He shaved his beard, pulled his hair back, all clean and sleek like when they first met at her wedding. He put on an Armani suit, gold cufflinks, a blood red tie and a Hublot.
She put on a vintage Chanel coat with a shawl and hat, dyed her hair blonde, put on makeup and sprayed herself with designer’s perfume.
They were going in style. Everything branded from top to bottom and an attitude to match.
“Whatever happened to ‘dress casually’ and not distract any attention to ourselves?” She remembered his advice.
“We’re leaving on a first class flight … I don’t want to risk the security checks at the economy class.” He tightened his tie and looked as dashing as a movie star.
Diego left all his weapons at an empty field on the way to the airport, parked the rental car at the Swiss-Bell Airport Hotel and ordered a Limo-cab from there.
They only brought with them their cabin size Rimowa suitcases, their passport and the first flight tickets to Barcelona, hoping no one would suspect they were fleeing in luxury.
She looped her arm around him, it wasn’t hard for her to ‘act normal’ because she was just doing what she normally does when travelling.
The first class check-in counter was separate from the other classes, there was no queue, and the clerk didn’t look twice at them to see if their faces matched their passports. Their perfume seemed to enchant her as she quickens their check-in process with no hassle.
“Here’s your boarding pass Mr. Nolan and Ms. Jones.” the clerk said with a wide smile. “The first class lounge is on the second floor to the left of the escalator,” she added.
“How did you get a new passport so quickly?” Ari asked on their way to the lounge.
“I have spares,” he twitched his brow and curved his lips.
Of course he did, he probably had dozens of identities given what he does for a living.
They walked hand in hand in the escalator, he pulled her close and rubbed her back to ease her tension. There was almost no one around at the First Class Lounge except for the waiters who were serving them with five star hotel dining experience. She was quiet and not eating her food, he watched her beautiful face that almost looked like another person with her new blonde hair.
One more step, and they’ll be home free, he had his wishful thinking. Of course once they get to their destination, their journey isn’t over yet. At least she was safe with him. Maybe something good will come out of this whole charade, his whole life plan changed within the last two weeks and all because the woman who was sitting in front of him.
He held her hand, “It’s gonna be okay …” he assured her, assured himself at the same time.
If they get caught before they board the plane, everything will be over. He had his worries but it wasn’t the time to express them, not when she was still heavy with grief and the reality of what she had done.
When they heard the boarding announcement, it was time to face the music. They took a deep breath, held each other’s hands and walked towards the immigration point. It felt like a long walk towards their uncertain future, they were silent.
They had to take turns, Diego went first.
She observed the immigration officer’s stiff expression, she always hated how unfriendly they tried to appear. Diego put his fingers on the fingerprint scanner, the officer looked at his face, looked at his passport, and looked at his computer. There was a pause. Diego seemed to be at ease, there was no shred of nervousness in his demeanor. Something she can’t say about herself. She was sweating underneath her coat and fancy Chanel chemise. Then it was her turn.
Carl had his glasses hanging on the tip of his nose, his greyish eyes sharply looking at her face then to her passport, then to his computer.
“Take off your hat please,” he said without looking at her.
Her heart pounded faster, it was not an unusual request, it was just not the right time. She took it off.
He looked at her again, this time more diligently. “Put your fingers on the scanner … one at a time, starting from your index finger, your thumb last.” He pointed to where the scanner was.
Her hands were wet to the tips of her fingers, she wiped them on her coat. It made Carl glance at her suspiciously. Her passport was brand new, they always pay more attention to blank passports. Her finger prints have never been matched to her passport yet.
She pressed her index finger on the scanner, and moved to her middle finger.
“Wait … do it again,” Carl said.
She held her breath. She looked at Diego who was waiting by at the other side of the line. He was keeping his cool.
“A bit longer this time, wait for the light to turn green.”
She was so nervous, she had moved to another finger too fast. She started again.
The light couldn’t turn any slower, seconds felt like minutes, but the first one turned green. She felt a little lighter. She kept moving to the next finger, the next finger, and the next. Her thumb was the last one.
