Ben & Matilda- Infinite Promise

by Tania De Melo

  “What about Kai?”

  Liam lets out a chuckle. “It’s Kai—he was never one to be short on self-assurance. That pedestal he holds himself on, has a foundation of pure steel.”

  I let out a laugh as I think of Kai and how he never falters in the area of ego.

  “Thanks, Li.”

  “Just remember this talk when one of my boys needs their own little dose of reality.” Liam stands, starting to walk away just as his phone rings with a call. He looks to me curiously, then down to the phone in his hand. “It’s Thea.” Thumbing the screen to answer, he brings the phone to his ear. “Hey.”

  He listens for a minute, then looks to me, his face having lost all color.

  “Liam, what is it?”

  It looks as though he’s going to be sick, but then lets out with a strained voice, “Their plane crashed. Ati’s plane crashed.”

  His words don’t register. I thought he said Ati’s plane crashed, but that can’t be possible—it just can’t be. My breaths quicken, almost causing me to be dizzy, then as though awaken by a jolt, the shrill piercing shriek of a blood-curdling scream catches my attention. I look up to see Liam on the ground with Gwen, holding her to his chest as she cries. Down the hall, Cal and Sammy walk hand in hand toward their parents, Tommy, and Ethan following right behind them. When I look to their little faces, I see panic. Behind me, the backdoor opens, in walking Kai and Thea. Kai is on the phone speaking to someone, but I can’t seem to make out what he’s saying. I can’t seem to make sense of anything that is going on around me.

  “Ben. Ben.”

  I look down to see my sister in front of me; her eyes moist and cheeks stained with tears. She takes me into an embrace, and on instinct, I wrap my arms around her. It’s not until this moment that I finally process what Liam had said. My arms tighten around my sister. When I look at where the boys are, I see Kai gathering them and moving them to the living room, away from where their mother is still on the floor cradled in Liam’s arms. They shouldn’t see this.

  Thea steps back and looks to me, although through the haze of tears, I doubt her vision is any better than mine.

  “Wh-what happened?”

  She looks behind her to where Liam is still trying to calm Gwen, then guides me by my arm outside. Standing in the back, and away from Gwen being able to hear, she starts. “From what I know, they were actually only minutes away from arriving at their destination when they were struck by lightning. They lost control of the plane, shortly after that, all transmission was lost.”

  “So, they could be fine, right? Thea, they could be fine. She could be fine.” My words are hurried and hopeful, but that changes quickly when the look on Thea’s face doesn’t mirror that of mine.

  “Ben, with the altitude they were at, the speed they were going, and the position of where they were at their last transmission, it’s a good possibility that they crashed into the side of the mountain.”

  No. No. Why couldn’t she just tell me what I wanted to hear?

  “You said possibility, so you don’t know for sure?”

  “No, I don’t. Bane is heading out there now to meet up with the authorities. Soon, he should have more information.”

  Just as I am about to speak, a voice from behind takes the words right out of my mouth. “So, she could still be alive?” Thea and I both turn to see Gwen standing there, arms wrapped around herself. “Thea, she could still be alive, right? Please, tell me it’s a possibility.”

  I walk over, wrapping an arm around Gwen. I know what she wants to hear, it’s the same as me; some reassurance—hope, but Thea is unable to give it. I lead Gwen back into the house where Liam is standing with Kai, Thea following in behind.

  “When did this all happen?” Liam asks.

  Thea leans up against the counter, hands rubbing her face before she starts. About two hours ago, roughly ten p.m. Like I told Ben, they were struck by lightning, and the pilot had enough time to send out a distress call that was received by one of the towers in the area.”

  “Is there any chance they may still be alive?” Liam questions again.

  Thea glances over to Gwen, then looks to Liam. “There’s no confirmation either way. But Liam—,”

  Liam nods, not needing her to finish, already understanding what she is implying.

  “So, what do we do now?” I ask.

  Kai looks to me, shaking his head. “Sit and wait.”

