After taking a walk to try to clear his mind, Gene returned to Wiley.
“Just talked to 3430,” Wiley told him. “They said twenty minutes.”
Gene nodded. “I figured. Which means Gabe should be getting to Colorado Springs in about a half hour.”
“Anything from Gabe or Owen on how Tom is?” Wiley asked.
“Not since the last call. They’re communicating with the Colonel now.”
“I did … I did speak to the morgue lady on the plane. She contacted me.”
This caused Gene to perk up. “And? Is everything with Tom okay?”
“She said he was the same. Which is better than worse, right?”
“Right.”
“Anyhow, she called because she has some location, family tracking app,” Wiley said. “She got movement from her brother.”
“What do you mean movement?”
“Apparently the app is on a phone, when the phone moves, the app alerts. The phone was moving for about two hours. She’s not been able to get an answer.”
“Maybe someone has his phone?” Gene suggested.
“That’s what I think, but, then he stopped moving in Clarksville, Tennessee.”
“Do we know where he was and how he survived?”
Wiley shook his head. “She didn’t give me that. Just his phone number and asked that I try, too. I did. Same thing. Two rings and voicemail … but … fortunately the internet is still up, but spotty. So I reached out to CMAFS to see if they could get me any numbers whatsoever from Clarksville. Anything.”
“And?”
“They gave me a bunch, then they started reaching out like me. Just calling random numbers,” Wiley replied. “They were never hit. We have a whole town of people confused and scared … but alive.”
“Tennessee,” Gene said softly. “Let’s get a hold of Kyle. Give him a destination and see if he can get there.”
“What about Gainesville, have we given up on them?”
“Not yet.” Gene looked down to his watch. He needed to get to the airport to greet that plane, find those people a means to get into town, then after that it was time for Gene to leave Billings.
His work there was done.
He had to find a means of transportation. Either by the pilot, Jeff, from Flight 3430 or a car, because one way or another Gene had to get to Colorado.
He couldn’t stay in Billings happy about finding life across the country, when Tom was fighting for his.
<><><><>
Flight 3430 B - Colorado Springs, CO
Owen knew his brother was nervous. They weren’t only siblings they were best friends and Owen didn’t need for Gabe to say a word. He knew everything that bothered him.
Without question their father’s health, but Gabe was also second guessing himself when it came to landing that plane.
Owen didn’t know anything about flying. But he saw the shifting of Gabe’s eyes, the reaching for a control, then retracting his hand in a quick change of mind.
Perhaps everything going on with their Dad was weighing too heavily on Gabe’s mind.
Owen didn’t get it. He didn’t get any of it when it came to what was happening with his father.
His dad was a fit man, strong. How could just two minutes cause his health to fail so fast?
That was the amount of time Delaney estimated. Two minutes.
Yet he went from running through Las Vegas to trying desperately to catch his breath.
For something to hit him so hard, so fast, Owen had a hard time believing it couldn’t easily be fixed.
He held on to that.
He wouldn’t think the worst.
Owen believed his father would get better.
They were getting ready to land. Gabe made the announcement.
Where was he?
Delaney had gone to the rest room and rushed out when she heard Gabe say they would be landing. Only she walked out to see Tom’s empty seat, the oxygen on it and Gary with a look that said, ‘nothing I could do.’
She wasn’t in the bathroom that long, yet three empty airline bottles of vodka rolled down the aisle as the plane lowered.
Following the bottles like a trail, she saw a bloody shirt on the floor, then Tom seated in the first row on the economy cabin. He wore a white button down shirt that looked like one a pilot would wear.
He was so pale and his shoulders raised and lowered with each struggled breath.
“What are you doing, Tom?” she asked, sitting next to him.
“I came back … to change … the boys … don’t need to see that shirt.”
“They can handle seeing it. Your boys are grown men.”
“They’re my boys. Always … my boys. I can’t … handle them seeing it.”
“Tom.” She grabbed his hand.
“I couldn’t make it back there. Up front.”
“Well, we’re landing.” She reached over and strapped his belt. “We’ll stay here until we land. They are bringing help.”
“I don’t want to be carried … off this plane.” He tilted his head her way. “Don’t let them carry me off this plane.”
Delaney nodded. “Okay. Hold on.”
It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do with the plane preparing to land, but if Tom truly wanted to walk from the plane, it wasn’t going to happen if he went any longer without oxygen.
Using the seats as a crutch, she made her way to the front and grabbed for the oxygen.
“You need to take a seat,” Gary told her as he handed her the tank.
“I will. Thanks.” She carried it back to economy, then plopped in the seat. “Okay, you know this is the last tank. Use it wisely.” She turned the knob and gave him the mask.
“You tried.” Tom brought the mask to his face. He inhaled closing his eyes and showing facially how much it helped.
“I’ll carry the tank.” Delaney buckled her belt. “You keep the oxygen
