Chapter 11

Lukas called his banker to get the $250,000 cashed and transferred to Bitcoin. The banker assured Lukas that he would have access to the funds by midnight at the latest. It was a hefty chunk out of his portfolio, but quicker to access his money than trying to get to his parents’ funds. They would pay him back anyway. “Mom,” Lukas said as he walked into the room. “The pilot strike starts at midnight eastern time, so nine p.m. here, so less than six hours from now.”

Molly nodded but said nothing. “Mom, I’m gonna go. I’ll get to Mexico tonight and find a flight to Dubai tomorrow. I think you should stay here. I’ll be back in a couple of days, hopefully with Dad.”

Molly said firmly, “I need to be there. Didn’t you hear the kidnapper? I must deliver the ransom. They want me. Therefore, I’m going.”

Linda chimed in, “Molly, I’ll go with you guys too, for moral support.”

“Count me in,” Betty shouted.

Lukas understood the need for his mom to go with him, but with Linda, Betty, and maybe Donna, things would get complicated. “Okay, let me secure the tickets to Mexico City first. That’s a little under two hours, and then I can look for the Dubai tickets. Those are going to be expensive, Ma, last minute and everything.”

Molly nodded her understanding.

Linda chimed in that she wanted business class. “It’s a long flight, I’m worth it.”

“I’m not sure it’s worth it,” Betty added. “I’ll just do economy. I’m little.”

“Mom, you are going in the front of the plane whether you like it or not,” Lukas informed her. “I’ll take whatever ticket I can get.”

Betty started giving Lukas her seating preferences. “I like a window seat, so I can sleep.”

Lukas buried his face in one hand, massaging his temples. This was going to be a shit show.

Just then, Taylor came into the room and witnessed the chatter about seat preferences, special meals, and frequent flier points that could be redeemed. Lukas was on his phone checking out flights to Mexico City. “Lukas, can I speak to you for a minute?”

“Sure.” Lukas followed Taylor into the kitchen.

“I don’t want you to be mad at me, but I have something to tell you,” Taylor told him.

“Mad at you about what?”

“What I’m about to tell you.”

What’s he talking about? Lukas thought.

“The stuff with my daughter, her boyfriend, it was all arranged, well not the boyfriend part, that was her idea, but she’s right. We’ll need three of us to do the job.”

Lukas nodded, still clueless as to what Taylor was talking about. What job?

“Sorry, I’m thinking out loud. It’s about my client. We needed three pilots, and Tory figured it out.”

“Taylor, I’m not really following you on all this, but I’ve got to get back to booking flights.

“No, you don’t.” Taylor smiled. “You’re my client, and I’m taking you to Dubai.”

Lukas reared back, stunned. “What? I can’t afford a private jet to Dubai!”

Taylor chuckled. “It’s not as bad as you think. Plus, Tory and I are your complimentary pilots—free of charge. Her boyfriend will be, too, at least if he wants to remain her boyfriend.”

Lukas paused, unsure he heard correctly. Taylor’s grin confirmed that he had. “Jesus, Taylor, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll have dinner with me in DC after we get your dad home. Have you ever been to Delaware Room?”

“For the record, I would have gone with you to Delaware Room or Joe’s Pizza Shop regardless of you flying me halfway around the world. You don’t need to—”

Taylor checked his watch. “Good answer, and I appreciate that, but the clock is ticking. Gotta get going,” he interrupted. “I already filed the flight plan, and the Goose is being fueled as we speak. We can depart in an hour.”

“You named your plane the Goose?” Lukas asked. Taylor smiled. “Ah, that story about Tory as a little girl,” Lukas remembered. “Of course. That adorable story.” Lukas shook his head. “Let’s go tell everyone else.”

Once Molly, Linda, Betty, and Donna were informed of the change in plans, they sat together quietly. “So you have a plane that can fly halfway around the world without stopping?” Linda asked.

“Yes. It’s a Spectrum 6 XR for extended range. It will be tight, but we should be able to make it non-stop if we have a strong tailwind. If not, we stop and refuel. Not a big deal.”

“I’ve never been in a private jet,” Betty remarked.

“Lukas, can you and your mom call the guy at your dad’s company in Dubai? His name escapes me,” Taylor said.

“Patrick Aziz. What do I tell him?”

Taylor pulled out his notes. “I’m planning on wheels up at 19:30 hours Pacific time.” Molly scribbled her own notes. “Landing at DWC approximately 20:00 hours local time. We will need a pickup at the DWC Jetport and probably need some hotel rooms.”

