Chapter 1
Bradley.
"Your attention, please. Stopping for ascent and descent only is permitted. Parking, waiting or stopping until someone arrives is prohibited." The automated voice system could be heard over the airport horns, over and over again.
It's irritating to be in a noisy place, especially when you have to do something like travel. It's supposed to be something fun and relaxing, but it's anything but. There is constantly a range of sounds like, takeoffs, landings, people talking on the phone, kids playing back and forth. People in an airport are like ants swarming together.
The Salt Lake City airport is surrounded by mountains. An immeasurable cold blankets the place. I am wearing my jacket and a silly brown beanie. On my shoulders, I carry the weight of my huge travel backpack. I don't know how I was agile enough to bend my knees slightly and get under the security tape. As I approached the brunette lady with short dark hair, I took off my hat and combed my hair.
"Excuse me. I'm not in first class." I assured her. "My flight to Denver leaves in 40 minutes, could you check me in here? I only have carry-on luggage."
"You're not going to miss it. The flight has been canceled. Customer service can help you." she pointed to the place to go. "I'm sorry."
She had been nice, but it only made me feel angrier. It wasn't her fault, though. It was the damn weather's fault. I paused for a moment to pull out my phone and call my family and fiancé, told them I would be there, unsure of that. When I finished talking to them, my ears couldn't help but overhear an extraneous conversation.
"I told you. The first flight I can send her on is early tomorrow morning."
The man in glasses and formal suit, looked determined. And the woman wasn't about to let him win.
"It's no good to me. I'm a surgeon. Tomorrow, I have to do emergency surgery in Baltimore. He's a 10-year-old boy." Faced with the gruff prognosis she faced; the woman disregarded the complaints being made by the people lined up behind her. "I can fly wherever I need to tonight to get there early tomorrow morning. Can you help me?"
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid no more flights will be leaving tonight...because of the storm."
"You already told me that...."
"I suggest you take the ticket to the hotel."
I could tell the woman was irritated when she was interrupted by the gentleman she was conversing with.
"Yes, that's fine."
She picked up her suitcase and started walking, she walked right past me. I saw her use her phone and put on her wired headphones, they were not wireless. I thought that was funny about that.
"Ma'am, excuse me."
She looked at me and immediately took off her headset out of politeness.
"I couldn't help but overhear. We have the same problem. I have to get to Denver tonight to catch a flight to New York."
"There are no cars for rent. I already checked." she hastened to say. "That idiot says they canceled the flights, so..."
"I know." I put my hand on her arm, to ask her to listen to me. "I know, but I think I have an idea."
She was willing to follow me, a complete stranger. We left the airport and walked down the runway. No one said anything to us, and that was good. The tall woman walked behind me with her small suitcase on wheels. She was wearing a brown coat and a scarf wrapped around her neck; graceful, classy and charming.
"What's your name?" she asked raising her voice a couple of tones higher, due to the noise airplanes make.
"Bradley Jackson, and you?" I replied as I matched our steps.
"Laura."
She didn't say what her last name was. Nor did she say anything else. She had all her attention focused on her phone. We walked into a small airplane rental hangar. I knew Laura wasn't convinced about this, although to be fair, I hadn't told her what my idea had been.
She poked her head out the window of a small plane. Her expression was, "What the fuck am I doing?" but then she relaxed as our gazes met. I don't know how, but I felt immersed in those green eyes with golden sparkles. Her gaze was fixed. Mine turned away very quickly. I couldn't stand it.
"Hello?" my voice echoed. "Walter?"
A middle-aged man emerged from a narrow office. He wore a dull blue suit and wiped his hands with a damp handkerchief.
"I'm Bradley." I extended my hand. "We spoke on the phone."
"Yes. Hi, what's the rush?" He squeezed my hand and smiled curiously.
"Oh well," I sighed longingly. "I'm getting married tomorrow."
"You definitely can't miss it. Congratulations." she turned to look at Laura.
