The Pilot's Redemption

The Pilot's Redemption Part 7

Chapter 7

  Charles sat on the couch in his living room, he rubbed his hands through his unkempt hair and looked around his apartment. Although he had started cleaning to keep his mind off of Anthony he still couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen. He would soon find out as his front door burst open and two men grabbed him placing Charles arms behind his back. "Mr. Martin. We had a DEAL!!" Anthony walked in and for the first time, he did not look like his usual calm, cool self. "It was a simple job. Cualquier idiota pudo haberlo hecho. But you….You have no IDEA how much you have cost me."

   Anthony clenched his fist and yelled as he punched the wall near the front door creating a hole. Charles struggled to free himself but could not. "What about….Aura? Is she getting punished because….she was there too." Anthony rushed over to Charles and gripped his face. "Aura is already on her way to retrieve what was lost and hopefully I can save face. YOU on the other hand." Anthony poured a glass of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. Then he slapped Charles. "THAT WAS MY TICKET OUT!!! I tell you what though hermano, there is another job that I had to call in every goddamn favor I ever had to get and you are gonna do it. You are gonna fly it to the landing area and it will go smoothly because I will be there this time. No bullshit is happening on my watch."

   The two men let Charles up and made their way towards the front door. Anthony however, was not done. He held Charles' head against the glass of the coffee table with his hand. He pressed Charles' face against the glass causing cracks as he leaned in so Charles could hear him. "This is a two pilot job so I suggest you find that friend of yours and make it happen. Because if you don't, and if anything goes wrong on this job, I will not only kill you. I will cut that very attractive woman Robyn up and send you every piece of her fucking body in separate boxes. Then I will find that hero pilot and make her choose who dies first? Marcus or Maria. Only after every single goddamn person you ever THOUGHT about loving is dead, only then will I allow you to die. You have one week."

   Charles struggled to get to his feet as he thought about what was going to happen. He didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him. Charles finally stood up and made his way out the door. He walked through the town contemplating his next move. "What the hell am I gonna do? I can't let Robyn or Carol get hurt because of me. But if something goes wrong like last time…." Charles took a deep breath and sighed as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. His doubt was creeping in slowly as he took in all the sights around him. Almost everything in the town reminded him of Robyn. The cool breeze blew past as he rummaged through his pockets and found the trinket Robyn gave him.

   Charles took it out and looked at it before clinching it tightly and placing it back into his pocket. He knew what he had to do. First, he had to make things right with Robyn. Charles rushed back to the apartment building and saw Robyn just as she was entering her apartment. "Wait! Please." Charles begged as he placed his right hand on her door. He took a deep breath and looked Robyn directly in her light brown eyes. "Robyn, I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was from the start. It's just….." he paused for a moment to find the right words. "It's just…..everywhere I go people treat me like garbage. That one mistake I made has caused people to throw me out of bars, clubs, even my own home. I know it was wrong and I own it but….please understand.." He paused again this time holding back tears.

   "Please Robyn, understand you were the first person in a long time to look at me like I was an actual person. Not a pariah or monster. You saw something in me that I haven't seen in myself in a long long time. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied, I'm sorry I got mixed up with this crazy guy, I'm sorry to all those people whose lives were in my hands and I almost failed them." Charles broke down and slid down the wall next to Robyn's door. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He knew how sorry he was but it wasn't until he said the words out loud that they got to him. Robyn kneeled down and put her arm around Charles.

   "You have been through so much. I've had time to think and I can't fully forgive you, I can at least try to understand where you're coming from." She helped Charles up and invited him in. They sat on the white couch with black and white pillows of various designs. Robyn put her hand on his cheek and wiped a tear away. "From what you've told me, you have been running from who you are Chance….Charles. You made a mistake and you are truly sorry about it but have you tried apologizing to those people who were there? Whose families were traumatized by the events? Ch-Charles you can't run forever." Charles looked up at her and smirked. "You're right about that. Anthony just gave me a job that if I have to get my old friend Carol to help with. If not, he's going after you and everyone else I care about."

   He sat back and took a deep breath in and sighed. "I know he's shady, always have but I just wanted to fly again. That's all. That feeling of being ten thousand feet in the air, watching the clouds. It always puts me at ease. I can't take that back but I can't let anything happen to you. You don't deserve to be in any of this." Charles put his hands on his head and sighed. "How am I gonna get Carol to help me? She hates me for everything. I mean I was her best friend. We went through Flight School together and I almost cost her the job she fought so hard for, now I'm supposed to ask her for help? How?"

   Robyn ran her hand through his hair and smiled. "You have to go to her as you. Not this version, but the real you. Not the dyed hair and this facade. She has known you for a long time and if you're sincere and honest, well….she might just help you." Charles looked up at her and cracked a smile. "I wanna keep the jacket though." He went to hug Robyn but she stepped back. "You go and finish all this and when you get back, we can talk about us. But you have to come back." She kissed him on his cheek and helped him out of her house.

   Charles stood facing the door and gave a nod before going back to his place to change.
He took a shower and rushed to the airport to get on the first flight to the one city he didn't want to ever return to, Asheville. But he knew he had to. With a small bag full of only the essentials, he headed for the home of his former best friend. Before he boarded the plane, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it. It was Anthony.

"Piloto nocturno, the details are this. You and that hero pilot fly out of that baja calidad town and go to Buchanan Field Airport. I have a hanger THIS time, I have scouted ahead for any ambushes you or anyone might try. Be there with the cargo. It will be waiting for you when you get to that city you love so much. Do NOT disappoint me. Estoy fuera."

*Present Day*

   "And…that is why I'm here Carol." Marcus stood up and shook his head. "Wow. I kind of forgot this was true. It seems like some made up, action movie FXX bullshit to get you to forgive him." Carol looked at Charles for a moment, not breaking eye contact. "He is a terrible person for what he did….but he wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious. He would not risk coming back to this town to see me if this was a lie." Carol downed her whiskey and slammed the glass on the table. "Ok, I'll help you." Charles' eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face. "You will? I thought it would take more convincing." Carol grabbed her jacket and threw it around her shoulders as she responded in a stern tone "Of course, we were friends once."