Chapter
Sixteen
Flight to Phoenix
Meagan Fletcher’s investigation was put on hold after the announcement of the last two students to be admitted to the Academy. As suggested by X-Boy’s posting, they were a pair of fifteen-year-olds, a boy and a girl, who had entered as a team. The girl lived on a ranch in New Mexico, while the boy came from a small town in Wisconsin. The network wanted Meagan to do a report on the new Academy’s student body and, in particular, the American students.
“Wouldn’t it be great,” said an associate producer of the WBN Tech Report, “if we could bring the American kids to Phoenix for an interview?”
The producer liked the idea. “A live show and have ‘em all meet in person? That’d sell. The audience would eat it up — especially when those last two… What’er their names?
“Rosa Costas and Cameron Rush,” said Meagan after consulting her notes.
“America’s long-distance sweethearts!” said the producer, gesturing as if she were reading from a large banner stretched in the air above them.
“We don’t know that they’re sweethearts, Emily,” said Meagan.
“All the better, Meagan — all the better!” Emily French spoke as if she were the announcer on a commercial, “America’s sweethearts! Are they or aren’t they? Find out as they meet for the first time live on WBN!” She contemplated the sound of her words for a moment. “Now that’d be great TV! The audience would absolutely EAT… IT… UP! Can you imagine the ratings?” The producer turned to her assistant. “Pat, I want you to get on it right away. Book the kids — and their families, I want them all — ASAP!” The assistant immediately rose from the conference room table and left the room. “Meagan…”
“Yes?”
“What d’ya know about the composition of the entire student body? How many Americans, Brits, etc.?”
The reporter leafed through her notes before answering. “Along with the four students from the United States, there are also four from Canada, three from Mexico and Central America, and seven from various countries in South America. Twenty more students came from the European Union, the Middle East, and Africa. By far the largest block of students, thirty-three, come from the “East” — Asia, the Indian sub-continent, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.”
“What do we know about the Americans?”
“Of the four students from the United States, Malik Simons is the oldest. He’s eighteen. Lives in a suburb of Atlanta. You know about Rosa Costas and Cameron Rush. Rebecca Weingold is the youngest, at twelve. Raised by a single mom, she’s the one whose school had banned the IHT, so she’s now living with her aunt and uncle in Oregon, where she will enroll in a school that will accept the IHT.”
The producer smiled as she spelled out the scenario, “A single mother making a sacrifice for her daughter. A flight to escape censorship and discrimination! Don’t ya love it?”
While the meeting was still going on in Phoenix, the phone rang in New Mexico. “¡Hola!” said Esmer Costas.
“Hello, is this the Costas residence?”
“Yes it is. This is Esmeralda Costas speaking.”
“Rosa’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Pat Murphy. I work for WBN…”
Mrs. Costas put her hand over the phone and whispered to the man sitting across from her, “It’s WBN.”
The man flipped his own phone open, punched in some numbers, then spoke softly to someone on his line, “We’ve had a contact. Are we set?”
The voice on the telephone continued in Esmer’s ear, “We’d like to bring your family to Phoenix to participate in a show we’re planning about the IHT Academy.”
The man with Esmer Costas gestured for her to let him talk. “Please hold. I have someone here who will talk to you about that.”
The man punched another number on his phone. “Good morning,” said the man. “This is Max Anderson of GundTech. I’m the representative for Rosa Costas. How can I help you?”
Pat Murphy was caught off guard by this development. “GundTech…” he muttered.
“Yes, that’s correct. What can I do for you?”
Murphy quickly recovered and outlined his request for the man from GundTech.
“You’ll be happy to know you’re the first news organization to contact us.”
“Us?” asked the man from WBN.
“Yes. You’re on a conference call with the reps for all four American students.”
Debbie White and the other two reps introduced themselves.
Pat Murphy stammered, “Uh… er… well… I guess that saves me a lot of trouble.”
“Indeed it does, Mr. Murphy. The early bird books the interview, as they say. So let’s get down to business. I imagine you want an exclusive.”
Esmer Costas listened in as Max and the other reps negotiated with the man from WBN for the families they represented. Pat Murphy was so flustered that he, too, arranged a conference call with the producer, who was still in the meeting with Meagan Fletcher.
