Chapter 27 #3
At the bottom of the steps, a man in a white button-down greeted them. He was tall with hair long enough to brush his collar and wore an easy grin. He held out his hand toward Ethan. “I’m Derrick, your favorite cousin.”
Ethan chuckled and shook his hand. “You are tonight. I wasn’t expecting…” He gazed at the plane.
“Anything for family.” Derrick shifted to face Mei Lin and offered the same hand.
She seemed to shrink back. “I don’t want to get you sick. My husband thinks it’s strep.”
“I’m sorry. That’s rough.” Derrick pulled his hand back and gestured to the stairs. “Go on up. The seats recline all the way back so you can sleep.”
Ethan followed her up the stairs and into a small cabin that smelled of leather and coffee. Gavin had already settled into the second seat on the right. He was bent over a laptop he’d opened on a little table in front of him. The jet had six rows, single seats on the right, doubles on the left.
Mei Lin dropped into the third row window seat. Ethan put their backpacks and jackets onto the empty seat across the aisle.
Derrick followed with two blankets and two pillows. “Try to get some sleep.”
“Thanks.” Ethan shook out one of the blankets and draped it over his wife.
She smiled at Derrick. “This is good. Thank you.”
“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.” He shifted to look at Ethan. “There’s a galley in the back. You should find tea bags—probably good for a sore throat.” He glanced at Mei Lin. “Help yourself to whatever you like. We’ll stop in Anchorage to refuel, then push on to Montreal.”
“This is… Thank you.” Ethan couldn’t say anything more without his voice cracking. He’d blame fatigue for that. He’d never even met Derrick, yet the man had flown his jet halfway around the world so they could travel home in comfort. Even if Gavin was paying for it, it was…a lot.
“I’m just glad to finally meet you. Enjoy the flight.” Derrick disappeared into the cockpit and pulled the door shut behind him.
Gavin turned. “You got the evidence?”
“It’s right here.” He pulled the little silicone pouch from his backpack and handed it to his father.
Gavin found the thumb drive inside and slid it into his laptop.
Ethan was about to sit when Mei Lin asked, “What time is it in Virginia?”
“Uh…” He wasn’t sure of the time difference, but Gavin looked over his shoulder.
“It’s a little after one in the afternoon.”
She stood and looked at him over the seat. “Thank you.” Then she spoke to Ethan. “Would it be all right if I call my parents?”
“Good idea.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, not the burner but the one he’d left in Changsha.
He’d glanced at it the night before, not wanting to think about all the calls and messages that’d come in.
Not just from Holly, but from his boss at the hospital, who hadn’t sounded happy on the one voicemail Ethan had listened to.
He’d think about that when he was back in the States.
He unlocked the phone, found her mother’s number, and handed it over. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” After dialing, she settled in her seat again.
Her parents would be at the hospital, where he’d gotten them both jobs. He’d never known them to carry their phones while they were on the clock—they were far more conscientious than most American workers—but it wasn’t every day they learned their deceased daughter wasn’t.
“Mama!” Mei Lin smiled wide, tears already streaming down her face. She listened, then spoke in Mandarin.
Ethan inched forward to stand beside Gavin’s seat.
Gavin glanced his way. “How’s she feeling?”
“Better. Thanks for the meds.” He looked at Gavin’s screen. “Anything good?”
He clicked through files. “There’s a massive amount of information here.”
“But will it prove what she thinks about Lu Feng?”
“I’m probably going to need more than thirty seconds to answer that.”
“Sheesh, what’s the holdup?”
Gavin chuckled, and Ethan leaned back against the opposite seat, stifling a yawn.
The engine roared to life.
A minute later, Mei Lin ended the call and handed Ethan the phone, still smiling and still crying. “She would keep talking, but we are going to take off, yes?”
“I think so. Did you talk to your dad?”
“He wasn’t there.” She rested her pillow against the window and leaned on it. “I’ll call him when we land.”
“Recline the seat.” He looked at Gavin. “She can, right, even though we’re taking off?”
“Yeah, get comfortable.” He didn’t look away from the screen.
Mei Lin laid the seat back and curled up as the plane rolled gently forward.
Ethan’s eyes felt like sandpaper every time he blinked, but Gavin was looking at the evidence, and he wanted to know what was on that drive.
His dad looked up at him. “Get some rest, son. I’ll let you know what I find.”
“I want to see…” The words were killed by a yawn.
Gavin smiled. “The thumb drive and I will still be here when you wake up.”
Mei Lin looked so comfortable.
“Okay. For a few minutes.” He sat beside Mei Lin, deciding to close his eyes for a few minutes. Then he’d find out what Gavin had learned.
The plane lifted off the ground, and the world went fuzzy around the edges.