Chapter 9 #2
I grabbed my suitcase and rushed out of my apartment, only stopping to lock the door.
The cab was waiting at the curb. The driver offered to take my suitcase, but I’d packed pretty light.
An extra pair of pants, a couple of shirts—one a white dress shirt and tie if I had to meet anyone and another T-shirt that I could wear tomorrow.
My nerves were ratcheting up, thinking that this trip could affect my whole life in ways I hadn’t even considered.
By this time next week, I could be moving to Singapore or some other exotic country where I didn’t know the language and would be the typical lost American tourist hoping someone would interject and save me.
No, I hadn’t been worried about that. Really.
When I got to the airport, I was directed to a gate by a man who’d met me upon entering. He smiled and held up a sign that said, ‘Ulysses McNamara’. I was confused as heck.
“I’m Uly,” I told him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Please come with me.”
I had no idea what was going on, but I followed him. He took me past the gates and up an escalator.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To the jet,” he said.
“But don’t I have to check in?”
He chuckled. “No, sir. That’s all been done already.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. None of this made sense. “Taken care of by who?” I demanded.
“Mr. Lockhart has made all the arrangements.”
“And who are you?”
He stopped and turned, flashing me a smile. “I’m the pilot.”
I shook my head, certain I’d misheard him. “What do you mean?” I reached into my pocket and withdrew my ticket and held it up so he could see it. “I have a flight already.”
“Yes, sir. You’re booked on Ursine Air.”
But that wasn’t what the ticket said. It clearly said American Airlines. “No, that’s not right.”
He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He pressed a button and held it to his ear.
“I told you. Here.”
He handed it to me. “Hello?”
“Uly, get on the damn plane. We only have the runway for a short time.”
“But—”
“I sent the jet for you, okay? Get on the plane!”
He sent a jet for me? Who did that?
“Are you ready, sir?”
I was dazed is what I was. The guy grabbed my bag with one hand and my elbow with another. He guided me to a far corner of the airport, where we went down a well lit hallway. When we got to the end, we were met by a woman who held open the door.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. McNamara. Please, come on board so we can get underway.”
This jet was nothing at all like the ones I’d taken in the past. There were six dark leather seats that surrounded a wooden table that had been polished to a bright shine.
The floors had black and red carpeting that was so thick, I wanted to slip off my shoes and feel it squish between my toes.
I gave myself a little pinch, certain that I was dreaming, but nope. Wide awake, and probably bruising.
“Please take a seat and buckle in. We’ll be departing shortly.
I’ll be around with a beverage about ten minutes after we’re airborne.
Did you want some lunch? We have chicken tetrazzini over whole wheat pasta, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, fish with tartar sauce—which Mr. Lockhart asked to be added to the menu.
If you’d prefer something else, our chef will be more than happy to—”
“Stop. Please. Just… stop.”
She stepped back, looking as if I’d smacked her. “Is something wrong?”
I turned back to the man. “Why is he doing this?”
“I told him he was doing it wrong, but he gets so hardheaded at times.” He held out a hand. “My name is Cullin Davies, and I do what Mr. Lockhart needs done. This past week it was finding his friend, Chaim. This week it’s escorting you to Ursine.”
“Oh, you found Chaim for him? I’m so glad.”
“My team and I did. Mr. Flynn will be arriving this evening.”
And I would be in the way of this reunion. I didn’t like that. “Can I go back home?”
“If this is about Chaim—”
“It isn’t. Not exactly. I know how much Brent—Mr. Lockhart—has been looking forward to seeing him again. I don’t want to come between them.”
“Rest assured, Chaim is aware you’ll be a guest this weekend. He and his husband will take their children out fishing to allow you and Mr. Lockhart time to have your conversations. It’s perfectly fine. Plus, Mr. Lockhart told me he’d really like you to meet his best friend.”
I didn’t understand why. I was no one special. “Really, I’d rather go home.”
A deep sigh and Cullin took out his phone again. The press of a button later and he was handing it to me.
“Hello?”
“No, you are coming here and that’s final. Take your seat and strap in. Have a drink, eat something, and you’ll be here before you know it.”
“But you have Chaim coming.”
“Uly, Chaim is the one who insisted on me seeing you. Which I can’t do if you don’t sit your ass down and get here. If I have to, I’ll have Cullin tie you to your seat, then drag you to my office. Now, wouldn’t it be better if you simply did as you were told?”
I wanted to laugh, because this was so weird. “Fine, but I’m staying at an inn.”
“Actually, you’re not. I have a huge favor to ask of you so I have time to deal with Chaim.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, but we can discuss that after you’ve arrived. Now, eat that fish with the tartar sauce you love. It’s caught from our lake, so you’ll know how fresh it is.” He paused a moment. “And Uly? Thank you for coming. I really look forward to seeing you.”
“Me too.”
He disconnected and I handed the phone back to Cullin. “He said he’d have you tie me down if I didn’t sit.”
He reached into the overhead compartment and took out some thin ropes. “I was ready for it.”
We laughed and I took a seat. The lady who’d been at the door came over, eyeing me warily and I hated that I’d made her nervous.
“I’m really very sorry,” I told her. “This is just so far outside of my depth, and I got freaked out and got snappy with you. I promise I won’t do it again.”
She smiled. “I understand. We all had that experience when we started working for Ursine in general and Mr. Lockhart in particular. Now, can I get you something to eat or drink?”
I nodded. “Do you have orange soda?”
“Six different types, including Jarrito’s Mandarin Orange.”
I’d never even heard of that one. “What is it?”
She smirked. “Only the best tasting orange soda I’ve had. I strongly encourage you to give it a try. Not too fizzy, not too sweet. It’s like the perfect blending of flavors.”
And based on her recommendation, I said I’d give it a go. She poured a bit in what seemed to be a crystal glass, then handed it to me. I was an instant fan and made a note in my phone to look for it in the store.
When the cart was rolled out with my dinner, I marveled at the smell, the look, and the flaky texture of the fish.
I reached for the tartar sauce, but then decided I wanted to taste it without anything masking the flavor.
Was I ever glad I did. Even without anything more than salt and a bit of pepper, it was sweet and rich.
It was the first fish I’d ever had that I couldn’t see having tartar sauce on.
Maybe a bit of lemon, but nothing else. It was perfect.
After the cart was cleared away, I snuggled into my seat. So warm and comfortable.
That was the last thing I remembered until they woke me and said we were landing.
I was expecting to be arriving at Portland International, but instead we were touching down on a much smaller airstrip.
“Where are we?” I asked the flight attendant as I peered out the window at a compact city, surrounded by lush forests, and in the distance I could see what appeared to be several lakes.
She graced me with a chuckle. “Mr. McNamara, welcome to Ursine.”
And my mind was blown.