Blind Faith - Sharon Sala Page 0,78

would be back.

She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, and then glanced at the box.

“Okay, old friend. We’re going to Galveston tomorrow, but in the meantime, I’m going to make a sandwich and have some of your awesome tomatoes with it. Better than chips, any day.”

Later, as she ate, she kept fiddling with the little drone she’d come up with that would release the ashes from below the chopper. She’d been working on it for days, and had everything about ready to go. Once she reached Galveston, all she had to do was land somewhere long enough to fasten it to the struts, and then take off over the bay.

So as soon as she had it ready, she tested the release on the drone several times until she was satisfied, and then packed it and the box with his ashes into a bag and carried it to the counter.

She went to bed but couldn’t sleep, so she sat up and watched TV, unable to relax. Her thoughts were in free fall and unsettled, and she didn’t know why. Maybe when this last request was granted, she could let go.

Finally she slept.

It was just after daylight when she woke abruptly, imagining she’d heard someone calling her name. But the apartment was silent, except for the sound of a slight dripping in the showerhead she’d been meaning to fix. She got up to make coffee.

Thinking about the upcoming flight, she opted for buttered toast and nothing more, but tossed a couple of Snickers in her bag. Benny would have an ice chest packed with water and Pepsi bottles, and she’d be good to go.

It took a couple of trips to get everything into the Mercedes, and then she was off to the private airport where she kept her chopper, unaware of the tag team of trackers behind her at every step of the trip.

The last pair, a couple named Ed and Alma, were in a delivery van, and far enough behind her that she didn’t notice, but close enough they followed her turn off the highway toward a small airport, and the drive up to a hangar near the gates.

They parked on a nearby hill, then watched her and a man in coveralls walk out together and load up some items into a chopper. When they realized she was about to take off, there was a quick moment of panic. Nobody told them she was a pilot, and they had not prepared for this. There was no way to know where she was going, and no way to keep track of her. So they watched in frustration as she took to the air, made one circle, then flew off in a southeastern direction.

“What are we going to do?” Alma said.

Ed pointed at the mechanic, and then started up the van and headed for the hangar.

The mechanic was walking back into the hangar when they drove up and parked.

“I’ve got this,” Alma said, and jumped out carrying an envelope, pretending to be in a panic.

“Miss Wyrick! Miss Wyrick! Is she still here? She was supposed to take this with her and left it behind.”

Benny was taken aback by their arrival. He knew her landlord had died, and where she was going, but he knew Jade Wyrick forgot nothing, and the only person who knew to look for her here was Charlie Dodge.

“She’s gone,” Benny said. “Sorry.”

“Oh my God, this is a disaster!” Alma cried, and then turned in a little circle with the envelope clutched against her chest. “Where did she go? Maybe we can messenger it to her?”

Benny frowned. “I don’t know where she goes. My job is to fuel up the chopper. That is all.”

Alma sighed. Dammit, it didn’t work. Then she looked at Ed and shrugged.

Benny thought that was going to be the end of that until the driver got out of the van and started toward him.

The man was twice his size and armed.

“Oh man,” Benny muttered, and turned to run, just as the man tackled him from behind.

Ed rolled until he had the mechanic on his back and pinned to the ground.

“You can tell me now, or I’ll beat it out of you,” Ed said.

“I have nothing to tell you,” Benny said. Then when he saw the fist coming toward him, he winced.

The impact broke his jaw and the man kept shouting, but he was past answers. Then everything went black.

Sixteen

“Don’t kill him!” Alma cried.

But Ed kept pounding on Benny’s head and body, until Alma slapped him