The brunette woman was surprised at that blunder.
"We're not...we're not a couple."
"No." I replied with a nervous laugh.
"We just met," Laura continued to clarify.
Even so, that gentleman did not seem uncomfortable. He didn't offer us an apology. There was something in his face that said something like, "Why aren't they?"
"I have a plane ready." he broke the silence. "Two passengers, $800." straight to the point.
I looked at Laura to see if she agreed, she nodded her head.
"Done." I replied, as I slipped my purse off my shoulders to pull out my wallet.
A golden retriever came out from inside the office. It ran straight for Laura. She became uncomfortable.
"Don't worry. He loves people." the man assured her.
The dog sniffed Laura all over, and when she held out her hand, the dog barked at her.
"I won't be long. Stay with the dog. He'll let you know when I'm ready."
I couldn't help but laugh. I thought it was funny how Laura seems like one of those women with character, but then gets intimidated by a puppy. She didn't take her eyes off him even for a little carelessness, he did the same.
"Gotta check the flight schedule to Denver."
We walked down the runway, in the middle of all those planes.
"Midnight. Get to New York about quarter to 6. I booked a couple of tickets. There weren't many left."
I was amazed at how Laura had taken the time to be thoughtful, but more importantly, organized. I could assure she kept to a strictly calculated schedule.
"You did?" I said in amazement.
"Yes." she replied.
Walter helped us carry our luggage upstairs. I asked him if he filed a flight plan, however, he told me it wasn't necessary because it was still light out, there would be no problem with the storm either because we would be leaving it behind and he was an expert pilot who once flew an F-5 in Vietnam.
The plane took off for our destination. We flew over the high, huge mountains covered with snow and thick fog. I took out my camera ready to capture the purity of the unique landscape. It is a totally different image from what we are used to seeing every day. Skyscrapers and the shuddering sound of car horns and construction drilling, it doesn't compare to this.
"What were you doing in Idaho?"
Laura seems to be a reserved woman and I am quite the opposite. I like to interact and get to know people. It's what I do, it's part of my job.
"Medical conference," she replied. She was sitting cross-legged, full of confidence.
"Do you live in New York?"
"Baltimore." she nodded and fiddled with the ring she was wearing on her pinky.
"But you're from England, correct?"
Being in such a cramped and confined place, it can be uncomfortable, especially when you're with a stranger. I just wanted the situation to be pleasant. Though honestly, I never have the ability to be quiet.
"London. But I married an American woman."
I replied with an "Oh." silence and a tiny smile. Walter turned to us to point out that we were flying over the High Uintas area, where over 17 meters of snow falls a year. 400 thousand hectares of nature. I brought the viewfinder of the camera close to my eye and took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures.
The dog suddenly barked. They say animals sense when something bad is going to happen. In the movies, the birds disappear and the dogs stay with you, they warn you that you are in danger.
"Easy there, champ." Walter said. "By the way, I met the love of my life in London when I was on duty in a battle squadron."
"Really? How romantic." I unbuckled my belt and sat down in the seat in front of the brunette. I wanted to take advantage of the view on the other side, even if the same passage appeared, it definitely isn't. "So where is she now?"
"Who knows?" she let out a laugh. "That was fifty years ago."
"You weren't married?"
"I was married then. Anyway, I was never the marrying kind."
The first turbulence was felt.
"You should put your belt on." ordered Walter.
I leaned on Laura's leg to return to my seat. She had been typing on her phone the whole time. I had to ask.
"What's that?"
"It's Candy Crush. That's how I keep the brain amygdala distracted."
She was thinking my silence had been because I had no idea what I was talking about.
"It's the reptilian complex that's in charge of..."
"Yes. Yes, I know what the cerebral amygdala is."
It had just struck me as peculiar to hear someone speak with such an encyclopedic dialect. And those little seconds, the contact with her gaze was something I had never experienced before. That's when she took the time to ask questions of me.