“DWC?” Molly asked.

“Dubai World Central,” Lukas replied, his eyes reading the smartphone search results. “It’s a newer airport, less crowded, and looks like they have a nice reception area for business travelers.”

“It’s also where the kidnappers want to meet us, so we’ll have the Goose there, if needed,” Taylor added.

Molly looked at Lukas for clarification. “He calls his plane Goose?”

“I’ll explain later, Ma.”

“Okay, folks,” Taylor announced, “we have less than two hours to go. If you’re going with us, pack lightly, bring your passports, and be back here in thirty minutes.”

“Will they have food on the plane, or should I buy some?” Donna asked. “I’ll need a gallon of whiskey to calm my nerves anyway.”

“I’ve ordered full catering and bar service for ten people. If you want to bring some snacks or a special drink, that’s fine. Just remember, this is an aircraft and not an RV. And don’t forget your medications. Bring them in the original containers if possible.”

Taylor looked over at Lukas and whispered, “Lukas, I’m gonna get over to the airport about forty-five minutes before we take off. You should come with me. Do you think your mom is going to need help with getting anything?”

“I’ll get her documents together. I don’t know what this kidnapper meeting is about or what I need to do, but I’ll need wireless internet on the flight. Is that possible?”

“That will cost you extra,” Taylor joked. “Yeah, we have satellite Wi-Fi the whole way.”

“Good, I need to find $5 million in the next twenty-four hours.” Taylor and Lukas left for Marana airport to get the plane ready.

Molly was in her bedroom, calmly packing her clothes. She walked over to a large safe in their closet, punched in the entry code, and pulled open the heavy door. Inside sat her unloaded rifles, some jewelry, cash, and family documents. A high-end laptop sat on the safe’s bottom shelf. She picked it up and placed the laptop and its power cords in a black computer bag hanging in the closet. She re-armed the safe and shut the door, waiting for the lock to engage.

She exited the closet and grabbed her phone, sat on the edge of her bed, and prepared to make a call.

When the phone connected, Molly began to speak. “It’s me. I’m getting ready to leave. Please inform the board at nine a.m. tomorrow that I initiated SP4A.2 at eighteen thirty hours Pacific Standard Time. Please send me an email or text when this has been completed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said a voice on the other end of the line. “Understood.”

Molly calmly walked with her luggage to stand with her friends as they waited for their driver. Each woman had a small bag, as instructed, their electronics, travel documents, and snacks. Donna actually did bring a half gallon bottle of scotch with her.

“Why didn’t you just bring a barrel?” Betty jibed.

“Look, I’m a nervous passenger, and this is all I had at home.”

Linda went on, “Donna, honey, nobody is judging you. Just save some for me.”

“I’m judging you, by the way,” Betty jumped in. “But I may have a sip, too.”

About a minute later, the car showed up, and a uniformed driver popped out of the black Suburban. He quickly grabbed their bags and other supplies and placed them in the trunk. “Everyone confirm you have your passports, cellphone, wallet?” the driver asked. The ladies gave him a thumbs up.

Within twenty minutes, they pulled into the Marana Regional Airport and unloaded their luggage. They sat in a lounge awaiting further instructions. “I’ve always wondered what it was like in here. I drive by all the time,” Linda commented. A few minutes later, a porter rolling a luggage cart met them in the lounge area and asked them to place their bags on it and follow him. The Spectrum sat gleaming on the tarmac. It was spotless, and the setting sun accentuated the designed curves and proportions of the aircraft. Sunset was on its way. “Wow, what a beautiful plane. Is that for us?” Linda cooed.

“Where do we go through security? I think we missed security,” Donna said with a touch of panic in her voice, imagining TSA agents tackling them to the ground.

They waved at Taylor in the cockpit and noticed Lukas walking toward the back of the fuselage, where the luggage door was open. “Mom, I’m back here.” The porter wheeled the cart toward the back where Lukas helped to place the bags in the hold. “Good job packing light, everyone. Make sure you have everything you need out of your suitcase. Taylor told me it’s like a maze to get to the baggage hold from inside the plane.”

As Lukas finished placing bags inside, the front door of the aircraft started to open downward, revealing a set of stairs built into the door. Taylor stuck his head out and welcomed them on board. Molly complimented him on his crisply ironed pilot’s uniform. The group stared silently at the spacious interior with warm colors, wood-tone paneling, and cognac-colored leather seats. Taylor pointed out the circadian lighting that changed throughout the flight to reduce the effects of jet lag.

