Flight to Freedom (Flight Trilogy, Book 3) (14 page)

Keri hugged her. “Thank you. You have made me feel so much better.”

“If you have any other concerns, please call me…or better yet, come visit. I love seeing you. I forgot to ask, how are the twins?”

“They are almost grown…or at least
they
think so.” Keri turned to leave. “I know you are busy, but thank you for your time.”

“Tell Ryan and the children I said hello.”

“I will.”

During her drive home, the peace that had left her on Sunday afternoon returned. Everything was normal. She was not losing Ryan to the dark world that imprisons the mind. She was anxious for him to return from El Salvador. She wanted to hold him in her arms and hear his voice. The thought of him trapped in some boring hotel in a foreign country made her sad.

Ryan
,
wherever
you
are
,
I
love
you
.

CHAPTER 19

Buckhead
,
Georgia

Wednesday
noon
—
April
2003

Ryan paced in the lobby of the DoubleTree Hotel waiting for John Dross to arrive. So far, the trip to Atlanta had been a big success. He was minutes away from meeting with John Dross, and it looked highly probable he had located Angel. His thoughts ricocheted between questions he wanted to ask John, and plans to come back to Buckhead to see if Lewis’s Angela was the same woman named, Angel, he had met one year in the future in his
other
life.

Ryan stood by the door to the lobby. John was in his late fifties, about six foot two, lean build, mostly grey hair, and a strong jaw. He should be easy to recognize.

He looked down at his watch to check the time: 11:00 a.m. When he lifted his head, a black Lexus RX 300 was parked under the glass-covered canopy drop off. The man driving matched the description of John Dross. He made eye contact with Ryan and smiled.

Ryan hurried to the car and opened the passenger door. “Captain Dross?”

John reached and shook Ryan’s hand. “Hop in Ryan.”

“Thank you for picking me up.”

“My pleasure. Do you have any druthers for lunch?”

“Anything is fine with me.”

“You like fish?”

“Sounds great.”

“Are you familiar with Atlanta Fish Market?”

“Is that the one with the giant fish out front?”

“That’s the one. How can you forget a three-story sculpture of a copper fish?”

“I’ve never eaten there, but it sounds fantastic.”

John turned with a puzzled look on his face. “How long ago did you say you lived in Buckhead?”

“I left for the Naval Academy back in 1974, and have been gone since then.”

“They relocated to Pharr Road in 1993—long after you left. It’s a popular place. Great food and excellent service.”

“Sounds perfect.”

John took Peachtree to Pharr Road and was in front of AFM in less than ten minutes. Ryan stared up at the copper fish. The only way he could have possibly known about AFM was when he and Keri lived in the condo on Pharr Circle after they moved to Georgia from California in 2004—in his
other
life. How else could he explain remembering a giant, copper fish? He would have had to drive by the big fish on many occasions.

They entered the restaurant through an antique wooden revolving door and were greeted by a hand-cut and laid mosaic in a fish scale pattern at their feet. Interior art deco lighting fixtures, wide plank hardwood floors, and high ceilings with open space enhanced the feel of warmth, relaxation, and nostalgia. Unique 1950's lighting fixtures, "funky wallpaper" with mermaids and tropical fish, sheet rubber floors, huge wall face clock, and a traditional porch with rocking chairs created a distinct New England mid-century charm.

“Two for lunch?” The hostess said.

“Yes,” John said.

The hostess seated them in a booth and handed them menus. “Your server will be with you shortly.”

Ryan flipped open the menu, skipped the teasers, and headed straight for the ENTREE SPECIALTIES. His eyes locked on the
Baked
Atlantic
Salmon
Parmesan
Crusted
. It came with grilled asparagus, and a crispy basil potato cake. He closed the menu.

“That was fast,” John said.

“If I keep looking I’ll want it all.”

He was eager to pull back the curtain on John’s over-the-top hospitality which began when Ryan mentioned that Ronald Hart was his father-in-law.

John closed his menu. “I’m ready.”

