The Swiss Family RobinZOM (Book 4) (12 page)

The Robinsons appeared in the early hours of the morning and deposited their bags by the side of the road. It looked a pitifully small amount. They turned and looked up at their former home. The house name plate, overgrown with vines, proudly declared it to be ‘Falcon’s Nest’.

“Shall we take the name plate down?” Liz said.

“No,” Bill said. “Let the new owners keep it.”

Bill wrapped his arm around Liz, who wrapped her arm around Fritz, around Ernest, around Jack and Francis.

“She was a good home,” Liz said.

“Now our home is the world,” Bill said.

The Robinson boys’ friends turned up to say their goodbyes. The most pressing need was who to give the belongings to that they couldn’t take with them. To his best friend Jack gave a winter anorak. Nips had had his eye on it for as long as he could recall. Now, it would be his.

“Thank you,” Nips said, putting it on.

“I’ll want it back when I come back,” Jack said. “You’re just going to take care of it for me, all right?”

Nips nodded and wiped away a tear.

“All right,” he said. “I got something for you too.”

He took something out of his pocket. Jack unwrapped it.

“It’s a clock in the shape of the church’s tower,” Nips said. “So you’ll always have a piece of home with you.”

They hugged.

Ernest was surprised when Tanja turned up to bid him farewell. He had very few real friends, and owned things no one else wanted, so he had taken everything he deemed unnecessary to the pawn shop. He was going to make a donation to a charity on the way to the airport, but now he decided to give the money to Tanja.

“I can’t take this!” Tanja said. “You keep it. You’ll need it wherever you’re going.”

“Actually, no,” Ernest said. “I’m rather hoping I won’t. You opened my eyes to things I hope to see a lot more of out in the world. Money doesn’t feature.”

Tanja took the money.

“Thank you,” she said.

“And this is for you,” Ernest said, handing her his medal. “I know it doesn’t mean anything to you, but it felt wrong pawning it in with everything else, especially seeing as they already have one. You can do whatever you like with it.”

He put it on over her head.

“Be careful out there,” Tanja said.

She wrapped her arms around him. He could feel her body heat through her clothes. He was surprised to find he didn’t want to let go.

To Frederick, Fritz gave a book he’d been working on called: ‘The 100% Failsafe Chat-Up Lines That Never Ever Fail. Ever!’

“I’ve been working on this for the past five years,” Fritz said. “In the case of my death you are to send it to whichever of the publishing companies is the biggest in the world as they’re guaranteed to publish it and make millions. You can keep the money, but I want my name to stay on the cover.”

Frederick’s eyes shimmered. He brought Fritz in for a manly hug. While they were close, he sniffed Fritz’s neck, and then kissed him on the nape.

“Dude!” Fritz said, breaking apart. “What are you doing?”

“It wasn’t me!” Frederick said. “A fly bit you!”

Fritz, not totally convinced, shook his friend’s hand.

“Yeah,” Fritz said. “Right.”

A minivan pulled up outside the Robinson house. A door on the other side opened, closed, and the passenger came around to greet them. It took a moment for Bill to recognise who he was looking it.

“Dennis?” Bill said. “What are you doing here?”

Dennis was wearing a grass skirt and a Bermuda shirt.

“Great news,” he said. “We’re going to be travel buddies!”

“Would you like a final turn about the town?” the driver said.

“Yes, please,” Bill said. “If you don’t mind.”

The driver took them the scenic route out of the small town, past all the buildings and shops and streets they knew so well, and then along the road that wound up and around a mountain, the only road in or out of the valley.

“Can you pull over for a moment?” Bill said to the driver.

The Robinson family got out of the van to look down on the beautiful valley spread out before them, at everything they had ever known. A clean blue river ran through the middle of the town. Church bells rang and the people spilled out into the streets on their way to work. The sun winked above the peak of the snow-capped mountains and began its assault on the sky.

A sliver of hesitancy flickered inside the Robinsons before giving way to excitement.

They got back in the van and continued on their journey.

The Robinsons and Montroses dumped their bags on the seats in the airport lounge.

“Liz,” Bill said, “why don’t you take the boys and check-in?”

“You’ll need to be there too,” Liz said.

“I’ll catch up,” Bill said.

Liz turned to the boys.

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go check-in. Bring your bags with you.”

“You should check in too, love,” Dennis said to Marie.

Marie had a pinched expression, a constant pout like she disapproved of everything around her.

“Isn’t there a service for that?” she said.

“I believe not,” Dennis said.

Dennis loaded their luggage onto a trolley. Marie made half an attempt to push it.

“It’s too heavy,” she said.