  “No, there has to be something we can be doing,” I reply.

  Liam walks over, taking Gwen in his arms. “Kai’s right; this time, it’s out of our hands.” He looks down at Gwen. “Gem, let’s get the boys back in bed, and you’re going to need some rest too. Come on.”

  He ushers her along, and she follows with no resistance.

  I move to where Thea and Kai have taken a seat at the table, and pull out a chair mindlessly going through the motions, then look up to them. “She’s not gone.”

  “Ben, brother—”

  “No, Kai. I can feel it. She’s not gone. She can’t be. We need to be looking for her.” At this point, my words are coming out as a plea, but as much as he wants to tell me what I want to hear, Kai was always a realist, and the reality is that it would take a miracle for anyone to survive that crash.

  It’s a good thing I believe in miracles.

  ***

  It seems like hours have passed, and we are still yet to hear anything back from Bane.

  “Try calling him again,” I ask Thea.

  She looks to me with apologetic eyes. “Ben, he’ll call once he knows anything. I promise.”

  “Why is it taking so long?” Grace questions.

  As soon as she and Ewan heard the news, they came right over, followed by my mom and dad.

  “They can’t head out until daylight; it’s not safe. So, until they actually do get out there, there’s really nothing new to report. At this point, they know as much as we do, and that’s just that the plane went down,” Thea explains her tone short.

  “Thanks for the update,” Grace replies curtly, then turning and walking out.

  Thea lets out a sigh. “I didn’t mean to snap at her like that.”

  Ewan, who is sitting beside Thea, brings her into a side hug. “And she knows that. Thea, we’re all upset and worried. Not knowing anything, and feeling helpless is just adding to the frustration for all of us.”

  “He’s right, sweetheart. We know that this is a lot for you to be dealing with right now,” my father adds, then looks around to all of us. “We need to all be patient and remember that Bane is doing the best he can, to fill us in on what is happening.”

  Everyone remains silent. I look over by the window, and Gwen is standing there, just staring out. She hasn’t said a word to anyone and has barely moved at all. She just stands there, shedding silent tears. I can’t imagine what this is doing to her. Ati’s her little sister, almost like a daughter in some ways. Gwen has always been so protective of Ati. I know what’s playing on her mind right now, probably the same as mine—that she couldn’t keep her safe.

  I walk over, standing behind her and resting my hands on her shoulders.

  “She’s going to be fine,” I utter the same words to her that I have repeatedly been reciting in my head these past few hours.

  “She has to be. I can’t lose her. We can’t lose her, Ben.”

  I rest my forehead to the top of Gwen’s head. She’s right, we can’t lose her.

  Thea’s phone rings, and both Gwen and I turn to the table where everyone else is already sitting attentively.

  “Hey, Bane. I’ll put you on speakerphone.” “Oh, okay.”

  Thea starts to stand from the table, but Gwen calls out. “I want to hear what he has to say. She’s my sister, and I want to know.”

  Thea looks over to Liam, and he gives her a nod. She takes her seat back at the table and places the phone down. “Bane, you’re on speaker.”

  He lets out a sigh, but continues, “At this time, what we can see from the f
ootage gathered from cameras placed around the area…” He pauses, letting out a hesitant breath. “They—” Bane stops again, clearing his throat. “They don’t expect there to be any survivors—I’m so sorry.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  -Matilda-

  With some effort, my eyes blink open, and the bright rays of the sun pierce through them, causing the throbbing pain in my head to amplify. Softly closing them, I give myself a moment, then slowly try again.

  “Hey, Quinn. I’m going to try and move.”

  No answer.

  “Quinn?” I wait another moment for a reply but nothing.

  “Quinn, answer me, please.” Still nothing.

  I stretch out a little more, getting a better grasp of his hand. It’s cold. Ice cold. I pull my hand back. The whole situation has become real. No longer in a daze of when we first crashed, I am now fully aware that I am alone, and most likely won’t make it off this mountain alive—but I have to try.

