The Mind Man

Chapter thirty eight

Shortly before twelve-thirty Laura met Dennis in the boardroom. IT had set up a laptop connected to the office broadband and they slid the label across to 'Meeting in Progress' on the door. They brought up a flight tracking website and performed a search for Texjet Airlines Flight 913. They then sat back and waited. 

"How long is the flight?" Dennis tried for some lighthearted conversation. 

"Just under two hours." 

"I bought some lunch, do you want some?" 

"No thanks. How can you eat at a time like this?" 

"Easy, because nothing is going to happen. The only thing I'm pissed off about is wasting my lunch break watching a blip on a screen." 

"I hope nothing happens. Those poor people...they have no idea they are part of a bigger plan." 

"I wouldn't worry, Taylor, they'll have a lovely flight, you'll see." 

They both withdrew into their own thoughts. Dennis passed the time eating ham and cheese sandwiches and a hefty slice of chocolate cake. Laura's thoughts were on the people aboard the plane. Maybe some lucky ones arrived at the airport late, angry at first for missing their flight and all the inconvenience that entailed, but learning later that they were in fact the lucky ones for not being on an aircraft that crashed. She tried to imagine how they would then feel. This made her think of fate and how some people can have extraordinary good luck while others have incredible bad luck. Life wasn't fair. 

As they watched the small virtual image of an airplane cross the screen she began to feel a little nauseous. Against all her journalistic instincts to pursue a good story at all costs, in this instance she wished with all her being that nothing would happen to the plane. It was her dream to uncover a major story such as this but watching the tiny icon which symbolized an aircraft full of life above New Mexico made her realize that she could never condone the death of these innocent people. She urged the icon to its destination. 

After one hour and thirty-five minutes she began to relax. The airplane was on its approach into Phoenix and Dennis stopped his pacing and sat down beside her. 

"Well, are you going to give it all up?" 

"Yes, I suppose so. I have to admit I was caught up in it all. I'm sorry I wasted your time." 

"There's been no harm done, so no hard feelings. I really hope you find these guys who messed up your place. I can't imagine who they are." 

She kept looking at the icon as it headed on a straight line into the airport. Dennis cleared away his lunch wrappers and he stood up and looked at his watch. It was showing two-fifteen. "Can't waste any more time on this - I'll get back to it." He unlocked the door and stepped out into the hallway closing it behind him leaving Laura alone with her thoughts. 

He had only gone a few paces when he heard a scream from back inside the room. 

"Wait...look...oh no...dear God...no!" 

He burst back into the room to find Laura with her head in her hands on the table. He looked at the screen. The icon had vanished. The virtual map had gone as well and the space where the map had been was now colored in green. All the dialogue boxes on the webpage had cleared except one which displayed the chilling words, 'FLIGHT CANCELLED'. 

They both stared at the screen in silence. It was a long time before Dennis eventually spoke. "You have all the resources you need," he stated solemnly. "Find this guy and try and get an interview. Uncover his story. I'll make sure everything you write gets printed. He has to be exposed and stopped." With that he patted Laura on the shoulder in a futile gesture of condolence. 

He stopped at the door and looked back. "I'm sorry I doubted you Taylor," and he left her, red eyed and sobbing on the desk.