Page 13 of Jason
Chasen, from maybe three feet away, pulled down the mic and said, “We’ve arrived at King Harbor Regional Airport.Please wait until the captain has come to a complete stop before removing your seat belt or standing.Thank you.”He hung up the mic.
Of course Mallory waited until the captain had come to a complete stop.She dragged her fingers through her hair and rooted around for her bag.She didn’t know what to expect, but that airport looked so small that she was suddenly hoping Jason hadn’t stuck her in some fishing cabin for the weekend.She knew the Blackthornes were very wealthy…but she also knew how eccentric wealthy people could be.Hollywood was filled with wealthy weirdos.
When the plane had parked, Chasen opened the door.Someone had rolled steps up to the plane.“I guess this is goodbye,” Mallory said to Chasen.
“It is,” he confirmed and with his arms folded over his middle, he indicated with his chin she should exit.
“Okay!Thank you!”Mallory stepped out onto the top level of the stairs then proceeded to descend like a celebrity.Unfortunately, no one was around to see her do it.
She continued on, to the tiny terminal.
Inside, there were a few people milling about.There was one airline counter for Caribou Air, and two car rental counters that were manned by the same woman.She waited until a man in a yellow vest delivered her small suitcase, then rolled it the twenty feet across the terminal to the front window.As instructed, she’d placed a call to King Harbor Limos before taking off.The man who’d answered said, “Okay, when did you say you needed pickup?”
Mallory had repeated her flight information.
“Got it.See you then.”
“Wait!”Mallory said before he could hang up.“Isn’t there a confirmation number or something?”
“A what?No, none of that.I’ll be there.”And he’d clicked off.
Well, if he was here, he was not presenting himself.She looked around the tiny waiting area, but she didn’t see anyone who looked like a driver, no one in a dark suit of clothing.No one holding a brightly lit iPad displaying her name.There was hardly anyone at all.
Mallory took one of eight seats and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.She tried to call King Harbor Limos, but got no answer.Two passengers leaving King Harbor eventually picked up their bags and walked out on to the tarmac.The rental car agent shut off the lights over her two counters.Mallory pulled out her phone and texted Jason:
At the airport.
She studied the text, wondering if she ought to say more.Like,Your limo service flaked out on me,orI cannot believe you made me fly out here.While she debated what else to say, three dots appeared on the bottom of her screen.And then vanished.
Mallory frowned.She was starting to worry.The guy behind Caribou Air kept looking at her, then looking at his watch.The terminal, such that it was, was closing up shop and Mallory had been waiting for over an hour.
She used her phone to google a hotel or inn—some place to stay in King Harbor.And then she began to wonder how in hell she would find her way out of King Harbor if Jason had flaked on her and flown off to Boston or—and she’d seriously kill him this time ifthat’swhat he’d done—when a white van pulled up outside the glass doors and screeched to a stop.The driver door flew open and a mountain of a man bounced out and hurried to the doors of the terminal holding a crumbled piece of paper in his hand.He yanked open the doors like he was late for a flight and then stood with his legs braced apart, looking around.He was wearing a newsboy cap and a leather vest, had a long, scraggly gray beard.He reminded her of someone…who was it?
The name suddenly struck her—he looked very much like George RR Martin, the creator of theGame of Thronesfantasy series.Mallory’s heart skipped a beat.For one tiny moment, she thought Jason might have hired —
“Mallory?Mallory Prince?”
Mallory gained her feet and stood uncertainly.“Price.”
He looked at his paper.“Right.Got some cousins in Texas named Prince.Confused you with them.”The man adjusted his glasses.“Need a ride to the Blackthorne place, that right?”
That was right.She nodded.Her gaze slid to the plate glass windows and the windowless white van.The man’s gaze followed hers.“Flowers.”
“Oh.I thought it was supposed to be, ah… I understood it was a limo service?”
“That’s my brother.But he’s got a…” he made a whirling motion with his hand, “well let’s just call it a situation,” he said.“So I came to get you.That your bag?”he asked, gesturing to the one at her feet.
“Yes.”She picked it up, but he trundled forward and grabbed it from her.
“Come on,” he said, moving toward the door.“We’re late.”
Mallory thought that the “we” in that statement was spreading the blame for being late a little too wide.She hurried to catch up with him, very uncertain about him and this van business.Did no one watch crime shows?
George RR Martin glanced over his shoulder at her.“Are you a Blackthorne?”