A server stepped up and took Ryan’s order first then turned to John. “I’ll have the ‘
Favorite’
Georgia
Mountain
Rainbow
Trout
with
the
Whipped
Sweet
Potatoes
,
Spinach
,
Macadamia
Honey
Butter
.”

“Excellent selections, gentlemen.” She took the menus.

As Ryan considered how to begin the conversation, John said, “Ryan, I don’t believe you are aware of the relationship between Mercy Flight and your father-in-law.”

“Funny you should bring that up, I was about to ask.”

“Mr. Hart was an amazing man, as I’m sure you know.”

“Yes he was, and I loved him like a father. I could never repay him for all he did for Keri and me.” Ryan reflected back on the miracle that brought Keri back to him. Ronald Hart had beautifully choreographed their reunion.

“Neither can I,” John said.

“You?”

“When you called on Monday, it was as if I had been given the opportunity to travel back in time and relive my memories of him. Plus, I wanted to be sure you knew what he did.”

“I can’t wait to hear.”

“Most men in Mr. Hart’s position are poisoned by power, pleasure, and money. They have no concept of anything outside of their worlds; their worlds consisting only of one thing—themselves. The Proverbs even tell us that when fools grow rich, the Earth groans under them as they are a burden it cannot bear.”

John
must
be
a
man
of
faith
to
reference
the
Bible
.

John continued, “Most good men who seek power and fortune say they would think of others if blessed with such, but I dare say few would. Ronald Hart understood what was important and stayed focused. He recognized and accepted the great responsibility that comes with great blessing.”

“He definitely lived with a passion for the purpose for which He was created.”

John said, “Do you remember in our phone conversation when you mentioned Mr. Hart hangared his Gulfstream at Peachtree DeKalb Airport?”

“Keri and I actually flew to Hawaii for our honeymoon in that jet.”

“I know.”

Ryan threw back his head. “How would you know?” He smiled and chuckled.

“Because I was the pilot who flew you and Keri to Hawaii.”

“No way!”

“After the limo dropped you guys in front of the jet, my copilot stood at the bottom of the stairs to greet you and see that your bags were loaded. I watched from the captain’s seat. If you’ll remember, as you were boarding, you stuck your head in the cockpit and said hello. You probably didn’t get a good look at me, but even if you had, you would never remember me. Your mind was on other things.”

Ryan tried to remember the details, but John was right, Keri was the only thing on his mind at that time. John could have been wearing a gorilla suit and Ryan would have never blinked. “So…how did you end up flying Mr. Hart’s jet?”

“I was working for Gulfstream as a pilot in the sales department when he bought his first jet. He liked me from the start and offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse. He was very picky about who he trusted. I’m sure you remember his lawyer…”

“Mr. Darby?”

“Phil and I were pals. Another great man. Your father-in-law had a knack for discerning character and used that gift to surround himself with great people. To be honest, that’s why he was so fond of you. After Mrs. Hart busted you and Keri up, he was determined to get you two back together.”

“This is starting to sound like you might know more about me than I thought.”

“When you called me on Monday, I couldn’t believe I was talking to ‘the’ Ryan Mitchell…Mr. Hart’s son-in-law. Finally, when you said Ronald Hart was your father-in-law, I knew it was you.” John laughed. “You’ll have to admit that Mr. Hart’s plan to take care of Emily and Rex was genius.”

“You knew about that, too?”

“Who do you think was flying Emily all over the place: back and forth between Dallas and Atlanta, to New York, to California, or wherever Mr. Hart wanted her next. I also had to run a few trips taking little Miss Candi from place to place, making sure she was in the right place at the right time to meet up with Rex.”

“This is mind blowing.”

“I could talk for hours about everything Mr. Hart did for other people. He used his power and money mostly for the good of others. That is what made him such an amazing individual. God really found a true servant with that man—always putting together a plan to help others.” John turned and looked Ryan in the eyes. “He loved you like his very own son. I wish you could have known him better.”

“I do, too.”

