Chapter 7
The air outside the San Diego airport was cool and crisp. William glanced around and took in the sea air. It was different then Atlantic sea air. He just wasn't sure how. The San Diego airport wasn't large, nothing like LAX, but it functioned anyway. The smell of salt water and gasoline hung like a blanket.
"It smalls like this across the city. The closer you get to shore, the more it smells like fish, but otherwise it smells the same." Taylor readjusted the strap on his bag as he thought-spoke, "So, what direction you headed?"
"Um, I'm not sure. I have an address, but I'm not sure exactly where it is." William handed him a scrap of paper.
"Hm, no clue. You want me to go with you? Help you find it?"
"That'd be great! Thanks."
Taylor called a taxi on his cell phone, and the two of them waited for it to arrive. William felt uncomfortable being so far from home and having to rely on a stranger for help. He suddenly felt very cold, and started shivering.
"Hey Will, you look like a Popsicle. I've got a room booked just off of Sea World. How 'bout we head off there so you can get warmed up, get used to the climate."
"Yeah, I think that'd be good."
The taxi pulled up, and the sound of a plane engine close overhead cut through the air. William looked up as he started to slide into the car and felt a rush of relief for some reason. He quickly shook it off and fell into the false leather seat next to Taylor.
Taylor gave the driver the directions to hotel then leaned back.
"You ok, Will?"
"Yeah, I suddenly just felt so much better."
"Well, that's good. You really sure you're dad's out here?"
"Positive. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"You're a very lucky boy."
The driver glanced back in the rearview mirror. A smile was spreading on the boy's face, as if someone had complimented them. The driver thought it weird that father and son weren't talking, but pushed it off. Maybe they'd had a fight on the plane. No one could know.
~~~
Dogget looked away from the window and rubbed his eyes. They were just landing. Monica was waking Dana up and in a few moments they would touch the solid ground again. And he had just seen William.
"Dana?"
"Mmm?"
"I just saw William."
"What? Are you sure?" She was wide-awake now.
"Yeah, getting into a taxi with man in a black trench coat. WE were gone before he even got into the cab."
"Damn it!"
"It's okay, Dana." Monica tried to sooth the frustrated mother, "We'll get him. I think at this point the easiest way would be to find Mulder then work from there. We know that it's to Mulder that William's heading. In a city this size we'll be hard pressed to find him, but we know his final destination, so we can cut him off there."
"You're right, Monica. I'm just not sure how I can explain this to Mulder."
"Don't, I will. He doesn't like me anyway." Dogget half-smiled as the fasten seatbelt sign turned off.
The airport wasn't crowded, but it still took sometime to get through it. Dogget went to get a rental car as Dana and Reyes faced the telephones. Dana fingered a piece of paper, still trying to think of what to say. She had convinced Dogget that it would be a bad idea for him to tell Mulder what had happened. It was her responsibility and she had to live up to it.
The receiver looked so harrowing. It was now or never. She picked up the receiver and dropped the coins in. She dialed the number and stared at Reyes with lost eyes. It rang. And rang. And rang. Finally, Mulder voice, sounding tired and sleep ridden.
"'lo?"
"Fox?"
"Dana?! I was hoping you'd call! Where are you?"
"Umm…you see, I'm at the San Diego airport. We have a minor problem."
Mulder laughed. "How did I know calling would be a bad idea. I figure you already have my address. Guess it's time to see my baby boy again."
"That's just it, Mulder. I don't know where William is."
"Get here as soon as you can. You can't miss my place if you keep heading north on 8. Take the ninth exit, then take a left. It's bright blue. You can see it from the road. Get here as soon as you can."
The line went dead.
"I guess I'm driving."
"Dana? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I guess. If only William hadn't of run off. That boy gets himself into too much trouble."
Dogget walked up bouncing the keys in his palm. "Let's ride."
The air outside the San Diego airport was cool and crisp. William glanced around and took in the sea air. It was different then Atlantic sea air. He just wasn't sure how. The San Diego airport wasn't large, nothing like LAX, but it functioned anyway. The smell of salt water and gasoline hung like a blanket.
"It smalls like this across the city. The closer you get to shore, the more it smells like fish, but otherwise it smells the same." Taylor readjusted the strap on his bag as he thought-spoke, "So, what direction you headed?"
"Um, I'm not sure. I have an address, but I'm not sure exactly where it is." William handed him a scrap of paper.
"Hm, no clue. You want me to go with you? Help you find it?"
"That'd be great! Thanks."
Taylor called a taxi on his cell phone, and the two of them waited for it to arrive. William felt uncomfortable being so far from home and having to rely on a stranger for help. He suddenly felt very cold, and started shivering.
"Hey Will, you look like a Popsicle. I've got a room booked just off of Sea World. How 'bout we head off there so you can get warmed up, get used to the climate."
"Yeah, I think that'd be good."
The taxi pulled up, and the sound of a plane engine close overhead cut through the air. William looked up as he started to slide into the car and felt a rush of relief for some reason. He quickly shook it off and fell into the false leather seat next to Taylor.
Taylor gave the driver the directions to hotel then leaned back.
"You ok, Will?"
"Yeah, I suddenly just felt so much better."
"Well, that's good. You really sure you're dad's out here?"
"Positive. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"You're a very lucky boy."
The driver glanced back in the rearview mirror. A smile was spreading on the boy's face, as if someone had complimented them. The driver thought it weird that father and son weren't talking, but pushed it off. Maybe they'd had a fight on the plane. No one could know.
~~~
Dogget looked away from the window and rubbed his eyes. They were just landing. Monica was waking Dana up and in a few moments they would touch the solid ground again. And he had just seen William.
"Dana?"
"Mmm?"
"I just saw William."
"What? Are you sure?" She was wide-awake now.
"Yeah, getting into a taxi with man in a black trench coat. WE were gone before he even got into the cab."
"Damn it!"
"It's okay, Dana." Monica tried to sooth the frustrated mother, "We'll get him. I think at this point the easiest way would be to find Mulder then work from there. We know that it's to Mulder that William's heading. In a city this size we'll be hard pressed to find him, but we know his final destination, so we can cut him off there."
"You're right, Monica. I'm just not sure how I can explain this to Mulder."
"Don't, I will. He doesn't like me anyway." Dogget half-smiled as the fasten seatbelt sign turned off.
The airport wasn't crowded, but it still took sometime to get through it. Dogget went to get a rental car as Dana and Reyes faced the telephones. Dana fingered a piece of paper, still trying to think of what to say. She had convinced Dogget that it would be a bad idea for him to tell Mulder what had happened. It was her responsibility and she had to live up to it.
The receiver looked so harrowing. It was now or never. She picked up the receiver and dropped the coins in. She dialed the number and stared at Reyes with lost eyes. It rang. And rang. And rang. Finally, Mulder voice, sounding tired and sleep ridden.
"'lo?"
"Fox?"
"Dana?! I was hoping you'd call! Where are you?"
"Umm…you see, I'm at the San Diego airport. We have a minor problem."
Mulder laughed. "How did I know calling would be a bad idea. I figure you already have my address. Guess it's time to see my baby boy again."
"That's just it, Mulder. I don't know where William is."
"Get here as soon as you can. You can't miss my place if you keep heading north on 8. Take the ninth exit, then take a left. It's bright blue. You can see it from the road. Get here as soon as you can."
The line went dead.
"I guess I'm driving."
"Dana? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I guess. If only William hadn't of run off. That boy gets himself into too much trouble."
Dogget walked up bouncing the keys in his palm. "Let's ride."