Free Capri's Fate by Daryl Devore

distance. When he cleared his throat, she jumped. "You?"
    He shrugged. "So it seems."
    "Well I've introduced myself and you are…?"
    "Captain T. Hall. Like it says on the sign, T. Hall Charterways."
    She put her empty coffee mug on the table. "I thought you were the mechanic."
    "Pilot. Mechanic. Coffee maker."
     
    ~ * * ~
     
    Unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn, Capri sniffed and asked, "So Captain Hall, when do we leave?"
    Thall rubbed his chin and grinned. "My mechanic told me he told you about the storm outside."
    "Oh he did, did he?"
    " Yeah. Conversation went like this." Thall removed the captain's hat. "Boss man, there's a pretty lady out there wantin' to go flyin'." He placed the cap on his head. "Did you tell her it's a frickin' cyclone out there." Taking the hat off his head, he nodded. "I did. I told her, but she insisted."
    "It's just some rain." Capri waved in the direction of the storm. A flash of light and a clap of thunder punctuated her statement. "Okay. And a bit of that for effect."
    He hitched a hip onto the table. "Why are you so gosh darn gung-ho on getting out of here?"
    Capri ran her fingers through her hair, which only succeeded in releasing more stray hairs to fall about her face. "This is my first business trip as the new Chief of Operations for the South Pacific Region, and I want to make a killer impression. And I want to get there, but you are keeping me here all because of some stupid storm."
    A gust of wind rattled the doors and thunder rolled overhead. Capri looked at the ceiling. "Oh shut up. And stop raining."
    "Okay." He hopped of the end of the table. "Well then, let's see what we can do for the little lady. I'll make the calls and get the plane ready, and you sit tight."
    Within the hour, the plane had been towed out of the hangar, refueled and the galley stocked. Aini, the flight attendant, introduced herself then escorted Capri onto the jet.
    As Capri stepped onto the plane, she sunk into the rich cabernet colored carpet. She strutted past two snow white leather couches, settled onto the matching club chair and tossed her purse onto the small table. The strap hit the vase holding an eggplant purple orchid, knocking it forward. She grabbed it and moved her purse.
    Behind the partial wall, which was covered by a flat screen TV, she could see Aini bustling about, preparing the galley for flight. The door was still ajar, and the sound of the rain and thunder provided background accompaniment to the flight attendant's actions.
    Curious about the rest of the interior, Capri stood , walked past a small business desk and reached for the door handle of—she giggled—her private jet's bathroom. The light turned on as she opened the door and gasped. The pewter colored marble vanity countertop glowed under the lights and reflected the sheen of the amber fixtures. Flecks of silver glittered in the black tile floor.
    A woman's scream startled Capri, and she exited and headed toward the galley. The flight attendant was not visible as Capri walked through the cabin. Noises outside the door drew her attention. Aini lay at the bottom of the stairs holding her leg. A ground maintenance worker was speaking into his radio. Capri grabbed her raincoat and scurried down the stairs to hold it over the injured flight attendant.
    The airport paramedics skidded to a stop on the slick tarmac. Two rescue workers jumped out and assessed Aini's condition. They braced her leg, strapped her to a gurney, loaded her into the back and drove away. Capri climbed the water slick steps and ducked back into the plane. The door to the cockpit was open.
    "Uh, do you know the flight attendant is gone?"
    The pilot stood and exited the cockpit.
    Capri inhaled as her toes tingled. Out of his greasy work clothes and dressed in a white dress shirt, black tie and pants, Captain Hall looked the part of an airline pilot. She cracked a smile as she remembered her basic rule of life – put a man into a uniform and then rip it off his