Sharon Sala - Going Gone

What was she doing? The plane wasn’t going to crash. She had already had her plane crash and lived through it. Surely God didn’t let things like that happen twice.

A flight attendant stopped by their seats.

“Can I get either of you something to drink?” she asked.

Startled, Laura almost jumped, then focused on the question.

“Coffee? Could I have coffee? I can’t seem to stay warm today.”

“Certainly,” the attendant said, then looked at Cameron. “How about you, sir? Anything to drink?”

“Coffee is fine,” he said, and then turned his attention to Laura again as the attendant walked away. “It will be a while till they finish boarding and we pull away from the gate, but the meds will kick in before then. Do you want to go to the bathroom before we take off?”

She nodded and unbuckled her seat belt.

Cameron stood up, then helped her back up the aisle.

“She needs the restroom,” he said.

As Laura went in and locked the door, the flight attendant glanced at the bathroom, and then at him.

“Is she okay? Is she not feeling well?”

He flashed his FBI badge and then dropped it back in his pocket.

“She’s not sick. She’s scared.”

The attendant acknowledged the badge as she smiled sympathetically.

“Ah, is this her first flight?”

“No, but this is her first flight since a crash.”

The pilot was standing in the doorway to the cockpit, listening. When he heard that, he frowned.

“What crash was that?” he asked.

“Two weeks ago. A private jet went down in the mountains outside of Denver,” Cameron said softly.

“Ah, damn, I heard about the crash and that there was a survivor.”

“She’s the one,” Cameron said.

The bathroom door opened. Laura came out, then paused, a little startled by the people grouped in the aisle.

The attendant’s smile was just a little wider, and the pilot nodded his head.

“Welcome aboard, ma’am.”

Laura blinked, then glanced at Cameron. He pointed up the boarding ramp.

“Here come the regular passengers. We’d better get back in our seats.”

Immediately after they were seated, the attendant had coffee on their trays and was back at the doorway, welcoming passengers aboard.

Laura took a quick sip and then glanced at Cameron.

“You told them, didn’t you?”

He shrugged.

She sighed. “It’s okay. If I freak out later, maybe they won’t throw me off the plane.”

“If you get scared, just grab my hand. If that doesn’t help, maybe we can make out a little to keep you otherwise occupied.”

She laughed, picturing that happening in full view of a planeload of strangers.

He grinned. The foolishness of the remark did the trick. Now having sex with him was on her mind instead of flying.

The passengers filed past, some looking longingly at the first-class seats, others just anxious to get in and get settled. And then fate played a cruel joke.

The boarding line stalled, and people standing in line were getting impatient while a flight attendant tried to iron out a conflict back in coach between two people claiming the same seat. Voices were raised, and everyone was craning their necks, trying to see what was going on.

Cameron was sending a text, and Laura was looking at a magazine when she heard someone say her name.

“Laura? Laura Doyle? Is that you?”

Cameron looked up and then quickly glanced at Laura. She looked rattled, and his first instinct was to intervene; then Laura laid down her magazine and gave the middle-aged brunette a quick glance.

“Oh, hello, Tessa. Small world.”

“Oh, my God! I never imagined I would see you here. I can’t believe you’ve got the guts to fly again after what happened to you, what with everyone dying and all.”

Every passenger within hearing distance turned around to look.

A muscle jerked near Laura’s right eye. “Technically, everyone didn’t die, Tessa, because I’m still here.”

Cameron’s seat belt clicked, then slipped to the side as he stood up, which instantly removed Laura from the woman’s line of vision. His voice was soft, but his intent was firm, and there was no mistaking how pissed he was.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but that was an insensitive remark and best left unspoken, if you get my drift.”

Tessa frowned as she lifted her chin, challenging his disapproval.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are, but she’s my friend. We were at a conference together a few weeks ago. We were all horrified when we heard about the crash, and I wanted to wish her well.”

He smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

“I don’t know you, either, but just for the record, I’m the man who rocks her world, and I did not hear you wish her well. What I heard coming out of your mouth was morbid curiosity.”

Someone snickered at the back of the line.

Tessa glared.

Cameron didn’t budge.

The line began to move.

Cameron continued to stand, smiling politely until Tessa finally gave in, and the situation was resolved. Only then did he sit back down.

Laura was pale and teary as he reached for her hand. He grinned wryly, trying to ease the shock.

“We should have bought a lottery ticket today. Wonder what the odds were of something like that happening?”

She sighed. “Thank you.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles, then winked and leaned close to her ear.

“Ready for that make-out session yet?” he whispered.

She rolled her eyes but smiled, which was his intent.

I love you, she mouthed silently.

He kissed the side of her face. “I love you most,” he whispered, then leaned back, turned off his phone and buckled up. “Is your phone off?” he asked.

“It’s dead,” she said, and then looked horrified at what she’d just said. “I mean, it needs to be recharged.”

He frowned. “Look, honey, that word doesn’t hold any special power. It does not have to be purged from your vocabulary.”

Her eyes narrowed angrily. “I hate this. I hate what happened. I hate that my friends are gone. I hate being afraid.”

“I know, and I hate it for you, but nothing can change what happened.”

She looked out the window without answering, then angrily pulled the shade down.

He let her be. It wasn’t enough that she’d been rattled by the flight, but the universe had thrown in a brainless “friend” to boot.

Then all of a sudden they were backing away from the gate, and Laura’s focus shattered. She clutched the armrests so tightly that her knuckles whitened.

Cameron grabbed her hand.

“Laura, look at me.”

She turned her head.

“Lean back, take a deep breath and hold on to me. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

She did as he asked without arguing, but she knew better. It wasn’t possible to make promises like that. Not when fate was in charge.

The plane began to taxi. She moaned beneath her breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the strength of Cameron’s grasp. By the time the plane was cleared for takeoff she was crying without making a sound.

Cameron was sick at heart for what she was going through, but he had no way to make it better. It was a blessing when the pills finally took effect and she fell asleep.

* * *

They served food an hour into the flight, but Laura was still sleeping. Cameron ate lightly, paying more attention to her than his tray, and was glad when the attendant took it away.

He got up once to go to the bathroom and asked the attendant to stand watch until he returned. He was on his way back when the plane hit rough air. The flight attendant headed for the intercom as the seat belt sign came back on. Just as he got to his seat and buckled in, the ride became rougher.