"What were you doing in Idaho?" she tucked her cell phone into the inside pocket of her coat.
"Photographing fast heads."
The brunette woman raised her eyebrow, implying she had no idea what she was talking about.
"Neo-Nazis for The Guardian." I pressed my thumb on my camera button to show her the photos.
"So, you're a journalist?"
"Uh-huh."
I thought she was concentrating on looking at the pictures, but instead...she blurted out the words she had wanted for a while.
"That explains the questions." she emphasized.
Our shoulders that were once joined...separated when I pulled back a few inches to look at her face. I thought she was angry, but then she smiled and I did too.
The dog barked again. He walked through the middle of us and stayed in the back. I noticed we were heading toward the gray sky.
"Walter, do you see that?" I became alarmed.
"The storm must have moved." He turned on the radio and called the Salt Lake control tower.
I thought everything would be all right. I relaxed, looking out the window.
"Control tower...Twn 0-9...no, this is whiskey 99." the man was coughing and his words slurred. "Affirmative...Squawk 0-1-1..."
"Walter." said Laura. Apparently she had noticed something that I had completely missed.
And then, Walter released his hands from the steering wheel. Laura unbuckled his seat belt and hurried to walk over to the pilot.
"Walter.What's wrong with your hands?" the brunette tried to talk to Walter to see if there was anything she could do to help. But he didn't have the ability to answer.
I unbuckled my belt and walked over to them.
"I think it's a heart attack."
When I heard Laura, I panicked. "Oh my God, are you okay?" I spoke to Walter.
The brunette tried to assist her. But the plane was unstable, swaying from side to side.
"I need you to look at me, Walter. Look at me." she held his face with both hands.
There was a slight descent that pushed me back to my seat. I couldn't leave Laura alone, I had to try to help her. I held on as best I could and made my way back to the front of the plane. Laura was trying to keep Walter conscious, so I had to do something else... I thought of using her radio to communicate with the control tower.
This time, we lost control. The plane banked sharply to the right. Walter fell on top of Laura, she pushed him back into his seat. Then she started screaming.
"Hold that. Hold that Bradley."
"Fuck." the steering wheel slipped from my fingers.
The tail of the plane came completely off. My hat and a few things went flying. I worried about the dog that had been in the back a while ago.
"The dog." I said over and over.
Laura held me by the waist and placed me in my seat.
"Buckle up." she told me. There was the sound of metal being hit by the pressure of the wind on the descent. "Put your hands on the back of your neck."
I held the dog with all my strength between my legs and with one hand, I held his collar. The impact of the plane hitting the ground is something I will never forget. It felt like riding the fastest and deadliest roller coaster ever invented. On final impact, the lights went out. We were knocked unconscious.
*****
Laura.
I remember hearing Bradley screaming and the dog barking. My heart was about to explode. It's terrifying when all you expect is the blow and death.
I opened my eyes in eerie darkness and silence. All I could think about was Bradley. I said her name without moving a muscle, but when I didn't get a response from her, I turned around looking for her body. On the way down, Bradley was sitting next to me, but now she was sitting three feet in front of me. I gathered my strength to get up and go to her. When I managed to remove the objects that were on me, I searched through what was left of my things for a flashlight. I turned on the light and passed it over her eyes, which I held open with my fingers.
She was alive. Unconscious, but alive.
I broke down. I began to cry. I had a mixture of feelings, fear, joy and uncertainty.
First and foremost on my list, was to make sure Bradley was okay. She had a little blood on her head, but it was nothing serious. Then I looked at the open wound on the thigh of her left leg. The jean was torn. I grabbed a handful of snow and proceeded to put pressure on it. There was a jacket on the ground, I grabbed it and tucked Bradley in.
On the end of the plane, lay Walter's corpse. His head was covered with snow, he was hit in that area.
