Luckily he’d flown a tandem before and it wasn’t like he needed to do any stunts.This flight was strictly get them from here to somewhere else.
That didn’t mean he didn’t want to try some of his moves.It had been a long time—he frowned.Had it?Jack was right.Time—and particularly time travel—was complicated.You’re not a stunt pilot, he reminded himself.And he’d bet all the money he had left, Rita’s stomach wasn’t up to even a simple loop or two.
He was pretty sure she wasn’t enjoying her view or her seat.The first time he’d ridden there, he hadn’t liked the feeling of not being in control and not being able to see who was in control.
There was only the most basic radio set up and a quick poke around the cockpit didn’t reveal a way to talk to Rita.Maybe Henry hadn’t wanted input from his wife.
He’d made his own Pitts more comfortable.He’d had to spend a lot of time in its cockpit.Henry hadn’t bothered with too many amenities.There was a well-worn cushion under his butt that didn’t have much left in the way of innards.
He’d noticed Rita’s seat didn’t even have that.They were going to be sore if they had to fly very far.
He wished he knew the answer to that.How far would they need to fly to outrun those two?
He considered what he’d learned from Henry’s maps.It had been instinct to study the best route back toward where the Jack’s silo would some day be.It was an eye-twitching thought and he wondered what he’d hoped to accomplish.
They wouldn’t be there and if the opposition picked up their trail, it would be a bad idea to lead them in that direction.
Still, even in this time, there was an old landing field there.It had been used for training during the war, and had been used by pilots like Henry.According to Henry’s maps there were decent fuel stops in that direction.
The military hadn’t commandeered it to build a silo installation there for some years yet.And it was pretty long after it had been abandoned that Jack had bought the land for his own use.
There were parts where—if you wandered into them—smelled as old as the silo.Con tried to avoid those spots and not just because of the smell.They were like a creepy Halloween movie with phantom creaks and eerie shadows.
Logically he knew there would be no help for them there, but logic wasn’t a lot of help in their current situation.
He could see the top of Rita’s head, saw her looking for side to side and then finally saw her slowly sag to one side.It was better for her to sleep through as much of this as she could.
It wasn’t rational to suddenly feel very alone.With his one-seat, most of his flying was solo.
He kept his altitude down and avoided populated areas.That was not hard while he was in Arizona.
In his own life, he’d flown over most of the country touring as a stunt pilot.He felt that disconnect he’d felt when he’d first arrived in the past, as he looked down at the mostly unfamiliar patterns—but still somehow familiar—of the world beneath them.
To countermand that feeling was the sense of things finally being right again.
He was in a Pitts.He was in the air.
He was happy, except for the niggle of worry at remembering the black car he’d caught a glimpse of before he’d angled away from the farm, heading west.
Had they somehow found out they’d hitched a ride from that farmer?If they found him, they’d know to go back to the farm.
If they offered the woman money, she’d tell them as much as she knew.He didn’t blame her.But he wondered what the opposition would do when they found out they’d literally taken flight.
Because he had no clue, he thought about what he’d do if he were them.They’d need transportation, but that wouldn’t help them that much until they figured out where Con and Rita were going.
Finding out that would be a neat trick, since Con didn’t know where they were going.Time, Mel had told him, would stay in flux until he made a choice.
This was another reason to keep an open mind.
The woman might be able to point west if asked, but still deep in her own loss, she hadn’t asked their plans.
He was glad he hadn’t had to make up anything to tell her.He was a terrible liar and the woman would have more likely remembered that.
He checked his course, made a slight correction.Their first stop should be coming up soon.He didn’t know what they’d find.It could be a deserted airfield.He should have enough fuel left for one more try, but after that they’d be grounded again if they couldn’t find fuel.
They’d need food, too.
Now, when he couldn’t do anything about it, he felt exhaustion trying to tug at his concentration, with hunger kicking in on the side of tired.
