He began to walk quickly after her, barely resisting the urge to run. He gave almost no thought to his suitcase. It was still by the window where he'd been only moments ago. Someone would take it to baggage claim or more likely steal it. Either way he didn't much care. His only concern was keeping the specter of the past in his field of vision.
It was the third blast of the horn, well perhaps blast was a bit strong as it came from what was basically an overgrown golf cart, that finally got him to look away. He turned to see a transport car directly behind him. The driver was a slim black woman in a blue pantsuit. She gave him a cockeyed smile as if to say she was sorry, her eyes darting to the seat next to her. She was a hundred and seven if she was a day. Her skin was somehow taut and wrinkled at the same time. Her hair was that special blue that is reserved only for women over eighty and it matched the two beady eyes that were perched above her sharp beak of a nose. A surprised smile crossed Nathan's face as he imagined her dressed all in black, instead of the horrid floral dress she was currently in, with a wart on the end of her nose. She sneered at him and then banged the brass top of her cane against the side of the vehicle.
Nathan realized he was still standing in the path of the cart and stepped aside.
"Idiot," he heard the old woman mumble in a raspy voice. "Does he think I am going to live forever?"
Nathan bit back the retort that instantly sprang to mind, something to do with being way past the expiration date. Instead he simply smiled back at her as the cart moved forward, which no doubt irritated her more than any comment ever could.
Nathan almost laughed, but then he shook his head. What the hell was he doing? He looked around wildly, his eyes scanning the crowds beyond him. She was gone.
He swore under his breath and this time he made no attempt to keep from running. He hefted the strap for his laptop bag a little higher on his shoulder and bolted forward, quickly slipping past the old woman in the cart, all thought of the would-be witch now gone.
He came to a halt when he reached an intersection. He looked down each of the corridors, even back down the one he'd come through. He doubted he'd passed her or that she had doubled back, but he looked anyway. He briefly considered looking in the shops that were stationed around the concourse intersection, but quickly dismissed the notion. She had definitely been in a hurry, moving with purpose. He'd seen that walk before, it meant she was running late.
On a whim he headed down the left corridor, once again cutting in front of the cart carrying the old woman. The driver honked her horn and he heard the old woman once more proclaim that he was an idiot.
He could feel his heart racing and he wiped the sweat from his brow. His eyes darted over the masses of people.
The shops ended and the gates began, forcing him to slow and examine those in line for boarding. He did is best to remain calm. From the looks of those around him, he guessed he was being unsuccessful. He hoped no one called security thinking he was some sort of mad man. In today's world people were definitely conditioned to act first, question later and to always think the worse.
He felt himself near panic when he finally spotted her. How exactly he knew it was her, he couldn't say. She was about as far from him as was possible. It was as if everyone in the airport were in on it. The crowds seemed to part for an instant and then there she was, all the way down at the last gate. She was handing her ticket to the woman by the entrance to the jetway.
"Paige," he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Two people near him jumped back, one woman dropped the soda she was drinking and a baby in a stroller nearby woke and began to cry. He ignored them all, his eyes locked on her. She seemed to turn and look back for a moment.
He was certain what would happen next. She would see him. A smile, her smile, would blaze across her face. Tears would pour down her cheeks and she would run to him.
None of that happened. Instead she turned back to the woman at the gate, nodded and took off down the jetway, the woman closing the door behind her.
CHAPTER TWO
"What is the status?"
His hands flew over the keyboard, his screens filling with data. "She ran a bit late, but she is on the move. TSA processed her through security and she should...wait a second. Her ticket was just scanned. She made the flight."
"And you have no idea why the sudden change in schedule?"
"No, sorry. You know he doesn't confide in me."
"Don't take it personal. He doesn't confide in anyone. It's his nature. I don't know what he is up to this time, but I don't like it. Hell, I don't like a damn thing he's done since taking over. I'd have crushed him long ago if I could have. But now things are different and I can't wait to drop the hammer on him."