Second Chances (2 page)

Nathan realized he was still standing in the path of the cart and stepped aside.

"Idiot," he heard the old woman mumble in a raspy voice. "Does he think I am going to live forever?"

Nathan bit back the retort that instantly sprang to mind, something to do with being way past the expiration date. Instead he simply smiled back at her as the cart moved forward, which no doubt irritated her more than any comment ever could.

Nathan almost laughed, but then he shook his head. What the hell was he doing? He looked around wildly, his eyes scanning the crowds beyond him. She was gone.

He swore under his breath and this time he made no attempt to keep from running. He hefted the strap for his laptop bag a little higher on his shoulder and bolted forward, quickly slipping past the old woman in the cart, all thought of the would-be witch now gone.

He came to a halt when he reached an intersection. He looked down each of the corridors, even back down the one he'd come through. He doubted he'd passed her or that she had doubled back, but he looked anyway. He briefly considered looking in the shops that were stationed around the concourse intersection, but quickly dismissed the notion. She had definitely been in a hurry, moving with purpose. He'd seen that walk before, it meant she was running late.
 

On a whim he headed down the left corridor, once again cutting in front of the cart carrying the old woman. The driver honked her horn and he heard the old woman once more proclaim that he was an idiot.
 

He could feel his heart racing and he wiped the sweat from his brow. His eyes darted over the masses of people.

The shops ended and the gates began, forcing him to slow and examine those in line for boarding. He did is best to remain calm. From the looks of those around him, he guessed he was being unsuccessful. He hoped no one called security thinking he was some sort of mad man. In today's world people were definitely conditioned to act first, question later and to always think the worse.

He felt himself near panic when he finally spotted her. How exactly he knew it was her, he couldn't say. She was about as far from him as was possible. It was as if everyone in the airport were in on it. The crowds seemed to part for an instant and then there she was, all the way down at the last gate. She was handing her ticket to the woman by the entrance to the jetway.
 

"Paige," he screamed at the top of his lungs.
 

Two people near him jumped back, one woman dropped the soda she was drinking and a baby in a stroller nearby woke and began to cry. He ignored them all, his eyes locked on her. She seemed to turn and look back for a moment.

He was certain what would happen next. She would see him. A smile, her smile, would blaze across her face. Tears would pour down her cheeks and she would run to him.

None of that happened. Instead she turned back to the woman at the gate, nodded and took off down the jetway, the woman closing the door behind her.
 

"What is the status?"

His hands flew over the keyboard, his screens filling with data. "She ran a bit late, but she is on the move. TSA processed her through security and she should...wait a second. Her ticket was just scanned. She made the flight."

"And you have no idea why the sudden change in schedule?"

"No, sorry. You know he doesn't confide in me."

"Don't take it personal. He doesn't confide in anyone. It's his nature. I don't know what he is up to this time, but I don't like it. Hell, I don't like a damn thing he's done since taking over. I'd have crushed him long ago if I could have. But now things are different and I can't wait to drop the hammer on him."

"Orders?"

"Continue to observe and alert me when things go wrong. And believe me, things will go wrong."

"Yes, sir." He hung up the phone and returned his attention to the computer screens.
 

For a moment he felt rooted to the spot. In his mind, it happened in slow motion. She moved into the jetway and the door closed behind her. Once again he'd lost her. She'd slipped away like a dream upon waking.

This isn't like those other times,
his mind insisted. He'd seen her for more than a few seconds, not just out of the corner of his eye and not just from behind. He'd seen her, followed her, lost sight of her and then found her again. And hadn't she looked back when he'd called her name? It wasn't possible that it had been just a coincidence. He stood there, locked in an internal debate.

It was the changing of the board that finally spurred him into movement. He was much too far away to see just what was listed on the board behind the counter, but he knew exactly what that board was and what it meant. It listed the destination and timing of the flight and now it had changed and that could only mean one thing.
 

He wasn't sure if he had yelled
no
out loud or only in his head, but people around him jumped back once again as he began to run down the concourse. The same crowd that had seemed to part for him only moments ago now seemed to be against him. He pushed and shoved his way passed the masses, not bothering to excuse himself or respond to the angry words tossed his way. His eyes remained locked on the door. He jumped to the left to get around a short dumpy man in a wrinkled gray suit. He cleared the man, but not the man's luggage. The world spun as his foot clipped the bag and he went crashing down. He heard the man let out a scream. Nathan couldn't tell if the cry was from pain or just from being startled as his bag was jerked out of his hand from the impact of Nathan's foot.
 

Nathan rubbed his throbbing temple. He could feel a lump growing under his fingers. He wasn't sure if it had impacted with his laptop bag or the floor.

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

He knew the voice likely belonged to the man he'd just nearly run over, but Nathan didn't look up at him. He strained his neck toward the door. It was still closed, but then what had he expected?

He struggled to get up, wincing when he put pressure on his right foot.

"Hey buddy, I am talking to you."

It wasn't until he felt the hand on his shoulder that Nathan acknowledged that the man was even there. Nathan's movements were a blur, at least to the dumpy guy. He whirled around, grabbing the man's arm at the wrist and squeezing. This time there was no mistaking the reason for the man's cry. Pain, pure and simple.

The man opened his mouth to say something, but then he saw the look in Nathan's eyes and quickly looked away and mumbled, "Sorry, all my fault."

Nathan never heard the man. He was already moving towards the doorway again, as fast as he could manage. He winced with each step, but his mind barely registered the pain. When he got to the door he automatically reached out and grabbed the handle. He pulled, but it didn't open.

"Sir?"

He pulled again a little harder. What the hell was wrong with this door?

"Sir, you can't go down there."

Nathan looked at the door, blinked and then pulled once more.