“Welcome aboard, ladies. Please choose a seat you’d like for the next fifteen hours. Each of the chairs transforms into a lay-flat bed.” They stared in awe.

“It’s really a beautiful jet, Taylor,” Molly said, as she clutched an orange leather designer bag.

Taylor smiled. “There are a few sofas that can be used as a bed, and you can turn your seat pods to face each other if you want to play cards or eat together. There’s an enclosed stateroom, which I’m reserving for the pilots, but feel free to use it if it’s vacant. There is an aft lavatory with a vanity and small shower, and there’s a second small lavatory up front.”

Linda excitedly asked, “This plane has a shower? My gosh.”

Lukas climbed on board. “Pretty nice, huh?”

“I could get used to flying like this,” Betty stated.

“We’re just about ready to go,” Taylor announced, “but we’re still waiting on two pilots that should be here within the next ten minutes.

“This jet is capable of carrying eighteen people, including crew. We will have eight of us, so hopefully you’ll find it spacious and comfortable.” Taylor walked toward the galley. “You have a full beverage selection in here, and one of the pilots will serve your meals when we get in the air. We have plenty of meals and snacks, so help yourself whenever you are hungry.”

As Taylor walked toward the cockpit, Lukas appreciated his posterior view. “Lukas, can you join me for a second?”

“Has anyone told you that you have an amazing ass?” Lukas told him brazenly. Taylor just smiled, and Lukas thought he detected a slight blush on him. Lukas moved to the co-pilot seat. “Sorry, I should not say the first thing that comes into my head,” Lukas said, a bit chagrined.

“I’m not complaining.” Taylor smiled while he pointed at a small dot in the sky. “That’s Tory. She’ll be here in a few, and we’re ready to go.”

Lukas grabbed Taylor’s hand. “Thank you so much for doing this. I can’t even imagine…”

“It’s strange, Lukas,” Taylor commented. “It feels like I’ve known you for months. Like I’m doing this for a friend.” Friend? Lukas thought, but he smiled anyway. “I clarify, a very hot friend who I can’t stop looking at,” Taylor pushed to get a reaction.

Lukas smiled. “Back at you, but I know what you mean. I never predicted my week would end like this. It kind of feels like a big, weird dream.”

“Fate, I guess.” Taylor smiled. “And we’re just getting started with the interesting part. Are you ready for this?”

Lukas nodded. “I’ve got a question, though. This plane is impressive and all, but I can’t grasp how it can fly over eight thousand miles on one tank of gas.”

“That’s a great question, Lukas. These planes are pretty advanced. Musk has one. So does Bezos. Oh, and one of the Kardashians, plus hundreds of businesspeople and celebrities who need to get around the world quickly,” Taylor explained with pride. “It’s the longest-range business jet around, holds seven and a half thousand gallons of jet fuel, and can fly at over fifty thousand feet in altitude where we can almost hit the speed of sound.”

Lukas told him, “I’m at least paying for the gas.”

“We’ll negotiate that later.” Taylor smiled. “Let’s go get your dad.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Lukas noticed a smaller jet pulling up close to the Goose. When the door opened, a tall woman with shoulder-length, straight blonde hair stepped onto the aircraft stairs. Next followed an attractive man in his late twenties or early thirties. All Lukas could see was that he was tall, had jet-black hair, muscular arms, and he deduced he was Tory’s mystery boyfriend. “Well, he looks…nice,” Lukas commented.

“Stop it, bad boy. That could be my future son-in-law.” Taylor rolled his eyes. “I haven’t met Taylor’s boyfriend in person, so this is the first time. I’ve only seen him on video chats. He’s taller than I expected.”

The duo climbed up the stairs to the Goose, and Tory immediately ran to hug her dad.

“There’s my girl. I’m so happy to see you!”

“Wouldn’t miss it, Dad.” She looked at Lukas, and she went to hug him. “I’m assuming you’re Lukas, or I’m just hugging a random man. You didn’t tell me he was so cute, Dad.”

Taylor nodded. “Well, what would you expect?”

Lukas approached Tory. “Your dad has told me about you, and I can’t thank you enough for being here.”

“I love flying the Goose with Dad. And I’m here to get your dad, too. This is my boyfriend, Diego.”

Diego reached out his hand to Lukas first. “Hello, Mr. Lukas. Mr. Pastore, it’s nice to see you live and in person.” Diego Paul was six feet tall, had an athletic build, dark wavy hair, and bright blue eyes.

