Phoenix

29. The last hope

​Jin's four-seated Cessna plane was looking just like a small bird above the Markermeer lake which occupies an area of 750 square kilometers. From the cockpit, the water seemed to stretch into eternity, a vast sheet of blue-grey glass that felt more like an ocean than a landlocked lake.
The size of this lake can compete with any bay elsewhere that's how big the lake is. It is situated between the mainland of the Netherlands and the island of Flevoland.

​Sunlight was reflecting on the clear and calm water down below and bounced back with double brightness as if to dazzle the eye of the spectators. The glare was punishing, shimmering off the gentle swells in a way that made the horizon blur. Therefore, they did not see the shore of the lake that appeared in front of them before the very last moment.

​Jin was in the pilot's seat, his hands steady on the yoke but his mind racing. Beside him sat Eva Lawrence, her eyes scanning the landscape to guide him to the location. It had been a frantic morning; they had to try four flying clubs in a row until they got this Cessna for rent. It was very fortunate that an aircraft was found so quickly without any prior booking.

​The time spent meanwhile cannot be called a waste. They just saved the five-hour-long road trip by crossing the lake in the air. The five-hour journey has just come down to merely forty minutes, the engine's rhythmic hum a far better soundtrack than the stop-and-go traffic of the Dutch highways.

​Seeing the shore ahead, Arya tapped Eva on the shoulder and said, "We've Arrived in Flevoland. Show us the way now."

​"The Van Buren's estate is about thirty miles from the lake," Eva said, leaning forward against the glass, "go straight for another ten minutes. Then you may have to detour a bit."

​"Why, you don't know the place?" Arya asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

​"I can close my eyes and still reach there if I were on road. But everything looks different from above. What can I do, there is no landmark or signpost in the sky to know the way apparently!"

​Jin agreed. He should have understood it beforehand. He was so deeply preoccupied with the thought of reaching Dr. Buren that he didn't think of it that much. The logistics of aerial navigation were far different from the tactical ground movements he was used to.

​After crossing the shore of the lake and reaching above the ground, the reflection decreased and this time they could see everything a bit. The patchwork of green polders and straight-edged canals began to take shape below them.

It took ten minutes before Eva said excitedly, "Mr. Kim! To the Right...Can you see the highway? That's the road to Biddinghuizen. follow the way up to the city. After reaching the city, it will not be difficult to recognize the rest of the way."

​Jin shook his head and turned the control column. Slowly turning the Cessna paralleled up the highway, this time he let it run straight. The plane banked smoothly, the wings slicing through the crisp air.

​Arya leaned forward, looking at the sprawling green estates below. "We are going by plane, can we land at the estate?"

​"We can," replied Eva, "An airstrip has been built there. Dr. Buren sometimes brings small planes or helicopters when she comes. Apart from that, it is also used to fly the airplanes in her collection."

​"Collection!" Arya exclaimed.

​"Madam has a knack of collecting old airplanes. They are kept in a hangar next to the airstrip."

​"Whether it's an aircraft or a car... anything antique needs a lot of time for their maintenance," Jin said, his voice practical, "restoration, maintenance-so many troublesome work. How does Dr. Buren manage them?"