Kathy ran up to them as they exited the double doors exit from the Customs Hall and hugged them. The children first, then Jenny and finally Kenneth. Kenneth noticed that her eyes were very moist.
‘I am so glad that you are all safe. I have been fretting since we got your call this afternoon.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Kenneth asked.
‘I am so glad to see you too Kathy. It was so thoughtful of you to come and pick us up,’ Kathy said trying to mimic Kenneth’s voice, causing the children to break out in laughter.
‘I’m sorry. I was just surprised to see you and Marshall.’ Kenneth nodded at Marshall.
Kathy stepped away from Jenny. ‘Wait? If it was Marshall alone you wouldn’t be surprised.’
‘That’s different,’ Kenneth objected.
‘How?’
‘Please!’ Jenny interjected. ‘Let’s get to the house and then we can talk about this.’ She grabbed Kenneth and pulled him in the direction of the exit. ‘You’ve got to cut her some slack,’ Jenny whispered harshly at Kenneth.
‘What?’
‘You know what I am saying.’
‘But …’
‘Kenneth!’
‘OK.’ The kids, Ken Jr. – twelve, Jackie – ten and Jason – nine, ran past them on the way to the car park. ‘Hey kids! Slow down!’ He shouted after them. Jenny and Kathy started jogging after the kids. Before Kenneth could break into a run, Marshall grabbed him.
‘Hey Kenneth!’ Marshall pulled him close, as though he was giving him a man-hug. ‘Isn’t that Janet?’
‘Where?’
‘Just coming through the glass doors.’
‘Kissmeneck!’ Kenneth exclaimed under his breath. They huddled together, like long-lost friends renewing a life-long bond, adjusting their position so they could both watch the progress of a young woman and a slender man in horn-rimmed spectacles. Janet was wearing a pair of jeans and blouse, both of which looked a size too large for her athletic frame, and she seemed to have a slight limp. Marshall started to move towards them, but Kenneth grabbed his arm and nodded towards two clean-shaven Suits following closely behind.
‘Packing?’ Marshall asked. Kenneth nodded. ‘You know them?’
‘No, but they look like government, possibly federal.’
‘How can you tell that?’
Kenneth just stared into Marshall’s brown eyes briefly before diverted his attention back to the group, who had gone through the outer doors and walked about twenty yards away from the exit and stopped. Kenneth and Marshall stood near the exit, mingling with a group of laughing women who exited with three trolleys stacked high with suitcases.
Kenneth took his vibrating phone out of his pocket. ‘Yes Jenny?’ He listened for a moment. ‘Send Ken for the keys. We are still back at the terminal, right by the exit. Tell him to look for Marshall. I may not be there.’ Kenneth hung up.
‘What?’ Marshall asked.
‘Follow my lead. We may or may not get a chance,’ Kenneth said quietly. He watched the group with Janet closely. The two Suits were standing on the edge of the sidewalk, looking in the direction of the oncoming traffic, while Janet stood a pace behind them beside the bespectacled man, his left hand gripping Janet’s right arm. Kenneth leaned over to Marshall,
‘Flag down a taxi. Stop the taxi over there,’ he pointed diagonally past the spot where Janet was standing, but across on the central median, ‘and keep the back door open.’ Marshall walked away.
One of the Suits held up his arm, and Kenneth turned to see a black Escalade fifty yards away put on its indicator. Kenneth checked on Marshall and saw him waving a taxi over to him. The taxi was having trouble making it over to where Marshall was standing because of a white stretch Hummer limousine that was trying to manoeuvre away from the curb.
Come on! Hurry up! Kenneth thought. He looked over his shoulder.
The Escalade was now twenty yards away. The Suits separated. The Suit closest to Kenneth took Janet’s arm. She tried to pull away, but he roughly grabbed her towards him, almost causing her to fall over, and took a stride closer to Kenneth. The bespectacled man stepped back, and the other Suit took a step further away from Kenneth.
Check!
Kenneth looked over at Marshall. The taxi had finally pulled over and Marshall was opening the back door and leaning inside. Kenneth started to walk slowly towards Janet’s group.
The Escalade pulled up. The Suit furthest from Kenneth opened the back door for the bespectacled man, and then opened the front door for himself. The Suit with Janet pulled her behind the car, and they walked towards the other side of the vehicle. Kenneth quickened his step. He was within five yards of Janet when the Suit opened the back door.
Checkmate!
‘Taxi!’ Kenneth shouted, and held up his arm and broke into a jog. He bounced into Janet, throwing her into the rear quarter of the vehicle, and she started to fall to the ground.
‘Sorry!’ Kenneth shouted.
The Suit stooped to try and gather Janet. Kenneth kicked the Suit in the groin, and quickly brought his knee up and slammed it into the Suit’s temple. The impact caused the Suit’s knees to buckle and he crumpled to the ground. Kenneth hardly broke stride. He grabbed Janet and whispered in her ear, ‘Your mother sent me.’
They quickly jogged towards the taxi, dodging rental pickup vans and hotel buses. They slipped past the happy women who were now taking their suitcases off the trolleys and stacking them on the sidewalk. Marshall turned and walked away from the taxi, in the direction of the parking building when he saw Kenneth and Janet approaching. They were climbing into the back of the taxi before Kenneth heard the shouts behind him.
‘Where are they?’
‘Where did they go?’
‘You fools!’
‘Drive.’ Kenneth said firmly to the taxi driver.
‘Where?’
‘Orlando.’
‘What?’
Kenneth glared at the taxi driver, ‘Drive as though you are going to Orlando. I’ll tell you where we are going when we get out of here.’ Janet tried to look back, but Kenneth pulled her head down. He turned to the driver. ‘Don’t attract any attention when you pull away.’
The taxi pulled away from the curb and merged into the traffic. Kenneth slowly raised his head above the seat and looked back to see the Suits and the bespectacled man running around looking for Janet. Kenneth slid down in the seat and smiled.