SECRETS OF THE PAST
Chapter Twenty-Three
They had been there three days,
and already Franklin was missing Leah. He hadn't called her at all. He really wanted
to see her again and feel her in his arms. His father had been chatting around
with the other pilots, asking for information on their upcoming missions.
Robert had been practicing making checks, and with all this going around,
Franklin was often led to thinking about Leah. He was bored. He knew that he
could get through this. He just wished that it would end. He went to his
quarters and checked his bag for his final preparations. They were leaving
today, and today, he had to make the performance of his life.
"You all done, sport?"
Jack asked.
"Yeah, Dad. Everything is in
order," Franklin said, looking at his things.
"Well, come on. Grab your
bag. We’re going now." Jack winked at him.
"All right." Franklin
grabbed his bag.
Robert met them on the airline
strip. He had packed all his supplies in the plane that they were taking to
Turkey. He packed everything in neat piles, the paper, ink and other supplies
he had needed. He heard voices and glanced up to see Jack and Franklin coming
toward the small plane.
"We all ready Robert?"
Jack looked up at him.
"Yep." He climbed down
to help Franklin with his bags.
"Thanks Uncle."
Franklin said.
"No Problem. You could sit
in the front. I hate flying." Robert smiled and touched Franklin's head.
"Hey what do you know so do
I." Franklin smiled.
"You, the son of an airline
pilot hate flying. Franklin Abagnale, you should be ashamed of yourself."
He laughed.
Franklin laughed too and sat down
in the front seat. Jack put on his headphones. "All set for take
off." He called in.
"All right Abagnale when
ever your ready you have clearance," said a man with a British accent.
"Affirmative." Jack
said.
Jack lead the plane to the
airstrip for take off. When he got in the position he wanted he brought the
steering wheel forward. Franklin held on to his seat feeling like he was going
to vomit. Robert held his breath as they ascended into the blue skies. When
they were in the air Jack looked over at Franklin and Robert. "How are you
two doing?"
"I'm fine, Jack."
Robert said sitting down looking at some notes he had wrote.
"You son?" Jack looked
at him.
"Doing ok so far." He
smiled not feeling sick at all.
"Don't worry I am a good
pilot." Jack assured him.
"I am sure you are dad with
all your flight experience." He said trusting his father.
"All right so when we land.
We will change into our suits I already ordered a good car for us and we have a
location that is in the territory of those bank thefts. So I guess we got
everything in order." Jack wanted to confirm everything before they landed.
"You forgot one thing
dad." Franklin spoke up.
“What?” He looked at him
clueless.
"How the hell I am I gonna
pull this off?" Franklin wondered.
"Do what you have to son.
There are no restrictions on this mission." Jack told him.
"All right, but I am not
sleeping with anyone." He meant it.
"Agreed neither an I. Your
mother is the only one I want. Hey Robert you got anyone?" Jack looked
over his shoulder putting the plane on autopilot.
"Nah too busy with work. I
love being a surgeon got no time for a girlfriend." Robert looked at Jack
waiting for him to say something.
"Work is good, but you need
to get out more. Your not still a virgin are you?" Jack asked.
"Jack shut up." He
hadn't wanted Franklin to know.
"Your a virgin uncle?"
Franklin looked at him surprised.
"If you must know I am. All
right there I said it." He confessed.
"Yeah I know you said
it." "Finally!" Jack said straight out.
"Hey!" Robert punched
him in the shoulder.
"So dad how much more till
we get there?" Franklin interrupted.
"Just a little longer. You
aren't feeling sick are you?" Jack asked waiting for him to vomit again.
"Nah. I think I am getting
use to this." Franklin smiled and relaxed in his seat.
They flew the next few hours
sleeping and thinking over things that they might have forgotten. Jack sat
there just looking out at the blue sky he missed it. He felt like he was home
again then he began to think of Rose and the first time he had went on the jump
seat and met her at her college. He was so happy then. But he never regretted
anything everything had worked out. He had everything he ever wanted.
