dk.coldfire-第27节

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her　like　a　bug。　
　If　Ironheart　glanced　back　now；　he　would　look　directly　into　her　face。　She　held　her　breath；　heard　the　clerk　say；　〃。　。　。　O'Hare　Airport　in　Chicago；　leaving　in　twenty　minutes。　。　。　；〃　and　slipped　back　behind　the　fat　man；　who　looked　over　his　shoulder　to　frown　down　at　her　again。　
　She　wondered　why　they　had　e　to　LAX　for　a　flight　to　Chicago。　She　was　pretty　sure　there　were　plenty　of　connections　to　O'Hare　from　John　wayne　in　Orange　County。　Well。　。　。　though　Chicago　was　farther　than　San　Diego；　it　was　preferable　to…and　cheaper　than…Hawaii。　
　Ironheart　paid　for　his　ticket　and　rushed　off　in　search　of　his　gate　without　glancing　in　Holly's　direction。　
　Some　psychic；　she　thought。　
　She　was　pleased　with　herself　When　she　reached　the　counter；　she　presented　a　credit　card　and　asked　for　a　seat　on　the　same　flight　to　Chicago。　For　a　moment　she　had　the　terrible　feeling　that　the　clerk　would　say　the　plane　was　fully　booked。　But　there　were　seats　left；　and　she　got　her　ticket。　
　The　departure　lounge　at　the　gate　was　nearly　empty。　Boarding　of　the　flight　had　virtually　been　pleted。　Ironheart　was　nowhere　in　sight。　
　On　the　way　along　the　tunnel…like　boarding　gate　to　the　door　of　the　aircraft；　she　began　to　worry　that　he　would　see　her　when　she　had　to　walk　back　the　aisle　to　her　seat。　She　could　pretend　not　to　notice　him；　or　pretend　not　to　recognize　him　if　he　approached　her。　But　she　doubted　that　he　would　believe　her　presence　on　his　flight　was　sheer　coincidence。　An　hour　and　a　half　she'd　been　in　a　rush　to　confront　him。　Now　she　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　avoid　confrontation。　If　he　saw　her；　he　would　abort　his　trip；　she　might　never　get　another　chance　to　be　present　at　one　of　his　last…minute　rescues。　
　The　plane　was　a　wide…body　DC…10　with　two　aisles。　Each　row　of　right　seats　was　divided　into　three　sections：　two　by　the　window　on　the　port　side　five　down　the　center；　two　by　the　window　on　the　starboard　side。　
　Holly　assigned　to　row　twenty…three；　seat　H；　which　was　on　the　starbord　side　one　seat　removed　from　the　window。　As　she　headed　back　up　the　aisle；　she　scanned　the　faces　of　her　fellow　passengers；　hoping　she　wouldn't　lock　eyes　with　Jim　Ironheart。　In　fact；　she　would　rather　not　see　him　at　all　during　the　flight　and　worry　about　catching　sight　of　him　again　at　O'Hare。　
　The　DC10　was　an　immense　aircraft。　Though　a　number　of　seats　were　empty；more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　people　were　on…board。　She　and　Ironheart　might　very　well　fly　around　the　world　together　without　bumping　into　each　other　getting　through　the　few　hours　to　Chicago　should　be　a　cinch。　
　Then　she　saw　him。　He　was　sitting　in　the　five…wide　middle　section　of　sixteen；　the　port…aisle　seat；　on　the　other　side　of　the　plane。　He　was　paging　through　an　issue　of　the　airline's　magazine；　and　she　prayed　that　he　would　not　look　up　until　she　was　past　him。　Though　she　had　to　step　aside　for　flight　attendant　escorting　a　small　boy　who　was　flying　alone；　her　prayer　was　answered。　Ironheart's　head　remained　bowed　over　the　publication　until　she　was　past　him。　She　reached　23…H　and　sat　down；　sighing　with　relief　Even　he　went　to　the　restroom；　or　just　got　up　to　stretch　his　legs；　he　would　probably　never　have　any　reason　to　e　around　to　the　starbord　side　Perfect。　