The light didn’t turn green.
She gasped silently. She looked at Carl who was looking at his computer intently, the gap between his brows were creased.
“Can you do that again? All the way from one side to the other this time,” Carl said calmly. But an immigration officer’s calmness was not to be trusted.
She slowly repeated the process. The light was red, and then it turned green. She let out a breath.
But Carl wasn’t quite done yet. He stood and looked straight at her without an expression, “Did you dye your hair?”
She was taken aback with that question, the hair dye was a mistake, the picture on her passport was a brunette. She smiled, “Yes … does it suit me?” She ran her fingers through her hair and turned her head left and right.
Carl wasn’t amused, but then a smile spread across his face as he handed her the papers, “It suits you really well … you look like Ms. Marilyn Monroe back in her day,” he chuckled. “Have a nice flight, Ms. Jones.”
Her legs almost gave in, she felt a weight had just been lifted up and her head felt a little light. But she put on a million dollar smile and walked away with the confidence of Ms. Marilyn Monroe so that Carl would finally leave her alone.
She grabbed Diego’s arm and almost fell onto him. She buried her face on the curve of his neck, “I think I’m gonna vomit,” she whispered.
He wrapped his arm around her, kissed the top of her head, “You did great … Becca.”
Rebecca Jones was her new name. She will have to start getting used to it. She was still dazed after that encounter with Carl, she looked back at the immigration point, it was getting further and further away. Just like the life she was leaving behind. She had left her old self at the counter with Carl, and she was walking towards the plane as a new person. She could hardly believe it was really happening.
“Hey,” Diego stopped his steps to look at her in the eyes.
They stared at each other in that hallway in front of the boarding area. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He had wanted to do it since the day she was taken away from him, he leaned closer and kissed her lips. Their whole surrounding felt distant and still. It was the ice breaker they needed to thaw the tension they’ve been carrying in their hearts.
It felt tender, and warm, a reminder that they were no longer alone in the world. They have someone to share their secrets with, dark secrets they would have to bury deep within themselves if they had never met. Someone who would understand the demon that will haunt them for the rest of their lives, and somehow made it easier to face.
“I’m glad you found me,” he said after the kiss.
“Me too,” she put her head on his chest. She never felt safer before in her life.
She did find him. If it weren’t for her tenacity to find a way to escape her life, they would never have met. If she had yielded to the life that was decided for her, she would never be standing there with him. Maybe her life will not be easier, but it will be different, and she would never know how great her life could be if she hadn’t taken that chance to be brave and made all the difference.
“This just in …”
The news anchor announced as they watched intently from their first class seats. They knew it would be all over the news. They were lucky they managed to board the plane before everything blew over like a circus again.
“Armand Lombardo had been found unconscious in his getaway home in Lancaster, the home he shared with his wife who had just returned a few days earlier and is now reported missing … again.”
Ari squeezed Diego’s hand, the table may have turned now that she might be suspected for murder.
“The Lombardo estate has yet to make any statement of his current condition, as he was taken to the hospital for an apparent overdose and was reported to have been in a coma … his staff found him unresponsive in his bedroom when she was trying to call the couple for dinner, but Ariana Lombardo was nowhere to be found in the property. This is the second time in two weeks he has been treated for an overdose.”
She covered her mouth and gasped, tears started to fill up her eyes.
“Armand Lombardo is currently the sole heir to the Lombardo enterprise, and also the Montenero incorporation … the company was reported to have held an emergency board meeting after the news of Mr. Lombardo’s hospitalization. The police have launched a search party to find the missing wife who was abducted just two weeks ago, and had only returned for three days.”
She couldn’t hold it anymore, the cry escaped her. He didn’t die.
“We will keep a close watch for more development of this news. The Lombardo – Montenero Great Upheaval is far from over.”
Diego stared into the TV in silence, his hand was holding Ari’s hand tightly, at least she didn’t have to live with the guilt of having to murder the love of her life. But that son of a bitch was still alive, he regretted not shooting him on that bed when he had the chance. Their journey surely wasn’t over yet, it had only just begun.