Tracking Trisha

Chapter 1-2

Trisha was working inside the jet by the time Ariel got there. She could hear her and Carmen outside but decided to stay focused on what she was doing. Ariel would take care of the outside inspections. Trisha was the pilot on this flight, and Ariel was the co-pilot. They often switched back and forth.

A little while later, Trisha heard Cara’s cheerful voice in the hanger. Uh-oh, Trisha thought as she listened. Cara’s on a caffeine high! She couldn’t help but grin. Cara was so much fun. Trisha and Ariel adopted her several years ago as their surrogate little sister. Cara had been going through a difficult time with one of the engineers at Boswell, who was being a real dip-wad to her. When he showed up late one night at Cara’s apartment and started to get a little physical with her, Trisha and Ariel, who were visiting Cara at the time, ended up escorting him out none too gently. They told him in explicit detail what they would do to him if they ever saw him near her again. The jerk transferred overseas shortly afterward. Trisha chuckled as she remembered the look on his face as they walked him out.

Trisha stood up and stretched, trying to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. She decided she would see what Cara was up to before contacting the tower to see if they had permission for take-off. She’d checked the radar about an hour before, and it looked like the worst of the storm was passing through. It should be an easy take-off once they were given clearance.

Cara looked like she was just finishing up as Trisha stepped down the steps of the jet. “Hey, Trish.”

Trisha turned as she reached the bottom step and walked toward her. Trisha gave Cara a big smile. “Hey, Cara. Welcome aboard! Is this your first flight on the new Phantom Series?”

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to putting her through the wringer,” Cara said. “Carmen coming too?”

“Yeah,” Trisha said softly watching as Ariel headed toward her sister. “Ariel got permission for Carmen to tag along. We’re heading to California to take home an artist the Boswells had commissioned to do a piece, and Carmen needed a lift,” Trisha said. She pulled Cara’s tool belt from her. It looked too heavy for Cara’s small frame, but Trisha knew better. Cara was tough as nails when she had to be. Glancing back one last time at Ariel and Carmen, she turned to head up the stairs of the jet telling Cara softly under her breath, “She’s still not doing too good.”

Forty minutes later, Trisha received permission for take-off, and they were soon airborne. The next six or seven hours would have been boring, but Trisha decided she wanted to put the new jet through its paces since they were making such a long flight. She wasn’t quite ready to tell Ariel about her plans yet. She decided to tell her on the return flight. She figured she wouldn’t have to worry about Carmen trying to kill her sister when she blew a gasket after she heard Trisha was giving up flying for a living.