Chapter 8 - The Terminal ReunionTwo hours later, the restricted military tarmac had been cleared, and the passengers of SkyFlight 404 were escorted into a private civilian transit lounge inside the Nellis civilian liaison terminal.
Word had naturally begun to leak out among the travelers. Rumors were already circulating about a mysterious medical emergency, an invisible military escort, and a miraculous, butter-smooth landing that saved them from a catastrophic crash in the mountains.
As Pauline walked through the terminal doors followed by Mark, a sudden wave of applause rippled through the rows of plastic waiting chairs.
Passengers stood up. The businessman who had been snoring in aisle A nodded respectfully. The mother with the toddler clapped her hands, tears glistening in her eyes. They didn't know about experimental test pilots, classified call signs, or Cold War interceptors; they only knew that the gray-haired grandmother in the bright red jacket had walked into the cockpit when everyone else was panicking, and walked out with their lives intact.
Chloe, the young flight attendant who had first tried to block Pauline in the aisle, hurried over, her eyes red-rimmed and her hands shaking slightly.
“Ma’am—Pauline,” Chloe said, her voice trembling as she reached out to shake her hand. “I... I was so rude to you in the galley. When you stood up, I thought you were just another difficult passenger. If you hadn't gone up to that flight deck...”
“You did your job trying to keep the cabin calm, Chloe,” Pauline interrupted gently, giving the young woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Next time an engine starts shaking the floorboards, though, trust your instincts before the warning lights even blink.”
Mark stood beside Pauline, carrying her small overnight bag. His uniform cap was adjusted neatly, his posture was straighter, and the panicked, sweaty rookie from the flight deck was completely gone, replaced by a young officer who had just looked into the abyss and learned how to stand his ground.
“So,” Mark said quietly as the boarding gate announcement for their replacement transport flight began to chime over the PA system. “Is this where you quietly disappear back into retirement, Pauline?”
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Pauline smiled, taking her bag from his hands and slinging the strap over her shoulder.
“Retirement is overrated, Jensen,” she said, turning toward the jetway corridor that would take her the rest of the way to her destination. “Besides, every once in a while, the sky needs someone who remembers how to fly.”
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