Flight 19 part ii, p.25
Flight 19, Part II, page 25
“But when I went to bed, the fridge wasn’t even on,” she added.
Tammy winked to Melanie and flicked her head in Tony’s direction.
“The guy is a freak. He was up at 5.30 this morning, and back from the supermarket by 6.30.”
Melanie sat on the first barstool, alongside Tammy, with Tony standing on the other side of the kitchen bench.
He poured them coffee before filling his own cup and looking down to his plate full of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and tomatoes. The guy was obviously hungry.
They ate in relative silence as the conversation hovered above anything that could turn serious or even thought-provoking.
Melanie thanked them both for breakfast, though she hardly ate anything. She rose from her seat and headed off to the deck outside. She opened the doors and walked out onto the balcony.
Staring at the sea, she looked up at the sky and said, “I miss you.”
A little while later, Tammy came out and found her sitting on the swing chair.
“You okay?” she said.
Melanie was staring off into the distance before she said, “I’m fine. Can you go and ask Tony to come out here? I have something to show you both.”
Melanie asked Tony and Tammy to follow her, and when she reached the bottom of the driveway, she walked a few meters further down the sidewalk before coming to a stop in front of the house next door.
When Tony and Tammy stood alongside her, Melanie said, “When Ross and I bought our home, this one here was for sale as well.”
Tony and Tammy shared a glance before turning back to Melanie.
She was tearing up, but pushed on.
“So we decided…” Melanie could feel the emotions overcoming her. “We’d like to have you both as close as we could.”
Tammy stared at the house before the realization of what Melanie had just said dawned on her.
“You guys—you bought us this house?” Tony said.
“It was our way of thanking you both. For being the best friends you could ever ask for,” Melanie said.
Tammy started to cry, and as she and Melanie embraced, Tony put his arms around both women.
He eventually turned his gaze up to the bright sky and said, “Thank you, Roscoe.”
Chapter Forty
The trip back to Homey was, annoyingly, hooded. Tim wondered why the hell they bothered sticking the thing over his head, for God’s sake. He knew how to get there in a car, or even on foot. Did it have to go on when he boarded the chopper at Oakland?
Anyway, at the end of the day, protocols are just that. Protocols.
Tim sat back and let the subtle sways and bumps of the fast-moving chopper send him into a dreamlike state. With his eyes closed, there wasn’t much else to do.
Ben greeted him when the chopper landed, and took him on the usual route to where they were heading. He chatted about vanilla things, never straying from vagueness. Tim knew how it worked in these circles. At least Ben was talking. Silence would be more awkward.
When they eventually arrived deep underneath the softball pitch, Ben did the honors of removing his father’s hood.
“You’re looking good, old man,” Ben said as he and Tim laid eyes on each other.
“I’ve been working out, that’s why,” Tim mused, winking at his son.
“Wow, really?” Ben had forgotten his dad’s need to dish out a little sarcasm from time to time.
“Not really,” Tim said, flexing his left arm at his son.
Todd got a message on his mobile from an unknown sender.
They popped up from time to time, so he just opened it, curiosity getting the better of him.
A second later, he realized it wasn’t spam.
It was from Michelle Lowne, his friend from the San Bernardino PD.
And the message itself made his blood run cold.
“Get yourself a burner and call me ASAP. Don’t reply to this message, either. Just call me on the burner.”
Todd read it a couple of times.
This was not good.
If Michelle was contacting him from a burner, it probably meant the shit and the fan were on a collision course.
He reached for his car keys and wallet.
Tony was cleaning up the dishes after Tammy had made them both dinner. Melanie had opted to pass, a habit she’d repeat for some time to come, choosing instead to go to her room and lie down.
Tony couldn’t stop thinking about the house next door. He still couldn’t believe it.
Tammy’s phone rang, snapping Tony straight out of his thoughts. Tammy met his eyes before peering down at the screen of her phone.
Lee.
“It’s Lee,” Tammy said, before scooping up her phone and answering it.
“Is that my favorite person from the Show Me State?” Tammy said joyfully.
“That’s me. Are you all ready for your flight into space?”
“It’s going to be pretty cool, I think. How’s it all going there, babe?” Tammy said, before slipping out and onto the balcony.
Tony saluted her, rubber glove and all, and returned his attention to the sink full of dishes.
Lee began to answer, and by the time Tammy had reached the swinging chair on the balcony, the joy she’d felt a few moments ago was over.
“Seriously?” she repeated as she sat down on the chair.
“I wish I were, Tam. Brandon was here when I got home just a couple of hours ago. Like the last time, he was waiting for me in the foyer of my building.”
Tammy shook her head and said, “But he said what? Just run it past me again; I think the line was a bit fuzzy a moment ago.”
Lee took another long drink from her white wine.
“He told me he wants to give you full custody of Beth and Noah, for real.”
Tammy knew there was more to it. There had to be.
