She ended the call and turned her phone off. That was enough. Perhaps they’d never speak again. It’d be for the best.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chip tried calling Claire again, but his call went to voicemail.

“No luck?” asked Marty.

Chip shook his head. “Do you have any proof that this program is dangerous?”

“Of course not,” Marty said. “That’s why they locked me out of it.”

Chip nodded and grabbed his jacket. “All right, you stay here. When the phone rings, answer it. You got me?”

“Where are you going?” asked Marty, standing up to follow him.

“To get you an audience with an old friend. Be ready to talk about that program.”

Marty nodded and waved him off.

Chip got into his truck and drove to the small airport on the island. He didn’t fly often these days, but the staff all knew him.

“Hey Chip!” said Mara, the lone employee, when she saw him walk in. “How’s it going?”

He leaned on the counter. “Not bad. How are you doing?”

“Can’t complain,” she said with a sigh. “What’s up?”

“I need to catch a flight to the mainland.”

She nodded. “Where are you headed?”

“New York City, but I don’t know how yet.”

“Hm.” She clicked through her computer screen. “I don’t have anything. You need it today?”

He nodded. “As soon as possible.”

“I still owe you one for getting my parents that room in the hotel last Christmas…” Mara paused before breaking into a smile. “If you’re feeling adventurous, I think I have something for you.”

“Oh yeah?”

She tapped a finger on the counter. “How urgent is this trip?”

“Extremely.”

She leaned forward. “All right, we have a private jet flying out in forty minutes. I can sneak you onto it.”

Chip raised his eyebrows. “You mean in the wheel well?”

“No,” Mara said with a laugh. “I’ll tell them you’re a mechanic, that you’ll be working on the plane in the hangar in New York.”

Incredible. “That would be amazing.”

She smiled, leaning down and pulling a small tool bag from under the counter. “I’ll tell the pilot, Rick. He won’t say a word. Just don’t talk too much and try to look handy, okay?”

He nodded, accepting the bag. “Thanks Mara. I owe you one, now.”

“Nah.” She shook her head. “We’re even.”

When the paying customer arrived for his flight, Chip was already on board and in the cockpit. Rick said hello, and the man in the business suit nodded as he walked by.

“Nice to meet you,” he said before taking a seat and opening his laptop.

Not much need for lying, even. The guy didn’t care.