Inmate 78 part 2
The Nashville International Airport wasn't very busy considering it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. Vin was thankful for that fact as he shifted the strap of his duffle higher up on his shoulder and listened to Chris talk to JD on the cell phone.
"Is he leaving a trail at all, JD?"
Vin could hear the impatience lacing Larabee's voice. If Ezra wasn't using his given name or his own credit cards it was going to be very hard to trace the man. Unfortunately for them… Ezra was a master at being someone else. If he didn't want to be found, using their own bullheadedness would be their only chance to find him. They were lucky as it was that Standish had flown this far under his own identity. According to flight schedules displayed on screens throughout the airport terminal, they were only about 45 minutes behind him. Surely they could catch up to him soon. The problem was, they'd already spent an hour walking through the airport, but there had been no sign of Standish. They were searching blind with no real idea where to even start looking.
Vin sidestepped a man pushing a cart filled with luggage and bumped into Chris. "Sorry," he murmured, ignoring Chris' glare. He knew Larabee's frustration was not aimed at him.
"Yes, JD, I do know how many ways out of the airport there are. Yes, I want you to check them all. Start with taxi and shuttle services." Chris flipped the phone shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If he's changed to another identity…"
"I know, cowboy." Vin glanced around for a place to sit down and think. Spotting a small sports bar, he pointed. "Let's slip in there for lunch."
It was already close to four in the afternoon here, three if he went by Denver time and if he was starving, he knew Chris probably was. too. The damn airlines didn't serve so much as a snack anymore.
"What's JD got?" Vin finally asked after they were seated at a tiny table, their bags shoved under their chairs. From their vantage point they could still see the myriad of travelers walking past.
Chris picked up his beer and took a long sip. "Nothing." He shook his head, placing the glass back down on the foam board coaster. "They're still trying to get a definitive trace on his cards. We got lucky with the flight. He used his Government issued for that."
"Really?" Vin looked up from his basket of fries with surprise. For Ezra to use the office card for something personal… something must definitely be wrong. He watched Chris intently, noting the tight jaw line. "He's got a good reason for this."
"He better." Chris picked at his chicken sandwich, playing with the bun a minute before he picked it up and took a bite. Vin shoved another fry into his mouth and glanced around the area again. He was surprised to spot Jack walking casually by.
"You know him?" Chris asked, following Tanner's glance.
"Met him on the plane." Vin offered. "Name's Jack."
"Looks like he just got out."
"That's what I thought. Didn't tell me much other than he's heading home."
"Something familiar about him." Chris watched the older man move through the airport. He stopped in front of a sign that read Chattanooga Coaches. "Seems like he's going pretty far for just being released."
"I'm guessing he's got permission." Vin nodded. "Seemed too at ease to be violating parole." He watched Chris stiffen and realized that Jack had spotted them watching him.
Jack smiled confidently and waved. Vin reluctantly waved back and frowned, the former prisoner was walking towards them.
"What does he want?" Chris met Vin's gaze.
"How should I know? Just be nice. He seems okay."
"Hiya, Vin." Jack leaned against the small, sculpted metal rail that served as the restaurants exterior wall, rolling a half empty bottle of cranberry juice between his hands. "Find your friend yet?"
Chris' eyes widened but Vin ignored him. "Not yet. Waiting on some information first. This is Chris." He gestured toward Larabee.
"Nice to meet you," Jack waved casually. "I'm Jack."
Chris just nodded at the man.
Jack seemed unfazed by the lack of vocal greeting. "So, where you going to look next? Think your friend is still in Nashville?"
"Don't really know. He could be anywhere." Vin glanced at Chris who raised a questioning eyebrow. Tanner just gave a small shrug.
Pondering for a moment, Jack didn't notice the small communications back and forth between the two men from Denver. "Have you thought of trying the shuttle place over there?" Jack waved in the direction he'd come from.
"Haven't narrowed things down that much," Vin admitted, glancing up and reading the 'Chattanooga Coaches' sign again. "Why would he go to Chattanooga?" he wondered out loud.
"No clue." Jack chuckled as he picked at the juice label. He'd already peeled the word Ocean off, leaving the bottle to read 'spray'. "Me, I got some family I'm trying to hook up with myself." He pushed away from the rail and nodded to both men. "Nice to meet you, Chris, and talk to you again, Vin. Have a good holiday season."
Vin choked a bit as he sipped his beer. "Thanks, you too," he managed.
Jack nodded, suddenly looking sad. "Been a long time." His smile was bittersweet. "My own fault, but it'll be nice seeing the kids again." With that his demeanor instantly brightened. "Well, good luck finding Ezra." He waved one last time and moved back across the airport's glossy floor.
Chris stared at Vin. "How much did you tell him?"
Vin shrugged. "Just got talking on the plane. He just knows I'm looking for Ez, nothing more."
Any further comment was cut off by Larabee's phone ringing. He snatched it off the table, answering at the second ring. "JD?"
Vin watched as Chris looked back the way Jack had wandered and then turned and met his gaze. "You're sure? Okay, that's where we're headed then. Keep on it."
Clicking the phone shut decisively, Chris pushed away from the table. "Let's go."
"Where are we headed?" Vin questioned, somehow already knowing the answer.
"Chattanooga."
"Are you kidding me?" Chris' voice radiated with anger and Vin could tell that his friend was truly fighting to control his temper. "We have to get on that bus."
"That shuttle," the desk clerk cleared her throat and held her ground, "has already loaded and is preparing to leave as we speak."