“Are you living in Mexico?” Lukas asked.

“Yes sir. Mexico City.” Lukas thought his accent sounded slightly different from other Spanish speakers he knew. Maybe Diego just lived in Mexico but came from somewhere else or even a different part of Mexico. Lukas was good at understanding some accents, but others were a mystery to him. They would have plenty of time to get to know each other, so he made a note to ask him then. Diego had a genuine, warm smile, and Lukas immediately felt comfortable with him.

Taylor whispered to Diego, “Thanks for coming along. I owe you one.”

“No problem. It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.”

Taylor closed the aircraft door while Lukas took Tory and Diego to meet his mom and her friends. There was a double ping that indicated they were ready for departure. “Tory and Mr. Pastore will fly the first leg,” Diego explained to the passengers. “I’ll try and get some rest, and then I’ll take over for one of them. We will rotate every three to five hours. Mr. Pastore is the captain, and we will follow his direction.”

Donna fidgeted with her seat controls while Diego spoke to them. She was visibly nervous about flying so far, so she focused on the view out the window. “I hate being a passenger,” she grunted softly.

Taylor’s voice filled the cabin. “Ladies and gents, we’re about to take off, so I need you to make sure your seatbelts are fastened. Our route will take us in a northeasterly direction where we will cross the Canada border, then we will head north close to the pole. We will then dip down over central Russia and follow that to cross over Georgia, the country not the state, Armenia, Turkey, and then Iraq. We are restricted from flying over Iran due to our aircraft being registered in the United States. After that, it’s a straight shot to Dubai. We will be flying high today, about 50,000 feet, and at a speed of Mach .93, which is just below the speed of sound. The strong tailwind will help us save fuel.”

It still boggled Lukas’ mind that Taylor’s jet could fly so far so fast. He wondered how much this was going to cost him, but he quickly put that thought out of his mind. Finding his father and getting him home was the priority now. The whir of the engines intensified as Taylor piloted the plane down the taxiway onto the runway. “Folks, we have a pretty short runway here at Marana and some tall mountains we have to cross, so I’ll be taking a pretty steep climb out. Please keep your belts fastened and try not to move around until we give you the go-ahead.”

Lukas was sitting across from his mom, who had her eyes closed. What was she thinking about? “Ma, you good?”

“I’m fine, honey. I still can’t believe all this has happened in such a short amount of time.”

“It’s surreal.” The plane pivoted 180 degrees and lined up with the runway. “Looks like this is it. Ready, Ma?”

Molly smiled and nodded.

The Spectrum’s engines roared, providing thrust to power the plane to takeoff speed as it lurched ahead down the runway. The plane’s power was evident as the acceleration force held them in their seats. This plane was designed to go fast, and the cabin was surprisingly quiet. As they hit takeoff speed, Taylor pulled back, and the nose lifted off the ground, followed shortly by the rest of the plane. The landing gear retracted immediately into the fuselage.

The passengers quietly stared out the large porthole windows as the Goose climbed out of Tucson. It was almost dusk, and Lukas spotted thousands of saguaro cacti dotting the sides of mountains that cast distorted shadows that looked like goblins. The exhilarating views captivated everyone. That is, for everyone except Donna, who sat rigid in her seat, hands clenched and her eyes squeezed shut. Lukas shot her a thumbs up in thanks to Donna—already not a fan of flying, but all in for a fifteen-hour flight halfway around the world just to support her friend. The plane’s angle leveled off, and soon Taylor emerged from the cockpit, curious how well the passengers had settled into their home for the next fifteen hours. Linda and Betty had their eyes shut, as Donna distracted herself with her laptop.

Taylor walked back to the crew stateroom for a few minutes. He and Diego had a brief conversation before Diego walked up to the cockpit. Lukas moved toward the back of the plane to set up his inflight internet connection and workspace.

Linda and Betty awoke, startled and disoriented after their brief power nap, while Donna adjusted their seats to face each other, a small table between them. Betty remarked that it reminded her of a train.

“How’re you doing?” Taylor asked Lukas.

“Just trying to get set up here. I’ve got a lot of work to do on the way to Dubai. I need to connect with my team in Croatia to get some data and ideas on how I can get this ransom together. It’s still early morning there, so I’ll wait a few hours.”

“Why don’t you get some sleep until then?” Taylor suggested. I’m gonna try to myself. You mind?” Taylor pointed to the empty seat next to Lukas.

