The Pilot's Redemption

The Pilot's Redemption Part 5

Chapter 5

    Charles stood on the runway looking up at the night sky. Taking a deep breath to take it all in. Then he glanced down at his phone to check the time. It was 11:55 p.m. As he slid the phone back into his pocket a plane came into view. This one was a definite upgrade from the last one. Once it landed Bill poked his head out. "Bill? I thought we wouldn't meet again." Bill grunted as he struggled to get out of the plane. "Well I thought I'd be married to Taylor Swift, not a woman who keeps complaining that I'm flirting with her sister. Ok so I said I wonder what your sister looks like in a thong and a sombrero. Does count as flirting?"

    Charles didn't want to address that question. Instead he chose to focus on the job and the fact that Bill can fly a plane. "I didn't know you could fly. Why can't you do these jobs then?" Charles questioned as he strapped himself into the seat. Bill responded in an irritated tone. "Because I am of value to this organization. If you go down, no big loss. I go down, so does thirty percent of everything Anthony owns." Charles thought about asking Bill why he doesn't like him but he kept it to himself. It was bad enough he was doing these deliveries to unknown people carrying unknown things.

   Unlike the delivery before, this one would give Charles a chance to enjoy the skies. For a little bit at least. When he landed there was a man looking a little distraught. His hair looking as though he hasn't left his bed in days, his shirt half tucked into his stained black slacks. "Hey, uh, Anthony sent you right? Right?" The man looked around repeatedly while biting his nails. Charles didn't leave as he wanted to get this over with. Also he didn't want to get too close to this man who could be dangerous. Or just on a really bad trip. "Yeah. I'm here for Anthony" Charles replied. The distraught man paced back and forth before entering the small building nearby and emerging with two black suitcases. The man put them in the luggage area and made his way to Charles. "I don't know if you have Anthony's ear at all but tell him….tell him he might wanna slow down."

   Charles didn't know what that meant but something about the way the distraught man said it made it sound ominous. It did make Charles think. But he didn't have time to think as he was on a very strict schedule. Charles looked up and could see the sky brightening. "Shit!" Charles hopped into the plane and flew back to the landing strip with Bill. He didn't waste time in landing and getting out. Bill looked more irritated than usual. "You cut it a little too close. Almost thought you wouldn't make it. No big loss but the product would've been." Charles jumped out and threw two suitcases at Bill. "There, done." Charles began to walk away before turning back and marched towards Bill. "Oh and that crazy, CLEARLY paranoid guy you sent me to meet said to tell Anthony to slow down. Whatever the fuck that means."

    Bill looked shocked, almost nervous. "He said what now? Slow down? Fuck!" Bill placed his hand on his chin and rubbed the stubble. "Go on go. Here's the payment. I gotta make a call." Charles didn't stick around to find out what was going on. He only hoped it was his last job for Anthony.

   A week had gone by and not a single peep from Anthony. Charles started feeling less and less paranoid that he would be ambushed by Anthony into another ridiculous job. "Maybe he took that slow down advice from that paranoid guy" Charles thought to himself. Before he could go deeper into thought about it there was a knock at the door. "Or maybe I spoke too soon." Charles sighed and made his way to the front door. Reluctantly he turned the knob and yanked the door open. "What is it now Anthony? A job flying across the-" he stopped mid sentence as Robyn was wearing a baby blue jacket over a black crop top shirt. Her faded jeans hugged her legs and hips perfectly. Even the black and blue Pumas she was wearing looked good on her to Charles. Robyn looked at little loss for a moment. "So your boss comes to your house to give you work? That's a real 'hands on' boss."