The Beast (24 page)

At the ticket counter, I had a moment’s hesitation before I asked for a "one-way ticket to Peru, please."

"Where in Peru?" the pretty Grecian girl asked.

"Um… Wherever Machu Picchu is, I guess." It was the only thing I knew of in Peru.

The girl called to someone else and asked, "Machu Picchu? Cuzco, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Cuzco," the other girl said.

"Okay, when would you like to depart?"

"Now."

"I see. We don't have any direct flights, but we have a connecting flight that leaves in about… an hour."

"Sounds great."

"Would you like to upgrade to business or first class?"

I thought about the small amount of money I had left. "No thanks."

"Here you are, you're all set. If you need to check anything, you should get started now."

"Thank you," I said, before going through the turnstile toward security.

When I boarded the plane, I sniffed and probed for any sign of Simon. I didn't feel anything, but I didn't worry.

When we got the on-flight meal, I asked the flight attendant if he could help me out with a study I was participating in and bring me any leftover meal trays. I was actually surprised when he agreed and even more surprised when he brought three trays and a fancy plate from first class.

"One of the passengers asked where I was going with all the trays and when I told her, she wanted to send you her plate as well. She said she’s a scientist herself."

I smiled and thanked him. That was our little trick on the plane- mine and Simon’s. We always ate like kings, anywhere in the world. Later, I crept up to the first class section and looked around. No one was familiar. No one was a vampire, or a werewolf, or a serial killer. Not that I would know for sure if they were a serial killer.

Reassured, I settled back into my own seat, pulled the thin fleece blanket up onto my lap, fluffed the pillow, put on the complimentary headphones, and took a nap for the rest of the flight. I needed to save my energy for Machu Picchu. I didn't know if that's where he would be, but it was as good a place as any to start.             

Special Thanks

This novel would have taken much longer without your generous support. Thank you all for being amazing people.

Roberta Ennis

Chad Bowden

Dave Bloom

Sarah Talbot

Ryan Marsh

Holly Echterling

Karla Cortez

Ramiro Guardado

Brian Sacks

See what’s new from Shantea Gauthier at www.ShanteaGauthier.com

Or connect with her Facebook and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/feralorchidsg

@feralorchid

I hope you enjoyed this book, thanks for reading it!