Prometheus: Annihilation

Chapter 5

Traffic was backed up to Copley Plaza as we drove down Storrow Drive towards the airport the next afternoon.  I had an old Dropkick Murphys CD playing.  Tessie, their song commemorating the Red Sox winning their first World Series since Babe Ruth's curse had left Boston shattered, had me singing and dancing as we weaved in and out of slow commuters trying to get home or to the Garden for the night's Celtics game against the Timberwolves.

Without warning, Harry, my wingman for the night, reached up and flicked the stereo to a country station.  Suddenly, some whiny crooner was singing a sad song about losing his job, woman, and beer all at the same time.  I was not sure if I could handle such loss, myself.

I gave Harry the evil glare, just as some yuppie in a minivan slammed on his brakes in front of us.  He lay on his horn as we zipped past.  "We almost killed that guy," I told Harry, "and it is all your fault."

"Sorry, boss," he said.

I slowed down behind a Prius driving twenty in the fast lane.  "You should be," I said, returning the stereo to the CD, "you know your depressing music makes me homicidal."

He rolled his eyes like a spoiled toddler.  "I know, I know," he said, "driver picks the music...and since you always drive I'm always stuck listening to this..." he motioned towards the radio. 

I nodded.  He finally understood the ways of the world.

We drove quietly through the Sumner Tunnel.  I always grew nervous driving through the Sumner.  I always imagined some fiery multiple-vehicle crash that ended up with wild explosions...stuck in the middle of the tunnel which ran under fifty feet of water...unable to escape.  I gripped the wheel a little tighter and slowed down to only about twenty miles an hour faster than any of the other vehicles near me.  The horn-honking, which I had become immune to upon returning to Massachusetts, seemed louder and more urgent surrounded by the tunnel leading to Logan Airport.

We emerged in one piece, still alive and not involved in an explosion of any sort, and drove the last ten minutes to the airport discussing what we knew about our potential case.  "So, he's flying in just to meet with us and then flying out again?" Harry asked as we passed signs for various airlines.

"That's what he said.  He is flying in on his own jet, buying us seafood, and then flying back," I said.  We passed the sign for the short-term parking garage and I eased into the right lane to turn towards the lot.  Horns honked behind us.  I gave them my best one-finger Boston wave.  I thought I heard someone yell something about a firetruck in response.

"Wow," Harry whistled, "we made it to the big time."

"I suppose," I said, "but let's be nice.  This guy lost his son and he just wants answers.  Show some compassion."

"Hmm," Harry said. 

We parked the car on the top deck of the garage and headed towards Terminal C, which housed the Legal Seafood restaurant.  The airport seemed relatively quiet compared to the last several times I had flown out of Boston.  A young family with a large sign with McFarlain printed in big block letters was getting out of their sedan in front of us. 

"We're going to get my brother," said the little girl, holding her mommy's hand.  "He's coming home from Iraq."

I smiled at her.  "That's great, darling.  Make sure you give him a big hug," I said.  "I bet he's going to be glad to be home."

"He only has one leg," she said, "so now he gets to move back with us."

"I have metal in my leg from when I was there," Harry told her, knocking on his leg.  It sounded like a tin can.  "Every time I have to go through a metal detector, it goes off."

I gave him a look and mouthed an apology to her parents.  "He has a metal brain too," I said, "he just thinks it is the metal in his leg that sets everything off.  He's like the tin man in the Wizard of Oz."

The little girl's face lit up.  "Ooh," she said, "I love that movie."

"Lions and tigers and bears," I agreed.

"Oh my," the mom, a short, blond woman with a nose that would have made the wicked witch proud, shouted suddenly.  We all laughed.  The mom blushed.  "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to be so loud. 

We laughed again.