“Surely there has to be a catch. Is there?”
Lee waited for a moment before she said, “We both know there is, Tam. Let’s just say it’s a 150-pound catch.”
Tammy was about to scratch her head, trying to figure out what Lee meant.
But Lee came straight out and said it.
“I think the guy has lost his marbles, Tam. Annie must have smacked him over the head again. The catch is—him.”
Tammy now was shaking her head.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. He’ll give me the children, but I have to take him too?”
“That’s the deal, Tam,” Lee said. “You can have the kids, but he wants to come. Oh, and he thinks you should all move to California. Wow—how nice is that? You could move next door to the Brady Bunch. Or Charlie from Two and a Half Men.”
Tammy broke into a fit of laughter. Lee had a way with words, and she’d been making Tammy laugh for decades.
But as her chuckles subsided, she realized Lee had gone silent. For a moment, she thought the line had dropped out.
“Are you there?” Tammy asked.
“I’m still here.”
“What’s wrong?” Tammy said.
After a pause of a few seconds, Lee said, “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Tammy felt sick.
“What happened?”
Lee stared out her apartment window.
“Annie,” she said.
Tammy walked to the railing of the balcony and looked out toward the ocean.
“What about her?”
Tammy didn’t know at the time, but Lee was now at her kitchen bench pouring another glass of wine, trying to numb the pain.
“When Brandon left, I walked him out of the building,” Lee said. “I wanted to make sure he was gone, that’s all. So when he walked away, I stood there and watched him walk down the street.”
Tammy wondered what the big deal with this was, but had a feeling there was more to come.
“When he disappeared from view, I suddenly had the weird feeling of being watched.”
Tammy felt her throat go dry.
“When I looked across the road…” Lee hesitated for a second; she could feel the wine churning in her stomach. “I saw Annie standing there—looking directly at me.”
“Shit, Lee, what the hell?” Tammy wished she were there to console her.
A moment later, she could hear what she thought was Lee starting to cry a little.
“Baby, what is it? Did she scare you?” Tammy said.
“She stared at me for such a long time. When I was about to turn around and come upstairs…” Lee’s speech slowed. “She held up her index finger to me…” A long pause. “And then, while still just looking straight at me, she slowly ran her index finger across her throat.”
“Dad, when we arrive in the cordoned-off area, there is going to be someone there you haven’t seen for a while,” Ben said as he continued to walk through the facility, looking at his dad. “Just don’t freak out, okay. Be cool.”
“If you’re worried I’m going to freak out about Vernon and his toupee,” Tim said, “you don’t need to.”
Ben’s phone bleeped, and he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.
As he continued to walk at a steady pace, he ignored what his old man had said and focused all his attention on his phone.
“Steve is on his way,” Ben said, more to himself than to Tim.
The two security guards looked as serious as they had last time. They reminded Tim of the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. Those guys stood ramrod straight like robots, and these guys were exactly the same.
One stepped forward and pulled out a device to scan Ben and Tim’s passes.
After he did Tim’s pass, he stepped back and reached over to the curtain, which he pulled back enough for the two Erwins to enter.
As Tim made it through and the access door closed, he focused on the replica craft. It still impressed him.
Only after he heard Ben say something did he turn his focus to his son.
“S-h-i-t,” Tim whispered.
Someone was standing next to Ben.
The mother of his grandchildren.
Ben’s wife.
Chapter Forty-One
Todd hightailed it down to the nearest 7-Eleven. After picking up the burner, he drove for a few minutes before pulling up in a quiet side street.
His heart was pumping hard.
Todd ripped the package open and pulled the mobile phone out of the small box.
He’d bought a car charger for the burner as well—a smart move, since the phone was dead flat.
When he got it all plugged in and powered up, he brought up Michelle’s number on his own phone before pulling the sim out and turning it off.
He dialed the number, and as it rang, his breath grew short and shallow.
For a moment, Todd thought it was a blowout, and Michelle wasn’t going to answer. But after about the tenth ring, she did.
Her voice sounded different.
“Who is this?” she said calmly.
Todd knew it was her, and that she was making sure it was him.
“It’s me—the blue-eyed ginger.”
It was what Michelle had called him throughout their time at the police academy.
“Prove it. Tell me something only you and I know.”
Todd had to think quick. A few seconds later, he said, “We shared a joint down at Venice Beach one night. It was after six hours at the Whaler. I’ve never seen anyone throw back that many Aperol Spritzes in my life.”
Michelle felt a wave of relief come over her.
No one in the world knew that she and Todd had shared a joint a week after graduating from the police academy. They’d sworn to each other it would remain their secret forever.
“Talk to me, Shell,” Todd whispered.
“Andrew got to the boss,” she said, “and I’m either going to be transferred to God knows where, or do what he’s demanding and tell him everything I know about you and Jason.”
