Final Approach to Freedom

Chapter 10

The phone screen went dark, its last bit of battery drained. Evelyn Montgomery’s name filled the missed call list, one after another.

Alexander Hartley’s fingers tapped an impatient rhythm against the steering wheel. WeChat, texts, voicemails—every attempt to reach her had gone unanswered. He slammed his palm against the wheel, and the horn blared sharply in the silent parking garage.

At the first light of dawn, Alexander stormed into the Southsun Airways headquarters. Dark circles shadowed his bloodshot eyes, his suit wrinkled like crumpled paper.

"Hello, I’m looking for Captain Evelyn Montgomery," he rasped, his voice barely recognizable.

The receptionist’s fingers paused over the keyboard. "And you are?"

"I’m her husband." As he pulled out their marriage certificate, it slipped from his grasp and hit the floor.

The head of the Aviation Department happened to walk by. He picked up the red booklet, skimmed it, then tossed it onto the conference table. "Follow me."

Once inside, the man yanked open the blinds, flooding the room with sunlight. "Do you know where Captain Montgomery is right now?" He didn’t wait for an answer. "Thirty thousand feet in the air."

A photograph on the wall suddenly stung Alexander’s eyes. It showed an Evelyn he’d never seen—turning back with a radiant smile on the aircraft stairs, her pilot uniform gleaming under the sun.

"She was supposed to fly international routes," the department head said, tracing the edge of the photo. "Three years ago, she suddenly requested a transfer to domestic flights—just to match someone’s work schedule."

Alexander’s throat tightened. In the picture, Evelyn’s eyes sparkled like stars, a brightness he hadn’t seen on her face in far too long.

"Yesterday, she volunteered for the Paris route." The man gave him a knowing look. "Thirteen hours in the air—plenty of time to think things through."

Outside, the roar of engines filled the sky. Alexander looked up to see a plane soaring into the clouds. Suddenly, he remembered what Evelyn had said on their wedding day: "I love the thrust of takeoff—it feels like leaving the whole world behind."

Now, he was the one left behind.