89. Looking for a miracle
1227 Words
Drake was heading to Washington state to visit Olivia.
He took Sam with him for moral support.
Sam and Drake used to do everything together when they were kids.
Sam's parents moved away when Drake was in middle school.
He met Stella and her family when he became good friends with David Miller.
He thought about Stella as a little girl. Being four years older than her, he watched her grow up.
He never thought that little Tom boy would be his future wife, well he hope she would be.
He had plans to convince her why he should be the one that she should marry, when she was ready to get married that is.
He was her first love, he held a special place in her heart.
This baby situation was throwing a wrench in the works.
He left Sam in the car as he approached the visitors center.
Olivia was actually pregnant, he could see her baby bump, she had gained a lot of weight, she looked happier though he had to say, maybe because she was sober.
She sat down at the visitors table and asked him."Did you bring me the items I asked for?"
He handed a carton of cigarettes, candy bars, and some pen a paper, items that she had she wanted to use as prison money.
" Thanks, I can use these as bartering tools in here." She took his hand.
" I want you to know, I could have given up this baby without your knowledge, but I will have much satisfaction seeing you raise our son." She grinned.
" Oh, it's a boy then?" He asked.
" Yes, I am required to submit his DNA at birth, according to your lawyer, is this correct?"
" Well, you will benefit from this as well. I can help support you after this, would you like that Olivia?" He smiled at her, he wanted to have this whole process go smoothly.
" That's why I told you about him you dolt!" She said.
He could see the dangerous Olivia underneath the service still.
" Okay, keep eating healthy and exercising. We want our baby healthy." He said, meaning his and Stella's.
She, of course thought he meant his and hers.
Olivia said goodbye and went back to her cell.
She took her things and put them under her mattress.
Drake walked out, he was anxiously running his hand through his blond hair, something he did when he was stressed.
" So how do it go?" Sam asked.
Sam was working on a new proposal, he had his lap top up when Ash called him.
" Hey, any word if Stella and Cash landed yet?" Ash spoke with her everyday, she hadn't called to say that she was on her way to California.
"No, I'm sure Cash is protecting her, don't worry. She always calls you first Ash." He smiled.
About that time, Storm was speaking with his aunt Beth on the phone, he wanted advice on where to take Stella for a romantic get away.
" Storm, one moment. There's a breaking story about a private jet going down near the Everglades. Oh goodness! Storm, is Drake with Stella?" Beth was very worried.
" No, my brother Cash is with her though...you don't think that it was them do you?"
Storm was holding his breath as he searched for the story on line.
He checked the flight itinerary Cash had sent him.
Storm dropped his phone and held his face with both hands, it was their plane. He couldn't believe it.
He told Beth that it was Stella and Cash's plane that went down in the Atlantic ocean.
Beth told him she would fly down there and wait for the boys at Hall's home in Florida.
Hall was extremely upset at the loss of his son Cash.
He was angry at Stella for drawing Cash into her web like all the others.
" He wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for that woman!"
Beth kept tabs on the news reports.
Drake and Sam got the bad news as they caught their flight back to California.
They chartered a plane to Florida instead.
Ash and Storm flew down together.
Everyone was destroyed at the news.
" I'm calling to the FFA to find out what they know." Hall said.
The crash was being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
The search was on for any scuttle left of the plane.
They were following up on the where abouts of the planes black box to try and use satellites to pin point the exact crash sight.
The news reports were updating hourly.
The brother to Ash and Storm Palmer of Calloway racing, Cash Palmer, who is also their lead mechanic, is listed as the person who chartered the private plane.
It is believed that Ash's fiancé 21 year old Stella Calloway is also among the missing.
We reached out to Ash Palmer, his lawyer has asked for privacy at this time, while the family grieves.
Hall was anxious to get out on the water. He needed proof.
The FFA informed him there was a civilian mayday call made approximately 19 hours ago.
The last known coordinates appear to be near the Florida Everglades, however speculation is that it would have been impossible for anyone to survive being in the ocean for this long, they are all presumed drowned.
Hall wasn't so sure. He wanted to get on the water and see the crash sight himself.
He called a few navy buddies of his and took off to the coast.
Beth was with him, she needed to stay close incase Stella was alive, she didn't trust Hall to bring her back.
Drake was lying on the floor, his eyes were covered by his arm. He was unable to speak. His heart was broken. The loss of his brother and Stella...it was too difficult to bear.
Ash wasn't giving up hope. He couldn't.
He would die if he believed they were actually dead. He made a few calls to search and rescue.
Storm was in his bed with an empty bottle of whiskey.
He was passed out on the couch, Ash carried his twin to bed.
Storm, like Drake lost all hope, they were realists.
Sam was doing research and looking for all possible avenues for rescue.
He was doing the statistical analysis of possible survival outcomes and trajectory of flight patterns, wind directions and rates, as well as tide tables.
" Where are you two?" He wondered as he tapped the keyboards and conferred with a local professor of geography.
He specialized in small islands near the coastal regions of the pan handle.
Sam got excited. He had hope at least.
" Drake, we are heading south, pack lightly. We need to bring a drone, maybe one for each of us.
I think they might be on one of the small islands, there are several that are viable for survival. We need to hurry." He said.
Drake said,"No, I can't move. She's dead, he couldn't save her from a jet crashing from 30,000 feet up. Cash is good, but he's not Superman."
Sam said," Get dressed, I won't tell you again!"
Drake got dressed.
Storm was waking up. Ash packed his bag for him. They all left for Florida to search for a miracle.
- Writer
