"Charles Dubois, Dubois Airline."

"Charlie, long time... It's me, Robert."

Dubois Airline in all of its glory was Charlie and his Cessna 172 Skyhawk. I used to work for him before getting the job at QLSolutions, helping around the hangar and sorting paperwork. It was nothing fancy, but it was not bad. On top of everything, I got free flight lessons.

"Robert boy! How you've been doing, son?"

"I'm fine, sir. How about you?

"Dandy as ever. How's the girlfriend?"

"Uhm...We broke up."

"Damn, what a shame! I always liked her. She's not like those high-maintenance chicks that always ask for this and that... Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Ah, yes...Well, I'm actually kind of in a rush. I would really appreciate it if you can help me."

"Well, what are you waiting for, son? Tell me!"

"I need to get to Miramar right now, but there's no seat available on the train. The military has taken most of them."

"Ah, the military with their nonsenses again... Miramar is a good place to be, but it won't be easy, or cheap, to get there, considering the current situation. Also, the weather is not good today. Too much wind."

"I'll pay you, Charlie. Just tell me the price, but I really need to get there now."

"Damn, son, what's the rush?... Ok, I'll tell you what. You can pay for gas and we'll go from there! How does that sound? Besides, how much can you even pay me? I don't want your starving paycheck!" The old man chortled.

My paycheck had been far from starving and the compensation from the accident had put a nice chunk in my account, but Charlie didn't need to know all that. I would pay him in full.

I met Charlie at the hangar and left Vince's RV there.

The flight was as gruesome as we expected. The small aircraft shook as if it could fall apart with every movement. Charlie assured me that his "old gal could take more than a little wind," but it was not a little. It felt as if someone had thrown us inside a giant electric fan and turned it to the highest speed. The ocean churned angrily below, adding to my anxiety. Silver waves reached up to the sky, wanting to pull down our tiny aircraft and swallow it whole. I knew if we died today, it would be my fault. It would be because of my stubbornness and stupidity, wanting to play a hero when no one asked me to, just as Lou had said. It was a complex. No one would care about my death. Certainly, not Lou. Everything would be in vain, still, I didn't feel a tint of regret. Sure, I felt bad to involve Charlie, but thinking that I was coming to Lou and Vince's rescue had filled me with a sense of purpose.

"We're almost there. Buckle up!" Charlie's voice boomed in my headset, cutting off the gloomy thoughts.

The landing was less than ideal. We were attacked by the winds on all sides. My organs were lifted and stirred with the turbulent descending. They turned upside down when the aircraft's wheels hit the ground hard. After a long and excruciating few minutes, everything finally settled when Charlie killed the engine.

We were at an abandoned airport. It was small and deteriorated, taken over by tall grass. Back in the day, the military had used it for transporting essential items. According to Charlie, we landed here to avoid attracting too much attention from the authority. Not everyone was allowed in and out of the island freely these days. Permissions could take months to get approved.
I suspected all that might just be Charlie's excuse for a little bit of thrill, as his days could be long and monotonous. Nonetheless, we were here.

"That was it, son! I'm afraid I couldn't hang around and wait for you, but you have my number. Listen," Charlie placed his hand firmly on my wrist. "I don't know what the purpose of this trip is, but please be careful. Things are not how they used to be anymore. We're living in an unpredictable time. Even Miramar. Everything that glitters is not gold." He looked around the deserted airport.

"I know... See you later, Charlie. Thanks for the trip."

"Oh, don't mention it."

I nodded at the old man and jumped out. The Skyhawk slowly rolled away on the landing strip and took off to the sky. Charlie would find the roll of cash I had tucked in the back seat when he cleaned the aircraft the next day. Now, my journey had just begun.

I walked toward the gleaming city by the sea. Everything was blanketed in the glorious golden light of the day's end. My phone rang again and this time, I picked up. It was not like Castillon could stop me now.

"Robert, where have you been, son? Why didn't you pick up the phone? Our plane was supposed to leave an hour ago!"

I could imagine how red his usually almond-colored face was, breathing like that. However, there was nothing I could do.

"Well, I know and I didn't mean to hold you back, general. I thought you've already left."

"No, no...Son! How can I leave without you? You know what, I actually have a pretty good idea where you are, so stay right there because I'm coming to you!"

Like hell he would, I thought somberly but didn't have time or energy to argue with him.

"Please, don't...There's no reason for that."

I suddenly remembered one thing. I didn't know if it did any good, but I might as well try.

"I actually have a request. Please look into general Haynes' whereabouts. You said his signal was off, but it didn't mean that he was dead. I bet whoever took him and the other generals wants something from you, so they would not be killed that easily."

"Oh, why do you have to worry yourself about that?" Castillon exhaled deeply. "I swear, you and the Haynes...You know what? I'll do it! I'll do it with one condition. You pick up the phone when I call you. If the Haynes kids are not there, you call me right away. I'll arrange for you to be picked up. You don't stay around and investigate. It's not your job to save them. Robert, please," Castillon let out another heavy sigh. "I know you resent me, but there's no reason to endanger yourself just to prove a point! I need to know that you won't do anything reckless. It will kill me if something happens to you..."

"Now you're just being dramatic."

"No, son, listen, you have my words that I will look for Haynes, but I need you to be safe and come back. I want you to be a part of my life, no matter how little of it is left."

I could see the smoke of his cigar clouding the pair of brown eyes that were identical to mine. For a moment, I could even feel it, deep inside, but I pushed those emotions down immediately.

"You won't die anytime soon, general... We'll talk."

I wiped my face and hung up. It was exhausting, all of this roller-coaster. The man didn't deserve my sympathy, much less forgiveness, but I wasn't angry or sad because of him anymore. I wasn't anything. He had been and would continue to be a very vague figure in my life.

It was not hard to find a taxi to take me to the Honeyland. Opposite the bustling town below, the famous gated community on the hill was quiet. Strong winds traveled through the leaves and the occasional cries of seagulls from afar were the only things I heard.

First thing, this was not a guard-gated community, so no one there to help me call the owner of the house. Vince still hasn't picked up, so I had to do what was necessary.

I looked at the ten-foot-tall wrought iron gate and the two cameras. It should not be a problem, but if I could find a more discreet way to get in, it would be better.

The stone walls seemed to extend forever on both sides. I chose to walk rightward, which slanted down a little. Under the harsh sun, I walked until I saw a spot where the wall dipped significantly due to uneven ground. There were also a lot of trees and bushes around.

I didn't have a lot of time before the sun set completely. It would be dark and my eyes would not be very good then.

I secured the bag around my body. If it was just a tad heavier, I would have to leave it behind. I backed up and ran toward the wall. My right foot tapped its rough stone surface, propelling me up. I grabbed the finials. From there, I pulled myself up and over the wall.

This wall wasn't the tallest one I had ever climbed in my life, literally and figuratively.

Some of the houses were obscured behind more fences and trees. Some could be seen from where I stood. Their white exterior stood out against the dark green background. I was gobsmacked by the size of those mammoth structures. No one would need that much house, but whoever lived here obviously had a different idea.

I walked to the address Vince had given me. The wooden gate stood there as another obstacle, but behind it, I hoped to see the familiar faces.

I was about to ring the bell when a blood-curdling scream made my heart stop.

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