Missing

by L C Lang

  Maggie thought about the flight crew and passengers. She was sure they were in the house. What she didn’t understand was why. Were they here because of something about the plane? Maggie had no idea where the plane flew in from, but the crew got here before the plane got back to New York. The report she had seen earlier said there was six passengers and seven flight crew members. She had seen the seven flight crew members, but only four other people. Two men and two women. Were they part of the passengers? Two men had gotten back on the bus, so maybe they were the other two passengers. She wondered where they took the bus to.

  What Maggie didn’t understand was why they were all here. She shook her head. The whole situation was confusing because there were too many questions, and no answers. She was also getting a knot in her stomach. Something obviously wasn’t right about the situation.

  She looked down at the cell phone in her hand. Her hands were shaking. Too much was going on at once. Okay, the FBI was on the case. Should she call them back and tell them she knew where the flight crew was? She hadn’t expected to get the agent’s cell phone number. Would they think she was lying and try to trace the call?

  Maggie got up and went back out on the porch. She looked at the house again. There was no movement, just like the other days. Only the delivery truck that has been coming three times a day for the past three days. Then there was the man in the pickup truck that had come the last two nights. She hadn’t seen him today, at least not yet. So now, there were thirteen people in the house. What is going on?

  She stood up, walked back into the house and began pacing the floor. She had to think this out. She went over in her mind again what she knew. The flight had left Friday morning from London. She had seen the flight crew late Friday evening. The plane itself didn’t come back to New York until Sunday. It had to have been somewhere else, but she hadn’t heard where. They simply left the plane somewhere else and brought flight crew with them. Then they arrived here in the tour bus. Maggie was sure there was more to the story than what she knew at this point.

  Maggie shook her head. What confused her most was James Fitzpatrick. She had seen the report on the television last night about his trip to Texas, to see how the relief efforts were going. So, what was he doing here and what did he have to do with the other five people she knew were in the house?

  She stopped pacing as a disturbing thought went through her mind. If the passengers were responsible for hijacking the plane, why had they brought the flight crew with them. For security? Had to be, since over half of the flight crew had seen each of the passengers. But, what were they planning on doing with them?

  What was really going on in that house?

  She walked back out to the porch, her cell phone still in her hand. She looked at the house. The longer she looked, the more she was getting a bad feeling. She knew she had to do something. But, what? If she called the FBI agent and explained what she had seen, would he believe her? More important, how long would it take them to get here? The flight crew had now been there for three days. Since Fitzpatrick was now here, did that mean something was going to happen soon? A chill went down her spine. Yes, she had to do something and she knew exactly what to do.

  Maggie sat down on the lounge chair, took a deep breath, opened her cell phone and made the call. The phone rang twice before the agent answered.

  “Palmer.”

  Maggie took a deep breath. “Special Agent Palmer. My name is Maggie Connor and I’m calling to tell you that I know where the flight crew of flight 3351 is at.”

  “How do you know they are there?”

  Maggie heard edginess in his voice. Had she made the right decision?

  “Because late last Friday evening a tour bus came and I saw several people get off. Two men were wearing what looked like a uniform of dark coats and slacks, and they were carrying some sort of hat. Two other men were wearing dress shirts, dark ties and dark pants, no jackets. There were three women who were all wearing dark skirts, white blouses and black vests. The women looked to be in their mid-twenties and most of the men looked in their thirties, although one man was older. Maybe in his fifties. They all had rolling suitcases with them.”

  Maggie heard the agent suck in his breath. Guess that convinced him, she thought. She had decided, at least for the moment, not to tell him she was a detective. She didn’t want to explain why she was here. And, she really didn’t want this to get back to her boss.

  There was a pause on the line before he spoke again.

  “Okay, Ms. Connor. You are sure about what you saw?”

  “You can call me Maggie. And, yes, I am sure of what I saw. I used binoculars and got a good look. Also, there is a security light at the back part of the house that lit up the area, which made it easier for me to see them.”

  Maggie could hear the muffled sound of talking. She wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but she was sure he believed her now. Finally, he came back on the line.

  “Okay. First of all, I need your cell number.”

  Maggie gave him the number.

  “Thank you. I would like to ask you a few questions. I’m in my boss’s office and I’m putting this call on speaker so he can hear it too.”

  “That’s fine.” She was sure they were probably taping it too.

  “First of all, where are you at right now?”

  “In Riverwoods, West Virginia.”

  “Okay. How exactly you are seeing this house?”

  “This area has a lot of hills. I live in a house on a hill that is directly across a ravine from the house. The house I saw them go into used to be a bed and breakfast. At first, I thought it had changed back to one again. That is until I heard the news this morning about the flight crew.”

  “So you have a direct view of the house?”

  “Yes. When they built the house ten years ago, they had cleared a lot of trees away so the visitors could get a good view of the hills around here.”

  “Tell me the sequence of events from when they arrived.”

