Flight to Freedom (Flight Trilogy, Book 3) (19 page)

* * *

Ryan parked in the same spot as he had on the morning of his original encounter with Angel. At 5:25 a.m., he watched from his car as employees busily readied the store for customers. He spotted Lewis fiddling with a handful of keys as he walked toward the double doors. Ryan exited his car and arrived at the door just as Lewis was turning the key in the lock.

“Hi, Lewis. Remember me?”

“Absolutely. You’re Ryan Mitchell…the guy who left the note for Angela.”

“Yep. That’s me, and hopefully your ‘Angela’ will show up this morning.”

“She should. She rarely misses coming in early on Saturdays and Sundays. Last weekend was Easter and she might have been out of town visiting relatives.”

Ryan loved hearing Lewis’s encouraging words. In a matter of minutes, Angel should walk through the door and his search would be over. He might not even need to speak with her, once he took in a deep draw of her perfume. One sneeze and he would be on his way. However, he would like to learn more about this mystery woman before she got away. Who was she? Where does she live? Where does she work? He even considered telling her about his dreams and the part she had played.

Ryan ordered his coffee, took a seat by the door, and checked the time—5:40 a.m. He not only carefully examined customers as they walked through the door, he also scanned the parking lot, making sure Angel did not remain in the car while someone else came in for the beverages. He remembered she drove a big Mercedes, but he couldn’t count on her being in the same car since it was one year earlier than when he had originally seen her.

While taking a sip of coffee, he saw a car pull up to the curb with a female driver that looked familiar. The woman drove a boxy-looking Mercedes G-Class SUV instead of the big sedan. When she exited the SUV, he focused hard into the dark morning.

It
looks
like
her
!

He stood ready to open the door, ensuring he would get a whiff of her perfume.

* * *

Captain John Dross wheeled into his reserved parking spot at the Mercy Flight hangar. The air was crisp and the sky was clear over the entire Eastern United States. He whistled a chipper tune as he entered the hangar. The Gulfstream had been towed onto the ramp and Michael was just finishing up the exterior preflight.

John saw his two passengers seated in the lobby. They stood as he approached. “Good morning, Ronald,” John said, extending his hand.

“Mornin’, Captain John.”

While shaking Ronald’s hand, John put his left arm around the young lady standing beside Ronald and tucked her in a hug. “How’s my little girl doing this morning?”

“Great! How ‘bout you, dad?”

“Fantastic! It’s a beautiful day to fly…and you know how much I love to fly.” Ronald and John’s daughter made eye contact and smiled.

“We sure do,” a woman’s voice said as she joined them.

“Hi, honey,” John said, giving the woman a kiss on the lips.

John turned to his daughter. “Susan, did Michael load your bags?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Great! So when you guys are ready we can blast off for the Peanut Capitol.”

John led the group to the jet and followed them up the stairs into the cabin. He closed the entry door as everyone found a seat. Before going to the cockpit, John addressed the group, “Is everyone comfortable?”

“We’re all good, dad,” Susan said.

“There’s food, juice, and coffee in the galley,” John said. “Flying time today is the same as always: twenty-nine minutes once we are airborne.”

“Thanks, honey. Now you and Michael fly safe.”

“Always, dear,” John said.

Ryan Mitchell knew nothing about John’s family—yet. John was waiting for the right time to introduce Ryan to his wife, daughter, and son-in-law. John knew they would accept Ryan as family the minute they met him.

John’s son-in-law, Ronald, was Philip Darby’s only son. Philip Darby had been Ronald Hart’s personal lawyer and best friend. Considering the close relationship that John had to both men, it was not a surprise when his daughter, Susan, started dating Philip’s son, Ronald. They attended Pace Academy and both graduated from the University of Alabama where Ronald attended law school—as did his father. They were married shortly thereafter. They decided to remain in Alabama and picked Dothan, located in the southeastern corner of the state. Dothan was a friendly community within a short drive of the Gulf Coast. In addition, it had two large hospitals and scads of physicians and clinics. This was a great asset for Ronald’s career as he specialized in medical malpractice defense representing doctors, physician groups, and clinics throughout Alabama and Georgia. He was also the chief legal counsel for Mercy Flight, Inc.

