Missing in Flight

CHAPTER TWENTY MAKAYLA

CHAPTER TWENTY

M AKAYLA

Makayla tears her eyes from the young woman’s phone to meet the girl’s gaze. Her enlarged blue eyes are trained on Makayla’s as a different female voice plays through the girl’s phone speaker.

“These were some of the actress’s final moments before the tragic car accident that claimed her life when she ran a red light after fleeing the recording studio.”

Makayla resists the urge to swipe the girl’s phone out of her hand. My mother’s interview. She probably saw the Netflix special, then pulled up the full interview on YouTube.

Why couldn’t the girl have kept watching her Reese Witherspoon rom-com?

The girl taps her phone screen and gapes at Makayla. “Your mom was Lydia Banks.” She extends her phone into the aisle. “That actress that lost her mind before she died.”

A spark of rage surges inside Makayla’s chest. Her mother didn’t lose her mind ; she lost her memory . Makayla stares back at the girl, her anger morphing into confusion. But how does she know this?

“I remember my mom crying when it was on the news,” Pink Headphones says, waving her phone in the air. “This says she had an amnesia disorder.” Her eyes widen. “That must be why the flight attendant asked me if I actually saw your baby. You could have that too.” She unbuckles herself with one hand and steps into the aisle. “Do you even remember him being with you?”

Makayla scoffs at the absurdity of the girl’s question. “Of course I do.”

“No one saw him. Not even me, and I was sitting right here.” She gestures to her seat over her shoulder. “And you obviously forgot that my bags were already searched. You were here when the flight attendant came through and watched her go through my stuff.”

“You need to sit down.” Makayla fights to keep her voice calm. “What is wrong with you?” Makayla presses her flight attendant call button.

“You accused me of taking him!”

Makayla shrinks back from the girl’s pointer finger, which stops within an inch of her cheek. “Get your hand out of my face.”

The girl slowly lowers her arm. “I don’t think you even brought him on board.”

Makayla tugs at the buckle of her seat belt and stands to her feet. “How dare you! Of course he was on this plane! He still is. He was lying right there when I asked you to watch him. I know you saw him. And there’s only one reason why you’d be lying about it.” The thought sends chills down Makayla’s spine.

The girl shakes her head. “I’m not lying. You’re not thinking straight.”

“What’s going on?”

They turn to find Britt standing in the aisle a few rows back, hands on her hips.

“Both of you need to sit down. Now.”

The girl jabs her finger toward Makayla’s chest. “Her mom was Lydia Banks—that child-star actress who lost her memory before she drove like a maniac and died in that car crash. I bet her daughter has the same thing. Her baby isn’t missing. He was never on board!”

Makayla’s nostrils flare as she fights the urge to shove the girl away from her. Stay calm so you can find Liam, she tells herself.

Makayla suddenly remembers her hair being blond on the nearly decade-old Netflix documentary. Did the girl actually recognize Makayla from watching it, or did she already know who Makayla was?

Makayla lowers her face toward the girl’s, staring into her big blue eyes. “How could you even find out who my mother was without knowing my name? My full name.”

Makayla racks her brain trying to remember if she’s ever seen this girl before. She’s sure she hasn’t. Could the girl have targeted her somehow? Stalked her online? She thinks about her photography blog, which only has a small following; her public social media pages; and the awareness campaign she created about transient global amnesia after her mother died.

The girl takes a step back, but Makayla doesn’t break eye contact. Did she see her mother’s illness as an opportunity to abduct Liam?

But why?

The girl swipes her hand through the air. “You said it.”

Makayla furrows her brows. When?

“Then I realized you were on that Netflix special. Your hair was lighter, but it was definitely you.”

Britt moves in between them. “I need you both to take your seats.”

“Fine.” The girl crosses her arms and plops down.

Britt turns to Makayla. “You gave me your full name so the pilots could give your information to the ground authorities, remember? We weren’t standing that far from here when you told me. She probably overheard you.”

Makayla does remember. Now.

Britt’s eyes search her own, and she can guess what the flight attendant’s thinking. But Makayla forces away the thought that there could be more she’s not remembering. Any mother would have trouble thinking straight with her baby missing. Makayla steps forward, scanning the faces of those seated around her.

“Someone on this flight has Liam.”

“Ma’am, I need you to return to your seat.” Britt’s voice is sharp.

“Not until I find my son.” Makayla strains to see beyond Britt. She catches Jemma’s eye, who regards her with pity. Rose looks to have fallen asleep across the aisle, while the retirement-aged couple seated in front of Rose look on with wide eyes. Makayla’s gaze darts to the man seated on the far side of the plane who’s reading on his tablet, looking maddeningly calm.

