She woke up to the smell of smoke and ash. The sound of a million pieces of paper being crinkled up echoed around her. She opened her eyes to see charred items around her. Her head thumped and her eyes felt crossed. She was in the middle of a fire – or the beginnings of a fire. It didn’t look like she had long. She did her best to stand, unsteady on her feet. She hissed as pain shot through her lower arm. A loud banging got her attention. It appeared the fire was spreading to some crunched medal to her right. She grunted as she looked around, trying to find a safe path to get away from what appeared to be a disaster area. Luckily, one was to her left. She limped as fast as she could. A brown case with intricate patterns got her attention on the way. She didn’t know what was in it but grabbed it just in case it would be useful. She continued to limp away from the wreckage. She coughed from the smoke. Once she got some distance from the fire, she turned around and looked.
What used to be a plane was in front of her. She had been on a plane. From what she could tell, she was the only one who made it. There were no other bodies as far as she could see. But the black smoke was rather thick and getting thicker. Her eyes went crossed on and off and her head was still hurting.
I best be on my way. It appears the fire is spreading.
She walked, the best she could until she got to a road – a highway. She coughed a few times and stopped. Her ankle or foot – or maybe both were killing her. She couldn’t tell which because the pain was so bad. She was barefoot and her right foot did appear to be swollen. Her left arm wasn’t fairing to well either. She plopped down next to the road. All she could do was hope someone would come by who would give her a ride. This was the first chance she had gotten to take a gander at what she was wearing. The black leggings she wore were full of holes around the calves. The satin short sleeved blouse she had on was filthy. Her long hair was frizzy and all over the place. As she considered her appearance, she wondered if anyone would stop with her looking such a fright.
She didn’t know how long she waited out there, but finally someone came along in an extremely large truck – an eighteen-wheeler. The driver was hauling a trailer that said, Getter Done Trucking, on the side. The truck was obnoxiously loud as the driver put it in park. She would have stood, but she just didn’t have the strength.
“Hey, little lady,” the driver said as he rushed around the front of his big rig. “Are you okay?” He was a tubby white man with brown hair sticking out of his dirty raggedy cap. It looked like his faded jeans had seen better days but considering how she looked who was she to judge.
“I don’t think so,” she answered hoarsely. “I was in some sort of crash. I didn’t see any survivors.”
“Crash? What kind of crash? Car crash?”
“No. A plane. I was on a plane. I must have been flying it. I didn’t see anyone else.”
“What do you mean you must have been flying it? You don’t remember?”
“I’m afraid not. But I had to have been. I didn’t see anyone else.”
Then again, it was so smoky. I could barely see to get out of it.
“Are you injured?”
“I think something is wrong with my foot or ankle. It’s swollen. And my lower arm hurts like the dickens.”
“First thing we need to do is get you up and in the rig. Unless there is a forest fire or someone dying, emergency crews aren’t going to come all the way out here.”
It was a painful process, but the driver got her into his truck.
He turned the key to the noisy contraption and they were on their way. “It’s going to take a while to get you to the hospital. At least a hundred and fifty miles or so. Can you hold on for a while?”
“I think so, but I am thirsty - and hungry. My mouth is dryer than the desert.”
“We can stop on the way and get something for you to eat and drink. We have to go at least twenty miles to get to the diner. I drive this route a couple of times a year. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of ya.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“By the way, my name is Redd. What’s your name?”
“I’m –”
What the hell is my name? she thought with confusion.
****
True to his word, Redd took care of her – especially when they both realized she had no memory of who she was or where she came from. Thirty minutes into the drive, they stopped at the diner he was telling her about along the way. She stayed in the truck while he got them something to eat. Then they were back on the road.
He had gotten them both a double decker bacon cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milkshakes. It was a lot of food for her to eat. She only ate half of it, but it was good despite all the grease. After about ninety miles they made a pit stop. She had to go to the bathroom. The place was clean and the people were friendly for a truck stop. Redd got some more food and they were back on the road for another thirty miles. Redd was becoming concerned about her on and off headaches. So, instead of taking her to a hospital where he personally knew the doctors, he was going to take her to Billings.
