"Something's out there. There was a huge noise."
He slipped out of her grasp, yawned and stood. After peering out the windows on the left side of the plane and then the right, he turned. "Don't see anything. Or anyone. I'll go check the cockpit windows."
Thall returned a few moments later and sat next to her. "There is a tree down on the runway, just near the nose of the plane. I may have to move it so we can get out of here tomorrow. I think that's what you heard. I don't see any lights or anything moving."
Capri looked out the nearest window. "That big lump we saw. It's gone."
"Probably just an animal." He yawned and scratched his stomach. "Back to sleep. You okay on the couch, or should I stay and hold you?" I vote for stay.
She scrunched her nose. "No, you go sleep on your couch. I'm a big girl. And you’re a warrior. I'll be safe."
As Thall settled onto his couch, he chuckled. "My name means warrior. The biggest battle I fought recently was for a chair at the local bar." He pulled up the blanket and closed his eyes. For a first day of being human, this was a pretty good one. I flew a plane. Drank wine. Definitely loving the wine. Held Capri in my arms and actually felt her body. Touched her flesh. Smelled her perfume. Being human has some benefits. He yawned and slipped into sleep.
The morning sun rose high enough that the rays peeked over the edge of the window near Thall's head. He squeezed his eyes tighter. "Too early."
After tossing and turning and not settling back to sleep, Thall shrugged off the covers and climbed out of bed. Capri still slept. Her arm was tucked under her head, which was turned to the side. A tiny smile lingered on her lips.
What are you dreaming about, I wonder? Hope it's me. He grabbed his duffel bag and padded off to the airplane's small restroom.
With a shower not being an option, he struggled with using the tiny sink to shave then dressed and tiptoed past Capri into the galley. He pulled a bag of coffee grounds off the shelf, poured them into the coffee maker and pressed the on button. While the coffee brewed, he glanced out the cockpit window. A tall palm tree lay partially on the ground and on the runway. He scratched his head as he pondered how he was going to move it.
The smell of coffee wafted into the cockpit. He returned to the galley, poured himself a cup, then walked to the door. Unlocking it, he pressed the button for the stairs and pushed the door open. Warm, fresh, humid air flowed past his face as he stepped out into the bright sunshine. Palm fronds and other debris were scattered about the runway. They would need to clean the mess before attempting to takeoff.
Looking to the left, he flinched. Another tree had crashed, and this one was close to the tail of the plane. Mentally crossing his fingers that it did not hit it, he trotted down the steps and walked toward the tree. He sipped his coffee then shook his head. Lucky or what? The thing missed us by a couple of inches.
"Good morning." Capri waved from the top step.
"Morning. Coffee is made. In the galley."
"I'll join you in a moment." She disappeared back into the plane.
Thall wandered around the plane, checking for any damage and was relieved to see none.
Holding her mug of coffee, Capri stepped beside him. She had dressed in a pair of light brown shorts, matching sandals and a colorful short sleeve top. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. "Well, that was close."
He inhaled the fragrance of her perfume. This smell was different. It was sweeter. It made him think of food, which made his stomach rumble. "I don't think it hit the plane. But I'm more worried about the one in the front."
He led her up the side of the plane and helped her step over the palm tree's trunk. "It missed us too, but I can't drive over it, so we have to move it."
"They don't make all-terrain airplanes?"
He shook his head. "It's this simple. We don't move it. We don't fly."
She swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "I'm guessing you don't have a chain saw on board?"
"You're guessing right." He grinned. "Can I assume you didn't pack one?"
"I did, but at the last moment I decided to bring another pair of high heels, and something had to go." She shifted her hands as if she was weighing the items. "Chainsaw. Heels. I tossed the chainsaw."
"Why don't you go rummage through the galley and see what you can rustle up for breakfast and I'll…" He rubbed his chin. "I'll have some brilliant inspiration and figure out how to move this thing."
"What's that?" Capri jumped closer. Her mug bumped his arm and coffee spilled on his bare flesh.
"Ow. Hot." He swiped at it then glanced up. "What?"