Derek comes to stand behind Britt.

“We’ve already checked everywhere.” Exasperation seeps from Britt’s sharp tone.

“You can’t have checked everywhere —otherwise Liam would’ve already been found. We need to look again. I have to find my son!” Her voice breaks, and the last word comes out a croak.

Derek steps past Britt and closes his grip around Makayla’s elbow, his mouth set into a hard, thin line. His eyes are void of the compassion they held when Liam first went missing.

“We agree that his disappearance doesn’t make sense. But I’m ordering you to take your seat.”

Makayla’s lower lip quivers as she draws in a steadying breath. But she makes no attempt to move.

Derek loosens his hold on her ever so slightly. “We’re doing everything we can to help you, but you must calm down and comply with our safety instructions.”

“I haven’t lost my memory. I’ve lost my baby . And I need you to help me. And believe me!” She motions toward Jemma watching them from the exit row. “You saw him! And you must’ve heard the whimper he let out when he dropped his pacifier. Please tell them.”

“I—” Jemma glances at her husband. “I’m sorry.” She grimaces, meeting Makayla’s eyes with a look of apology. “I didn’t actually see your baby, like I said before. Or hear him. I wish I had. I only saw his pacifier.”

“Sit down.” Derek steps forward, motioning to her seat.

Makayla shakes her elbow from his grip. “My baby is missing !”

“We know, ma’am.”

He’s not even addressing her by name, she notices. She wonders if the crew has somehow already learned about her mother. Is that why they’re questioning whether Liam ever came on board? Could that be why they aren’t landing? Was the captain lying about the thunderstorm and tornado watch?

“It’s a federal regulation that you remain in your seat with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the seat belt sign.” Derek’s once kind voice now sounds robotic.

“I’m not sitting down until I find my son.”

“You have no choice. It’s the law. You’re endangering yourself and those around you by moving about the cabin. If you refuse to comply, then we’ll have to restrain you.”

Makayla sets her jaw, locking her eyes with Derek’s, before lowering herself to her seat.

Derek leans over her, his face softening. “Thank you. We’re doing our best to help you find your son.”

No, you’re not, Makayla thinks as he retreats toward the rear of the plane. How could they be helping when they don’t even believe Liam was on board?

Makayla peers down at Liam’s diaper bag on the floor and her baby wrap, now in a messy heap on the empty seat beside her. She reaches for the fabric, cool from the air vent above, before checking her phone to find a new message from Cori. Any updates?

She drums out a reply, her thumbs fueled by anger at the crew’s lack of concern. The crew says they’re doing everything, but they’ve stopped looking, saying they’ve already checked everywhere. We’re not even going to divert. They found out about my mom and don’t think I brought Liam on the flight. They think I’ve lost my memory like her.

Makayla presses her lips together after hitting send. She knows Cori will believe her. She only wishes she had someone to defend her sanity on the flight. Cori’s mom is a bestselling romance author, and Cori knows what it’s like having a famous parent. She understands better than anyone—even Jack—Makayla’s pain over the public scrutiny surrounding her mother’s infamous TV interview.

What?! How can they not believe you?

Makayla glances at Pink Headphones, who rips open a snack pack of almonds before popping a few into her mouth. Makayla hadn’t remembered giving her full name to Britt when she accused the girl of knowing it. And she has no recollection of Britt searching both the girl’s bags—only one—even though she was sitting right here when Britt came through the cabin to search their luggage.

She envisions the look on her mother’s face in the interview the girl just replayed. She’s seen the interview countless times, and the image of her mother’s final moments will be forever seared in her mind.

Makayla covers her mouth with her hand as she allows her gaze to settle on the empty bassinet. Her mother clearly had no idea what was happening to her when her amnesia set in. Lydia was so certain of her own cognition and perception of events that she refused to entertain the possibility she was confused. It’s why she left the recording studio before anyone could stop her.

Makayla’s fingers tremble against her lips. A few moments ago, she didn’t think it possible to feel any more fear than she was already experiencing. But she was wrong.

She collapses against her seat and considers—for the first time—the possibility that the crew’s suspicions could be right. What if Liam was never on board?

Her heart sticks in her throat just considering the possibility. Because if she boarded without Liam, then ...

It would mean that she left him somewhere in the Anchorage airport, somewhere between where her dad dropped her off and the gate. But if that was the case, then why hasn’t Liam been found?