's chest, but straightened again almost instantly. "No. No way." An unhearty laugh escaped him, as if he was trying to suppose it to be an ill-timed joke.
"It's true. He told me himself. The whole story." Ess felt the painful guilt of baring such news this way, but it had to be said. She couldn't let him commit murder.