you’d better be looking over your shoulder because that’s where the meteor’s usually coming from.”
…
In a remote corner of the building, someone else was monitoring the flight as well. A return signal activated the moment Austral Clipper started transmitting information. Its discreet transmission back to the plane initiated other commands that went unnoticed by both the crew and the control center technicians, all of whom were buried in a torrent of information that they expected to see.
…
Leo Taggart’s phone buzzed, calling his attention to an incoming text message: PACKAGE OPENED. MERRY XMAS.
It certainly will be , he thought.
11
Castle Rock, Colorado
Two days earlier
Tom awoke with a start and pushed a knit blanket off of his chest. Where am I? He sat up and looked around the living room as he rubbed his eyes. A magazine lay on the table behind his head, and another blanket was gathered around his feet.
Oh yeah—home. Must have fallen asleep. I didn’t put a fire on though, did I?
He felt the warmth from the stone fireplace in the center of the room before he saw it, which appeared to have been burning for some time.
She can’t be up already?
He twisted around to lift his watch from the side table and checked it with surprise: it was almost noon. He’d been out for at least eight hours, still in his clothes… wait a minute! Where are my pants?
Not appreciating the humor of his own fleeting thought, he looked down to find his uniform shirt was also unbuttoned. His trousers were neatly folded over a chair in the corner. Now fully awake, he caught the scent of coffee and bacon wafting in from the kitchen. Elise must have been up early and made him as comfortable as she could manage without waking him.
“You in there, babe?” he called tentatively, still halfway expecting her to be asleep.
She poked her head from around the corner, brown hair hanging loosely around the collar of her bathrobe.
“Yes, silly. Who else would be cooking breakfast at lunchtime? One of your girlfriends?” she teased. Elise Gentry walked up behind him and planted a kiss on his forehead, smoothing his tousled hair. “You’re a mess! But I’m glad you’re home.”
Tom grunted as he sat up to make room for his wife while she plopped down next to him. “You okay, honey?” she asked. “Back bothering you again?”
He reached around to rub the small of his back. “Yeah, that’s what I get for sleeping out here all morning. It’ll be all right in a minute. Have you been up long?”
“A few hours,” she said, kneading his shoulders. “You looked dead tired so I didn’t dare wake you. I figured your trip got disrupted, so I just tried to make you comfortable. You sleep like a cat in front of that fireplace.”
He took a long pull from the coffee she’d brought him. “It was kind of a bad night. We seem to be having a lot of those lately. Weather, broken planes...it always come in big bunches. We didn’t have enough duty time left so scheduling pulled us. Imagine we’ll pick up the back end tomorrow. Good to be home though.”
“That’s too bad for them,” Elise said, leaning over to give her husband a tight hug. “It’s always good to have you home.”
He returned the gesture and kissed his wife. “Wish every day could start like this,” he agreed. “I was planning to stay up and make you breakfast in bed. I wanted to surprise you.” He reached over to brush thinning hair away from her face. “I’m sorry, babe. I hate to have you up fussing after me. You need your rest.”
“I can look after myself, caveman,” she said defensively, and laid her head in his lap. “But I’ll expect that breakfast next time you’re home.”
The great room felt warm and close with the curtains drawn, the only sounds were a sputtering coffee pot and a softly ticking grandfather clock in the entryway. As they sat together like that for several minutes, she drifted back to sleep. Tom
…
In a remote corner of the building, someone else was monitoring the flight as well. A return signal activated the moment Austral Clipper started transmitting information. Its discreet transmission back to the plane initiated other commands that went unnoticed by both the crew and the control center technicians, all of whom were buried in a torrent of information that they expected to see.
…
Leo Taggart’s phone buzzed, calling his attention to an incoming text message: PACKAGE OPENED. MERRY XMAS.
It certainly will be , he thought.
11
Castle Rock, Colorado
Two days earlier
Tom awoke with a start and pushed a knit blanket off of his chest. Where am I? He sat up and looked around the living room as he rubbed his eyes. A magazine lay on the table behind his head, and another blanket was gathered around his feet.
Oh yeah—home. Must have fallen asleep. I didn’t put a fire on though, did I?
He felt the warmth from the stone fireplace in the center of the room before he saw it, which appeared to have been burning for some time.
She can’t be up already?
He twisted around to lift his watch from the side table and checked it with surprise: it was almost noon. He’d been out for at least eight hours, still in his clothes… wait a minute! Where are my pants?
Not appreciating the humor of his own fleeting thought, he looked down to find his uniform shirt was also unbuttoned. His trousers were neatly folded over a chair in the corner. Now fully awake, he caught the scent of coffee and bacon wafting in from the kitchen. Elise must have been up early and made him as comfortable as she could manage without waking him.
“You in there, babe?” he called tentatively, still halfway expecting her to be asleep.
She poked her head from around the corner, brown hair hanging loosely around the collar of her bathrobe.
“Yes, silly. Who else would be cooking breakfast at lunchtime? One of your girlfriends?” she teased. Elise Gentry walked up behind him and planted a kiss on his forehead, smoothing his tousled hair. “You’re a mess! But I’m glad you’re home.”
Tom grunted as he sat up to make room for his wife while she plopped down next to him. “You okay, honey?” she asked. “Back bothering you again?”
He reached around to rub the small of his back. “Yeah, that’s what I get for sleeping out here all morning. It’ll be all right in a minute. Have you been up long?”
“A few hours,” she said, kneading his shoulders. “You looked dead tired so I didn’t dare wake you. I figured your trip got disrupted, so I just tried to make you comfortable. You sleep like a cat in front of that fireplace.”
He took a long pull from the coffee she’d brought him. “It was kind of a bad night. We seem to be having a lot of those lately. Weather, broken planes...it always come in big bunches. We didn’t have enough duty time left so scheduling pulled us. Imagine we’ll pick up the back end tomorrow. Good to be home though.”
“That’s too bad for them,” Elise said, leaning over to give her husband a tight hug. “It’s always good to have you home.”
He returned the gesture and kissed his wife. “Wish every day could start like this,” he agreed. “I was planning to stay up and make you breakfast in bed. I wanted to surprise you.” He reached over to brush thinning hair away from her face. “I’m sorry, babe. I hate to have you up fussing after me. You need your rest.”
“I can look after myself, caveman,” she said defensively, and laid her head in his lap. “But I’ll expect that breakfast next time you’re home.”
The great room felt warm and close with the curtains drawn, the only sounds were a sputtering coffee pot and a softly ticking grandfather clock in the entryway. As they sat together like that for several minutes, she drifted back to sleep. Tom
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