Chapter Two

"Now boarding all passengers."

Tightly gripping the strap of his laptop bag, John ran for his gate as the attendant made her last call. Hastily, he handed his ticket to the uniformed individual at the podium, anxiously waited for him to hand it back, and made his way down the musty walkway toward the plane. He never was very good at allowing time for baggage check and security. What a spectacle he must have made, this huge mass of a man running full speed across an airport.

He made the plane. That's what mattered.

He checked his ticket stub and found his seat. After a while, the scurry settled down and everyone found where they were supposed to be. The crew made their safety speeches, the pilot briefed everyone on the weather ahead, and they were off.

Aside from the chaos of actually making it in time, John enjoyed flying, especially coach. Trying to socialize in a room full of people who know your net worth is always so depressing because you never know who is being honest with you. Coach was the great equalizer. there he was just some guy. Just some tall, muscular, dark haired,blue eyed Joe. A bit intimidating at first, but a good guy. People didn't get awestruck if he sat down next to them. Nobody cared how much money he made last year or what big deal he was working on. Nobody pitched him investment opportunities while he was trying to shut his eyes. While it was the louder part of the plane, it was a lot more peaceful at the same time. About halfway through the trip, the attendants made their way down the aisles with the beverage and snack cart. The tiny bottles of wine and peanuts were being dispersed, and John settled in for the remainder of the trip. The flight from Lagerstown Colorado to Plateaux Louisiana wasn't long, and this was quite possibly the last moment of peace he was going to get for a while.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Plateaux International, please place your trays in their upright positions, fasten your seat belts and make sure your bags are under the seat in front of you or stowed in the overhead bins. Thank you for flying with us and enjoy the rest of your day".

John awoke to the click of the microphone from the cockpit. He must have dozed off sometime ago. Arching his back and stretching his arms above his head, he stretched and let out a yawn.

Landing didn't take too long. He waited for everyone on board to get off before he rose. Not because he wanted to wait so nobody would have to struggle around him, but because he bet dollars to doughnuts that Jayne showed up to pick him up herself. Last time she sent a car, he gave the guy 200 bucks and took a cab instead. He bent over and pulled a ball cap out of his laptop bag, put it on backwards and slipped a pair of sunglasses to the neck of his t-shirt. As he rose to make his exit he took a deep breath and exhaled.

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"There's no place like home",he whispered as he made his way to the front.

Jayne eagerly anticipated her big brother's arrival. He always made her laugh and after everything that had happened lately, she could do with one. Seeing him on such short notice for such a terrible reason saddened her greatly but if anyone could find Jason, it was Johnny.Even when they were kids, playing hide and seek was never a fair game because he always managed to find them. They blindfolded him a few times and even though he bumped into things a lot, he still made his way to wherever they were. Of course Mom would always yell about how he made a mess and Dad would always have to calm her down while Jayne took her siblings and slipped out of the room until it was over. For some reason, she didn't care for Johnny like the rest of the family did. Of everyone they were related to, Mom and Uncle Gill were the only two who seemed to dislike the middle Divine. He would make Mom and Dad breakfast in bed for holidays and other special occasions and while Dad found it sweet and adorable, Mom would start warning him not to spill anything on her new floors. This would make John nervous and he would trip, sending their carefully prepared meal all over the bed and as a result igniting her fury. He never did well when Mother pressured him. She always felt it was probably why he moved away.

Lifting her sleeve to check her watch, she moved closer to the gate. This time of day she would usually be at work looking over contracts or at home with the twins. Nathan and Nolan were great children and they loved Mommy very much, but when Uncle John was around, she was nonexistent. As soon as he came through the door, they jumped to their tiny feet and ran to him. John would get down and sweep them up in a huge hug and they just held him so tightly. They would play for hours. More times than she could count, she would find them all napping under some complex tent fort in his room. He would make such a great father one day, if only he gave himself enough time off to meet the right girl.

Jayne visited him a few months ago while the kids were at camp. While she manned the helm at home base, John was basically the R&D department. Out of the three of them, John was the most outdoorsy. He was the guy with a Kayak in the living room and 4 wheelers in the garage.Whatever Jason made, Johnny was the first to test out. He landed in the hospital a few times as a result. One time he had broken his arm while repelling down a small cliff and when she visited him in the hospital, he was hysterical. He had his phone pinched in his neck, a full cast on his left arm, and was scribbling performance notes. He was actually analyzing the product while in the hospital for its failure!

"I would rather it break on me, fix it, and keep it from hurting anyone else."

People began to emerge from the walkway. Jayne straightened her hair, checked her face, and stood up straight. She needed to look strong. She needed to look in control of things. The way Johnny had always seen her. After all the press conferences, through all the interviews, if she cracked up now, he would know and he wouldn't be on his A game. If they were going to find their little brother, they needed John at his best. He knew the people to talk to. He knew the players in town, on both sides of the law. That would wait until morning though. by the time they got back to her house and he got through unpacking, they would have time for dinner and that was it. They had a lot to do first thing in the morning and she wasn't going to let him drag her into any of his "adventures". Jayne took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as her brother finally emerged from the walkway. As soon as they set eyes on each other, they thought the same thing. Everything was about to change.