Island of Dragons (Published, Sample)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was Saturday morning, and sure enough, a big fat bonus, along with a pay raised check, hit Miley's bank account. She could not help but smile at how generous Charles turned out to be; a five grand bonus along with her already hefty pay raise check was something not to complain about.

Miley's flight had been scheduled for Saturday. She was still busy but took the day off Friday so she could shop and pack. She hadn't been on a trip since her honeymoon with Toby, so most of her things needed to be upgraded.

Miley had shopped, finding a black and pink suitcase, two new swimsuits, and a few spring wrap dresses. She already owned plenty of outfits, but she figured it would be good to get something new that would work well with the sunshine of a tropical island.

Miley knew she wouldn't need much in the lines of cold weather clothing so all she brought was one sweatshirt. One always needs to be prepared, right? Miley had decided on sandals and a pair of tennis shoes for her shoes, and she packed her bag with all the hiking gear she could think of.

The magazine company had told her the guide would provide her with cooking supplies, a tent, food, and blankets; all of which would be hard for Miley to take on the plane. Other than that, Miley had packed her clothing, notepads and pencils, her camera, and lots of extra charged batteries. She also packed her iPod and solar charging dock for everything.

Miley's bag was packed and she was ready to go by eight pm on Friday. She had her big suitcase packed with all of her clothing and the other items she thought that she would need.

The taxi arrived early and Miley walked out to greet the man with a smile. "Hello. How is traffic today?"

"It's just like any other day in New York. Let's just get movin' so that we don't get stuck in it," he scoffed.

"Of course," she said, then slid into the back seat of the yellow cab while the driver placed her bags in the back.

The drive, like any other, came with its complications. People encroached on the roads; cars were all over, but the cab arrived with plenty of time. "Thanks," Miley cooed as she grabbed hold of her two bags and tugged them away.

The airport was as if she had remembered it, huge. Miley pushed her way through the crowd until she came to the pre-bought-ticket booth. "I have a reserved ticket. Miley Tanner. One to the Galapagos Islands," she told the woman behind the counter.

"Yes. I see you here. One luggage, one carry-on," she said typing rapidly. "First class. Prepaid."

"Yes, that's it," Miley smiled.

"Can I see some identification and passport?" she asked.

"Sure," Miley murmured, scrounging in her purse where she had stored them.

"Thank you," The ticket woman said, sounding as if she had plugged her nose to reply. "Okay. Thank you, Miss Tanner. The plane is AirGul, down that way to gate sixty-five. Its flight number 140 and it boards at 9:05."

"Thanks," Miley muttered as she pushed her ID and passport back into her purse along with the lonely ticket. She looked down at her watch and then up to the clock for confirmation. She had forty minutes to get there. Deciding she would get a latte before her flight, she took off toward the food court.

Miley made her way down the corridor while she sipped gingerly at her drink. When she got to the gate, she sat down on the benches and waited.