I found the dog under Bradley's legs, apparently he was guarding her. I tried to get him out of there, that's when I felt a pain on the right side of my abdomen. If it hadn't been for that, perhaps, I wouldn't have noticed the drops falling from the ceiling. I reached for a container and scooped up what gasoline I could. I grabbed my tinderbox and made a fire.
I remembered that I had my phone in my inside coat pocket. I unlocked it. I had no service, it was 11: 31 pm and I only had 64% battery.
When morning came, Bradley was still unconscious. The pain in my body was still present, I discovered when I tried to climb out of the wreckage of the plane. There was nothing but snow, loneliness and unbearable cold.
"HELLO" my voice echoed through the huge mountains. "Is anyone there?"
This is what it felt like to be in the most beautiful and terrifying place in the world...complete bullshit. I don't even know why waste my effort screaming when there's not a single soul around here. At least that was funny to me.
I went back to Bradley. I would do anything to take care of her. I lifted her head that was resting against the metal. I noticed the swollen lump under her eye and the blood-filled scratches. I dampened a white cloth I had with me. I gently tried to clean the bloody areas on her face. Hours passed and she did not wake up. I needed to treat the wound on her leg and although I should not invade her body due to her condition, but given the circumstances it is important to do so. I unzipped the zipper and then slid her jeans down to her ankles. I applied a bandage with several wraps. I did a perfect job with the few things I had at my disposal. Aside from all that, I kept her body warm. I put a hat and a scarf on her.
I took advantage of the sunlight to easily search for things that could be of use to us in this snow-filled hell.
I found a parachute. I used it to carry Walter's body. I don't know where I got the strength to dig a makeshift grave and drag a man of about 80 kilos by myself. I guess it's survival instinct and the hope that everything will be all right.
I threw the seats out and made more room for us.
The days felt very quiet, especially the nights. The darkness made everything more intimidating. I think looking at Bradley made me feel good, it kept my mind focused.
Her moans woke me up. It was the first time she had ever made a sound.
"Hey. Hey." I said softly.
She woke up in pain.
"Bradley, hi." days without feeling happy, until now.
"Cory? I left the house and..."
I shined my flashlight across her eyes. Her eyesight seemed fine. However, she was in shock. I rubbed my hands together and brought them close to her chest. She kept telling me she needed her phone.
"Listen to me, Bradley. Your phone is broken and mine has no signal. We're very high, but we're alive thank God."
"My leg." the throbbing pain made her moan.
"I'll help you sit up and get you some water."
"What's your name?" she said over and over. "What's your name?"
I helped her drink water by holding her head tilted so she could put the hole of the bottle in her mouth.
"I'm Laura."
After a short time, she was quiet trying to process everything.
"In my bag I have painkillers." her voice came out almost as a whisper. The pain would not allow her to exert herself in any way.
"I know." said I. "I found them when I changed your pants."
She didn't seem uncomfortable or angry at that statement. However, she was considerate as she asked me, "Are you okay?"
"A couple of bruises, a few scrapes and some broken ribs. I'm fine, I was lucky. We were lucky."
"And the pilot?"
"I buried him yesterday."
I could see in her face how she hated all this, I felt the same way too. But there was nothing else to do, just wait for someone to come rescue us.
"He didn't file a flight plan." said Bradley.
"No, but he was in contact with the radio."
I knew she'd been playing her big blue eyes back and forth for a while now. She was afraid to ask me anything...until she finally decided to.
"How long has it been?"
"Thirty-six hours. The manual said something about a radio beacon." She was lying down, her weight on my shoulder.
"Yeah, it must have been in the queue. Who knows where it ended up." then her voice cracked with the urge to cry. "Cory has no idea where I am. He must be going crazy."
"Good. Surely someone will come looking for us," I offered her more water. "We'll have enough water as long as we can melt the snow. We've got four packets of almonds, a couple of chocolate bars, half a sandwich and some cookies. That'll hold us over until we get rescued."
"What kind of cookies?" Bradley blurted out in disgust.
"What?"
"Just kidding." she could barely smile.