Flight to Freedom (Flight Trilogy, Book 3) (12 page)

“How could that even be possible?”

“All I know is when I woke up from that dream, our reality was different. We were living in a different world than the one before I went to sleep. And the weird thing is that after I woke up, I had knowledge of both lives and the differences between them. I knew that because of the decisions I had made in the dream, my real life had changed and the
other
life was only a dream.”

She sighed. “There is a logical explanation. In my class, we had a section on double dreams, false awakenings, and dreams within dreams. What
you
are calling your
other
life, is actually only a dream within a dream. So when you woke up, all the things you think changed because of decisions you made during your dreams…were actually things that changed from one dream to the next—not in your real life.”

“If so, how do you explain that you don’t remember my first two allergic attacks, even though they occurred before I bought the perfume?”

“Simple. You dreamed it. I don’t know what has been making you have these dreams or what they mean, but I can promise you—that’s all they are…just dreams.”

What Keri was saying made sense, but it all seemed too real. He sat thinking.

Keri said, “So…I’m curious. What was our life like back in Buckhead? Were you still flying for the airline?”

“We left California after something horrible happened to us. Some crazy freak held you and the kids hostage and threatened to kill you if I didn’t fly my jet into the Golden Gate Bridge. It all turned out okay, but after that, I quit flying and we moved back to Georgia. I got a job as a simulator instructor and we lived in a condo in Buckhead. I’m not really sure what happened next because when I woke up, we were back in California.”

“You see! We never left. You just dreamed we did.”

It’s
hopeless
.
She
will
never
believe
me
.

In a monotone voice, he said, “I guess you’re right.”

“I love you,” she said. She kissed him, then stood. “You make life so exciting. I’m going back inside and use this time to catch up on some reading while the children are gone. Is that all that was bothering you?”

“Yeah.”

“You really should think about writing a story.”

“Maybe so.”

It was so much easier to simply believe it was all a dream than try and explain the weirdness. But something inside of his mind wouldn’t let go. If he could find something in his present reality that should only exist in his dreams—an object or a person—he could prove that his
other
life was not merely a dream. Locating the woman named Angel would solve everything, but that would be nearly impossible.

I’ve
got
the
answer
!

Mercy Flight and Captain John Dross. The only place he had ever heard of that company or their chief pilot was while he was living in Georgia—in his
other
life. If he never lived in Georgia and it was only a dream, then Mercy Flight would not exist and there would be no chief pilot named John Dross.

He jumped up and hurried to his office. He pulled up Google. He typed:
Mercy
Flight
,
Inc
.
Captain
John
Dross
.

I
knew
it
!

The website of Mercy Flight, Inc. with a picture of a pilot, three men dressed in business suits, and a female flight attendant were standing beside a Gulfstream G650. In the caption under the picture he saw the name, Captain John Dross, Chief Pilot. It was the same man from his dream—or his
other
life.

He chuckled.

If Mercy Flight and John Dross are not merely figments from my dream, then there is the possibility the woman named Angel is also real. If his last two dreams—nightmares—had anything to do with his imminent future, he needed to find her fast.

I
can’t
tell
Keri
…
not
now
.

CHAPTER 14

Southern
California

Sunday
night
—
April
2003

While Ryan searched the Internet on his computer downstairs in his office, Keri shuffled through boxes in the upstairs, hallway closet. The closet had served as a tomb containing the few personal items they had kept belonging to Martha Mitchell after her death.

There
it
is
.

She pulled a file box from the closet and removed the top. The box contained assorted file folders that were easier left buried in the dark closet: copies of her death certificate, a living will, a checklist for final arrangements, healthcare power of attorney, a receipt from the crematory, and a list of contacts.

She pulled the file from the box labeled CONTACTS. She opened the folder and scanned the single page inside, looking for the name of the assisted living facility in Laguna Beach where Martha had spent the last few years of her life battling Alzheimer’s. When Keri found it, she jotted down the number on a separate pad.

