Flight to Freedom (Flight Trilogy, Book 3) (8 page)

“Your color looks normal now and your pulse is fine. That must have been some dream.”

“Yeah, trust me, it was a doozy.” Ryan couldn’t explain to Keri what really caused his sudden panic attack. To her, there was no
other
life. She knew nothing about a crazed lunatic threatening to murder her and the children.

The fragrance of the perfume had altered his future, not once, but twice. Interestingly, each dream regression into his past had taken him to an earlier time. First, there was his meeting with Keri in New York on April 1986—seventeen years ago. Choosing not to surrender to his lust in New York had spared him from the scars of sexual indiscretion and a son born out of wedlock.

Then there was his confrontation with Rex in May 1983—three years before his meeting with Keri in New York. Ryan had eluded being trapped by the self-indulgent woman, Emily Anderson, when he chose not to accompany Rex on one of his escapades to pick up women.

Those two moments had been critical junctions in his life where, in both instances, his original decisions had robbed him of many years of happiness. Because he had made different life-altering choices in both dreams, he woke to a new and much brighter reality.

If it were possible to experience one more dream regression to the time and place of his choosing, it would be in the circular drive in front of Keri’s old home on June 23, 1974—the night she broke up with him before he left for the Naval Academy. If he could return to that night, he would be able to restore the hopes of all their dreams, but more importantly, he could ensure that the horrid events on the night of May 29, 2003, never had a chance of occurring.

Keri checked the time. “Oh, my! We need to get ready or we’re going to be late for church. Do you feel like going?”

“I’m fine. I’ll jump in the shower.”

“I’ll fix us something to eat.”

While showering, he struggled to make sense of the two dreams that had literally changed his life.

Are
the
dreams
connected
?

Numbers whirled in his head; possible combinations that might lead him to a numerological association between the two dreams…anything.

Perhaps
there
is
a
relationship
between
the
current
year
and
the
years
in
which
the
dreams
occurred
.

When he subtracted the year of his first dream encounter with Keri in New York, 1986, from the current year, 2003, the result was the number 17.

Nothing
special
about
the
number
seventeen
.

Then he subtracted the year of his second dream regression to Rex’s condo in Del Mar, California, 1983, from the current year: 2003 – 1983 = 20.

Nothing
special
about
the
number
twenty
.
What
about
the
time
between
each
dream
.

He did the math: 1986 – 1983 = 3.

The
number
three
is
a
very
significant
number
in
the
Bible
.

The number three is often found to represent a period of separation, especially in the Bible: During the Creation, the earth was separated from the waters on the third day; the baby Moses was hidden in a basket for three days; Jonah spent three days in the stomach of a large fish; Jesus was missing from his mother for three days; Jesus was dead for three days before He arose on the third day.

If the year of the second dream was three years prior to the first dream, did that mean the time for all subsequent dreams would take place in three-year intervals? If so, the next dream should take him to some event in 1980; the next to 1977; and then, finally, to 1974.

Although the chance of another perfume-induced dream regression was beginning to sound a bit unlikely, he dismissed the impossibility and continued searching for numerical associations.

He searched his memory for any decision he might have made during the years 1980, 1977, or 1974 that could have had a significant effect on his future life. Suddenly, like a treasure hunter stumbling upon the “mother-load”…

That’s
it
!
June
23
,
1974
…
it
was
a
Saturday
night
.
It
was
the
night
Keri
broke
up
with
me
.
We
were
sitting
in
my
’65
Impala
in
her
driveway
.
I
left
for
the
Academy
the
next
day
.

Numbers spun in his mind like ping-pong balls in a lottery basket. He subtracted 1974 from the date of his first dream, 1986, which equaled 12.

He could think of nothing special about the number twelve—alone, or when combined with the number three…except: 1 + 2 = 3.

Although 1974 was twelve years earlier than his first dream, it also equaled three—the same as the number of years between the first and second dream. Then he subtracted 1974 from the date of his second dream, 1983. It produced the number 9.

The
number
nine
is
known
to
represent
attainment
or
satisfaction
.
It
is
a
number
of
finality
or
judgment
…
a
number
that
represents
the
sum
of
all
man’s
work
.

The idea of a third dream being the final dream made the number nine even more perfect. Three multiplied by three equaled nine. His number theory would certainly appear ridiculous to most people, but to him it was clearly a sign, a code, a matrix—a confirmation—of what was to come.

He reviewed the numbers, so far. There had been three years between the two dreams. There were twelve years between the first dream in 1986 and 1974—the year Keri broke up with him in her driveway. Interestingly, the sum of the two digits, one and two, was also three. He played around with the numbers twelve and three. When he subtracted them: 12 – 3 = 9.

Again, it was the number nine. He multiplied three and nine, thinking he would uncover a relationship between separation—three—and satisfaction—nine. The result was 27.

As he studied the relationship between three, nine, and twenty-seven, there it was again—the number nine: 2 + 7 = 9.

Each time he spun the numbers, he saw new confirmations. Then something else popped out like a neon sign. Assuming the number two represented him and Keri, when it is joined with the number seven—the number representing spiritual perfection, fullness, or completion—the result is the number nine representing attainment, satisfaction, and finality.

