Chapter 3

"December 21st, 1988 (Night)"

Now for some time, Tim and Lucy had been developing a relationship in an extent thanks to what transpired a couple of months ago. In fact, on the night of December 21st, they were planning to go over to Ryme City mall for some last minute Christmas shopping. Tim had just put his coat on when there was a knock on the front door of our apartment.

"Tim, are you home?" called a voice followed by the sounds of a Psyduck. Knowing it was Lucy, he immediately answered.

"Hey, you ready to go?" she asked.

"Funny, I was just about to call you," Tim chuckled, gesturing her to come inside. "How is it out there?"

"Cold and snowy," Lucy said as she removed her beanie on her head. "Still that's not going to keep people away. Hi, Detective."

I couldn't help but chuckle as I didn't like to always be referred to by my job title.

"Lucy, call me Harry. You're essentially one of the family now."

Pikachu then made his way over to Psyduck attempting to high five him only to instead be hugged.

"So is Psyduck," Lucy remarked. "Before I forget…you need anything else while Tim and I are out, Harry?"

"Nope, just stay safe, it's cold outside," I warned.

"We won't be late, dad," Tim added as he put his coat on. "If you want, I can pick you up some coffee on the way home from the mall."

Naturally, I ignored the remark as I already had enough coffee to last me the winter. Tim hugged me and said his goodbyes as Pikachu and Psyduck followed him and Lucy out. Once they were gone, I went about focusing on the last of Tim's presents while he and Lucy were out…or was I?

…

Back in Frankfurt, the next to arrive for Flight 103 was Dr. Heather Evans, a 35-year-old psychologist and the wife of a Greek gangster based in New York who had just arrived from Athens, Greece on Pan Am Flight 887, a Boeing 727, at around 12:30pm and was supposed to be connecting to Pan Am Flight 67 at Frankfurt. Heather was someone whom you might consider having had a rough life, abused by her father as a child along with her younger sister, but overcame the obstacles to live the life she wanted to live. But at the time of Flight 103, Heather was once again trapped in a life she wanted no part of.

"Dr. Evans?" asked a Pan Am Clipper Lounge employee at Frankfurt Airport as she approached the blonde-haired psychologist. "There's a Dr. Issac Barr on the phone for you."

Rising to her feet and putting down her blue purse and matching blue gloves, Heather removed the long blue trench coat to reveal a light blue business skirt suit underneath with matching blue flats.

"Hey," she said with a smile. "You waiting for me?"

"Of course, I am," she heard the male voice on the other line say. "Have you given it some thought?"

"About Jimmy?" Heather asked. "Issac, I can't be with him anymore, you know that. He's just so unpredictable to me. I mean, he reminds me of my dad."

"Then you need to sign the divorce papers when you get back, it will be good for you to close one chapter and get another fresh start."

Sighing nervously, Heather contemplated the facts.

"Can you be there at the courthouse for support?" she asked.

"Of course, I can," said Issac. "Hey, take some deep breaths and relax. You'll be alright. Have a nice flight."

Hanging the phone up, Heather took a deep bred exhaled several more times, trying to remember the words her friend told her. However, the employee came back with some news for Heather.

"Dr. Evans?" he called her back to the front desk. "I've just been informed your connecting flight has been cancelled for operational reasons. You've been rebooked onto Flight 103 via London at 4:30pm.

Hearing this news, Heather turned her attention back to notifying Issac about the sudden change in plans.

…

Meanwhile, back up in the Pan Am Clipper Lounge in London, Max Jordan and his assistant Scarlett Antonelli were going over some last-minute business documents before making their way to the gate when Scarlett looked up at the television screen and saw a news report featuring activity in the Middle East.

"It never stops, doesn't it, Max?" she remarked, looking up at the screen. "All this garbage in the Middle East."

"Might as well get used to it, Scarlett," replied Max. "Just part of the business, especially with all the business customers we'll be having in Europe next year."

Scarlett sighed heavily at these words.

"Look Max, about the customers…"

"What about them, Scar?"

"I mean, until this tension blows over. Don't you think we should wait until after this dies down before we travel here again?"

"Scarlett, you know that we travel quite a bit as part of our work," Max reminded, putting the document in his suitcase. "Besides, I have faith and trust in Pan Am over any other airline and so should you."

Taking a deep breath, Scarlett went to her feet.

"I'm just going down to the ladies room before we board. I'll see you at the gate."

Max watched as his assistant left the lounge, still confident in his ability to trust his safety and the safety of his assistant in Pan Am.

…

Meanwhile back in Frankfurt, Will Randall and his fiancee Laura Alden arrived at the gate for Flight 103 fresh off demoting Stewart Swinton to being in Moscow as opposed to New York.

"I've got to tell you that's its going to be a great Christmas, Will," Laura said as they sat down in the boarding area for Pan Am 103A to London Heathrow. "Ponyta and Rapidash must be chomping at the bit for me to get back to the cottage."

"I always admired you for your dedication to Pokemon, Laura," Will replied. "You'd make a great Pokemon Nurse if you weren't the heiress to your father's empire."

"Well, that's what happens when your other siblings don't want the job," Laura chuckled, looking over towards her lover with a sly smile produced by her red lip sticked lips. "You become the heir instead of the spare."

Looking down at her wristwatch, Laura noticed that the time to board was almost near.

"You've still been thinking about it, haven't you?" Will asked. "To not be the heiress to your father's publishing business."

"You're a good guesser."

"You and Pokemon are meant to be together, Laura, just like you and I are."

Will then looked down at Laura's skirt, hoping to peek at what's under it.

"In fact…"

"Not until we get home," Laura advised, playfully guessing at what was on her boyfriend's mind. "You still have the amulet?"

Will reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver amulet, showing it off to Laura.

"Right here…once a good luck charm, always a good luck charm."

The age gap lovers shared a kiss as 25 of the Pokemon League Academy Students arrived at the gate.

"Those must be the Pokemon trainers from Israel," Will remarked.

"How do you know?" asked Laura.

"I can tell by some of their uniforms. Looking like normal schoolkids if you ask me."

At that moment, the gate agent came over the intercom and announced the commencement of boarding in a German accent.

"Announcing the boarding of Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt via London and New York to Detroit now boarding at Gate 77. Please have your passports along with your boarding cards as you board the plane. We will begin with First and Clipper Class Passengers."

As she repeated the announcement in German, Will and Laura were amongst the first passengers to board the Boeing 727 for the short flight to London. Placing her brown coat in the overhead compartment, Laura zipped up her sweater and settled in.

"Feeling hot?" Will asked.

"Little bit, my sweater should keep me warm for the most part," Laura answered, brushing the strands of her long blonde hair out of her face.

As they and the 48 other passengers settled in for the flight, the unaccompanied suitcase from Tehran was being loaded into the 727's cargo hold, fully unaware of the ticking timebomb that was going on inside of it. Little did anyone else know that another suitcase was being loaded into the plane and that was also containing explosive Pokemon that were waiting to explode.

…

At 4:50pm, Pan Am Flight 103A departed Frankfurt, West Germany and turned northwest towards England.

The first leg of Pan Am Flight 103's final journey had begun.

…