59: Untapped

They drove for a while in complete silence. Aaron was doubting everything. For the first time since Boris had met them, he looked tense. Even Boris was unsure about their future plan of action. Mike dutifully drove the car and prayed to god that Boris and Aaron would come up with some miraculous idea soon. A few days ago, Mike was flying on private planes and living the best possible life. That day he was driving away from a vet’s clinic where his daughter had been looked at and he had survived a bomb explosion. Sophie trusted Aaron and knew that he would come up with something. She sat silently and kept her eyes out of the car.

“Whoever that was, he wants us to target Hudson”, Aaron suddenly broke the ice. Boris listened attentively. “Since we can’t keep on the defensive, we should go for his family”, Aaron suggested. Boris saw it as a feasible and understandable plan. Sophie and Mike didn't like it one bit. Aaron saw the discomfort on their faces. He decided to calm them. “We aren’t going to hogtie and torture anyone. We’ll try to talk and make them see reason”, Aaron tried to comfort them. It worked. Boris’s appreciation for the plan faded. What Aaron suggested sounded too naive and soft to Boris.

“His wife is the only family he has left. And I’ve heard that she’s the saner of the two”, Aaron suggested. Boris shook his head.

“What if she turns out to be just like him? What if she’s in on whatever Rick is doing?”, Boris expressed his concerns. They were grave and Aaron took them seriously. He sat in
deep thought silently for a while.

“I think going for his family is a good plan”, Mike spoke unexpectedly. Aaron and Boris stared at him. “We’ll be out of the state and we’ll be doing something other than defense, like you just suggested”, he added. Everyone agreed with his logic. Boris was impressed to see Mike with his head in the game.

“But there’s one problem. It’s gonna be a long and treacherous drive, going to Austin. Maybe we can try the train”, Aaron said. Mike chuckled. Boris and Aaron stared at him, wondering why he was laughing. Sophie smiled as she knew what her father was thinking.

“Did you forget that I’m a billionaire?”, Mike said to Aaron. “We’ll take the damn jet!”, he added, trying to control his excitement. Boris loved the idea. There had been no threatening calls to Mike. There had been no mention of his name among either the werewolves or the vampires. He was the edge they needed. But Hudson would find out about him once he investigates Ronald’s death. Mike took a turn and entered the highway. Boris understood where he was headed. The private hangars were that way.
Aaron and Sophie were getting sleepy. The repetitive scenery of the highway was making Mike drowsy as well. He pulled out a pack of chips from the glovebox and started to nibble on it to keep the sleep at bay. Aaron and Sophie were soon out cold in the back. Boris was struggling to keep his eyes open. He had been willing to offer to take the wheel for a while but his state had become worse than Mike. After two hours of non stop driving, they had reached the hangar.

The hangar didn't give off a hint that it was just a few hours from dawn. It was bustling with activity. The families of rich people loaded their bags on their planes. The guy at the hangar main gate approached the car for a security check. He instantly recognized Michael and opened the gate. They drove inside and ditched the car. Sophie and Aaron stared at the extravagant planes in awe. Sophie had never traveled in her father’s jets even when Mike had insisted. Boris had seen his share of rich people and their shenanigans. It was a breeze of fresh air for Boris to have one of those rich bastards on his side for once. Mike had called his crew to be ready. The crew stood in front of their plane waiting for him. They greeted him as he neared them. They didn't recognize anyone else in the pack but they knew better than to ask. Mike made his way inside the plane, climbing the folding stairs. The rest followed him. Mike and Boris found their seats and so did Aaron and Sophie. Mike had always wanted his daughter’s first flight in one of his jets to be special. It was a shame that the circumstances didn’t allow it. He took a look at his daughter and found her struggling to stay awake.

“It’s a long way. Get some shut eye”, Mike suggested. Boris didn't wait a second before sitting back into his sleeping position. He knew that he needed to be a hundred percent when they landed. Aaron decided to follow suit but he was drowning in negative thoughts regarding what they were about to face. He tried to fight the thoughts off. He felt a hand on his hand. The hand was Sophie’s. He was just wondering how to react to it when she put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep immediately. All of Aaron’s fears vanished and he rested his head on hers. The crew took their time in making the last of the checks. The weather, air traffic, plane’s integrity, fuel, everything was checked. The plane started to taxi. The vibration told the passengers that they were on the move. It gained pace as soon as it reached the runway. In a matter of seconds, they were airborne. Mike had a lot of memories of the city he was headed to. One memory stood out. Everything good that the city had ever given him was overpowered by the man that he remembered it by. He remembered Hudson and the old retiree who didn't want to sell his house. The old man’s face stuck to his brain like a wallpaper. Ever since that incident, Mike dreaded entering the city fearing that he might cross paths with Hudson again. It was now a necessity and he knew the kind of a man he was dealing with this time around.