Chapter 5
Dana slumped into a chair, her eyes focused someplace far beyond the walls of the airport. Her face was tight with agony, and she could barely breathe. They had just missed him. Five minutes earlier and they would have had him. Five minutes and William would be on his way home now.
Her phone rang. It was Langley. He had gotten the departure time for William's next flight. If everything went well then they would arrive just before his next flight left. If everything went well they would be on a flight home and be in time for dinner. If not, Langley had booked them seats on the next flight to San Diego, which left just after William's. It was only in case they didn't catch him. Which they would.
Dogget stood behind Dana, his hands in his pockets, his eyes downcast. Reyes sat beside her, wanting to help, but not knowing how. William was a special boy, and could take care of himself, but he was still only ten, and had the sensibility of a boy that young. They would find him and bring him home. They had to. For Dana's sake.
They still had about 20 minutes until their plane left. They hadn't gotten their boarding passes, since they had thought they would catch the boy before he left. Dogget placed a comforting hand on Dana's shoulder then went to get the boarding passes. Reyes turned to woman beside her.
"Dana, don't worry. We'll get him; he'll be fine. Everything will be fine. That boy knows how to defend himself, and he knows what he can and can't do. He only left because he thought he was doing the right thing."
"I know. It's not that I don't trust him, or don't know why he did it. It's just…I don't trust other people. People are such horrid beings, they hurt just for the fun of it, and to them, what could be more fun then hurting a ten year old boy that's traveling by himself?"
"Dana. Have faith, no harm will come to him, he knows what he's doing. You're too close to him to see it, but he could probably take down an army single-handed. No handed. I think you need to be more worried about how we're going to deal with him then how he's going to deal with other people."
Dana gave a half-smile. She knew it was true, deep down, but couldn't admit it. He was her little boy, and even if he could lift a house off it's foundation with his mind, in her eyes he could do nothing but spin a mobile. He was in danger, Mulder had said so, and the hidden groups within the government knew ways of keeping him for lifting buildings.
Dogget returned sometimes later. He glanced down at the two women and tried to smile, but couldn't find it in him. He too knew that William was strong enough to take care of himself, but he knew more than Reyes when it came to the government's tactics of getting what it wanted. He grabbed their bags and turned toward their gate. Reyes helped Dana up and led her carefully down the hall.
It was bright, the fluorescents casting a yellowish-green cast around the terminal. It was brighter inside then out. Clouds had rolled in promising spring rains. Outside it was gray, and the air smelt of water, inside it was the color of old school buildings and smelt of freshly shampooed carpet. It gave Dana a headache, one she promptly ignored.
William sat in the window seat three rows behind the wing. He watched the plane take off, and wished he was somewhere else. His mother had never been fond of flying, though she wasn't afraid of it. From what his mother had said, his father could sleep through the plane crashing. William was terrified. He couldn't stand heights, and the idea of being in the air inside a giant brick and supported by nothing made him uncomfortable.
A man in a black trench coat took the seat beside him. The man looked at William and gave him a small smile.
"Hi there."
"Hi."
"Name's Tyler. And yours?"
"Durden? William."
"No, not Durden. Although I have been told I look remarkably like Brad Pitt. So, William, what are your plans for St. Louis?"
"Never saw the movie, read the book. I'm not going to St. Louis."
"Then you got on the wrong flight." Tyler laughed and it was cheerful, and William started to like the man.
"I'm going to see my father in California. It'll be the first time I've seen him in a very long time."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I never met my father, ever. He left before I was born. I hope you two get along. I'm on my way to California myself. San Diego. I have business out there."
William glanced over at the man. For some reason it seemed like too much of a coincidence. He smiled, and then turned to look out the window again. His heartbeat rose a bit, and the fear was not just from the height.
Dana slumped into a chair, her eyes focused someplace far beyond the walls of the airport. Her face was tight with agony, and she could barely breathe. They had just missed him. Five minutes earlier and they would have had him. Five minutes and William would be on his way home now.
Her phone rang. It was Langley. He had gotten the departure time for William's next flight. If everything went well then they would arrive just before his next flight left. If everything went well they would be on a flight home and be in time for dinner. If not, Langley had booked them seats on the next flight to San Diego, which left just after William's. It was only in case they didn't catch him. Which they would.
Dogget stood behind Dana, his hands in his pockets, his eyes downcast. Reyes sat beside her, wanting to help, but not knowing how. William was a special boy, and could take care of himself, but he was still only ten, and had the sensibility of a boy that young. They would find him and bring him home. They had to. For Dana's sake.
They still had about 20 minutes until their plane left. They hadn't gotten their boarding passes, since they had thought they would catch the boy before he left. Dogget placed a comforting hand on Dana's shoulder then went to get the boarding passes. Reyes turned to woman beside her.
"Dana, don't worry. We'll get him; he'll be fine. Everything will be fine. That boy knows how to defend himself, and he knows what he can and can't do. He only left because he thought he was doing the right thing."
"I know. It's not that I don't trust him, or don't know why he did it. It's just…I don't trust other people. People are such horrid beings, they hurt just for the fun of it, and to them, what could be more fun then hurting a ten year old boy that's traveling by himself?"
"Dana. Have faith, no harm will come to him, he knows what he's doing. You're too close to him to see it, but he could probably take down an army single-handed. No handed. I think you need to be more worried about how we're going to deal with him then how he's going to deal with other people."
Dana gave a half-smile. She knew it was true, deep down, but couldn't admit it. He was her little boy, and even if he could lift a house off it's foundation with his mind, in her eyes he could do nothing but spin a mobile. He was in danger, Mulder had said so, and the hidden groups within the government knew ways of keeping him for lifting buildings.
Dogget returned sometimes later. He glanced down at the two women and tried to smile, but couldn't find it in him. He too knew that William was strong enough to take care of himself, but he knew more than Reyes when it came to the government's tactics of getting what it wanted. He grabbed their bags and turned toward their gate. Reyes helped Dana up and led her carefully down the hall.
It was bright, the fluorescents casting a yellowish-green cast around the terminal. It was brighter inside then out. Clouds had rolled in promising spring rains. Outside it was gray, and the air smelt of water, inside it was the color of old school buildings and smelt of freshly shampooed carpet. It gave Dana a headache, one she promptly ignored.
William sat in the window seat three rows behind the wing. He watched the plane take off, and wished he was somewhere else. His mother had never been fond of flying, though she wasn't afraid of it. From what his mother had said, his father could sleep through the plane crashing. William was terrified. He couldn't stand heights, and the idea of being in the air inside a giant brick and supported by nothing made him uncomfortable.
A man in a black trench coat took the seat beside him. The man looked at William and gave him a small smile.
"Hi there."
"Hi."
"Name's Tyler. And yours?"
"Durden? William."
"No, not Durden. Although I have been told I look remarkably like Brad Pitt. So, William, what are your plans for St. Louis?"
"Never saw the movie, read the book. I'm not going to St. Louis."
"Then you got on the wrong flight." Tyler laughed and it was cheerful, and William started to like the man.
"I'm going to see my father in California. It'll be the first time I've seen him in a very long time."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I never met my father, ever. He left before I was born. I hope you two get along. I'm on my way to California myself. San Diego. I have business out there."
William glanced over at the man. For some reason it seemed like too much of a coincidence. He smiled, and then turned to look out the window again. His heartbeat rose a bit, and the fear was not just from the height.