2
There was a crash.
A loud, ear-splitting crash that made Douglas want to wrench the phone away from his ear.
However, he didn't get the chance; silence ensued immediately afterwards, leaving his ear ringing uncomfortably.
"Martin?" he demanded, his eyebrows knitting together. "Martin?"
The steady beep of a dead dial tone.
He frowned, pulling his phone to eye level to look at the screen. Disconnected. He tapped out the prissy pilot's number again, pressing it back to his ear.
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
"We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please hang up and try your call again."
Douglas huffed, sliding his mobile closed before replacing it in his pocket. He turned and walked back into the airport.
It had sounded like Martin had dropped the phone. Whether or not Martin had taken a tumble along with the device was another question altogether. Martin could be clumsy- probably more clumsy than most, especially if he was worried or in a hurry.
However, something had been completely off about that phone call. Martin did not stay silent. He couldn't even manage to give someone a proper silent treatment. He always broke. So, why would he be silent now? Douglas hadn't even done anything to annoy the pilot... yet.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, joining Carolyn and Arthur at their seats in the lobby.
"So? Is he on his way?"
"Well, I am thinking he isn't."
"What?" Carolyn asked, her voice bordering on... shrieky. She stood up, looking at Douglas. "What do you mean, you don't think he's on his way?"
"Well, Carolyn, if you'll let me speak-"
"Douglas, I do not want to hear you speak unless it is you telling me that my pilot is on his way!"
"I can't tell you that, Carolyn."
"Why not?"
Douglas raised his eyebrows, looking down at her.
"Well?" Carolyn demanded.
"But, Carolyn, you told me not to speak unless I, in some variation of the word, could say that Martin is on his way."
"Just talk, Douglas. My patience is wearing thin."
He held up a finger. He pulled out his mobile again, once again dialling Martin's number. Five rings-
"We're sorry. The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please hang up and try your call again."
He sighed, looking back at Carolyn. "Carolyn, I hate to inform you of this, but I don't think we're going to make our flight to Rome."
"And why not?" she demanded.
"Because," he said calmly, although he was quite far from being calm as he placed his phone back in his pocket, "I think something's happened to Martin."
Because there's no sort of urgency. At all. Well, none that they know about, anyway.
Back to Martinesque whumping next chapter.
THANK YOU guys for your support. Now there's Martin!whump and worried!Douglas. [Although his worry hasn't really reached a peak yet.]