Part 14

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180 – Ria

"Pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan, VU4A, RIA135, requesting permission to approach."

"VU4A, roger, squawk7700, cleared for ILS, approach runway number 2."

"Enter runway 2, RIA135."

"VU4A, wind is heading at 85 speed knots, runway number 2, cleared to land."

"Cleared to land, runway 2, RIA135."

The city lights of Port Blair gleamed dimly around the airport. Nick took off his helmet and proceeded to help Mia taking hers.

"Remember me, Mia?" I asked her when I finished the landing procedures.

"Chinese-Canadian," she said.

"That's right!" I said. Mia smiled at me. It wasn't the smile of someone who had been stranded on an island, it was the smile of a child pure and innocent. "Gwen told me where you were."

"You know Gwen?" she asked surprised.

"She's my best friend."

Two Indian officers came to greet us when we landed. They had been informed by the Australian government about our rescue mission and said they were here to provide us with anything we needed. Mia wasn't as stressed or traumatized as I thought she would be. She was calm and confident despite the fact she had been in a strange place with strange people. Her parents were so lucky to have such a drama-free child.

The officers drove us to a decent hotel called 'Sea Shell', where we left our luggage and joined Nick for dinner at the hotel's restaurant downstairs. Mia and I settled down in one of the double rooms, and Nick got the adjoining room to ours.

"I talked to the embassy in Thailand," Nick explained during dinner, "they said we didn't need to worry about the helicopter anymore. They said it's OK to leave it here, and they will send someone else to retrieve it. We can have a rest and get on the next flight to Australia."

"I have no reason to go back to Australia though."

"That's what I thought," said Nick. "You've done an outstanding job in every sense of the word. Now, my question would be: What would it take for you to come back and work for us?"

Mia opened the curtain to look out to the terrace. It was a lovely sea view. She looked really happy to be here, enjoying her rice with seafood. She seemed to be very quiet, too.

"I want the helicopter," I said, half joking, half serious.

"Yeah, me too actually." Nick laughed. "It's not such a far-fetched request. I mean, we can't give you this one right now because there is some paperwork and bureaucracy involved, but we could definitely talk about assigning you as an agent or pilot on one of our rescue teams when we go back to Australia. It won't be your own helicopter, but you will be in charge of it, and will be able to fly it regularly."

"Sounds good. I should probably try to find my friend in Bolivia," I explained. Meanwhile, Mia was just finishing up her food and accepted the fruit and ice-cream dessert the waiter offered her.

"I understand, and the Australian government and the police force are extremely grateful for your help, and would do anything to assist you in finding your friend or anything else you need. I'll be taking Mia back to her family in Australia tomorrow morning, so why don't you sleep on the thought and let me know what you want to do in the morning?

Mia and I went back to our room. "Are you OK?" I asked her.

"Yes, but I don't want to go back home," she said, lying down on her bed.

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