None came.
‘What exactly are we looking for?’ Anthony muttered deeply.
Abbey handed him the shopping list. ‘Gibson said everything electrical on the list is in the cockpit somewhere,’ she explained. ‘He gave me pointers on where to look. He doesn’t want the individual components, just the circuit boards. He’ll take it from there.’
Narrow eyed and unsmiling, Anthony stared until she began to grow unnerved.
‘You going to help me look?’
Holding the gaze for a few seconds longer, he said, ‘Where?’
She and Anthony searched together while Eric sat in business-class next to the corpse of a woman. He looked so sanguine, anyone would've thought he was enjoying an in-flight movie.
It took them almost two hours to find everything they needed. When they finally exited the cockpit, they were sheathed in grime and sweat.
*
Daylight had turned to dusk while they’d been inside the plane, and by the time they made it back to camp the sun was losing the battle. Teri’s campfire was ablaze, a handful of survivors surrounded it in a circle, their faces a palette of shifting oranges and blacks. Only Gibson spied their stealthy return.
With a steady eye Abbey settled next to the pilot, his almost translucent skin more evident. The subtle shivering wasn’t lost on her either, a well dug-in fever having taken hold. ‘How you holding up?’
‘Why does everybody keep asking me that question?' said Gibson resignedly. 'Take a look, sister.’
‘Sorry,’ she muttered.
Anthony and Eric joined the others around the fire, James glancing over his shoulder. He nodded to her.
‘I think we got what you need,’ she revealed.
‘Great! Just need to build it now before I kick the bucket.’
‘Don’t talk like that, Gibson, you’re going to be fine.’
‘If you say so, gal.’
Growing concerned with the pilot’s tone, she uttered, ‘Gibson…’
‘Don’t worry about me,’ he said, shifting uncomfortably. ‘If I work through the night, it’ll take the edge off. I don’t think I'm going to be sleeping any time soon.’
‘You’ve done this kind of thing before?’
‘Crash on a desert island?’
‘Irony’s not abandoned you, I see! The radio?’
‘Hundreds,’ he assured her. ‘Bit of a nerd as a kid, wasn’t one for parties. I would stay home and build stuff. It was just a hobby, you know. Better than getting wasted every night on keg beer and cheap vodka.’
‘You just described my college days,’ she smiled. ‘On the flipside, if you had misspent your youth like so many miscreants before you, we’d be further up shit creek than we are already.’
‘It’s probably going to be my crudest contraption to date, gal, you’re aware of that?’
‘So long as it works, it can look like John Merrick for all I care.’
She watched the pilot trying to get his wracked body comfortable, unable to look away.
‘Who’s waiting for you at home, Gibson?’ she asked. ‘Anyone to welcome you with open arms?’
‘I should hope so, gal,’ he grumbled, settling down. ‘My wife and I are separated but we’re still close.’
‘Kids?’
‘Three,’ he announced proudly. ‘Gabriel, Janet and Thandie. Still kids to me anyway. Gabriel’s twenty-nine and has a stake in a retail firm with a salary that would make you blush. And my gals just had their twenty-first birthday.’
‘Twins?’
‘You wouldn’t guess it. Thandie is the lead singer in an all-girl rock group and Janet’s studying philosophy at NYU.’
Abbey smiled. ‘Contrasting angels.’
‘You should hear the arguments they have,’ he recommended. ‘Thandie insists she’s the only one in the family not a “slave to the system.” I’m beginning to think she’s right.’
It was hurting the pilot to talk of his family, emotionally and physically. Dropping the subject, she lay back onto the moonlit sand and peered at the stars.
No matter where you are in the world, you’re seeing the same night sky as a billion other people…
Her eyes traced the constellations from star to star, and from star to star. Did she feel closer to home? She couldn’t tell.
‘Nostalgia,’ she almost whispered. ‘Today’s word: Nostalgia.’
‘If you say so, gal,’ Gibson uttered.
The group around the fire began breaking up, James and Eric heading their way. Eric was gripping the white carrier bag like his life depended on it. ‘We got your things, Gibson Pilot,’ he said excitedly. ‘I found the coat hanger and the toilet roll.’
‘I never doubted you, Eric,’ said Gibson flashing the best smile he could muster.
They watched as the pilot delved into the bag, rummaging through the contents like a child. With Eric’s fascination unwavering, James led Abbey along the sand towards the campfire.
‘What is it?’
‘Sol is still missing,’ he said quietly. ‘He’s been gone all day.’
‘So what?’
‘You don’t find it odd?’
‘He’s a grown-up. He can do what he likes.’
James glanced over his shoulder at the empty beach. He seemed on-edge.
‘Why the sudden interest in Sol?’
‘It’s not interest, it’s concern. No one should be in that jungle alone, it’s an assault course out there.’
As they spoke, Teri came ambling along the bay, surprisingly without a lit cigarette.
‘Mind if I join you?’ she asked, her eyes still decidedly dark.
She received only questioning eyes.
‘If it’s too much trouble, fucking forget it,’ she grumbled and turned away.
‘Teri…’ James said. ‘It’s your fire.’
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled, and began warming her hands.
Behind them, Eric was following Gibson’s instructions, fishing items from the carrier bag and handing them over in the meagre light.
‘Where’ve you been?’ James said to Teri.
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m concerned about people being out there alone.’
Expecting some sharp remark, Teri simply said, ‘Couple of bays along, that’s all. Wanted to be alone.’
‘Did you find a beach free of wreckage?’ he asked.
‘Why?’ she said again.
‘Because