  “Well, it was Friday evening, about eight thirty, I saw a car arrive. A man got out of the car and used a key to go in the back door of the house. He turned on a light that is over the stairs going down into the basement, one at the back door and a security light attached to the house. About a half an hour later, a mid-sized tour bus arrived. The seven crew members got off, along with six other people. The man who had arrived earlier escorted the flight crew down to the basement. Another man followed them. Then the five others went to the back door of the house and went inside. A few minutes later, two of the men got back on the bus and it left.

  “Then, starting on Saturday morning, a panel truck began coming three times a day and taking in boxes. I figure the man was bringing in food, because he just took the boxes inside and came back out a few moments later. He just came a few minutes ago, which is an hour later than normal. Also, just before the panel truck came, a black Lincoln parked behind the house and a man got out and walked into the house. He is still there. The interesting thing about the last man is that he looks like that missing FEMA man.”

  “He what?”

  “I think his name is James Fitzpatrick. He is with FEMA. I checked on CNN to be sure it was him and now I am sure it is. Although, I have no idea why he is here.”

  Maggie heard some muffled talking. The agent must have covered the speaker. Sounded like more than just two people, by the sound of it. Finally, he came back on the line.

  “Okay. You said five people walked in the back door. Are they all men?”

  “No. Two looked like women.”

  “Any guns?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see any. Although, I assume there must be in order to keep the flight crew under control.”

  “Okay. I need to know exactly where this house is located.”

  “The house is located just north of the airport in Riverwoods, West Virginia. A paved road runs west of the airport. This road leads to the house. Although, I would not come in by way of the ro
ad or the airport. Whoever is in the house I am sure will hear you if you drive up the road or fly into the airport. However, a thick stand of trees goes from the main highway up to the house on the left side. That would be your best approach. There are too many hills and deep ravines around the house to come in any other way.”

  “Okay, I’ve got it. What part of the state is Riverwoods located?”

  “In the southeast side. It isn’t a very large town and hills surround the town. The house is on the east side of town, off of River road.”

  “Alright, that helps. Okay, what I would like you to do is to continue watching the house. I’m not sure how long it will take for us to get there, but, if at any time you see anything going on, anyone coming in or leaving, give me a call.”

  “Alright. I will.”

  “Thank you for letting us know.”

  They said goodbye and Maggie closed her phone. It was now six o’clock and she needed to get something to eat. Not wanting to take the time to fix something and possibly miss something important, she decided to order a pizza. She placed the order, took a long look at the house, and then quickly went into the bedroom to get some money out of her purse. She got a Dr Pepper out of the refrigerator, and then went back out to the porch. Nothing had changed.

  Half an hour later, her pizza arrived. She paid for it, and then took it out to the porch. Setting it on the small table, she sat down, then took out a piece and began to eat. She looked at the house. The longer she thought about it, the more confused she got. What would Fitzpatrick, a high standing man in FEMA, have anything to do with at least four of the passengers on what now appeared to be a hijacked plane? It just didn’t make sense.

  She ate two more pieces of pizza, but couldn’t come up with any solutions. The longer she thought about the flight crew, the worse she felt. She knew she had been right to call the FBI and tell them where they were. Now, with everything seemingly coming together, she feared for the flight crew’s safety. They were fed tonight. The man took in the usual three boxes, but he was an hour later than normal. Why? Was it because Fitzpatrick was now here? If so, what is going to happen now?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  It was now two hours later and the FBI still hadn’t shown up. Maggie paced the length of the porch, continuing to go back and forth. Does it take them this long to mount a raid? Had the agent not believed her? She stopped pacing for a few moments and looked outside the porch. Even though it was dark out, the full moon gave an eerie look to the landscape. Nothing was going on at the house. With each passing minute, her gut feeling was telling her she had to do something.

  The flight crew had been in the house for three days now. With Fitzpatrick’s mysterious arrival, she knew something was going on. Since she now knew it was the flight crew from the missing plane, she was sure they had nothing to do with whatever was now going on. But what will happen to them now? Maggie stared at the house a moment.

  It was time. She couldn’t wait any longer for the FBI to show up.

  Going into the bedroom, she changed clothes. She was dressed again in black jeans and a black sweatshirt. She put on her service belt, and then pulled her sweatshirt over it. Then she put a notepad and pen in her back pocket. Pausing for a moment, she finally decided to take a second gun.

  Opening her suitcase, she pulled out her own personal gun, a Glock 33, checked to make sure she still had a full clip in it, and then tucked it into her jeans at the small of her back. She put her cell phone in her right jeans pocket and two spare clips in the left pocket. Looking into the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, she knew she was as ready as she could be. She walked out of the bedroom and went through the porch, going out the back door. Walking to the edge of the yard, she turned left.

  With her flashlight to guide her, Maggie went to the spot where she had to begin her downward trek. She made it down in ten minutes. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was either getting better physically or the sense of urgency she felt guided her down the hill faster. Once she reached the bottom, she crossed the stream. She quickly found the rope she had left and pulled herself up over the washed out area, and then headed up the next hill.