"But it hasn't left yet!" Larabee countered, pulling his badge out of his pocket and flashing it with authority. "We need to catch up with someone on board."
Unabashed by the attempted power play the clerk smiled broadly. "I'm sorry."
"It's a life and death situation," Larabee tried with desperation.
The clerk raised a sculpted eyebrow with disbelief. "A huh." She glanced down at the computer terminal in front of her. "Usually we require twenty-four hour notice for bookings, but during the holiday season, we try to be forgiving. Would you like me to book you two seats on the next shuttle?" She met his glare unwavering. "We still have some openings."
Vin heard the growl starting low in Larabee's throat and stepped closer. "That would be fine, ma'am, to Chattanooga please." He gave their information as requested and handed over his own company credit card. "What time will that be leaving?"
"7:00pm," she answered sweetly. "Try to be here a few minutes early, you'll get a better pick of your seats."
Vin accepted the tickets with a nod of thanks and gently pulled Larabee away from the counter.
"I can't believe that. We sat there eating and he was in there the whole time." Chris steamed.
"No way of knowing that 'til JD got us the info," Vin reminded, his own voice heavy with disappointment. Ezra was probably still on a bus here at the airport. He glanced at his wristwatch. It was 4:35pm…so Standish was on his way to Chattanooga now. Damn they'd just missed him.
"What do we do now? Wait for two hours?" Chris complained.
"Looks like, or we could see if we can find any flights that will take us to Chattanooga before he gets there."
"Why on earth would he go to Chattanooga?" Larabee wondered out loud.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Vin admitted.
Forty minutes later, the two were dejectedly heading back toward the shuttle office. The only available flight from Nashville to Chattanooga was a nine-hour monstrosity that stopped both in DC and Charlotte NC before getting to Chattanooga.
The same clerk as earlier smiled warmly at them as they entered the small waiting room. The room was sparsely decorated and reminded Vin of the waiting areas at car dealerships or garages where they dumped you while they fixed whatever was wrong with your car. He plopped down in an old, worn padded chair and put his foot up on the bare coffee table. Christmas music played softly in the background and a mounted TV was showing a muted news program. Tanner glanced at the wall clock and groaned. They had another hour and twenty minutes to wait.
Larabee paced the room once and then sat down in the chair next to Vin's, mimicking the younger man's posture. "Tell me what's up with Aislinn," he demanded suddenly.
Vin glanced at him without turning his head. "You know as much as I do, Cowboy."
"Why does she always come to you? Or Ezra? What's her connection to you two?"
"Told you, I don't know." Vin tried not to get defensive. How was he supposed to know why the lady had singled him and Ezra out? "She just seems to show up."
"With bad news," Chris reminded unnecessarily.
Vin shrugged.
"Think she's behind any of it? That she's out to get you two for some reason?"
"Nope." Vin shook his head. "She's always warning us about something."
"Huh." Chris was silent for a few minutes. "How does she know?"
"Know what?" Vin's gaze wandered to the arm of his chair where the vinyl had cracked and a clump of graying stuffing was exposed. He picked at it.
"How does she always know when one of you is hurt, or needs us or whatever. What's her deal?" Chris's frustration was obvious but Tanner had no answers for his friend.
"Maybe she's psychic?"
Larabee laughed, but Vin could tell the man wasn't totally discounting the idea, not after what they'd already been through with the strange woman. "I just don't get her. What'd she say this morning?"
Vin sighed and closed his eyes, thinking back to what already seemed like a full day ago. "She was upset. Very. I mean she could barely speak. Never have seen her that emotional."
"You've only seen her two or three times, Vin," Chris reminded.
"Yeah, but with the Rounds case, she was pretty intense about what Ez was feeling. This time, it was like she was dealing with her own feelings. She could barely talk around them. What she did manage was that Ezra needed me. Now." He waited for more questions.
"Is he in danger? Hurt?"
"Didn't say. Just he needed me."
"What's your gut telling you?"
Vin could feel Chris' gaze on him now and opened his eyes. "That we really need to catch up to him," he admitted softly.
It was 9pm by the time the two weary agents stepped off the shuttle at the Chattanooga office. They were exhausted and knew they were at least two hours behind Ezra now. Chris got out his cell and called back home again. "What's the update?" he asked.
Vin wondered if Chris was still talking to JD.
"Where?" The disbelief in Larabee's voice was obvious. "Why the hell didn't he just fly straight there to begin with then?" Chris demanded.
Vin smiled. How would they know?
"So he caught another shuttle? To Atlanta? What time was that?"
Vin caught Chris' gaze and moved to the ticket counter again, quietly requesting information about their next shuttle to Atlanta. He turned back to Chris with a frown.
"The son of a bitch is going to Atlanta." Chris shook his head, angrily shoving the phone back into his pocket. "We have to get on another one of these damn shuttles."
"Not going to happen," Vin responded.
"What do you mean?"
"Ezra was on the last shuttle of the night."
"What time is the next one?"
Vin looked at the haggard looking desk clerk. "Five in the morning," the clerk answered.
Larabee frowned, seeming to consider their options. "How long a drive is it?"
Tanner checked the schedule again. "Looks like two and a half hours if that."
"Come on then." Chris nodded to the clerk and led the way out of the office. They only had to walk a few yards before coming to the first Rental Car place.
"Get something sporty," Vin told Larabee, laughing as the senior agent flipped him off. "And a map!"
TBC...