The Storm

Chapter Thirty-Two

Landing At Newark International

I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. I turned in the rental car, and then went through the terminal to security checks and on to my boarding gate. I had just made it on time. The lines at the gate were already boarding. I headed down the ramp with the rest of the passengers to 19D and walked on board and down the aisle to my seat. The aircraft was not crowded at all. The other two seats beside me were empty. "Perfect," I thought. I usually am the talkative one, but this time I just wanted to relax and not feel obligated to chit chat with anyone. I needed to get some rest. After stowing my gear in the overhead compartment, I fell into my seat and buckled in for the flight. The familiar sounds over the loudspeaker of the stewardess giving instructions to raise our tray tables and buckle our seat belts caused me to think about being in my own apartment again, and then letting Delores know I was home safe. I thought about tomorrow morning when I would face my boss with my story about the compound that I saw, and somehow explain my excitement without revealing the mystery surrounding it. I would also turn in my expense account and hoped that my story would be worth the money the paper spent on my adventure. "It better be good 'cause my jobs on the line," I thought. "Better get those creative juices flowing, Zach," I said to myself. Then I just zoned out.

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