"Sir?"

He finally turned toward the voice. A pretty blond in a blue blazer and matching skirt looked at him, a puzzled look of concern on her face. He pointed at the door.

"I'm sorry. The plane has already been cleared and is taxiing to the runway."

He heard the words, but the expression on his face told the woman that he obviously did not comprehend the statement.

"Were you supposed to be on that plane?" she asked slowly in a soft voice, as if talking with a small child.

Was he supposed to be on that plane? The magnitude of the question seemed to overwhelm him. Was he? Was she? How could she be? Nathan didn't doubt what he'd seen. It had been her. How that was possible he didn't know, it just was.

"Sir?"

He noticed her voice had a slight tremor to it now and that she had backed up a step.

Great, just what I need
, the woman thought to herself.
Where the heck is security? Crazy. Cute, but crazy
.

Nathan noticed the look in the woman's eyes and cursed himself.

"God, I must...I must look like a total psycho," he said with a forced laugh as he rubbed the bump on his forehead.

The woman seemed to instantly relax at the sound of his voice and his words.

"Were you running late? Was that your flight?"

He let out a sigh and seemed to think about the question for a moment.

"No, but..."

She waited, saying nothing. Maybe he wasn't crazy after all, just a bit disoriented. It looked like he'd had a recent blow to the head. She found the thought a little infuriating. She could just see the man getting jumped in one of the restrooms. Happened all the time these days despite the extra security. This city was going to hell.
 

"Brenda, we have a line building here. What are you doing?"

The woman talking with Nathan turned to see her friend Susan gesturing to the long line of passengers at the counter.

"I'll be with you in a minute. I think this guy got jumped."

Susan looked passed her friend and offered Nathan a weak smile. She doubted Brenda would have been half as concerned if the guy hadn't been as cute as he was.

"Want me to call security, Bren?"

"No," Nathan answered quickly. So quickly it startled both of the ladies. "I mean, no thank you. I wasn't jumped. I tripped."

"Are you sure you are okay?" Brenda asked.

"Where was that flight going?"

"Chicago."

"Chicago? Why would she be going to Chicago? Was that it's final destination?"

"No. Chicago's a major hub so there are a bunch of connectors and the eventual destination of that jet was Los Angeles.
 

Nathan shifted his weight and winced at the jolt of pain that shot up his leg.

"Sir, are you..."

"Nathan, please. I can't stand sir."

"Okay, Nathan," she said with a smile. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Nathan nodded.

"Like I said, I tripped. I was trying to catch the plane."

"That plane?"

He nodded again.

"That plane that you weren't supposed to be on?"

"Well not the plane. The woman. The last one you let on before you shut the door. I think...I think that was my wife."

Brenda couldn't suppress her frown.

"She wasn't traveling with you? You weren't expecting to see her here?"

Nathan did not know how to explain just how much of an understatement that was, so he only murmured, "No."

"Sorry," Brenda whispered and continued to frown.

Who would cheat on a guy like this? Did they have a fight? Did she hit him? Was that what the bump on his head was from? Did he hit her? She hadn't looked like anything was wrong. She had seemed a bit flustered, but no more than any other person who had come only moments from missing their flight. She certainly hadn't given the impression she was on the run from anything, only trying to ensure she made her flight.

"I don't suppose that you could tell me what her destination was?"

"That would be a breech of confidentiality, sir...Nathan."

"Please," he began, his voice barely a whisper. "You've no idea how important this is to me."

She looked into his eyes and recognized what was there. She had to force herself not to tear up, the man's pain was so visible, so raw.

"I'll see what I can do. Come on," she said, taking him by the arm.

"Bren?"

"Just give me a minute, Susan." The tone of her voice more or less telling her friend to mind her own business.

"Her name?"

"Sorry?"

"The woman, your wife. Her name?"

"Oh, of course. Paige. Paige King."

Brenda clicked away at her keyboard, her eyes dancing between the flickering screen and the man. A moment later, she turned her full attention to the screen and frowned.

"Only King on that flight was a Thomas."

"Kendall, try Paige Kendall, please."

She clicked away at the keys again and a moment later she nodded.

"Seat 19A, Paige Kendall. Transferring in Chicago with a final destination of San Diego."

"San Diego?"

"She have family there?"

Nathan shook his head no.

"She's originally from Kansas. San Diego? How the heck am I going to find her in San Diego?" His voice was flat, defeated.

"Do you hit her?" Brenda asked forcefully in a hushed tone.

"What?"

"Do you hit her? Cheat on her? Abuse her? Is she running from you? Scared of you?"

The shocked look on his face was all the answer she really needed, but she was reassured when he finally spoke.

"N...no. I loved her. She was the love of my life."

Coming from anyone else Brenda would have thought the words corny, but the sincerity in his voice tore at her heart.

"You swear?"
 

He simply looked at her, his pale blue eyes answering for him. She couldn't help herself. She reached out and brushed the few stray strands of his brown hair from his brow and then ran her fingers lightly over his cheek. She offered him a sad smile and then turned her attention back to her computer and began typing furiously for a few moments before turning back to him.

"She has a three hour layover in Chicago. I can get you a seat on that flight to San Diego. American has a flight leaving in ten minutes for Chicago. There are two seats open on it. Gate seventeen, other end of the airport. Shall I call them and tell them you are coming?"

"Gate seventeen?"

She nodded.

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek, before turning and moving as fast as his ankle would allow.

Brenda reached for her phone. She picked it up and then stopped, a puzzled look on her face.

"Earth to Bren. Now that you've helped the cute guy out, do you think you could maybe do your job and help me?"

Brenda didn't acknowledge Susan. She simply bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

"Bren? What is it?"

"He said, he'd loved her, that she was the love of his life."