Finally, the date was set. The students and their families would fly first class and have four-star accommodations at various Phoenix area resorts. Each family would be at a different resort to prevent them from meeting before the program. WBN would pick up all the expenses. The four representatives would also attend — at GundTech’s expense, of course.
Bernie and Rosa will be surprised, thought Esmer. In just three days, we’ll be in Phoenix!
Debbie picked up the Rush family in a rented van at six in the morning. They then drove to the airport in La Crosse, which was located on an island in the Mississippi River. From there, they took a small commuter plane to Minneapolis/St. Paul. They all sat together on the short flight to the Twin Cities, so Debbie took the opportunity to hand out a printed schedule of their trip. A limousine would pick them up at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport when they arrived at 11:23 AM, Phoenix time, and they would be checked into their luxury hotel by a little past noon. After lunch they would be free to do whatever they liked — as long as they stayed within the resort, which they were informed was located at the base of a mountain called South Mountain. There would be tennis, golf, swimming, and even horseback riding, if they liked. When they arrived at their departure gate in Minneapolis, Debbie handed out their plane tickets.
Jenny was standing at the terminal window, watching planes arrive and depart, when the airline’s gate attendant announced their flight. “Flight 1024, non-stop to Phoenix is now boarding at gate C-12.” It was hard to hear over the noise of hundreds of people moving through this small section of the airport. “Flight 1024, non-stop to Phoenix is now boarding at gate C-12. We are now seating Flight Club members, First Class passengers, and those who need assistance with boarding.”
“First Class! That’s you!” Debbie White called out. Ed and Mary Rush moved with Debbie toward the gate while Cameron collected Jenny from the window. As they entered the aircraft, the Rushs took their seats in the first class cabin with Jenny and Cameron seated directly behind their parents. Jenny had snagged the coveted window seat through a coin toss that had been conducted at dinner the night before. Cameron would have the window on the return trip.
The rest of the passengers had started to board the plane before Cameron noticed Debbie wasn’t with them. He stood and talked over the back of the seat to his parents. “Where’s Debbie? I thought she was coming with us.”
Just then, Debbie came down the aisle and gave him a playful rub on the top of the head as she moved past into the cabin behind first class.
“Aren’t you sitting with us?” asked Cameron.
Debbie laughed. “We never fly first class on company money.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll survive. Enjoy yourself while you can, Cameron, because your life is about to change.”
When breakfast was served, even Jenny was impressed. She got so much more than peanuts in first class. The food was actually good. She had fresh-squeezed orange juice in a real glass glass, a huge, hot cinnamon bun with heaps of frosting, and a bowl of fruit!
Even though Cameron was excited, he felt a pang of guilt as he looked toward the back of the plane and saw Debbie sitting in coach.
When they disembarked in Phoenix, they found a chauffeur standing at the head of the boarding ramp holding a sign with “Rush Party” printed on it in large blue letters. He led them to the baggage claim area where he hailed a Sky Cap to help gather their luggage. Debbie, Cameron, and his dad waited by the baggage carousel with the Sky Cap, as the driver took Mrs. Rush, Jenny, and the carry-on bags to the limousine.
The chauffeur returned before the first piece of luggage appeared on the carousel. Cameron was anxious to be on his way, but his impatience just made the wait for their suitcases seem that much longer. After what seemed like an eternity, the last piece of luggage tumbled onto the revolving carousel. Cameron quickly snatched it and handed it to the Sky Cap. There was a bounce in Cameron’s step as he led the way to the sliding glass doors of the terminal. The sight of the long, white stretch limo standing at the curb outside added even more to his excitement. The doors glided open as he approached, and Cameron was almost knocked backwards as a wall of hot air assaulted him.
The Sky Cap grinned as he came alongside. “Welcome to Phoenix, young sir. You caught us on a chilly day. I hope you brought a jacket. It’s only 108 degrees out!”
Cameron’s bounce wilted rapidly as he covered the short distance to the car. The cool interior air was a welcomed relief as he slumped into a seat in the darkened, cavernous passenger cabin of the limousine.
His Mom laughed as she handed him a soft drink from the car’s fully stocked refrigerator. “But it’s a dry heat.”
– End Chapter Sixteen –