"Over there." She pointed. "Something moved." She lifted her mouth closer to his ear. "Do you think the smugglers have returned?"
"No, they wouldn't creep out of the bushes. Stay here. I'll go check." Thall took two steps forward, and Capri raced up and grabbed his arm. A warm feeling of pride flushed through him. I can do this. I can play warrior.
A super-sized lizard waddled out of the trees and meandered toward the runway. Its massive tail draped on the ground rustling branches as it dragged across them. The animal swayed its head from side to side and flicked its tongue in and out as if testing the air.
Capri tightened her grip on Thall's arm. "It looks like a little dinosaur."
Thall paused. "Not a dinosaur, it's a dragon."
"I'd believe it was a dinosaur before I'd think it was a dragon. Where's the fire?"
"I didn't say fire-breathing dragon. It's a Komodo dragon. They live here. He's probably looking for some small animals that might have been killed in the storm."
She took half a step behind Thall. "If he's looking for little things then why is he looking at us?"
"Curious. Let's go back to the plane."
Capri checked over her shoulder as she followed him. "It isn't going to sneak up on us or anything?"
"I think we're safe enough. Once he decides we're not dinner, he'll go away." He glanced back at the animal. "That's most likely what you saw moving last night. The storm may have disturbed him." He looked up and down the runway as they crossed it. "Now, all we have to do is get out of here before the smugglers want their runway back."
They paused at the foot of the steps. Capri pointed toward the front of the plane. "You move the tree. I'll make some breakfast." She bounded up the steps two at a time.
You move the tree. I'll make breakfast. Thall walked to the front of the plane. "How the hell am I supposed to move the tree?" He kicked at the fronds. Get a grip. Yelling at it won't help.
Wrapping his fingers around a frond, he leaned back and pulled. Gripping tighter, he tried again. The tree didn't budge. He released his grip, wiped his hands on his jeans, grabbed the branch and heaved with all his strength. "Argh."
His fingers slid along the edges of the frond. He yelped and released the tree. Checking his hand, trickles of blood started to form along the cuts. "Stupid tree." He kicked it, wiped his hands and walked to the storage compartment in the belly of the plane. He unlatched it and rustled through the tools. A pair of filthy work gloves lay next to the repair kit and a coil of rope was partially hidden in the shadows.
A snuffling sound made him spin around. The dragon was six steps away. "Shoo." Thall waved his hand. "I don't have time for you." He grabbed the rope and gloves and walked back to the tree. Pausing to check on the dragon, he spotted him settling down in the shade under the plane.
Fighting through the palm fronds, he tied the rope around them and wrapped it around his waist. He stepped back until it was taut and heaved with his full weight. The tree shifted. "Yes!"
Capri stuck her head out of the doorway. "Did you call me?"
He shook his head. "No, I cheered. The tree moved."
"Yea? How far?"
He held up his forefinger and thumb and indicated a space about the width of his thumb.
"Call me when you move it a foot." She waved and stepped back inside.
Call me when you move it a foot. Why don't you get out here and
help me move it that foot? He heaved against the rope. His feet slipped on a wet frond, and he caught himself just before he hit the ground. He stepped forward and sat on the trunk. His bottom slipped, and again he caught himself. Hard to sit on a round tree. Round tree? Round rolls. Roll the tree. Am I a genius or what?
Untying the rope, he tossed the loose end aside, stepped behind the tree and pushed the top of it to roll it. He pressed his gloved hands against the rough bark, but the tree didn't budge.
"Breakfast," Capri called.
About bloody time. He peeled off his gloves and entered the plane. Stepping beside Capri in the galley, he turned the sink tap on and rinsed the blood from his hands.
"What did you do?"
"Just sliced it a bit on the edges of the fronds. No biggie. See." He held up his hands.
When Capri was satisfied he wasn't badly hurt, she pointed to the table. "There was one more Beef Bourguignon and some asparagus tips. Tips with a p." She smiled. Thall chuckled and followed her into the dining area. He pulled out her seat.
She sat. "I gave you a Coke. There's also Diet Coke. Didn't know which you'd prefer. And we have the last of the cake for dessert. That's about it for food. Just pretzels and peanuts after this."
