Texas
“Attention, passengers. We will begin our descent into Dallas in approximately twenty minutes. The temperature there is seventy-eight degrees….” The pilot continued, giving information about where the plane was headed next, what to do if one were looking for connecting flights, etc., but Ella’s mind was on what was going to happen when she stepped off of the plane. Would they be followed, or would they make their entry into the United States undetected?
It was weird not sitting next to Rome. She had for the first flight, the longest leg, but when they’d switched planes in Bolivia, they’d decided it would be better if they weren’t spotted together, just in case. So she was sitting a few rows ahead of him.
The plan was pretty straight forward. She’d get off first and head to the rental car counter where she already had a reservation in her fake name, one she’d picked herself this time. They’d had King send the new passports that matched their current appearances, which weren’t too far off from what God had created, though Ella’s short red hair was her own. She wasn’t Ella anymore, though. She was Ramona Spears.
Rome’s hair was a white blond, partly from the bright sun at their home of the last several weeks, but also a bit from a bottle. His skin was darker than it had ever been though, as was Ella’s. He looked like a bronze god as she caught a glimpse of him making sure his seatbelt was buckled tightly for landing. Soon enough, they’d be in a car headed to California--assuming no one was watching this particular airport too closely.
She’d get the car while he got the bags. Then, she’d swing by and quickly pick him up, and they’d take off together to make the long drive west. After that, the stakes got a lot higher.
If his father had been watching the real estate market closely, he might know that Rome had bought the house in his own name. He’d had little choice but to do so, unless he wanted to trust someone else with a lot of money. They’d bought it a few weeks ago, so there was a chance that would help because any spying would’ve been over with, or they could be walking into a trap. Either way, they’d have to be careful.
She wouldn’t be able to see anyone in person for who knows how long. The idea of hiding from the world wasn’t comforting, but she had to continue to remind herself that she was doing this for Rome, that she was willing to go into hiding in order to give him his dreams. She’d still be able to start her own marketing company or work for another one from home. If she dared. The fact that she might run into her father or someone that knew him was one that made her nervous.
The plane began to descend. The tightening in her stomach and the feeling that she was floating had more to do with what she would be doing once they touched down than the fact that the plane was in the middle of a controlled plummet out of the sky.
The wheels touched down, and she let out a deep breath, looking around at the other passengers. They were checking the time, pulling out their phones, gathering up their belongings. Ella was just trying to breathe.
She’d have her phone on and in her pocket the entire time, connected to Rome so that if anything went wrong for either of them, they’d know right away. What she would do if she heard Rome in trouble, she wasn't sure, but she’d do whatever it took, including shouting that there was a bomb in the airport or that someone had a gun. She’d learned that the man who’d been grabbed at the airport when Bart was leaving Italy had been released without being hurt, but if they sunk their fingernails into Rome, who knew what they’d do to make sure that he got back to his father’s house?
Ella unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her carry-on bag, waiting her turn to head down the aisle. She couldn’t help but catch Rome’s eyes, even though he was now Billy Shaker, someone she didn’t know. She didn’t smile, just looked at him, silently praying that this worked and they were both in the car soon.
As she headed down the aisle, she heard a voice in the back of her head telling her they were there, that Rome’s dad’s men were at the airport, that they were being hunted again. She had to push it aside and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other because if she didn’t, she’d crumble then and there, cause a scene, and bring more attention to herself than she could afford.
“Have a great day,” the flight attendant said as Ella passed her.
“You, too.” She managed a smile.
“Welcome to Texas,” another said.
“Thanks.” If everything was bigger in Texas, hopefully, that made it easier to hide.
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