* * *

Ryan opened the door as the woman approached. She reminded him of Angel in many ways, but it had been too long to be certain. He inhaled deeply several times as the woman entered. “Thank you,” she said, giving Ryan a strange look as she noticed his heavy inhalations.

The air was absent of any hint of the sweet fragrance.

Walking back to his seat, he noticed Lewis motioning to him. Lewis mouthed silently, “Angela, that’s her.” Ryan eased over in line behind the woman as though he were waiting for a refill.

If
she
is
wearing
the
perfume
,
I
missed
it
.

Standing directly behind her, he leaned his head down slightly and drew in more deep breaths, hoping to catch a scent of perfume. The woman must have noticed. She stepped away, giving him a slight look of disgust. “Is something wrong,” she said.

“I’m sorry, but…I thought I knew you.”

“So…is that how you tell if you know someone—you smell them?”

“Please forgive me. My name is Ryan Mitchell. Your name wouldn’t happen to be Angel, would it?”

“No. My name is Angela.”

Ryan knew he was wasting his time. This was not his Angel. Lewis had made a mistake. Talking to her any longer would only make things worse, considering how he had already made a fool of himself with his heavy breathing and sniffing her like a dog from the moment she entered the store.

He made eye contact with Lewis who mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

His heart sank, not knowing if the woman named Angel still lived in the area—or even if she existed at all. He would wait a little longer and then try one more time on Sunday morning. If she didn’t show up, he would have to call off the hunt. At least he could stop living a lie—a thought that lifted his spirit.

He would give her until 6:30 a.m. before he left. He checked the time—6:15 a.m.

CHAPTER 28

Buckhead
,
Georgia

Saturday
morning
—
April
26
,
2003

At seven o’clock, after finishing his second cup of coffee, Angel had not shown up. He left Starbucks, hoping tomorrow would be the day he met Angel. If not, the hunt would end.

With little to do, he decided to take a nostalgic drive around Buckhead. When he passed the big, copper fish in front of Atlanta Fish Market, he remembered how hopeful and excited he had been the day he and John ate lunch there.

Even if he never found Angel, his life looked a bit brighter after meeting John and learning of his past association with Keri’s father, Ronald Hart. But the thought of telling Keri everything that had happened made his stomach turn. It made him think of the last scene in
Gone
with
the
Wind
as Rhett gave Scarlett his “Frankly my dear…” line and walked off into the fog. He hoped Keri would not do the same to him after she learned of his many lies.

Heading out of Buckhead, he continued driving until he arrived at the little house where he and his mother had lived during his senior year in high school after his father died. The house appeared much smaller than he remembered. Paint was peeling off the sides and the screen door was torn. The swing on the front porch where his mom loved to spend evenings was in need of repair. Slats were missing and one of the chains that held it to the ceiling had broken.

He remembered the day he arrived at the little house after driving from Dallas to pack her belongings and move her to Texas to live with him. He had arrived a day earlier than planned and had caught her by surprise. She had cooked a full-blown Thanksgiving meal—Turkey and all the trimmings—enough food for a family of six. The next morning she fed him one of her famous big breakfasts like she did when he was in high school: grits, bacon, eggs, and home-made biscuits with his favorite Mayhaw jelly.

There was no sign of anyone living in the house. He pulled the car into the driveway. Gravel crunched under the tires as he rolled slowly to a stop. He exited the car and walked to the front porch. He pulled open the screen door and peered into the house through a pane of glass. The house was empty. He twisted the door knob, finding it unlocked and stepped inside. The air was stale with a hint of something rank—possibly a dead rodent or bird.

The house was tiny—a den with a door leading into the kitchen; a hallway that led to two bedrooms in the back of the house, each with their own small bath. He walked through the house, the wooden floor creaking with every step. Sadness filled his heart as he thought of his dear mother living in such a rundown hovel—though she never complained, always seeing the best in life regardless of her circumstances. She would often say that she was just passing through this life and on her way to her real home in Heaven.

