9. Chapter 6 - Marley #2
It was the usual grouping of diverse travelers.
Two women, perhaps an elder mother and daughter, crocheted colorful patterns beside each other while talking and laughing.
Two young, attractive women in their twenties took selfies together from their phones, while another man with bleached hair hastily scribbled in his notebook.
A handsome man in business casual attire held a cellphone against his ear on his shoulder, while his fingers flew across laptop keys.
I didn’t see the convict or his dickish handler, but I assumed they would be brought onto the plane privately once all other passengers were seated. Maybe? Deportation runs were new to me.
These were the people we were responsible for today, their fragile lives in our capable hands. The reality of that thought always sobered me. As if one day, the number of lives I kept intact would absolve me from the lives I hadn’t.
Nope, not today, Marley. Focus outward, not inward.
Peering through the large glass windows, I was relieved to see our replacement was a model I’d done recent training on — the Cessna Skycourier. She was a small but mighty plane, a fully equipped beast in the sky, with a large cargo hold, that would get us to our destination smoothly.
The plane wasn’t new. It looked like a recently redone remodel, freshly cleaned and gleaming in the soft sunlight of mid-morning.
One door led to the cockpit, and another wide door toward the rear opened to both the passenger cabin and the cargo hold.
Luggage was already being loaded into the bay.
The ground level of the airfield abuzz with activity.
A smile stretched wide across my face. The exhilaration of pre-flight was one of my favorite parts of the job, second only to leveling out after takeoff.
We just had to complete our inspection. Once that was done, I could really let the adrenaline take hold.
Nikki smoothly slid into the front desk of the gate with a similar smile, logging into the computer system to get ready for boarding. Aileron piggybacked off a major carrier, so we didn’t have to check in our guests before security, but our sole flight attendant was now the star of the show.
“I can check you in now,” Nikki announced first in Portuguese, then again in Spanish. The man who’d been scribbling in his notebook stood and made a beeline for the desk.
“Danny Devos,” Nikki read aloud, reviewing the passport and the passenger in front of him. “May I have your primary language and your pronouns, please?”
Jamie had already strode past the passengers through the door behind Nikki, and I moved to follow. Time was running out, and we had a whole checklist to cover.
“See you on the other side,” I tossed a smile over my shoulder as I sidled past him and the growing line of passengers.
The gold flecks in Nikki’s eyes flashed back at me in amusement, and perfectly pouty lips curved into a sensuous smirk. He even had the audacity to wink. “Missed working with you, Marl. Today’s going to be a great day.”
Feeling brave, I returned the wink, then pulled my bag down the hallway toward the exterior door. The plane was too small for a jet bridge, and the blast of muggy air hit me in the face as I stepped outside.
Jamie stood at the loading door, speaking to the Aileron executive — Jacinda Alves. My smile evaporated as I drew closer. Her presence was never good news.
“Good news, Marley,” Jamie exclaimed as I approached. “Jacinda tells me that the pre-flight has already been done. Aileron finished it in the holding bay before they brought this baby to the gate. Good thing, too, because Nikki’s already at ‘em.”
He pointed behind me, where passengers were trickling onto the tarmac and toward the plane.
Why were they coming out so soon? Who directed Nikki to release them without our say-so?
And why the fuck weren’t we doing our own pre-flight inspection? Prickles of icy discomfort poured down my spine like a waterfall, dousing my excited mood.
Jacinda’s smile didn’t reach her dark brown eyes as she thrust the paperwork into my hands. “Here. You’ll see that everything is in order. We’re able to get in the flight queue ahead of schedule, so I called Nikki to get pre-flight done immediately.”
But … why?
I was going to have to review my contract when I returned. These last-minute changes were getting more and more tenuous.
I could refuse to fly today. Jamie and I would fly separate routes after this anyway — the aircraft accommodated one pilot as well as two. But as I looked into the rugged features of my friend’s questioning expression, I knew I couldn’t.
It was our last flight together. These people were counting on me. I didn’t trust Jacinda’s motives, but I trusted Jamie. He was a friend and a mentor, a colleague who’d taught me more in the last few years than I’d learned in the last decade. If he trusted the paperwork, I would trust him.
“If you’re okay with this, I’m reluctantly okay with this.” I ignored Jacinda altogether and spoke directly to Jamie. He put a hand across his heart as if swearing his fealty.
“All looks clean and clear,” he responded cheerfully. “Weather’s on our side, and we’ll be finished loading cargo shortly. It’s all good, Marl. It’s going to be a great day.”
The hovering sensation of many pairs of eyes on me made me turn around.
Several passengers had pooled in front of us.
It looked like most of the manifest had already checked in.
They stood awkwardly with their carry-ons, as if awaiting instruction.
Nikki’s form filled my periphery at the exterior door as he escorted two men: a man in a suit and another in shackles.
Our convict. Everyone was here, and all that was in the way was … me.
Finally, I nodded and moved to the open cockpit door to pull myself up and put my small bag under my seat. Settling into the newly cleaned leather, I scrutinized the familiar mechanical setup of buttons, switches, and pulleys.
When we returned, I would reassess my place in this company. But today, we had to get to Mexico City. My fingers gripped the rose gold necklace nestled between my collar bones – the pendant of a compass warm from the heat of my skin. My north star, my good luck charm.
“It’s going to be a great day, Marley.” I repeated under my breath. I released the charm and flicked the switch to turn on the in-cabin air-conditioning. “It’s going to be a great day.”
Why didn’t I believe it?