Jenny rolled her eyes and pushed the trolley, causing it to roll forward. Marie followed in her wake. Once they were out of earshot Bill turned to Dennis.

“What are you doing here, Dennis?” Bill said.

“I heard you talk so passionately about going on an adventure and travelling the world, and I think it rubbed off on me,” Dennis said.

“I thought seeing those women was adventure enough for you?” Bill said.

“Keep it down, Bill!” Dennis said, eyes going wide.

He waved and smiled at Marie.

“I’m talking about
real
adventure,” he said. “I realised I need more than just a quick fling now and then. I want to start again. Fresh. A blank canvas.”

“Is that the truth, Dennis?” Bill said. “Or just a form of it?”

“Isn’t all truth really just a form of it?” Dennis said.

Bill’s eyes narrowed.

“All right,” Dennis said, holding up his hands. “Marie is beginning to get suspicious.”

“It’s probably for the best,” Bill said. “If you’d kept going it was guaranteed to end up biting you.”

“You’re telling me,” Dennis said. “My bit on the side wanted to be more than a bit, which can’t be allowed. Twice already she’s visited me at work.”

“At least you’re guaranteed one patient,” Bill said.

Dennis glared at Bill.

“This isn’t a laughing matter, Bill!” he said.

“You’re right, sorry,” Bill said.

“Jesus, Bill,” Dennis said, shaking his head.

“It’s great you’re going to start a new life with your family,” Bill said. “New country, new slate.”

“Marie isn’t much interested in a new beginning,” Dennis said. “Jenny isn’t excited about it either. But hey, they have no choice, right? I’m the breadwinner. They’ll have to follow the crumbs. And to be honest, I quite fancy seeing what’s on the other side of the world in terms of the female persuasion. There’s nothing quite so exciting as experiencing a different culture and all it has to offer.”

He chuckled to himself. Bill cringed. He suspected said experiences were rather narrow in scope in Dennis’s mind.

“Bill!” Liz called.

She was at the head of the queue, about to be called to the check-in desk. She waved him over. Bill waved back and began to make his way over. He sidled in close to Dennis.

“Can you at least promise not to make trouble on our way to the island?” Bill said.

“Of course,” Dennis said. “You can trust me.”

Bill had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The Robinson family moved to the security gates, their boarding passes and passports at the ready. Bill double-took something over Liz’s shoulder.

“Looks like somebody’s here to see you,” he said.

Liz turned to see Angel. She stood there uncertainly, taking a step forward and then back.

“I’ll catch up with you,” Liz said, leaving the queue.

Bill and the boys filtered in behind the security screen as Liz approached her sister.

“I was hoping I would catch you before you left,” Angel said.

“I’m surprised you managed to pull yourself away from your busy schedule,” Liz said, folding her arms across her chest.

Angel gritted her teeth.

“I wanted to see you off,” she said. “But maybe I made a mistake.”

She turned to leave.

“No,” Liz said. “Wait. Say what you came to say.”

Angel cocked her head to the side.

“No,” she said. “I don’t think I will.”

“You came all the way here to see me,” Liz said. “You must have had something to say.”

“I came to make sure you’re not leaving because of me,” Angel said, her voice tight.

“Believe it or not, but the world doesn’t revolve around you, Angel,” Liz said. “And I certainly don’t. We made this decision by ourselves.”

“Good,” Angel said.

“Good,” Liz said.

The sisters stared at one another, neither one breaking eye contact. Then Liz sighed, unfolded her arms and softened her tone.

“I’m glad you came to see me off,” she said. “I appreciate it.”

Angel blinked in surprise. Then smiled, raising her eyes.

“You’ll do great things,” she said. “Not as great as me, I grant you, but-”

“You can leave it there,” Liz said, pressing her finger to her sister’s lips.

Angel took Liz’s finger off her lips, folded the fingers up inside her own and kissed Liz’s hand.

“Thank you for raising me,” she said.

Liz waited for a biting retort but none came.

“You’re welcome,” she said.

They hugged.

“We all have to have a purpose in our lives, don’t we?” Angel said. “Mine’s work. Yours is your family. I understand that now.”

“What made you change your mind?” Liz said.

“I’m a saleswoman,” Angel said. “I know I have to alter my sales plan for each customer I work with. No one is the same. It’s hard to remember that outside the office sometimes.”

“I’m glad you’re trying,” Liz said.

“So am I,” Angel said with a smile. “Now I really do have to be getting back to the city.”

Liz smiled and shook her head.

“Busy, busy,” she said. “I suppose I’ll see you in a year or two.”