She returned the box to the closet, closed the door, and went to take a relaxing tub bath. While the tub filled, she adjusted the temperature of the running water, and lit a lavender candle. Steam engulfed the bathroom in a cloud of mist.

She pinned her hair up, undressed, turned off the water, and stepped into the tub. The warmth sent a soothing charge throughout her body, relaxing her down to her core. With only her head above water, she let her mind and body unwind with the soft stimulation of the pleasant fragrance.

Her conversation with Ryan earlier had troubled her. Something didn’t seem just right. Even though he had agreed that his fantasy about living a double life was actually a dream, there were moments when his intensity during the conversation had frightened her. If something was wrong with him, he shouldn’t be flying a jet all over the world.

She stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and applied a liberal amount of her favorite body moisturizing lotion over her smooth skin before slipping into her most comfortable pajamas. She brushed her teeth and headed to bed for a few minutes of reading.

“You know I’ve got a trip on Tuesday?” Ryan said, as he walked through the bedroom toward the bathroom.

“Where are you headed this time?”

He called out from the bathroom, “San Salvador. I’ll be back on Thursday afternoon.”

“Will you be off on the 20th for Easter?”

“Yeah, my next trip is not until Tuesday the 23rd.”

The kids were too old for the Easter Bunny, but the family had always put a priority on being together for Easter.

She heard the spray of water from the shower and the shower door close. She adjusted her pillow and returned to her reading, but as her eyes passed over the words there was no comprehension. Her mind was on Ryan. He would be leaving on his trip Tuesday. In order to ease her mind about his condition, she needed to spend as much time with him as possible tomorrow.

Tonight she would ensure he was satisfied and without wanting, and if necessary, again tomorrow night. The world was full of temptations and regardless of his faithfulness to her, she wanted to make it easier on him.

Hearing the shower stop, she placed her book on the nightstand and switched off the lamp. She waited and listened, imagining him completing his nightly routine.

The bathroom went dark followed by the glow of a motion detector nightlight in the corner of the bedroom. She watched his silhouette cross the room. He was shirtless, wearing only his boxers. His dedication to a disciplined workout program and commitment to a healthy lifestyle had kept him from morphing into the typical aging profile of most sedentary men in their 50s.

As he slipped into bed, she rolled on her side to face him. She drew in the pleasant scent of soap, lotion, and toothpaste. The nightlight clicked off. She brushed her leg against his. His hand reached for her and touched her arm. Her stomach fluttered. He pulled her to him. She tugged on his boxers hinting for him to remove them. He did.

They kissed. His hands explored her back. Warmth filled her body. She was safe in his arms.

“Tonight I want to make certain you have pleasant thoughts before you enter that dream world of yours,” she said. She kissed him with passion and then rolled on top of his hard body. With his help, she slipped off her top.

With his gentle touches, his hands continued to please her in all the right places.

“I wish I could take you with me on my trip tomorrow,” he said.

“You can. Just wish it so and I’ll be there with you in your dreams.”

* * *

After checking his flight schedule for the week, he was able to drop his next trip, giving him seven days off. He couldn’t tell Keri about John Dross or about going to Atlanta. John was one of his links to prove that the
other
life was not just a dream.

He shut down his computer and headed for the bedroom. Keri was already in bed reading. “You know I’ve got a trip on Tuesday?” he said as he walked through the bedroom toward the bathroom.

“Where are you headed this time?”

“San Salvador. I’ll be back on Thursday afternoon,” he lied, followed by a nauseous feeling of betrayal.

“Will you be off on the 20th for Easter?”

“Yeah. My next trip is not until Tuesday the 23rd.” He stepped into the hot shower. The warm water poured over his tight mind offering a few moments of relief. Hopefully, by the weekend he would know more. He planned to call John Dross in the morning to arrange a meeting.

He stepped out of the shower, toweled off, and slipped on a pair of boxers. He then flossed, brushed, and gargled, flipping the bathroom light off on the way to bed.

