24 hours

TWO ante meridiem

The car stopped not long after, and the moment the doors opened I realized where we were: the airport. As soon as both our feet were planted outside, the driver zoomed away in his limo, leaving us alone together. I checked my phone to see if we had any more instructions.

Nothing.

"Now I don't know about you," began Gray walking up to me with hands in his pockets, "But I'm pretty sure we don't need a text to know where we are supposed to go next." He grinned at me, but I could tell it was forced. I raised an eyebrow and put away my phone.

"Okay wise guy, then lead the way," I waved my hand at the surprisingly non-automatic doors. He went ahead and held open the door for me.

"Ladies first." Gray joked with a bow, and I couldn't help but groan. He must be full of himself.

The moment we entered the main building, both of our phones went off.

It's been a while since we last talked. You must be wondering what you are doing here.

Really? Really? No. I'm definitely not wondering why I am here. I ignored that text. No use replying to such a stupid question.

Of course you're wondering. What a stupid question. After this conversation, your plane tickets will be brought to you by a woman donning a red coat. Take them. Your plane leaves at three ante meridiem.

I waited several seconds to see if there was anything else, then started to put my phone away. Before I even had a chance to stick it in my pocket, I heard a ding.

And don't delay. Once the dies is up, the chance to get your family back is too.

Dies?

Latin.

For?

Day. You have one day. I'm sure you have a translator on your phone, among other apps, so stop asking me questions about every little thing. Clock's ticking.

Sure enough, as soon as I put my phone away, a woman with light blonde hair and sunglasses to hide her true identity, walked up to the two of us. In one fluid motion, she whipped the tickets out of her red coat, placed one in each of our hands, and said a single word — vale — before leaving.

"Goodbye."

"What?"

"That's what the word meant. 'Vale' is Latin for 'goodbye.'" Grayson clarified. "Don't worry, I'm not saying goodbye."

"Wait, how on earth do you know Latin?" I interrogated him, suspicious that he knew the same language our mysterious texter had used. He gave me a weird look, then realized why I had asked.

"Funny story: I actually learned a lot of it when I was young. My dad said it would help me in school. If I could guess the general meaning of a word, I wouldn't have to look up the definition of every new one I came across. He's always telling me to strive to get the best grades in school. I guess it's so I can 'get a good job later in life' or whatever," he shrugged. "I think he wants me to become a lawyer or doctor. Maybe even a business owner like him."

"Sorry I implied that you were, ya know, on their side or something." I gestured to the phone he was holding.

"I understand. It's not like we really even know each other, so I am not offended." He suddenly looked mischievous. "Ok, maybe I'm a little offended." He winked, and I couldn't stop myself from letting out a small laugh. Just then, I remembered the plane ticket in my hand. It read:

                                                                            UNITED FLIGHT 5316

                                                                            MICHAELS, COLETTE

                                                                             BOARDS AT: 3:00AM

                                                           MONTEREY CA TO SAN FRANCISCO CA

"San Francisco?" Why are they wasting money to fly us to another city? What do these people want from us that can only be done in San Francisco?

"I guess this city's not big enough for whatever they are planning," Gray suggested.

"We don't have much time," I reminded him. "Look, there's the security checkpoint." Luckily the line wasn't very long, and we got through security in no time.

Afterward, we made a quick stop at the restrooms, then headed to gate A4. We barely had more than five minutes before it was time to board.

As soon as we heard the gate attendant announce that it was time, we ran over to her and were the first in line. We handed her our tickets, walked to our plane, and found our spots, which were thankfully right next to each other. Seats buckled. Window shades down. Phones set on airplane mode. We took-off at 3 o'clock sharp.