“That was the flight we were supposed to be on,” Rawlins said.
Zach’s face went slack as he slumped into the nearest chair in the room, unable to say anything. His mind raced a million miles an hour.If Ethan hadn’t disappeared, we’d all be dead right now.
Chapter Nine
Ethan
The flight to Houston was uneventful. Ethan spent most of it listening to music on his phone, staring out of the window at the Gulf of Mexico beneath them before they turned north into Texas.
As the plane approached Houston, the flight attendants came through the main cabin picking up trash and making sure everyone’s tray tables were up, their seats straight and the luggage stowed. Ethan closed his eyes as they landed. He tried to predict when the plane would touch the ground based on how it felt. He’d been playing this little game in his head since he’d been a kid. He’d gotten pretty good at guessing when the first wheel would touch the tarmac, but sometimes he was a bit off. He loved feeling of the first little hop planes had when the back wheels touched the ground before the plane’s nose settled on the runway and the plane reversed thrusters and slowed rapidly.
“We’ll be arriving at the terminal in a few minutes. For those making connections here at Houston Hobby, please see the gate agent or the electronic boards once you enter the terminal. On behalf of your Dallas-Fort Worth-based flight crew, we welcome you to Houston. We know you have many options when flying. Thank you for flying Roadrunner Airways Express. And remember, keep your butts in your seats until the captain has turned off the seatbelt sign.”
Ethan heard a slight chuckle from the woman behind him when the flight attendant said the last part. He took a deep breath and kept staring out of the plane. He turned off the airplane mode, waited for the phone to connect then scrolled through several texts and emails. Zach had texted him a few times asking where he was.
Ethan shot him back a quick response.
Needed a breather. Don’t worry. I’ll be in Seattle in a few days. Sorry to worry you. I’ll explain when I see you.
The flight was right under an hour and a half, so he figured the band was getting ready to take off.I’m sure they’re all pretty pissed at me right now. Ethan knew everyone depended on him, but he needed to get away from it all—even if it was only for a few days.
The plane pulled up to the gate and unloading began. The Houston terminal was bustling but not crazy, which was great, because it made blending in and moving fast to luggage claim easy. He stopped by the restroom and looked at himself in the mirror.Blayne’s going to think I’m some crazy-ass punk. The baseball cap with the ponytail and the giant sunglasses covering half his face should be a dead giveaway to anyone paying attention that he was trying to disguise himself. Thankfully, most people never seemed to see what’s going on right in front of their faces.
He followed the signs to baggage claim. On the way, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Blayne.
On the ground, heading to baggage claim.
Great, already here. Wearing a light blue polo, khaki cargo shorts and sneakers. You?
Look for the person who looks like they’re trying not to be noticed.
Huh?
Trust me. You’ll get it when you see me.
Ethan made his way through the airport maze, then down a final escalator into the baggage claim area. He followed the mass of people who had disembarked from his plane, assuming they all knew where they were going.
Within a few minutes, he stood next to the baggage carousel, looking for Blayne. Ethan spotted him almost immediately.
Damn, he’s hotter in person than in his EndZone profile pic.
Ethan maneuvered through the crowd and made his way to Blayne.
Saying nothing, he stood beside Blayne and whispered, “Howdy, cowboy. Can you help a stranger out?”
Blayne’s eyebrows rose as he yelped, “Dear God!” before quickly putting his hand over his mouth. “Fuck, I can’t say that in Texas.”
Ethan laughed. “Sorry… I couldn’t resist the temptation… What?” Ethan asked as he examined the strange look crossing Blayne’s face.
“What’s with the getup?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not in witness protection or wanted by the FBI. I didn’t want anyone to see me when I left New Orleans. I knew some people in the airport, and I wanted to be anonymous today.” Ethan had already come up with the lie when he realized he’d have to explain the odd getup.
“Okay, you can tell me all about it on the ride back to my place. What color is your bag?”
“I didn’t bring one. Just the duffel,” he said, lifting the bag for emphasis.
Long Nightfrom his album,Dog Days,started playing over the intercom. He looked over and saw Blayne bopping his head to the song.