"I figured." He sat across from her. "We were supposed to fly and land, not take up residence here. Mmm. Smells delicious. But why not wine? You had wine last night with your dinner."
She popped the lid on her Diet Coke. "Move the tree. Fly the plane out of here, and then you can have wine."
"After breakfast, I'll need your help. I think I've figured out how to move the tree." He placed a forkful of the beef into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "Wow. This is good."
"I'll do what I can, but I'm a computer jockey."
"Mostly need you to collect the debris off the runway."
She swallowed a mouthful of soda. "I can do that."
"Oh, and think of a name for our new pet?"
Capri raised her eyebrows. "The dragon?"
"Yes, he's asleep under the plane."
She looked at the carpet then back at Thall.
"It's shady under there." He shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast.
When they were done eating, they washed and placed the dishes back into the storage units and exited the plane. As Capri descended the steps, she repeatedly peered over the edge looking for the dragon.
"There." Thall indicated with his finger. "By the right tire."
"Oh, it's so cute when it's asleep." She stepped off the last stair and peered under the plane.
"Now it's cute?"
"Well, it isn't so scary when I know what it is." She laughed. "And the sun is shining and I'm pretty sure I can out run it. What shall we name it?"
"Dionysus. The god of wine. I like wine."
"But what if he's a she?" Capri poked him in the arm. "You're just assuming he's a he."
"I'm sure as hell not going over there and lift up his tail to check. Unless you're brave enough to do it, he's a guy dragon."
"Dionysus it is. Dion for short." She turned and followed Thall to the fallen tree.
He stopped next to it, and rested his foot on the trunk. "I'd like you to toss the debris off the runway. I need a pretty clear space. But you can pile the palm fronds here by the tree. I'm going to try and use them as mats to drag it."
"Reduce the friction. Brilliant."
He rested his fists on his hips. "You expected less?"
Capri snorted and moved away to collect palm fronds. She stuffed several the length of the trunk and helped Thall roll the trunk over top. While she continued cleaning off debris, he tied the rope around his waist and pulled. The tree shifted along the palms.
As the sun beat down on the runway, the puddles of rainwater evaporated and the humidity increased. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tugged at the tree, moving it in small increments. The sting of salty water burned his eyes, and he pulled off his shirt to use it to remove the sweat from his brow and eyes. Pausing to catch his breath, he sat on the trunk and watched Capri.
From his vantage point, every time she bent over to pick up a branch, he smiled at the wondrous vision of her butt. He licked his lips as an image of him moving close behind her, grabbing her hips and pulling her back to him, slipped through his mind.
"Hey." She hit his shoulder. "Are you sitting there looking at my ass, while I'm slaving out here under the hot sun?"
"Yes."
She snorted. "Well, at least you're honest. I'm going to get a drink. Want me to bring you one?"
"Sure. But I'll join you. Get out of this sun for a few minutes."
Thall collapsed on a couch and sighed. It wasn't much cooler in the plane, but at least they were out of the scorching sun. Capri held out a cold Coke. "Your shoulders are red. You should have put sunscreen on." She stretched out on the couch opposite him.
He chugged half the can of liquid coolness. "No sun screen. Didn't plan on spending a day hauling a tree off a runway." He swiped the can across his hot brow. "You're doing an awesome job cleaning the runway. I'll be able to takeoff no problem once the tree is moved."
"How you doing with that?" She gulped a couple of mouthfuls of soda.
Releasing a loud, soda-induced belch, he chuckled. "Excuse me. Doing pretty good. I keep checking the angle to see if the tire can pass the tree, and I'd say I'm close."
Capri lifted her head. "You mean we'll get out of here today?"
"I think so."
She sat up, reached for her purse and pulled out her cell. "I'll just text them and get them to move the meeting to tomorrow."
"And I'll lie here pretending I don't ache in every muscle from trying to move a tree bigger than me. Lumberjack wasn't on my résumé."
She snorted as she keyed in her text message. "Well, getting my ass checked out while cleaning debris off a runway is not in the job description of a Chief of Operations."
