Chapter 2

The flight status screen changed from ‘arrived’ to ‘collecting baggage’ and Howard knew the man he’d come to meet would be through within the next few minutes. He got up from his seat and moved closer to the barriers that formed a corridor from passport control and customs, out into the main arrivals hall.

Howard liked airports so he hadn’t minded the wait. He’d settled himself in a chair with a newspaper, a big paper cup of cappuccino and contented himself watching the bustle of the airport pass him by. He becomed fascinated by a young girl, probably about ten or eleven, who to pass the time had been collecting empty paper cups and was building a tower out of them. It kept falling over, and he’d wanted to go over and help her, but thought better, instead calling her over and offering her his cup, which he drained especially for her.

The corridor had emptied out the last of, what he assumed, had been a flight from Spain or somewhere similarly hot and tacky by the number of hung-over twenty somethings that had come through – all still dressed for the beach, many with sunglasses pushed up on top of their heads. He’d smiled to himself, imagining them running, flip flops flying, through the driving rain outside. Welcome home!

Finally, the passengers off LH6301 from Kiev started to emerge, first in ones and twos, then on mass. They were very different from the tanned party people of the previous flight, mostly business travelers, easily identifiable by their briefcases and small overnight bags, or wealthy looking Eastern Europeans.

The main bulk of the passengers passed though, and he was starting to worry that he may have got the flight time wrong when he saw him. Howard felt a tingle of excitement in his stomach, like he used to get, as a child, the night before he went on holiday – a feeling that something long anticipated had finally arrived.

Howard walked over and tapped him on this shoulder, he turned.

“Howard?” It was a question rather than a greeting. Howard nodded.

“You been waiting long?”

“No, well a bit, you were delayed.”

“Yeh, head winds or something.” RJ started pushing his trolley towards the exit marked car park, “No problem collecting the vehicle?”

“Nope, it was all paid for like you said,” Howard had collected it from the garage that morning.

“Have they done everything?”

“Yep, it looks perfect.”

“Any Questions?”

“One guy asked what it was for.”

“What did you say?”

“Said I’ve got a big dog!”

RJ smiled, “Good, lets get out of here then.”

As they walked towards the exit Howard spotted the little girl still hunting for paper cups and waved. She waved back.

RJ looked over, “You know her?

“No, not really”

RJ sighed, “Pity,” and with that he pushed the trolley out into the rain.