Silos of Man

Chapter 29 - Wheels-up

At minute 29 into the 45-minute drive that we have left until I reach Ryann, my device alerts me to a call. I answer and it's George, who has been seen around my lab a lot more recently since she and Blake have been an item. The voice is panic, "Dany, I just saw Ryann's car upside down far into the ditch on Ginsburg Gate." I'm paralyzed. "Dany!" "What?" I manage to ask. Where are you? I'll come and get you." More paralysis. "Dany! Dany, listen to me," the tone softens completely, which makes it so much more scary. "It looks like Ryann has just been in a nasty crash and we need to get to the hospital. She will obviously be heading to Winfrey. "What?" My cerebrum is refusing to cooperate. I can hear George's car start and being programed, probably with my lab coordinates. I look down and notice that I'm shaking uncontrollably. I'm getting insanely thirsty. The car starts to spin and I clue in to the fact that I'm about to pass out. Ah, I'm going into shock. I realize that I still hear George on the other end of the phone. "George, I'm not at home. I have to go – I have to call Ryann." "Oh, honey", I hear as I end the call.

I call, I video, I text, I call again and nothing. For 11 mins I get static. This is fucking torture. Magan tries to get in touch with someone to confirm delivery of Ryann to the rendezvous point, to no avail. Finally, Ryann calls me, "Babe – sorry, I have my hands full of bags and am frantically trying to give some direction for my team. My mom literally just yanked me...'" I accidentally cut her off by bursting into tears. "What's wrong!?", Ryann gasps when she hears the waterworks. "I thought, I thought, I...Ryann, where's your car?" "Blake needed it this morning because hers is in the shop again and she had to get to the lab. What's wrong, Dany?" With that answer, I feel the air get pulled from my body. "Where are you, Ryann?" "I'm at an airfield full of small charter planes, sitting in a hanger drinking champagne with my mom and trying to remotely delegate on the fly, while waiting for you to be brought to me because she apparently has a surprise for us. What's upsetting you?!" "Oh nothing" I answer while wiping the tears from my face, "I was just really worried when I couldn't get in touch with you." "It's okay, babe, I'm fine. In fact, I'm having a lovely afternoon at the moment. How close are you?" Another call comes through. It's George again. "Only a few minutes out. See you soon."

I answer George's call. "Dany, I can't get in touch with Blake. Do you think your mom might know where she is. Oh jeezus, your mom! We have to tell your mom? I want to get to Blake before she hears." I gently ask, "George, where are you?" "I'm at home. I was coming back from a dentist appointment when I saw Ry's car. Dany, I saw them trying to get her out of the vehicle. The accident looked really bad, Dan. Where are you? I really think you're going to want to get to Winfrey Hospital." "George, it's not Ryann." I hear the shock in her silence. "What do you mean? I saw her?" "Blake has Ryann's car." A gasped, "I gotta' go!", and the call is over, just as we approach the airfield where Ryann must be waiting.

I look over and am further terrified to see how pale Magan has become listening to my conversations. "It...,it...,it's Blake," I choke out as more tears stream down my face. "Yeah. Listen Dany, you and Ryann have got to get on that plane or you will both be at serious risk of harm. You can see that these adversaries are not messing around. I don't know if Tom has heard of the accident yet, and I'll call her to make sure she knows as soon as you're wheels-up, because that's my mission right now. Tom and Hannah will need to get to their daughter who is likely on her way to the hospital at this very moment, so we have to get you on that plane as soon as we can. If you tell Hannah and Ryann about Blake, do you think Ryann will get on that plane?" "No." "Then you understand that in order to keep her alive and safe, you can't tell Ryann about the accident until you are at your destination." "Yes." I am now quite sure that I'm about to have a nervous breakdown but don't know how to break that to this stranger, so I hold it together a little longer.