　She　glanced　at　the　man　in　the　window　seat　beside　her。　He　was　in　his　early　thirties；　tanned；　fit；　and　intense。　He　was　wearing　a　dark…blue　business　suit；　white　shirt；　and　tie　even　on　a　Sunday　flight。　His　brow　was　as　furrowed　as　his　suit　was　well…pressed；　and　he　was　working　on　a　laptop　puter。　
　He　was　wearing　headphones；　listening　to　music　or　pretending　to；　in　order　discourage　conversation；　and　he　gave　her　a　cool　smile　calculated　to　do　the　same。　
　That　was　fine　with　her。　Like　a　lot　of　reporters；　she　was　not　garrulous　nature。　Her　job　required　her　to　be　a　good　listener；　not　necessarily　a　good　talker。　She　was　content　to　pass　the　trip　with　the　airline's　magazine　and　be　own　Byzantine　thoughts。　
　Two　hours　into　the　flight；　Jim　still　had　no　idea　where　he　was　expected　to　go　when　he　got　off　the　plane　at　O'Hare。　He　was　not　concerned　about　whoever；　because　he　had　learned　to　be　patient。　
　The　revelation　always　came；　sooner　or　later。　
　Nothing　in　the　airline's　magazine　was　of　interest　to　him；　and　the　inflight　movie　sounded　as　if　it　were　about　as　much　fun　as　a　vacation　in　a　Soviet　prison。　The　two　seats　to　the　right　of　him　were　empty；　so　he　was　not　required　to　make　nice　with　a　stranger。　He　tilted　his　seat　slightly；　folded　his　hands　on　his　stomach；　closed　his　eyes；　and　passed　the　time…between　the　flight　attendants'　inquiries　about　his　appetite　and　fort…by　brooding　about　the　windmill　dream；　puzzling　out　what　significance　it　had；　if　any。　
　That　was　what　he　tried　to　brood　about；　anyway。　But　for　some　curious　reason；　his　mind　wandered　to　Holly　Thorne；　the　reporter。　
　Hell；　now　he　was　being　disingenuous；　because　he　knew　perfectly　well　why　she　had　been　drifting　in　and　out　of　his　thoughts　ever　since　he　had　met　her。　She　was　a　treat　for　the　eyes。　She　was　intelligent；　too；　one　look　at　her；　and　you　knew　about　a　million　gears　were　spinning　in　her　head；　all　meshing　perfectly；　well…oiled；　quiet　and　productive。　
　And　she　had　a　sense　of　humor。　He　would　give　anything　to　share　his　days　and　his　long；　dream…troubled　nights　with　a　woman　like　that。　
　Laughter　was　usually　a　function　of　sharing…an　observation；　a　joke；　a　moment。　You　didn't　laugh　a　lot　when　you　were　always　alone；　and　if　you　did；　that　probably　meant　you　should　make　arrangements　for　a　long　stay　in　a　resort　with　padded　walls。　
　He　had　never　been　smooth　with　women；　so　he　had　often　been　without　them。　
　And　he　had　to　admit；　even　before　this　recent　strangeness　had　begun；　he　was　sometimes　difficult　to　live　with。　Not　depressive　exactly　but　too　aware　that　death　was　life's　panion。　Too　inclined　to　brood　about　the　ing　darkness。　Too　slow　to　seize　the　moment　and　succumb　to　pleasure。　
　If　He　opened　his　eyes　and　sat　up　straighter　in　his　seat；　because　suddenly　he　received　the　revelation　that　he　had　been　expecting。　Or　part　of　it；　at　least。　
　He　still　did　not　know　what　was　going　to　happen　in　Chicago；　but　he　knew　the　names　of　the　people　whose　lives　he　was　expected　to　save：　Christine　and　Casey　Dubrovek。　