"With an ass that cute, it should be." He rested his head against the pillow. "Taking a nap." Within moments, he'd drifted off to sleep.
Something landed on his chest and startled him. He groped around until his hand hit a small bag.
"Lunch." Capri stood next to him. "It's pretty much what we're down to. Peanuts and pretzels." She dropped several more bags onto his chest.
He sat up and yawned. The bags slid to his lap. "How long was I out?"
"'Bout an hour. I had a nap too." She tore open a bag and reached inside to grab a snack.
Thall crumpled his last snack bag and tossed it onto the table, then gulped the last of his drink. "Okay, I'm off. Going to move this tree come hell or high water."
"I'll straighten this up and meet you outside."
Thall stood, stretched his sore muscles and returned to his task. On his third pull, Capri stepped next to him. When he relaxed, she ran her hand along his arm. "Oh, I just love to see a man all sweaty." She batted her eyelashes.
"Yea, well I like seeing a woman all sweaty so get in here and start pulling." Two more heaves and Thall held up his hand. He walked beside the plane and checked the angle of the tree and the tire and raised his palm. "High five. We did it."
Capri slapped his hand then danced on the spot. "We moved the tree. We get to leave. We moved the tree."
Thall ran his gloved hand through his hair. "I seriously need a shower." He untied the rope and tossed it and the gloves back into the storage compartment in the plane's belly. He glanced over at the right tire. "Hey, Dionysus. Still asleep, huh?" He returned to the plane, grabbed his duffel bag and stepped into the bathroom.
When he emerged, he was dressed in his pilot's uniform, black slacks, white shirt, with gold-striped epaulettes. "You lock stuff down in here. I'll do a preflight and then we can go." He walked outside, kicked the tires, rechecked the angle of the path past the tree and completed a visual inspection of the plane. When he was sure the plane was sound, he entered and began his preflight checklist.
Capri tapped on the doorframe. "Everything is stored away. I l
ocked our luggage in the bathroom."
Thall shifted to look at her. "Excellent. Go strap yourself in. We should be off in a few minutes. We're number one on takeoff."
Clicking the engines one by one, he listened for the whine signaling they had spun up. He glanced out the window. The runway was clear. Capri had done a great job at that.
He clicked on the intercom. "This is your Captain speaking. We're ready for takeoff. Please insure your seat backs and trays are in the upright position. And your seatbelt is secure. Thank you for flying T. Hall Charterways."
He released the brakes and put his hand on the throttle. Slowly he pressed it forward.
The door behind him swung open. "Stop!"
Chapter Thirteen
Capri's heart raced as she pushed forward into the cockpit. "Stop. You'll run over Dion." She cringed, waiting for the sickening thump of the plane's tire meeting Komodo dragon.
Thall glanced back then refocused on the runway. "He's fine. He moved out from under the plane a while ago. Geesh, you think I'd run over our pet dragon."
She released her held breath, opened her eyes and stared at her pilot. "Where did he go?"
"How should I know?" Thall hunched his shoulders. "He probably went to get lunch or maybe find a girl dragon and get a little afternoon bowchickawowwow. Now get out of here, I have a plane to fly."
"Sorry. Sorry." She backed out of the cockpit and closed the door. Returning to her seat, she clicked her seatbelt shut. Again, I go up in a plane. Why can't I go places where I can drive? Okay, focus on something else. Plane is moving. Is there enough runway? Uh, not so good on focusing on something else.
She tapped the tip of her fingernail on the metal seatbelt buckle then glanced down at her chipped and damaged manicure. Seventy-five dollar manicure shot all to hell. Wonder if the hotel has a spa? I could so use a mani-pedi and a massage. A wave of heat flowed through her as memories of the massage on the beach flitted through her mind. Her pulse increased as she thought about the way the hands rubbed her back, her legs, and—
The shuddering of the plane snapped Capri away from her massage memories and back into the seat of the aircraft. She glanced out the window. The ground was falling away. Forget about that massage. He wasn't real. It wasn't real.
Capri's Fate Page 9