“Billings? Is that a small town with a hospital?” she asked.
“It’s a city of over a hundred thousand people. Billings, Montana,” he boasted.
“We’re in Montana?” she said with wonder. It never occurred to her to ask where they were. She had just seen loads of forestry scenery and livestock.
“Yep. It won’t take long to get there. The turn off is just up ahead.”
They took a right within ten minutes and next thing she knew they were on the interstate with other trucks, SUVs, and cars. When they were on the country highway, she had only seen a few pickup trucks and cars along the way. Now they were everywhere. The traffic actually made her feel comfortable.
A few hours later . . . She was admitted through the Billings Clinic Hospital emergency room. She explained what had happened – or what she thought might have happened. The staff was efficient and fast. They had taken X-rays, done a CT Scan, and an MRI. Once that was done, the ER doctor admitted her as an inpatient. All of her tests results weren’t back yet but what they could tell so far was she had a concussion, her left arm was broken, and she had a sprained ankle. Bruises and cuts were on her arms and legs. There was even a large red bruise on the side of her abdomen that she didn’t know she had. Apparently, she had a few cracked ribs as well. Pssh, all she really knew was she was sore all over her body. The Tylenol Redd had given her only took forty percent of the pain away for a few hours. Once they got her a room and settled in, Redd came to visit her for an hour and then said he had to go. “I’m always on the road, but if you nee
Three days later . . . Lester Bartholomew, billionaire publicist and investor, paced the carpeted floor in his study. His wife, Lisa, was watching him as he did. “Don’t fret. I’m sure the police will find her soon,” Lisa said with soothing in her tone. Lester stopped dead in his tracks. “It’s been three days. Ava couldn’t have wondered off in a haze that far from the crash.” “I’m starting to think my original assumption was right, Lester,” she said. “Ava got to the main road to flag someone down for help. Like you said, it has been three days.” “Yes. Maybe so . . . dear, god. Do you think someone who meant her harm could have taken her?” “I hope not, but Ava can be pretty feisty sometimes. She can get away from someone like that.” “Not if she was injured, and she had to have sustained some sort of injury in a crash like that.” The pilot and the flight attendant’s bodies had been found in
Eighteen months earlier . . . Ray was tired of being in the dark. He wanted to know what was going on with his wife and he wanted to know now. For the past six months, Lillian has been acting strangely and out of character. She was more argumentative and unsatisfied. No matter what Ray did it wasn’t enough or what she wanted. It was like she was a totally different person. Also, Lillian would disappear hours at a time with no believable explanation to where she had been. Recently, Lillian had expressed aspirations of being a professional country singer. Ray didn’t have a problem with it per se but it was hard to make it in the music business no matter how good a person could sing. And they had two children that needed to be cared for. He had tried telling Lillian that, but she had taken it the wrong way. She accused him of trying to stifle her dreams. “Why are you trying to keep me in a box? I’m a great singer and you know it. And the b
“I know it’s short notice, darling, but I didn’t make this decision on a whim,” Ava said over her cell. She was riding in the back of one of her father’s many limousines. “And I won’t be gone forever.” “I know but I will miss you,” Catherine said with a sad tone. Catherine was Ava’s best friend – from Ava’s side of things. Ava laughed a little. “Are you sure you won’t miss having me under foot? You are a married woman now.” “Of course, I’ll miss you. Cameron will, too. You know he’s grown fond of you.” Cameron Townsend was Catherine’s husband. “That’s good to know,” Ava said with a smile. She glanced out the window. “Oh, I have to go. The driver is pulling into JFK now.” “All right. Call me when you can.” “I will. Kiss, kiss, hug, hug.” Ava clicked off. Ava Bartholomew was twenty-seven-years-old and had no vision, purpose, prospects, or even a man in her life. Everyone she knew was either m