After easing into bed, Keri’s foot rubbed up against his leg. He reached over and stroked her arm then pulled her close. The fragrance of her lotion was refreshingly intoxicating. She pulled at his boxers insisting he remove them. He did.

Electric currents surged through his body, arousing him. They kissed. He had never grown tired of her physically, finding complete satisfaction in her loving touch. She was always eager to satisfy his every need. Her soft hand held him and stroked him gently.

“Tonight I want to make certain you have pleasant thoughts before you enter that dream world of yours,” she said.

She kissed him with passion and then rolled on top of him. He helped her pull off her top—her only piece of clothing. His hands explored the warm soft curves of her body. As he touched her, his body grew tight. His mind went numb as his craving for her grew. His heart raced anxiously. “I wish I could take you with me on my trip tomorrow,” he said, thinking of his trip back to Georgia.

“You can. Just wish it so and I’ll be there with you in your dreams.”

CHAPTER 15

Southern
California

Monday
morning
—
April
2003

Ryan woke early and drove to Starbucks. It was six o’clock West Coast time, nine on the East Coast. He called Mercy Flight headquarters in Atlanta and asked to speak to Captain John Dross. They transferred him to the flight department.

“Hello, this is Captain Dross.” His familiar voice was deep with a noticeable and distinct Southern accent. It was the same voice he remembered when Captain John Dross was his student in the simulator—one year in the future.

“Captain Dross, this is Captain Ryan Mitchell. I’m currently based in Los Angeles flying for Freedom International Airlines.”

“What can I do for you, Captain Mitchell?”

“My hometown is in the Atlanta area and I’m planning to be back in town on some personal business this week. I wanted to see if there was a chance I might be able to buy you lunch one day.”

“What did you say your name was?”

“Ryan Mitchell.”

An uncomfortable silence from Captain Dross made Ryan question his last comment.

“I understand if you are too busy,” Ryan said.

“You said you grew up in the Atlanta area, right?”

“Yes, sir. I’m originally from Buckhead.” Ryan sensed Captain Dross was understandably a bit leery of some stranger wanting to meet with him, especially with the increased attention on security since 9/11. He tried coming from a different angle. “My wife is also from Buckhead. Her father hangared his company’s Gulfstream IV out at Peachtree DeKalb Airport back in the late ‘80s.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was your father-in-law’s name?”

“Hart…Ronald Hart. He passed away in 1987.”

“Ryan, what day would be good for you?”

“Ahh…any day that works for you.”

“You name it. I’m free all week.”

“How about Wednesday?” Ryan said.

“Perfect. I’ll look forward to it. If you need transportation or a place to stay while you are in town give my secretary a call and she’ll take care of it.”

“That’s very generous but I’ve got it covered. Thank you for offering.” He had to fight hard not to accept the offer for a free hotel and car.

“Ryan, I’ll contact you Tuesday evening to coordinate the details. I have your cell number.”

“Talk to you then.”

They hung up. Ryan sat quietly processing what had just happened. The last few minutes of the conversation were unexplainable. After he mentioned Keri’s dad, John Dross changed his tone. For some reason, Ryan’s connection with Ronald Hart had not only opened the door for a meeting, but inspired Captain Dross to roll out the red carpet. Whatever the reason, the meeting was set.

Keri knew Ryan would be flying on Tuesday, but she normally never asked where he was going or for how long he would be gone until the day of the trip. So instead of driving to LAX on Tuesday to fly to El Salvador, he would drive to John Wayne Airport and fly to Atlanta to meet with John Dross. Keri would never know the difference.

His three-day El Salvador trip was scheduled to return to LAX on Thursday afternoon. That would give him plenty of time in Atlanta.

In addition to meeting with John Dross, he wanted to visit the Starbucks in Buckhead where he had first met the woman named Angel. There was a good chance she would still be living in the area. Perhaps one of the Starbucks’ employees might give him some information. Or better yet, if he showed up early on Wednesday morning, she might stop for a coffee on her way to work.