He suddenly realized where he had heard the number 39; during a church service his pastor was teaching on the crucifixion of Jesus. According to the Old Testament, 40 lashes was determined enough to kill a man. Therefore, unless a man had been sentenced to death by flogging, the maximum number of lashes a flogger could administer was 39—the number of mercy according to Jewish law.

Mercy! A second chance! It’s perfect!

Everything pointed him to the conclusion that an extremely high probability existed that his next dream regression, if it happened, would take him to the year 1974.

As his mind relentlessly continued to spin the numbers, searching for more possible confirmations, he made an unsettling connection with the number three.

The year of his second dream regression, the time when he was with Rex Dean in Del Mar was 1983. Not only did 1983 end with a three, when he added the numbers: 1 + 9 + 8 + 3, the resulting number was 21. When he added the two numbers: 2 + 1, it produced the number three. The number three represents separation. Rex had been the divider. Again, this made perfect sense.

He and Keri had always been meant for each other, but the divider—Rex Dean—had blindsided them with his deviously concocted plan and altered their destiny. Rex Dean had been the cause of his and Keri’s separation. Everything associated with the events surrounding the second dream pointed to the number three—the divider.

Ryan and Keri—2—had always been destined to be together—7—and even though Rex Dean—3—came along and tried to separate them, in the end, attainment and satisfaction—9—was still realized: 27 ÷ 3 = 9.

There was no doubt that he and Keri were destined to be together, but they would have been together much earlier if Rex had not concocted his devious plan.

By
making
a
different
choice
in
the
second
dream
,
I
completely
removed
Rex
Dean
,
the
divider
,
from
the
equation
leaving
the
simple
equation
:
2
+
7
=
9
.
All
of
my
lost
years
with
Keri
were
restored
.

If the numbers were pointing the way, his next dream regression would take him to the time and place of the last and most significant event in his life—Saturday, June 23, 1974—the date that matched the number nine; the number representing attainment, satisfaction, and finality.

I
need
to
pick
up
a
bottle
of
Angel
perfume
as
soon
as
possible
.

CHAPTER 10

Southern
California

Sunday
Morning
—
April
2003

Ryan spent the entire week anticipating his trip to Nordstrom to purchase a bottle of
Angel
perfume.

On his way home from LAX on Friday afternoon, he stopped by South Coast Plaza. He had called and they had plenty in stock.

Three women were behind the counter in the cosmetic department. One was applying makeup to a customer seated on a stool, one was processing a purchase at the register, and the third woman, a tall red-head, had locked eyes with him long before he reached the counter, almost as though she was expecting him.

“How can I help you,” she said. The woman’s manikin-like face was pasty-white with rosy cheeks—skin easily mistaken for plastic or fiberglass. Her unnaturally-blue eyes must have been due to colored contacts.

“I called earlier and confirmed you had a perfume named
Angel
.”

The mix of powders, perfumes, and lipsticks confused his sinuses. He prayed he would not burst into a full-blown allergic attack.

“The redhead pointed to a large display of assorted
Angel
perfumes at the end of the counter. “I’m not wearing it today, but
Angel
is a favorite of mine. It was the first perfume created by Thierry Mugler.”

On the front of the box was the word ANGEL with Thierry Mugler’s signature.

“Is this for your wife or someone special?”

“Ahhh…my wife.”

“I’m confident she will love it.
Angel
is a very pleasant fragrance. It has a combination of praline and chocolate-derived sweetness mixed with a strong accent of patchouli.”

“What is patchouli?”

“Patchouli is a musty, sweet, spicy, heavy scent. It is relaxing, uplifting, soothing and is believed to be an aphrodisiac. Patchouli oil has many beneficial effects, one of which is to relieve stress.”

When he heard the word ‘aphrodisiac’, he instantly remembered the sensation of his first encounter with the fragrance when he passed the woman leaving Starbucks. Something drew him to her. “Sounds wonderful.”

She continued with her pitch. “It evokes the emotion of tender childhood memories together with a sense of dreamlike infinity.”

He looked at her. “Did you say ‘dreamlike infinity’?

“I sure did. That’s how the company describes the fragrance.” She turned the box over so he could read the description on the back:

Dreams
and
fantasies
come
true
with
the
celestial
and
delicious
facets
of
ANGEL
.
The
celestial
facet
is
icy
,
like
a
draught
of
fresh
air
.
Ethereal
and
transparent
,
it
is
a
floating
moment
of
pure
softness
.
The
delicious
facet
evokes
childhood
memories
of
sunshine
and
sweetness
.

He laughed. “Wow, that is amazing! Absolutely amazing!”

I
should
have
known
.

She reached for a sample dispenser, but before she could press the plunger on the .08 ounce star-shaped bottle, he said, “Please! Don’t do that.”

“Wouldn’t you like to sample it?”

“I’m allergic.”

The redhead’s painted-on eyebrows lifted, her porcelain-like brow furrowed.

“It’s complicated,” he said.

As she rang him up, she asked, “Would you like me to wrap it up?”

He glanced at her name tag. “Thank you, Grace, but this will be fine.” He paid quickly, left the mall, and headed home with his
Angel
.

The description on the box said it all:
Dreams
and
fantasies
come
true
…
Ethereal
and
transparent
,
it
is
a
floating
moment
…
evokes
childhood
memories
of
sunshine
and
sweetness
.