Gil Grissom rarely--if ever--called in favors. Harold Roland didn't know much about his old friend, but that he knew. The two men stood next to a plane on Harold's private airstrip. Harold looked over at his friend, who was anxiously staring down the road that led to the ranch. He had no idea what this quick trip to California was about and he hadn't asked any questions. He did know that it had to be important for Grissom to ask for his help. He had already agreed to fly the trio before Grissom even finished asking. He turned his attention from his friend to the road and noticed a cloud of dust coming their way. "Must be your friends," Harold stated.
Grissom let out a sigh and said, "I hope so. We need to get moving fast."
"Well, I'm ready to get in the air as soon as they get here."
Grissom turned to his friend. "Harold, I can't thank you enough for doing this. You have no idea—"
"No need for thanks," Harold cut him off, shaking his head. "I owed you, remember?"
"Well, after this, we'll call it even."
Harold nodded and the two men turned to look at the truck coming up the road. In a minute the truck was parked next to the plane and the two FBI agents were hopping out. As they approached the two men Mulder asked, "So, is everything set?"
"Yes," Grissom replied. "Harold Roland, this is Fox Mulder and Dana Scully."
Harold shook Mulder's hand, then Scully's. "Nice to meet you."
"Are you two ready?" Grissom asked.
"Yeah. We just need to load our cargo and hit the road…or air…whatever," Mulder responded.
"Great. Let's get to it then," Grissom said.
Harold opened up the cargo compartment on his plane and then turned his back on them. Grissom had asked him to keep his mouth shut and look the other way, and that's just what he was going to do. Grissom and Mulder loaded the bodies on the plane and closed the compartment. Grissom, then, pulled Mulder to the side out of earshot of Harold. "I managed to have a truck waiting for us when we land. I also managed to find a little airstrip for us to land on that is not too far from Lake Berryessa."
"Damn, Grissom, you're good," Mulder said.
"This guy has Sara. I will stop at nothing to get her back."
"Okay, then, let's get in the air." Mulder gave Grissom a small grin as they walked back to the plane. He knew he was right about Grissom's feeling for Sara. And that last line from Grissom only proved what Mulder already knew. Grissom was in love with her…very much in love with her. She didn't know it and he didn't know it. But what he felt for her was definitely love.
"Are you three ready to go?" Harold asked.
"Yes," Grissom said.
Grissom and Harold climbed in the front seats of the plane, while Mulder and Scully took the seats behind them. Harold put on his headset and buckled up. He turned to the others and said, "Buckle up. You know that most people who die in accidents aren't wearing their seatbelts."
"That's a great thing to hear when we're about to take off," Mulder said, suddenly feeling a little nervous about flying.
"Yeah, and even if we did crash…this is an airplane. We're not likely to survive," Grissom stated. "So, really what's the point in wearing a seatbelt?"
Scully suddenly felt nervous too. "Mr. Roland, how long have you had your pilot's license?"
He started the engine and turned to her. "You mean you have to have a license to fly these things?"
Grissom let out a little chuckle and Harold said, "Don't worry, miss. I'll get you to California safe and sound, even if I have to get out and push."
"Thanks. That's comforting," Scully said sarcastically.
Harold turned back around with a huge grin plastered on his face. He loved to mess with nervous passengers. "Let's get high." The plane took off down the bumpy, dirt airstrip and lifted into the air just missing a barbed wire fence at the end of the runway. Harold made a wide left turn while gaining altitude and flew over his ranch as he aimed the plane west. "California, here we come."