Page 5 of Spring Break with a Pilot

“Why are you here?”

“Boots is worried about you.” So am I.

She glances back once more before speeding up and cutting through the narrow field to the band of trees. Once hidden amongst the pines, I glance back. The driver is speeding down the road.

“Does the road loop around to the other side?” I call after her.

She stops. “Yes.”

“Is there another way to get where we’re going?”

“We could stay in the tree line, until we get closer, then cut across the road. There will be another copse of trees we could go through. It will be rough. But I did it as a kid.”

“Lead on.”

“Why are you here? And I want a real answer.”

“Do you know what Dax does?”

“Some kind of security consulting.”

“Close enough. He and I work for the same company. Sometimes we do investigations, sometimes we’re bodyguards. Boot’s is worried about you. Dax, is worried about Boots worrying about you. I’m currently unassigned, so Dax wants me to watch over you, so Boots won’t worry.

“It’s a worrying situation.” I grin, trying to lighten the seriousness of the moment.

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

I nod in agreement, which gets me another headshake, but this time she smiles. “Lead on.”

It is slow going in the trees but not more than a mile. She stops and points across the road. “We need to get to the other side of that band of trees.”

“What’s over there?”

“My house. There are a few things I need to get. M-my mom is in the local clinic. They think she had a stroke. They wanted to know if I had any of her old medical records or if she has insurance. She can’t remember, so I need to check for her. I also want to see her, see if there is any improvement.”

“Has she seen any doctors in Love Beach? Any specialist?”

“No. She… she refuses to leave the island.”

“Why? This island is too small. There’s no way it has the kind of care she needs.”

“I told her. I tried. But she’s afraid to leave.”

I rub a hand over my face. “Alright, we?—”

The Beemer pulls to a stop on the dirt road across the way before heading back toward the ferry landing. They knew where she was headed.

“Was that…”

“Yeah. The car that was following you. They knew where you were headed. I don’t like this.”

“Please. They left. Can’t we go? I’ll be quick.”

This is a bad idea, but I can’t tell her no. We’re halfway down the path to her home when an explosion rocks the air and a plume of fire shoots into the air. By the time we get there the cabin is engulfed in flames.”

“How far away is your mom?”

“Not too far. There’s a little short cut I know.”

---