  When she got to the top, Maggie paused a few moments at the edge of the open area of trees. She was now looking directly at the back of the house. She took a few deep breaths, trying to catch her breath and to ease the case of nerves she was beginning to feel. She knew she was going to have to approach the house carefully. The security light was on at the back of the house.

  There were four windows upstairs and two downstairs, but they were all dark. She hoped they felt safe and secure, and weren’t watching out the windows. Still, she didn’t want to take any chances. The south side of the house had no windows. This was the best side to hide. They wouldn’t be able to see her and she would have some maneuverability.

  Looking to her right, across the open area, the trees were heavier. This will be a good place to take the flight crew to, if she could get them out. The trees were denser and darker. While it would take a few seconds longer to get there, it will allow them to make their way south and to the main highway undercover of the trees. Of course, it all depends if she can find the flight crew, and if they were actually in trouble.

  Taking a deep breath, Maggie knew it was time. Dunking down, she quickly made her way across the fifty-foot distance to the side of the house. When she got there, she paused a moment and listened. She heard nothing. After a moment’s hesitation, she slowly moved to her left, approaching the front side of the house. When she got to the edge, she peeked around the corner. A light was on in the window next to where she was standing. Another light was on upstairs. The bedrooms would be upstairs, but what was in the room downstairs?

  Blackout curtains were over the two single side-by-side windows. A small amount of light filtered around the edges. Maggie tried looking around the edges, but couldn’t see anything. Looking down the front side of the house, she saw no other lights on. Next, she crouched down and placed herself under the window, but couldn’t hear any talking. She moved back to the side of the house and quietly walked towards the back.

  At the back of the house, she looked at the two cars. Suddenly, she thought of something she needed to do, just in case. Getting into her back pocket, she pulled out the notepad and pen. She crouched down and crept closer to the cars. The first one was the black Lincoln James Fitzpatrick arrived in a couple of hours ago. The other car was a grey Lexus. She noted the license plate numbers and descriptions of each vehicle, and then headed back to the corner of the building. If either of them left before the FBI agents got here, she would be able to tell them which vehicles to look for. She put the notepad and pen back in her back pocket.

  The entrance to the basement was just six feet from the edge of the house. Maggie stood in front of the three steps going down and looked at the door at the bottom of the stairs. The flight crew had gone down to the basement. She needed to find out if they were still down here.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked down the steps and stood in front of the door. The door was solid, but what was she going to find on the other side of the door? Her hand was shaking as she reached for the doorknob.

  The door was unlocked.

  Slowly she opened the door with her left hand, her right hand on her gun. Inside, she found a muted light, but the short twelve-foot hallway was empty. Stepping inside, she quietly pushed the door closed behind her, but not completely shutting it. If something happened, she wanted a fast way out.

  Maggie slowly and quietly walked forward. When she reached the end, she peeked around the corner, her gun up. There was a long hallway, about sixty feet in length. She stared at what was ahead of her. This wasn’t like any basement she had ever seen before. The hallway was eight feet across. Three muted lights dimly lit up the hallway. On the left side of the hallway were five doors, evenly spaced down the length. Two more doors were on the right side, at the other end of the hallway. Ten feet down was the first door.
If there were rooms behind the doors, then they measured about ten feet by twelve feet. In total, there were seven doors. Is this where the flight crew is?

  Standing in front of the first door, she looked at the doorknob. After putting her gun back in the holster, she put her hand on the doorknob and twisted. Locked. She listened at the door, but heard nothing. Continuing to walk down the hallway, she passed two more doors and then saw an opening on her right.

  A set of stairs went up to the main part of the house. Just as she was about to walk on, something shiny caught her attention. Quietly walking up the wooden steps, she took the key off the nail it was hanging on, and then went back down the stairs.

  Maggie leaned against the wall, looking both ways. It was obvious a lot of thought had gone into the remodeling of this basement. They knew how many was going to be on the plane. Whoever had arranged this, knew what they were doing. Moving down the hallway to her left, she stood in front of the first door again. She looked down at the key in her hand. Did this key open the doors? If so, what is she going to find inside?

  John Murphy sat on his bed. He had tried reading, but couldn’t keep his mind on the book. He was now halfway through War and Peace, and, while it was a good book, he knew reading it now was only way to keep his mind off the thoughts that kept running through his mind. They had gotten the special meal tonight just as the man had promised. He had ordered a sirloin steak cooked medium rare and a large baked potato. No dessert. He just wanted the steak. I had been a long time since he’d had a steak. His wife would not let him have one very often. It had hit the spot and he relished every bite of it.

  What bothered him was what the man had told him. Yesterday, the man told him they would be set free on Tuesday morning. At the time, he hoped the man was telling him the truth. But, today, the man’s demeanor told him this was not going to end well. He wasn’t as talkative and friendly as he had been the other days. He sensed something was wrong. Had the man agreed to the special meal because it was going to be their last meal? Even though he hoped they would be let go tomorrow morning, he now doubted that was going to happen.