Missing in Flight

CHAPTER THIRTEEN MAKAYLA

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

M AKAYLA

Makayla gets up from her seat, unable to stay there any longer. Liam is on this plane—somewhere—and she has to find him. As she slips into the aisle, she’s startled by a sudden laugh from the girl who sits across from her. The girl’s eyes are glued to the small screen on her tray table. Makayla looks away and makes her way toward the rear of the plane, focusing her attention on the flight attendant moving through the rear cabin.

Britt strides up the aisle toward Derek, who’s been checking overhead compartments one by one, and taps his shoulder. After closing the bin, he turns toward her.

Makayla nears the lavatories, scanning the cabin as she continues toward the attendants. Still no sign of Liam. A man close to her father’s age on the far aisle watches the video on the small seat-back screen in front of him while taking a sip from his soda can. She sees it’s the Netflix special on her mother, and a current of irritation runs through her. How can anyone be watching TV right now?

Rose catches Makayla’s eyes when she gets to the elderly woman’s middle row.

“Is it time to get off, dear?” She reaches for her seat belt buckle with tremoring hands.

“No.” Makayla shakes her head. “Not yet.”

“Oh.” The woman’s hands fall away from her seat belt. “Have you found your baby?”

Makayla swallows. “No.”

“That’s terrible. I wish I had paid closer attention when you were in the bathroom, but I’m afraid I was too engrossed in that TV program those stewardesses turned on for me. It was called ... um ...” She snaps her fingers. “ Friends .”

Makayla stands still, surprised at the woman’s clear recollection surrounding the time when Liam went missing.

Rose extends her arm, patting Makayla’s hand with her ice-cold fingers. “I know he’ll turn up, dear. At least you know he couldn’t have gotten off the plane.”

Makayla studies the woman. She doesn’t appear confused at all now, like she was earlier. Is it normal for people with dementia to have moments of lucidity?

Makayla pulls her hand away. Could the woman have been faking it? She scans Rose’s row, unsettled by her clear recall of events.

Makayla remembers the flight attendants coaxing Rose back into her seat when she went to the lavatory, and Rose eating from a bag of pretzels, contentedly watching Friends , when Makayla emerged from the bathroom. There couldn’t have been time for her to take Liam and stash him somewhere. Could there?

No, she thinks. Plus, where would she have put him? Everyone’s bags have been searched.

Rose yawns and leans her head against her seat. Makayla continues down the aisle, trying to shake her uneasiness at the elderly woman’s sudden moment of clarity.

A swarm of guilt washes over her when she moves past the lavatories. If only I’d taken Liam with me. A twentysomething flight attendant who Makayla can’t recall seeing before rifles through a backpack on the adjacent aisle at the rear of the plane. Makayla swallows. The luggage search is almost done.

Their backs to her, Derek and Britt speak in hushed tones when Makayla approaches.

“I never saw him. Did you?” Britt asks.

Derek shakes his head, unaware of Makayla’s presence behind them. “No. I mean, there was something beneath her wrap, but I never saw the baby.”

Makayla stops. Are they questioning whether Liam was on the flight? Is that why they don’t seem worried about finding him?

“Are you talking about my son?”

Britt whips around, a flush of color rising to her cheeks. She purses her lips. “We’re trying to do our best to help you find him.”

“By doubting that he was even here?”

From the surrounding seats, a few heads tilt in Makayla’s direction.

“We’re here to help you find him,” Derek says. “And that’s what we’re doing.”

On the adjacent aisle, a bin snaps closed. “That’s the last bag on this side,” the twentysomething attendant says to them before striding toward the front of the plane. Makayla stares at Britt and Derek, trying to read their expressions.

“My son was here ,” Makayla says, a wobble to her voice as she says the last word. “And he still is—somewhere!” She waves her hand through the air. “Did you check under everyone’s seats?” Someone must be hiding him.

“We’ve checked every bag on board.”

The pity in Britt’s eyes makes Makayla’s throat tighten.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Makayla recognizes Jemma’s voice before she whips around.

“You saw him! You saw my son.”

Confusion flickers in Jemma’s brown eyes.

“When you boarded,” Makayla adds. “You saw Liam inside my wrap.” She points behind her. “They’re questioning whether he was ever on board.”

Jemma looks to the attendants. “I did.”

Makayla exhales. “Thank you.”

“To be fair,” Jemma adds, “I didn’t actually see your baby, but I saw a bulge beneath your wrap. And his pacifier that fell out. I have no doubt that he was there.”

Makayla’s heart sinks. A wary look crosses between Britt and Derek when Makayla turns toward them.

“He was here!”

Britt lays a hand on Makayla’s shoulder. “We’re not arguing with you.”

But Britt’s placating tone does nothing to convince her.

The floor lurches beneath them. Makayla falls to the side, catching herself on the armrest of an empty seat. Derek stumbles backward while Britt presses her palm on top of a seat back.

“Folks, this is your captain speaking. We’re experiencing some unexpected turbulence. For your safety, we need everyone to return to their seats and remain there until the fasten seat belt sign is turned off.”

The armrest vibrates under Makayla’s grip before the plane lifts roughly into the air. She pushes herself upright, grabbing the sides of the empty seats on either side of the aisle. In front of her, Jemma leans against a row.

“We need you both to return to your seats,” Derek says while Britt moves to the back of the plane.

“Not until I find my baby.”

“I promise we’re doing everything we can to find him.”

The floor rattles. Makayla searches his face. The concern in his eyes looks genuine.

“But right now, we have to keep you safe,” Derek says. “You can get back up as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

“No.” Makayla digs her heels into the unsteady floor. “I’m not sitting down until I find Liam.”

The plane dips, causing Makayla to fall into the seat behind her. Derek’s eyes widen with concern. He leans toward her.

“This is not safe. I’m ordering you back to your seat. Right now ,” he says, irritation in his voice.

“It’s okay.” Jemma extends her hand and helps Makayla out of the seat. “It doesn’t mean we’ll stop looking.”

Derek blocks the aisleway behind him with folded arms. Makayla reluctantly follows Jemma atop the swaying floor.

“I’ll help you as soon as we’re allowed to get up,” Jemma says. “Why don’t I sit by you until then?” Jemma moves past her empty seat in the exit row, where her husband watches them both with a guarded expression.

Makayla feels herself nod, as if she is existing outside of her own body. There’s something surreal about Liam’s disappearance, like it’s too horrific to be true.

At the front of the cabin, the attendant with hair the same color as her mother’s is bent over the young woman sitting across from Makayla’s seat. The girl’s pink headphones are pulled down around her neck. As Makayla continues toward them, the flight attendant gestures to Liam’s empty bassinet against the bulkhead wall. A sinking feeling forms in Makayla’s gut as the young woman shakes her head.

Makayla hurries down the aisle, practically stepping on Jemma’s heels, wanting to know what’s being said. When the flight attendant notices her, a guarded expression washes over her face.

“Thank you,” Makayla hears her say to the young woman before she retreats into business class.

Makayla takes her seat next to Jemma after peering into Liam’s empty bassinet. She drags her gaze across the aisle toward the girl pulling her headphones over her ears. The floor shakes, and Makayla buckles her seat belt.

This is crazy. Liam didn’t just get lost. Someone took him. Makayla assesses the girl as she leans back her head and closes her eyes, despite the rough turbulence and brightly lit cabin.

Makayla has a good idea of what the flight attendant was asking her. And the shake of the girl’s head confirmed her answer. The crew doesn’t believe Liam was ever on board.