He left the house and sat in his car reflecting. His mother was in her real home, no longer chained to this broken world. No more broken swings and screen doors to repair. No more peeling paint to worry about. No more sick body and mind. She was finally free. His eyes became watery and his chest tightened. He missed her. “I love you mom.”

He started the car and backed out of the driveway.

* * *

The Gulfstream touched down at the Dothan Regional Airport exactly twenty-nine minutes after takeoff from Peachtree DeKalb Airport. John taxied to Aero-One Aviation where ramp attendants stood ready to service the jet and assist Michael with the luggage.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs on the ramp, John said, “I hope you guys have a great time.”

“I wish you and Michael could stay with us…if only for the weekend,” Susan said.

“Me, too, but we’ve got to fly a trip to California tomorrow.” John walked with them to the lobby.

He hugged Susan, shook Ronald’s hand followed by a man hug and a pat on the back, and kissed his wife. “I’ll check my schedule for next weekend, but I should be able to fly down and pick you up on either Saturday or Sunday. If not, I’m sure the children won’t mind keeping you a couple of extra days.”

“Not at all,” Ronald said. “We love having her and she can stay as long as she likes.”

“Dad, remember, we want you and mom to come down and spend Mother’s Day with us, or we can come up and be with you guys…either way.”

“Let’s see…Mother’s Day is weekend after next, right?”

“Yes,” Susan said. “Sunday, May 11th.”

“I’ll pencil that in.”

“Dad, I think you better use ink on that one.”

John chuckled. “Don’t worry sweetheart, unless the good Lord has other plans, we will definitely be together on Mother’s Day.”

“Oh, dad! I almost forgot. Ronald will be out of town the entire first week of June, and I wanted me, you, mom, and Michael to spend that week at the beach together.”

“That sounds fantastic! I could use some time off, and I don’t think Michael will object.” John turned to Ronald. “Sorry you can’t be with us.”

“John, you need to be with your family and this is the perfect time to go to the beach. I’ll catch you on the next trip,” Ronald said.

“Okay…so I’ll work on something for Mother’s Day weekend and plan to be off the entire first week of June.”

“Perfect,” Susan said.

“I’d better get going.” John hugged Susan once more, and then kissed his wife.

“See you next weekend,” Susan said.

“Take care of my Angel. God only made one.”

“Don’t worry dad, she’s our Angel, too.”

John turned and walked away.

CHAPTER 29

Buckhead
,
Georgia

Saturday
afternoon
—
April
26
,
2003

When Ryan arrived back at the hotel, he was exhausted. His eyes burned and his body felt like concrete. He dropped on the unmade bed, thinking a short nap would pep him up and keep him from being a listless zombie at dinner with John. He kicked his shoes off and closed his eyes. He dreamed…

* * *

“Sounds like you need one of your momma’s hot biscuits and some Mayhaw jelly,” his mom said, placing a plate of steaming biscuits on the table. “That ought to fix you right up.”

I’m
with
my
mother
…
in
our
old
house
.

“So, how did your date go last night? I’ll bet it was hard for you to say good-bye to my sweet little Keri.”

It’s
not
right
!
This
is
not
the
right
dream
!
I
should
be
with
Keri
…
at
her
house
…
in
the
car
.
I
have
to
stop
her
from
breaking
up
with
me
!

“Mom! Listen to me! Keri just dumped me and I need to fix it! Do you understand? I must go talk to her and get her to change her mind!”

“Ryan, calm down. Everything is going to be just fine.” She poured a cup of coffee and took a seat. She fiddled with a tiny cross hanging from a thin, silver chain around her neck.

“I’m not hungry. I need to go see Keri before it’s too late.”

“What you need is a good breakfast. We can talk about it while you eat. Keri isn’t going anywhere.”

He reluctantly took a seat and started to eat. Even in his dream he could smell the biscuits and taste his favorite Mayhaw jelly. His worries about Keri seemed to be pushed aside for the moment.