“There’s one more thing you should know,” John said. “Mercy Flight, Incorporated was Mr. Hart’s baby.”

“Really?”

“He dreamed it up, funded it, and made sure we would never need to beg for money. He wanted Mercy to be his legacy.”

“He must have done that before Gold Street Capital cleaned him out.”

“Mercy Flight was a completely separate entity. Mr. Hart wanted to make sure that regardless of what happened to his fortune, Mercy Flight would continue to ‘fly’, as we like to say.”

“Well, as I’m sure you know, Keri and I lost everything Mr. Hart had intended to leave us, but this is the best news I could ever hear. It makes me feel good knowing a piece of him lives on, continuing to do the work that defined him—helping others.”

“Ryan, the one hundred million you and Keri were meant to have was only a drop in the bucket. Mr. Hart was smarter and wiser than you think. He left most of his fortune to his charity.”

“You mean the same charity that funds Mercy Flight?”

“That’s right.”

“I should have known he would do something like that.”

Why
didn’t
John
contact
Keri
and
me
and
tell
us
about
all
this
?
It’s
been
over
fifteen
years
.

The server arrived with their meals and placed them on the table. “I’ll be back to check on you in a minute. Enjoy,” she said.

“This looks great,” Ryan said.

“There’s nothing like fresh fish.”

After his first bite, Ryan said, “I’ve got a technical question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Didn’t you fly us to Hawaii in a Gulfstream IV?”

John paused. “You and Keri were married in May of 1984, so Mr. Hart would have been flying the G-III. That was the best they had back then. We didn’t pick up a G-IV until 1987. We have always been one of the first customers in line to upgrade to the new models. Mr. Hart only wanted the best.

May
of
1984
?
That’s
right
!

In his
other
life, before the second dream regression to Rex’s condo, he and Keri were married in July 1987. So in that case John would have flown them to Hawaii in a G-IV. After he changed things in the second dream, he never met Emily Anderson on the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado and his letter to Keri was mailed before Rex messed with it. Keri moved to Laguna Beach in July 1983 and they were married ten months later on May 12, 1984. So instead of a G-IV in 1987, John had flown them to Hawaii in a G-III in 1984.

His thoughts ricocheted from one wedding to the next…1987…1984…1987…1984…both fresh in his mind, while details from his
other
life attempted to blur reality.

Ronald Hart died in April 1987, three months before he and Keri were married in their
other
life, but he was alive on May 12, 1984.

Of
course
he
was
!
He
was
at
the
wedding
...
with
Barbara
Ann
.

The thought of Barbara Ann flipped his stomach like a pancake on a hot griddle. The woman was a witch. In his
other
life, Barbara Ann Hart had died in a car crash on West Paces Ferry Road in April 1986. On the day she died, she was returning a purse to one of her gossipy lady friends who had attended Keri and Rex’s wedding. It must have been payback when the drunken redneck in the pickup truck crossed into her lane. She always did have it in for those “rednecks” in their pickup trucks. Ryan had a hunch that Barbara Ann might have been a little tipsy herself—as she often was—when the redneck took one for the team.

In reality, Keri never married Rex. Barbara Ann died a year after Ronald in February 1988 when she slipped on the icy steps leading up to her Buckhead mansion and hit her head on the corner of a brick—killing her instantly. Ryan called the one year Barbara Ann lived—after Ronald had died—his dark year. Up until the brick cracked her skull like a watermelon falling off a truck onto a hot asphalt road, Ryan was the brunt of her constant emotional abuse.

Ryan saw how every choice he’d made resulted in a domino effect of changes—not only in his personal life, but in the lives of everyone around him. The end result of his decisions had far-reaching effects on the people he loved and even people he didn’t know.

John’s enthusiasm grew as he kept talking. “We operate G550s now and as soon as the new model is announced in a couple of years, we will put our name on the list.”

“That is awesome.”

“You will love the G550. I can’t wait for you to take a ride.”

“Take a ride?”

“How does tomorrow sound?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m flying you home tomorrow.”

“Are you kidding? How can you do that?”