We didn’t go back to the Des Moines International Airport, but instead to a small local private airport. I had driven past it a million times on my way to work, but never thought I would ever take a flight from there. We drove right up to the plane and security barely glanced at us before stepping onto the luxury jet. I sat down cautiously on an oversized leather seat that looked like it belonged in someone’s living room rather than on a plane. Rachel spoke to the pilot for a moment and then sat across from me in a matching oversized chair as she powered through something on her phone.
We sat in awkward silence as the plane taxied to a runway and the engines powered up. I felt like a creature under a microscope as Rachel tapped on her phone and yet somehow watched my every move. I could tell she was evaluating me, weighing and measuring me to see if I was fit for her employer. I felt like squirming, but I held still and instead observed her.
She was tall, and not from the heels she was wearing. She had dark brown hair and infinite dark brown eyes. I guessed her age to be mid-forties, but she had an agelessness to her that made it difficult to guess. She set down her phone on the console next to her chair and pulled out a file from a bag leaning against her chair. Her face was unreadable; I decided I should never play poker with her. My lips suddenly felt very dry and I struggled not to lick them.
“I looked into you, Emma Jane LaRue of Ankeny, Iowa. Your father is a dentist, your mother his assistant and you have applied to eight veterinary schools in the past month. You won the vacation through a random call into a radio station and you have no ties to any large business.” She listed off the main points of my life as though they were nothing more than a simple report. I gulped hard.
She held up the file and I could see my name stenciled neatly on a corner as she flicked through it. I wondered what the other pages could possibly contain considering how boring my life was.
“You live alone and work as a veterinary technician at the local vet. You are not currently in a relationship and it has been some time since your last one. I know that you met Mr. Saunders on the beach during an emergency and that you handled yourself well.” She paused and closed the file, setting it on her lap. “What I want to know is your intentions with my boss.”
“I don’t have any intentions,” I answered truthfully. “I had intended to never see him again.” Except maybe in my dreams and fantasies. “I had intended to never tell a soul what happened on my vacation. This was supposed to be a secret for the two of us—something that was supposed to be only ours that we never had to share. I have no idea how anyone got those pictures and I have no clue what I am currently doing or what I intend to do.”
Rachel pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. She settled the file back into the bag.
“Good. You are honest. I like that. He said you would be, but I wanted to see it for myself.” A small smile slowly crossed her features. “I’ve actually never seen him smile as much as he does when he talks about you, Ms. LaRue. He gets a light in his eyes that twinkles straight from his soul.”
I could see that she cared for him, like an older sister looking out for a younger brother. A little nervousness left me as I realized that she wasn’t a romantic threat.
“I will be watching you Ms. LaRue, or I suppose it should be Mrs. Saunders. If you try to hurt my boss, know that I am worse than a mother lion. There will be nothing left of you. Do you understand?” The smile turned predatory. No, not a romantic threat... but still a threat.
***
Night had covered the world in darkness as we landed at another private airport. I could see the lights from the city starting to sparkle and shine, twinkling glimmers in the cold winter night. I could see a bridge I knew had to be famous lit up like a summer sky, but before I could even ask what bridge it was, Rachel was hurrying me onto a helicopter.
My interest in the bridge was quickly overpowered by the noisy machine as I climbed in and sat down. Rachel calmly put the headphones over her ears and pointed to a set for me. I couldn’t help it, but my hands shook as I put them over my head. I sat glued to the window as we flew into the heart of the big city. I didn’t dare blink or I would miss something. Buildings taller than my imagination emerged from the darkness as we floated through the air, the lights shone like glittering beads. The entire city looked like an elaborate piece of giant’s jewelry shimmering in the dark.
After only a few moments, the helicopter landed on the roof of a building. I couldn’t even guess how many stories above the ground we were, the building was far taller than anything from my hometown. Rachel carefully nudged me out of the helicopter, comfortable even with the blades whizzing above her head as she herded me toward a strong iron door. As we approached, a suited arm pushed it open and we stepped inside.