With the Wind | A Short Novel by Judith Cropola Page A

better pray that I can talk him out of coming back here and hurting you.  Not beating you up, hurting you.  Think maximum pain, Wilson.”
    “As for you, Father, goodbye.  Never try and contact me.  I am no longer your daughter.”
    She walked to the gun case in the hall.
    Misty smashed the glass with the log poker.
    She grabbed a thirty eight.
    It was not an antique.
    She made sure it was loaded and took the safety off.
    As her father and Wilson came out of the library she pointed the gun at them.
    “If either of you assholes gets in my way I will shoot.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
     
                  Misty arrived in San Francisco at seven am on Christmas morning.
    She had driven all night, straight through from Oregon, to get there.
    She parked the jeep in long term parking at the airport.
    She left the keys in the ignition.
    Why not?  She wasn’t coming back.
    Before she left home she grabbed her emergency cash stash.
    Then she emptied her bank account.
    Then she maxed out all of her father’s credit cards.
    That gave her great pleasure.
    She had fifty thousand three hundred dollars in her backpack.
    It was her dowry, that’s how she looked at it.
    Enough money to start a new life.
    A new life that should have begun a year ago.
    She still had not been able to reach Daniel.
    Where could he be?
    The phone number was right, she heard him speaking on the voicemail.
    “I need to get to Thailand, as soon as possible,” Misty said to the gate agent.
    “The airport is shut down, miss.  Surely you saw the signs.”
    “Severe fog, yes, I get it.”
    “Plus it’s Christmas time.  We’ve had limited flight operations for three days now.  All of our international departures are overbooked.”
    “How soon can I get out of here?  I don’t care how much it costs.”
    “Assuming that we can start flying again tonight, which is what they’re telling us, you could leave tomorrow.”
    “Tomorrow?  When will I get to Thailand?”
    “Late on Tuesday.  The fastest way is to go to Tokyo, then to Manila, then on to Bangkok.”
    “I can’t fly straight there?”
    “Not until Wednesday, at the earliest.”
    “How much does it cost?”
    “First class or coach?”
    “First cl…”  Misty caught herself.  She wasn’t rich anymore.  “Coach”.
    “Six thousand dollars, one way.”
    “Book it.”
    Reaching into her wallet she saw Wilson’s American Express card.  He had given it to her for personal shopping sprees in Forest Hills and Portland.  It had no limit.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Yes, miss?”
    “Change that ticket to first class please.”
    “Okay.  The cost for that is nine thousand five hundred.”
    “Great.  Use this card.”
     
    ********
    She lay down on her bed in the airport Holiday Inn.
    The time difference.  She had forgotten to factor that in.
    Why doesn’t he…
    Her phone chirped.  It was Thailand calling.
    It was him.
    “Daniel?”
    “Misty.  My God, it is so good to hear your voice.”
    “Daniel, how are you?”
    “I am well.  I’ve been in jungle taking pictures.  As soon as I see you call me I…”
    “You have been in the jungle taking pictures.”
    Misty could see in her mind’s eye Daniel smiling when she corrected his English.
    “I miss you very much.  I love you always.  I hope it is okay to tell you this.”
    Misty started crying.  She was afraid this would happen.
    But there was no holding back the tears.
    “Misty, my love.  It has happened, hasn’t it?”
    “What?  How could you know?”
    “I knew that someday you would discover truth.”
    “Eva confessed.  My father tricked her into lying about you.”
    “I suspect as much.  Do not blame poor child.”
    “Of course not.  Daniel, will you consider trying to forgive me?”
    “Will I consider?  What?  Say again?”
    “Will you consider trying to forgive me?”
    “Consider doing what?  I do not