  Taking a deep breath, I look around me. From what I can tell, I’m flat on my back and pinned by the seat that I had been in. I run my hand down my side and slide it under and in between my body and the seat. Feeling around, I see that I’m still held in by my seat belt. I slide my other hand in, searching on that side for the buckle. It’s there, but I can’t seem to get enough of a reach to pull the clasp. I take in another breath and try to twist my body to allow for a little more room, but as I do, the metal from the plane that is caught on my seat starts to move.

  “No, no, no, no, no.”

  Holding my breath, I tightly close my eyes in anticipation, but nothing more happens. I release my breath and this time move slowly. The little shift has seemed to make just enough room for me to slide my hand in further and unbuckle myself.

  “Okay, Ati. Nice and slow,” I direct myself.

  Inch by inch, I start to carefully wiggle myself out from under the seat until I am almost clear. As I pull back on my legs, the seat shifts again, but this time, I’m not so lucky; all hundred pounds or so, come down on both of my legs at the knees.

  I let out a scream as the excruciating pain surges through my body. Falling off my elbows, I lay flat on my back again. My breaths are coming fast. I try to control my breathing, but with the new pain added to my already surely concussed head and sore ribs, I just can’t seem to gain control of anything.

  I cry out, “Please, God, someone help me.”

  “Ati.”

  I quiet at the sound of my name. “Quinn?”

  Please let it be him. Please say he was just sleeping before. “Oh Quinn, please say you’re still here with me.”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Unless there was someone else, you brought up here for this adventure.”

  My heart soars. Even with everything going on, my heart leaps and soars knowing that my friend is still alive.

  “Oh, Quinn. I thought you died. You didn’t answer back when I called out, and when I touched you, you were ice cold.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  I reach back, still unable to see him from where I am. “Do you feel your legs at all?”

  “No. I think something definitely happened to my spine.”

  “Okay, well, don’t move. Stay as still as possible.”

  He lets out a chuckle. “Yes, Dr. Batin.”

  I groan. He’s definitely not lost his sense of humor in all this. Then again, I guess that’s a good thing.

  “I tried to get free, but instead, I managed to pin myself more, and possibly broke both of my legs. I can’t get out of here to help you or try and flag someone for help.”

  “Ati, it’s okay. You’ll be okay, and I don’t think flagging anyone will help. From where we are positioned, there isn’t much you can do anyway. You just have to sit and wait.”

  “But what if they don’t find us? What if they don’t know where to look? It’s already been hours since the plane went down. I can feel my body temperature dropping, and I’m sure yours is too, never mind what else we are dealing with internally. Quinn, we won’t be able to survive out here for much longer.”

  My breathing quickens as panic starts to take over.

  “Ati. Ati. Ati, slow breaths. You need to take slow, deep breaths.” The words and sound of his calm voice soothe me.

  In and out, in and out. Slowly, my inhale and exhale follow his direction, and soon I am calm, but the tears of fear still run. “Quinn, you know as well as I do that it’s a possibility that we don’t make it.”

  Once again, I feel his hand grip mine, and the reassurance it sends that I’m not alone is

  indescribable, like a warm push of faith is now running through me.

  “Ati, you know as well as I do that they are already out there looking. Your family is out there. They, if anyone, will not stop searching for us…for you. You know that. Do you honestly think they are all just sitting back? Not a chance. Your sister is demanding answers, and Ben, he’s fighting to make sure you’re back in his arms safe and sound.”

  I inhale deeply. “Well, Ben’s arms are plenty full already, but Gwen, I agree, she is lighting a fire under everyone’s ass.”

  Quinn gives my hand another squeeze. “See, that’s what you need. Just keep playing that in your mind, and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying some hot chocolate in your reading socks and finally finishing that juicy romance novel.”

  I let out a chuckle, relaxing a little more. He’s right, my sister…my family, won’t stop until they find me and bringing me safely home.