“Of course not.” Lukas stood to let him in. Taylor sat and reclined his seat. “I changed my mind. I’ll let the kids do the first leg, then I’ll replace one of them, and we rotate like that.”

Lukas saw that his mom and her friends were already starting to doze off, no doubt tired from the frenetic day. “Why don’t you sleep with me?” Taylor said, and then caught himself. “I mean not with me but next to me—you know what I mean. You make me all tongue-tied, Dr. Halloran.”

“Sure, I could use a nap. I’m relieved we’re finally on our way.” Lukas reclined his seat to the same angle as Taylor’s. The cabin was mostly dark, except for the LED accent lights that glowed a cool blue.

Taylor reached out and touched Lukas’ hand. “Is this okay?” He then intertwined his fingers with Lukas’.

“This is better than okay. Sleep tight.” Lukas raised their joined hands and kissed the back of Taylor’s. Pretty soon, their hands were on each other’s thighs. Heat rose from Taylor’s athletic legs.

Despite the sadness, stress, and emotion of this week, Lukas appreciated the kind soul sleeping next to him. As he was resting, Lukas suddenly felt a rush of panic. What am I doing? Random memories of Drew raced through his head as he tried to calm himself. He tried to rationalize his thoughts. Yes, I just met this guy. Yes, I promised myself I’d never get hurt again. But he’s such a nice man. What if he’s psycho? He pulled his hand away from Taylor and eventually calmed his mind and drifted off to sleep. When Lukas woke up, he noticed his mother sitting with her eyes open, staring at nothing, either deep in thought or terrified of something. Lukas walked over to her. “Ma, are you doing okay?”

“I think I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I know. This has got to be tough for you…”

“Honey, I’m not talking about your father. Of course, I’m concerned about him, but it’s only a matter of time until we can see him, hopefully.”

“Then what is on your mind? I’m not a little boy; you can tell me anything.”

“I know I can, sweetheart.” Molly looked out of the plane window. “I wonder where we are?”

Taylor, awake now, stared out the window. “We are making good time. Just passing over Hudson Bay.”

Molly nodded. Lukas saw the look of worry in her eyes. She rustled Linda, Donna, and Betty awake. Linda instinctively knew what was going on. “You gonna tell him?” Linda asked.

“Can we get some space for the six of us?” Molly asked. “Taylor, you can inform your daughter and her friend, okay? Actually, it won’t mean much to them. Scratch that thought.”

Taylor nodded.

Lukas thought, tell him what? as he pondered Linda’s question.

They found a spot where all six of them could sit. Molly sat down, brushed the wrinkles out of her slacks, and sat back tall in the chair.

“Ma?”

Molly cleared her throat. “As of six thirty p.m. Pacific Time yesterday, I invoked article SP4A.2 in the Phoenix Equities corporate charter. The board will be informed tomorrow morning at nine a.m. that I am now CEO and Chairman of the Board.”

Lukas sat in stunned silence. “Does this mean you don’t think Dad’s coming back?”

“On the contrary,” Molly responded. “I want to ensure that we can make fast decisions without a lot of squabbling and interference from the board. Article SP4A.2 not only names a temporary successor, but it also nullifies their power to screw with decisions I need to make.”

“Do they know you can do this?” Lukas asked.

“If they don’t, they didn’t read their contract. Once the crisis is over, they will be reinstated and compensated for their time.” Molly looked at Lukas. “I’ve been able to amass the ransom and pay you back, Lukas, for the Bitcoin transaction you made today. That was very sweet of you.”

How did she know about that? Lukas thought.

“And finally,” she concluded, “I was able to charter this beautiful jet to go rescue my husband, thanks to Taylor and his daughter…and don’t even think I’m not paying you for your time.” Taylor looked over at Lukas and lifted his eyebrows, indicating that he was sworn to secrecy.

“I have one more thing you need to know. It’s about Poseidon.” Molly took a deep breath. “I believe that’s why your father was taken.”

“Why would he be kidnapped for investing in a company? What does this company make?”

“Poseidon is a technology, an amazing technology. The company was built around it, and Phoenix bought it. Your father is so idealistic, which is what I love about him.”

“So what does this technology do that someone would want to hold dad hostage?”

Molly took another deep breath and calmly said, “The technology itself is sound, but there have been people who have tried to manipulate it.”

“To do what?” Taylor asked.

Molly lowered her head for a moment. “Something I never thought was possible.”