“Damn it,” Todd said. “This is now completely off the charts. What the hell are we going to do?”
Michelle was silent for a few moments, before she said, “Todd, I can’t get transferred. I just bought an apartment less than ten minutes’ drive from here. The asshole must have told Andrew that. But you’ve been my friend for a long time.” Her voice held a hint of regret. “I don’t ever betray my close friends.”
Todd slammed the dashboard of the car with his fist. “That bastard. I’ve had enough of this.”
Michelle started to cry, and as Todd heard her, he said, “Just tell me one thing before I confront this son of a bitch who is supposed to be my father.”
“Fire away.”
Todd stared out through the windscreen of his car and said, “Johnny the Mac. Do you think he’d back my father all the way? Is there a chance he was blackmailed?”
Michelle wiped her eyes. “Between you and me,” she said, “I think the Mac is a good guy. He just fucked up one night, and your dad has used it against him. My gut feel is he doesn’t want to have any part in this. If you think the guy likes you, it’s probably true.”
Todd thought about it for a moment, and made a decision.
“This ends tomorrow night, Shell,” he said
“Why not tonight?” she said.
Todd shook his head. It was a fair call, though.
“Mom and Dad are away for the weekend. They come home tomorrow night. As soon as they walk through their front door, Dad is going to get a rude awakening.”
“What on God’s earth are you going to do, Todd?” Michelle said.
Todd smiled to himself in the rearview mirror. The idea was beyond stupid, but it would end this for good.
“Dad’s going to be reunited with someone he created but never met.”
“Are you out of your mind? You can’t do that; it’s crazy.”
The words she heard a second later reminded her of the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
It was more about the tone than anything else.
“Watch me,” Todd said, and rang off.
“Jenny,” Tim said as she walked up to him.
He offered no greeting, not even his hand. All he could see was Sandra at Jenny’s memorial service, struggling to stop the torrent of tears over their daughter-in-law’s apparent disappearance and death.
But he found himself coming to his senses a few seconds later. If what Ben said was true, she was here to help Ben get Vernon out. That had to count for something.
“I know what you’re thinking, Tim,” Jenny said.
“I don’t think you and Ben will ever understand how hard it was for us when you did your little disappearing act,” Tim said.
Jenny, like Ben, had made the decision a long time ago. It was the career path they’d longed for.
Tim wanted to ask her why they’d had children, but thought the better of it.
It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t change anything. In these circles, nothing made sense.
A moment later, they both looked up at the sound of a distant but audible alarm.
“That’s the signal,” Jenny said. “Homey is now in category six lockdown,” she explained before Tim could ask her what he was talking about.
“Cat six is very rare. Only a handful of people actually know what a cat-six shutdown means,” she said.
Jenny stared at him for an extended period while he worked it out.
“When an out-of-towner comes to visit,” Tim said.
“As far as I know, there have only ever been three cat sixes in Homey’s history. All personnel on the base, unless you are with Majestic VA6, have to leave. No exceptions. But most people have already left. The first notification was 24 hours ago. That alarm was the final warning. If you’re found on base after this final alarm…” She turned to Tim with a serious look. “Let’s just say no one has ever been found on base after a final cat-six alarm.”
Ben and Jenny tinkered with their replica craft for some time as Tim sat on a stool nearby and watched. They talked quietly to each other in hushed tones, never raising their voices.
At one point, they both entered the craft, and before Ben shut the access door, he said to Tim, “Put on those earmuffs, Dad. This may get a little loud for a few moments.”
Tim put on the earmuffs.
After a couple of minutes, he could hear the strangest of sounds emanating from the craft.
It came and went in pulses, and as the minutes went on, Tim could feel the ground vibrating enough for him to take notice.
Just as he was starting to get used to the sound, the craft let out the most bizarre and extremely loud squawk. Tim nearly jumped, and instinctively closed his eyes. The sound felt as if it were moving through every muscle of his body. He stared up at the ceiling and realized the whole place appeared to be shaking.
But when he turned to the craft, he caught his breath. Tim couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
The craft almost appeared translucent. It was if it had nearly disappeared from Tim’s sight, but was still there.
As Tim shook his head, and closed his eyes then opened them again to ensure he wasn’t seeing things, the sound began to fade. The vibration eased and the craft came back into full view.
About a minute later, after the whole area was completely silent, the access door to the craft silently moved aside, and Ben, then Jenny, exited the craft. They both looked satisfied with how things had gone.
“We’re good to go, old…” Ben’s words were cut short by a sound from his phone.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Ben said, before looking to Jenny with an annoyed expression.
“What is it?” she said.
Ben gave her his handset.
“Damn it,” she said, handing the phone back.
“What’s going on?” Tim asked.
Ben shook his head. “Vernon’s arrival has been delayed. Issues with entry into the States. Steve said they won’t arrive until tomorrow night. Damn it.”
Chapter Forty-Two