  Feeling a little more reassured, I get back to the task of trying to get myself free. But when I prop myself up on my elbows and try to pull my legs out, another streak of extreme pain spikes through my body, causing me to send out another scream.

  “Ati, stop. It’s pointless to try and move. Your legs may be broken, and all you’re doing is more damage and causing yourself pain.”

  I fall back, defeated. “I just wanted to see if I could get a better idea of where we were, or at least what we are dealing with.”

  “Well, let me help you out with that. You’re stuck on the side of a mountain and up shit’s creek without a paddle,” Quinn replies.

  I let out a grunt. “Funny. I just thought maybe I could set up some sort of signal flag that says, ‘this is where we are.’”

  “That’s actually an excellent idea,” he praises.

  “Yeah, well, it may be a good idea, but it’s one that neither of us can execute.”

  It’s quiet. Quinn has no reply. I really wish I could see his face. I was never one to have patience, as my sister continuously points out when I nag about something getting done. Her reply, ‘If you want it done now, do it yourself—oh, yee of no patience whatsoever.’

  “Are you thinking?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “Well, if you gave me a little quiet, I may be able to come up with something.”

  “Wow, okay,” I grumble out, allowing a couple of minutes to pass but then call out again. “Are you honestly still thinking?”

  “No, now I was just seeing how long you would actually wait it out and stay quiet for,” he admits, following it up with a sinister chuckle.

  “Ha. Ha. Great to know you’re still a comedian in times of distress.”

  “They say it’s a defense mechanism to help protect your sanity or some shit like that. I have no idea really, I’m am OB/GYN, not a psychologist. But maybe you should think about giving it a try.”

  I roll my eyes, not that he can see, but he knows me well enough.

  “You just rolled your eyes at me, didn't you?” He asks.

  “I did. Now, did you come up with anything or not?”

  “Geesh, talk about a tough crowd,” Quinn tsk’s, then continues. “I just had a thought. I remembered that when we were leaving, you had on a really bright Barbie-pink top. Maybe we could use that as some sort of flag. I mean, it was bright enough; pretty sure we could signal out to the universe with that thing.

  I let
out a gasp. “First of all, it’s magenta, and it was a birthday gift from Gwen, Liam and the boys last year. And second, how do you propose we use it as a flag? Even if I would consider stripping out here, I can’t move enough to get it off, and let’s not mention the fact that I’d probably die of hyperthermia.”

  “Obviously, I wouldn’t expect you to completely strip down, but from where you are, you’re visible from up above. If you could open your jacket and make it seen, that would help.”

  I think that over for a moment running through some possibilities and coming up with one that may work. “I think I have an idea.”

  “It’s about time,” I hear him mumble from under his breath.

  “I heard that.”

  I put aside his comment and slowly pull the zipper on my coat, making sure to bring it only three-quarters of the way down, so it’s easy to pull back up. Once that’s done, I pull up my sweater to just above my chest—good thing I listened to Abe and layered. I reach for the hem of the sweater, digging my fingers into the knit fabric. Thank God Gwen has a half-decent taste and went for cashmere instead of polyester. I’m able to start enough of a hole that I can tear the sweater up almost to the neckline. I do the same on the other side, creating a flap. I roll it up to my neck, then pull my zipper back up, laying the flap on the outside.

  “There! S.O.S. beacon in place.”

  Impressed with my ingenuity, Quinn lets out a whistle of praise. “Look at you go. I’m going to start calling you Bear Gilles. Who would have thought you could be so resourceful.”

  A smile crosses my lips. “Yeah, well, you’re not the only genius around these parts.”

  Quinn laughs. “Not that much of a competition when there’s no one else on this mountain, Ati.”

  “Hey, now, I’m quite proud of myself, and I deserve the chance to relish this moment, so be nice.”

  “Okay, okay, great job, Archimedes. Maybe now you can devise some sort of pulley system to get down the mountain.”