Nobody tried to stop them on their way to the airport. Frank kept expecting it; that a Suit would pop out and demand to ask where they were going, or an alarm would sound when they stepped over Vatican City limits, or that the Swiss Guard would suddenly appear in the rearview on the cab ride to the airport. None of that happened, though - what did happen was that Brian tried to spin the airport guys an elaborate lie about a missing computer record, and they pretty obviously did not believe a fucking word of it, and they took Gerard off to a room somewhere and wouldn't let them go with him.
"This is fucking insane," Brian said, pacing up the same six-foot area he'd been patrolling ever since they took Gerard away. "This is crazy. They're probably on the phone to the Cardinal right now. He's going to show up any second."
"Shut up," Frank hissed at him. "Don't even say it."
Next to him, Mikey was jiggling his knee nervously up and down. "He's right, though. We should have stayed."
"For what? For the Cardinal to throw us out and never let us see Gerard again? Fuck that."
"He didn't say we couldn't see him," Mikey pointed out. "He said we couldn't work with him."
"Yeah, well." Frank drummed his hands against his knees. "All I know is, there's no way we're leaving him there alone. God knows what they could do to him, Mikey, what if he ends up like Luke?"
Mikey made a face. "Why would he? They don't need to exorcise him."
Frank shook his head. "We're not leaving without him. If they take him back then we'll just have to find out a way to get back in, okay, it's all of us or none of us."
"I'd say we're about to find out which," said Brian.
Frank looked up to see Gerard coming towards them. He was pale, but he wasn't flanked by any security guys, and when he reached them he waved his hand - that had a boarding pass in it.
"You're kidding," Brian gaped. "I didn't think it would actually work."
"Yeah..." Gerard looked over his shoulder, frowning. "I don't really know how it happened, to be honest."
"Who cares?" said Frank, shouldering his bag. "Let's just get on the fucking plane before they change their minds."
They were even sitting together, in two sets of three seats either side of the aisle.
"Pete's having our things shipped to Craig's place," Brian informed them, after he returned from a furtive trip to use his cell in the bathroom. "And Craig's sending cars to pick us up at the airport."
"Life is so much easier when you know rich people," Bob observed.
Ray waited for Brian to sit down and belt himself in, then said, "You know you're not supposed to use your cell on flights."
Bob rolled his eyes, then covered them with a sleep mask he'd found somewhere. "That's just because they can't figure out how to charge you when you're not technically in anyone's network area."
"It's because it might crash the plane," Ray argued.
"It's a plane, Toro," Bob said, pulling his blue airline blanket up to his chin. "It flies. In the air. With people inside. If it can't withstand someone using a cellphone, then frankly I think we have bigger things to worry about than a slap on the wrist from the stewardess."
Frank snorted a laugh and sat back in his seat. He had the aisle seat, for once, which never happened, but Mikey had decided he wanted the window. Gerard was between them and his elbow kept poking Frank in the arm whenever he scratched his neck, which was a lot.
