Cardboard Hearts

#6: part 3

"I hope you realize you aren't going anywhere near that airport."

Jacob interrupts his brother in the middle of packing a small duffel. He stands without his usual slouch, and there is a fire in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"I hope you realize you aren't going to stop me."

Jacob sighs. "C'mon, Calum. It's gonna be dangerous. We both know that guy is insane. Let's just tell the police there's a guy at the airport who we think might harm people, and leave it to people who actually know what they're doing."

"No," Calum says firmly. "I can talk to him; I know I can. I might be able to fix this."

"But what if there's nothing to fix?" he asks desperately. "What if it's just a psycho who's had enough of this world and wants to take the rest of us with him when he leaves?"

The two of them stand in silence for a long, desperate minute.

"Fine. We'll compromise. We'll go to the airport alone, and if it seems dangerous, you can call the police. But only after I talk to Mark."

"I'm sorry, Calum. I can't let you do this."

He glares fiercely at Jacob. "Then I'll go without you. If you try to stop me, I'll scream. Rachel and Monica will come running, and you'll have a whole lot of explaining to do."

The two stare at each other, frozen in a stalemate. Neither is willing to concede. Finally, Jacob relents.

"You win. But as soon as I decide something's not right, I'm calling the police. Got it?"

"Okay."

The two tiptoe downstairs and gently push open the front door, praying that it won't squeak like it always does. They'd decided not to tell anyone where they were going, but as soon as they left their warm home behind Jacob began to wish he'd left a note.

What if something happens? he thinks. What if I never see them again?

He opens his mouth but Calum beats him to it. "I left a note on the kitchen table. I told them we loved them and we'd be back soon."

Jacob smiles. "Good thinking."

Luckily, the airport is not far from their house. Neither wants to walk in the drizzling rain that's a few degrees away from being snow, and they can't exactly ask for a ride. They reach the Italian restaurant near the airport in five minutes, neither speaking.

Calum sees two girls embracing outside the restaurant. He smiles. They, too, are alone in the world; lost inside their heads, where this one moment in time is frozen. Preserved forever.

"Let's go inside," he says. "It's almost midnight."

Jacob nods. The two pull open the doors, and immediately they are ensconced in warmth and safety. They can smell the distinct aroma no one can quite place but that everyone recognizes as belonging to an airport. Soft Christmas music plays in the background, echoed by the click-clack of heels on tiled floor.

It's crowded; Jacob thinks grimly to himself that Mark has picked the right day. The check-in lines extend almost to the doors. A heavier man with sandy hair and wire-rimmed glasses fidgets in front of them, followed by a small man with dark skin and black hair.

Calum smiles at them, all while wondering why they seem so nervous. It would be interesting, he decides, to hear their stories. But they have no time.

"We have to find Mark," he says. "Do you know what he looks like?"

But Jacob is distracted, staring off into the distance. Calum follows his eyes and sees a small lady standing near the corner.