When the plane came to their
target Jack put on his headphones and put it on a different frequency he heard
an Arabic language. He understood what they were saying and replied telling
them that he was landing and who he was. The man gave him a place to land and
Jack slowly descended to the ground. The bumping of the wheels on the pavement
woke up Franklin and Robert.
"We here?" Franklin
asked rubbing his eyes.
"Yep." Jack said putting
on the brakes.
"So where exactly are
we?" He asked.
"Ankara, Turkey. The capital
of Turkey. Oh and money here is called Lira." He reminded him.
"Ok dad. Sure is hot here.
Thank god I brought my sun outfit." Sweat was already on his forehead as
he opened the main hatch.
Jack was the first one to get out
while Franklin and Robert changed into something cooler. He saw a beautiful
woman come up to him. "Welcome to Ankara."
"Marhaban" Jack said
with a perfect accent.
"Marhaban. You don't have to
speak Arabic. I know English." She laughed and smiled.
"Ah thank god. I mean I
speak Arabic, but I am not very good at it." He said embarrassed that he
spoke a little off key.
"Your perfect. You're the
pilot I gather are there any more passengers?" She asked waiting for the
rest of them.
"Two." Jack took off
his hat.
"Men or women? Business or
Pleasure?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Men. We are here on
business and you are?" He was curious as to who she was.
"Sorry to be so rude my name
is Mina Rasha." She extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you. My boss
should be coming he is changing cause of the hot weather." He shook her
hand and looked around for the car he reserved.
"Awe first time to
Turkey?" She walked with him to the back of the plane.
"Yes." He smiled.
Franklin came out of the plane
feeling much better in shorts and a sleeveless shirt. He had sunglasses on and
smiled. He walked up to his father and greeted the lady. "Marhaban"
He got her hand and kissed it.
"Why thank you. It's been so
long since I met a gentlemen." She blushed.
"Your welcome my lady, I'm
Frank Abagnale. And who might this beautiful creature be?" He asked.
"I'm Mina Rasha." She
told him.
"Nice to meet you." He
smiled.
"As well as you Frank
Abagnale. Would your pilot and servant be coming with you?" She smiled he
was young and handsome for his age.
"Yes I gather you are our
guide." He walked with her.
"Yes. My father has been ill
and he told me to take you around and meet some of the people." She
explained her situation.
"Thank you. You met my pilot
yes and my servant Rob." He pointed to them.
"Just the pilot you look a
little young to be the owner of your own corporation." She asked wondering
what he was doing in Turkey.
"I am almost twenty, been
dabbling in a little money here and there. I heard there was a big heist with
some counterfeit bank drafts." He asked wondering if she knew anything
about it.
"Ah yes, but I don't know
anyone associated with that." She smiled at him not caring about that kind
of stuff.
"How have you come to speak
such perfect English." He changed the subject.
"My father is Arab, my
mother was English." She wiped her forehead sweating from the sun.
"Oh. Well I shall only need
a guide during the day my nights are often busy is there any good places to
stay." He walked to the car seeing that it was grade A in his book his
father knew taste when he saw it.
"Aw yes, our hotel is where
you will be staying. It's a bit modern." She warned him.
"That's fine." He
smiled looking up to the skies.
"Then welcome to
Ankara." She smiled too.
"Thank you. Um can I get
some one to help with my things." He asked.
"Yeah sure." She called
a few men to help him.
Jack got a few of the boxes and
helped Robert. He looked over at his son who was doing a fine job. He sort of
hated that he had to play the servant to his own son, but he had no choice.
Robert saw Mina he kept starring at her. She was beautiful. He couldn't keep
his eyes off her. Jack starred at Robert. He wondered if Robert had finally met
his match. Mina hadn't really saw Robert yet. She was too busy ushering the men
to put the boxes in the bigger truck. When she finally saw Robert she
immediately fell in love. They gathered everything into the truck and Franklin
gave them an address where the items were suppose to be shipped. A warehouse
that Jack had volunteered to go to and see that their items were stored neatly
and without harm. He wanted Robert to go with Franklin he had set it up that
way.