　To　his　surprise；　he　realized　they　were　on　this　plane　with　him…which　led　him　to　suspect　that　the　trouble　might　e　in　the　terminal　at　O'Hare；　or　at　least　soon　after　touchdown。　Otherwise　he　would　not　have　crossed　their　path　so　early。　Usually；　he　encountered　the　people　he　saved　only　minutes　before　their　lives　were　thrown　into　jeopardy。　
　pelled　by　those　forces　that　had　been　guiding　him　periodically　since　last　May；　he　got　up；　headed　to　the　front　of　the　plane；　crossed　over　to　the　starboard　side；　and　started　back　that　aisle。　He　had　no　idea　what　he　was　doing　until　he　stopped　at　row　twenty…two　and　looked　down　at　the　mother　and　child　in　seats　H　and　I。　The　woman　was　in　her　late　twenties；　she　had　a　sweet　face；　not　beautiful　but　gentle　and　pretty。　The　child　was　five　or　six　years　old。　
　The　woman　looked　up　at　him　curiously；　and　Jim　heard　himself　say　〃Mrs。　
　Dubrovek？〃　She　blinked　in　surprise。　〃I'm　sorry。　。　。　do　I　know　you？〃　〃No；　but　Ed　told　me　you　were　taking　this　flight　and　asked　me　to　look　you　up。〃　When　he　spoke　that　name；　he　knew　Ed　was　her　husband；　though　he　had　no　idea　where　that　knowledge　had　e　from。　He　squatted　down　beside　her　seat　and　gave　her　his　best　smile。　〃I'm　Steve　Harkman。　
　Ed's　in　sales；　I'm　in　advertising；　so　we　drive　each　other　nuts　in　about　a　dozen　meetings　a　week。〃　
　Christine　Dubrovek's　madonna　face　brightened。　〃Oh；　yes；　he's　spoken　about　you。　You　only　joined　the　pany；　what；　a　month　ago？〃　〃Six　weeks　now；〃　Jim　said；　flowing　with　it；　confident　the　right　answers　would　pour　out　of　him　even　if　he　didn't　know　what　in　the　hell　they　were。　
　〃And　this　must　be　Casey。〃　
　The　little　girl　was　in　the　seat　by　the　window。　She　raised　her　head　shifting　her　attention　from　a　pop…up　storybook。　〃I'm　gonna　be　six　tomorrow；　it's　my　birthday；　and　we're　gonna　visit　grandpop　and　grandma　They're　real　old；　but　they're　nice。〃　
　He　laughed　and　said；　〃I'll　bet　they're　sure　proud　to　have　a　granddaughter　cute　as　you。〃　
　When　Holly　saw　him　ing　along　the　starboard　aisle；　she　was　so　startled　that　she　almost　popped　out　of　her　seat。　At　first　she　thought　he　was　looking　straight　at　her。　She　had　the　urge　to　start　blurting　out　a　confession　〃Yes；　all　right；　I've　been　following　you；　checking　up　on　you；　invading　your　privacy　with　a　vengeance〃…even　before　he　reached　her。　She　knew　precious　few　other　reporters　who　would　have　felt　guilty　about　probing　into　his　life；　but　she　couldn't　seem　to　eliminate　that　streak　of　decency　that　had　interfered　with　her　career　advancement　ever　since　she'd　gotten　her　journal　ism　degree。　It　almost　wrecked　everything　for　her　again…until　she　realized　he　was　looking　not　at　her　but　at　the　brunette　immediately　in　front　of　her　Holly　swallowed　hard；　and　slid　down　a　few　inches　in　her　seat　instead　of　leaping　up　in　a　frenzy　of　confession。　She　picked　up　the　airline's　magazine　which　she'd　previously　discarded；　slowly；　deliberately　she　opened　it　to　cover　her　face；　afraid　that　too　quick　a　move　would　draw　his　attention　before　she　had　concealed　herself　behind　those　glossy　pages。　
　The　magazine　blocked　her　view　of　him；　but　she　could　hear　everything　he　was　saying　and