Five by JA Huss

Author:JA Huss [Huss, JA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Science Future Press
Published: 2017-09-18T18:30:00+00:00

PART TWO

Chapter Seventeen - Five

Three Months later

“Excuse me, Mr. Aston?”

I turn in the first-class check-in line at the gate to see who’s asking. Tall, skinny guy. Wearing an airline uniform.

“Yes?” I say, eyeing how fast the line is moving so I don’t hold anyone up.

“I have an urgent message for you.”

Jesus. What fresh hell is this? I stare at the guy, waiting on my message. But he just smiles. “Well, what is it?”

“It’s private, I’m afraid. I’m to escort you to a secure phone immediately.”

I eye the line again, about to ask if this is really necessary, but asking if an urgent message is urgent seems… idiotic. So I step out of line and say, “Fine. Lead the way.”

We walk fast. And I’m not sure if this is for my benefit—so I don’t miss my flight—or if the message is so urgent we should really be running.

Please let it be the first one.

A few minutes later we enter the first-class lounge for the airline and he hustles me into an out-of-the-way corridor. Which means it’s almost certainly the second option.

“Here you are,” the guy says, panning his arms to a room with a phone and a desk. “Your party is already on the line.”

“Thanks,” I say, reaching into my pocket to tip him.

But he puts a hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. “I’m your complimentary attendant, Mr. Aston. Tips are not necessary.”

I sigh. Yeah. That’s not what I wanted to hear.

He closes the door behind him and I step towards the phone. There’s one blinking red light, which I push as I pick up the handset and say, “Five Aston.”

And silence.

“Hello?”

A computerized voice speaks on the other end of the line. “Please return immediately.” The line dies and all that’s left is the annoying buzz of a dial tone.

Wonderful.

I get out my cell, push the contact for the company jet, and go through the automated system to set up a flight.

It gives me a place—not here at Heathrow, more wonderful—and a time. Two hours from now. I hang up and check my map app to find that the airstrip reserved for me is one hour and forty-five minutes away.

Something very bad is happening.

I want to call everyone I care about right now. And I do mean everyone. Every family member, every friend, and… Rory.

But calling her is out of the question. Not even in the same universe.

So I take a deep breath and leave the room, walk out of the lounge, walk through the terminal, and trek all the way back to the front entrance to my waiting car.

There will be a car. I don’t even need to think about it. And sure enough, when I finally step outside, there’s a driver holding a card with the airstrip printed on it.

So I’m not even allowed to give my name.

I walk up to the man and nod. “That’s me.”

“Very good, sir,” he says in a clipped English accent as he opens the rear door of the limo.

I slide in,

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