“Who knows,” Angel said. “I might have a business trip or two out there soon.”

“It’ll be good to see you,” Liz said. “Do me a favour in the meantime, and don’t be sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Angel said.

“For anything,” Liz said. “I love you the way you are, flaws and all. Don’t be sorry. Life is too short.”

Liz watched her sister head toward the large automatic doors and out into the bright sunshine, a small shadow consumed by the light. Liz turned and joined the security queue.

The guard on duty wore a mask, goggles and plastic gloves. She took Liz’s boarding pass and passport, checked her details, and handed them back. Liz passed through the security doors.

She froze at what she saw.

A dozen cameras glared down at each line of passengers with an unblinking red light. The security officers wore the same ensemble as those outside. A dull yellow mist doused the area from the overhead sprinkler system.

An impersonal voice over the speaker system said: “If you have hot flushes, headache, dizziness, or the need to vomit, please notify an official immediately.”

“Fills you with confidence, doesn’t it?” a middle-aged woman beside Liz said.

Liz joined a security queue and shuffled forward. She kept her eyes down, sensing it was a mistake to appear confrontational. Liz glanced up at the cameras lined up along the walls. They moved forward and back on long whirring hydraulic arms.

One camera centred-in on Liz and followed her. The red light began to blink, dilating like a pupil. At a terminal up ahead a pair of security men peered at a monitor and then turned in Liz’s direction. One of the men broke away and headed toward her.

Liz looked around but couldn’t see any sign of Bill or the boys. She concentrated on the back of the leather jacket the man in front of her was wearing, her heart beating so hard she could feel it in her throat. The man in front had reached the conveyor belt and unshouldered his bag and jacket, placing them in the trays. He had coarse black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

The security man stepped through the metal detector.

“Boots, please,” the small security lady said to the ponytail man.

Ponytail removed his boots and placed them in a tray. The large security man stopped in front of him.

“Excuse me, sir,” the security man said. “Have you been to the Middle East recently?”

“No,” Ponytail said.

“Can I see your passport please, sir?” the security man said.

“What’s this all about?” Ponytail said.

“Your passport, please,” the security man said.

Ponytail handed his passport over.

“Have you experience any flu-like symptoms?” the security man said as he flicked through the passport. “Nausea? Breathlessness? A cold sweat?”

“No,” Ponytail said.

The security man nodded, watching Ponytail intently. The other passengers looked at the floor, the conveyor belt, anywhere but the scene taking place in front of them.

“Excuse me, Madam,” the small security woman said to Liz. “Can you continue through, please?”

Liz removed her bag and put it into a tray, wary of the two large men.

“Can you come with me please, sir?” the security man said to Ponytail.

“What’s going on?” Ponytail said.

“Just a minor security check, sir,” the security man said.

“What about my things?” Ponytail said.

“They’ll be taken care of,” the security man said.

“But I’m going to miss my flight,” Ponytail said.

“This will only take a moment, sir,” the security man said.

The security man led Ponytail away.

Liz passed through the metal detector doorway and came to another security man on the other side.

“Open your mouth please,” the security man said.

Liz did, and he aimed what looked like a futuristic gun at her mouth. A red light on the top blinked. He put a gloved finger to her cheek, pulled down her bottom eyelids and peered intently at her. He waved her through.

Liz collected her things, hastily stamped her shoes on without tying the laces, and headed out of the security area.

“There she is!” Francis said.

He came running over, barrelling into her, almost knocking her off her feet. Bill and the others were all looking at a bank of monitors, beside a hundred other people.

“What’s going on?” Liz said.

“It’s something on the news,” Francis said.

Liz took his hand and stood at Bill’s shoulder.

“It’s boring,” Francis said.

“Bill, what’s-” she said, but Bill shushed her.

“A plane has crashed into the Atlantic after unconfirmed reports of aggressive passengers on board,” the newscaster said. “This comes just hours after a Miami-bound plane crashed in the Florida Keys and two flights in Yemen exploded on the runway. There have been unconfirmed reports of cancelled flights landing at London Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. We are as yet unsure of the full implications, though we have been assured this is just a precaution. We will keep you posted on developments as they occur.”

“This is unreal,” Fritz said.

“It’s the perfect time to be taking a plane, and no mistake,” Bill said.

“Our gate has just been called,” Ernest said. “Gate twelve.”

The Robinson family shared uneasy glances.

“We’ve got more chance of getting struck by lightning than dying on an aeroplane,” Bill said without conviction.

“I suspect the chances go up significantly during a storm though,” Ernest said.

“Thanks, Mr Positive,” Fritz said.

With a solemn mood the two families headed toward their gate.