Chapter 189

Elodie craned her neck, peering out a nearby window. Through the smeared plastic, she could just make out a flurry of large black shapes streaking past – birds? A sickening sense of dread settled in her stomach as the acrid smell of burnt feathers and singed flesh began to permeate the air. ‘Oh no!’ A strangled cry escaped from somewhere near the front of the plane. In the galley, a flight attendant shrieked, dropping a tray of half-eaten meals with a clatter. Up in the cockpit, the pilot, who’d been enjoying a stolen cup of coffee during the lull in turbulence, lurched forward, his expression hardening as a series of flashing red lights and an insistent alarm filled the cockpit. He scrambled towards his seat, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. A quick glance at the instrument panel confirmed his worst fear. Both engines – dead. The plane, a colossal metal bird hurtling through the night sky, was now little more than a giant glider, plummeting towards an uncertain fa