explanation.
After speaking with a few of the other associates in the area, she decided not to worry about it, and made up her mind to head back and join the family for the big trip. She hurried back to her car, still a bit confused. She started up the sporty vehicle, and made her way to the garage exit.
As she pulled out onto the main road however, she was surprised once again by the unusual amount of traffic for a Saturday morning. It was practically at a standstill.
“The World Cup,” she said aloud to herself. How could I have forgotten?
CHAPTER 6
As Sarah crawled along in traffic on the downtown streets of London, Thomas and Janie prepared for the trip back at home. After packing and double-checking their to-do list, it was almost time to depart from their country estate, but they were stuck waiting on Sarah to return.
Thomas considered the time it would take to travel into London, and decided it would be more practical to meet Sarah at the airport. He called to let her know, but she didn’t pick up. He tried again... and again... but still no answer.
She’s probably on the phone with someone else about work, he thought. She’ll check her messages as soon as she’s done.
“Hi, this is Sarah,” the answering machine said. “I’m busy at the moment, so leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks.”
The line beeped, signaling for Thomas to leave his message.
“Hey Sarah,” he said. “I hope everything’s going alright at the office. We’re ready to go, and running out of time, so just meet us at the airport in London. It’ll be easier for us both. See you there in a few hours. Love ya.”
Thomas hung up the phone, confident that Sarah would get the message in a few minutes.
“All right sweetheart, you ready?” he asked Janie as she rounded up her teddy bear and her little beach hat.
“Readier than ever!” she said with excitement. “What about mommy?”
“We’re going to meet her at the airport,” he answered. “She must have gotten tied up at the office. You know how much she loves her job.”
“Yea, I know,” answered Janie. “She loves it too much sometimes.”
“Hey now,” your mother does her best to give you everything you need. She works hard to give you the things she never had as a child.”
“I know,” answered Janie. “But I already have everything I need. I just want her to be home more.”
“Don’t worry sweetheart,” Thomas answered. “That will all start to change this weekend. That’s why we’re taking a break for this trip. It’s going to get our priorities back on track. Trust me, it’s just what we all need.”
Meanwhile, back in London, the traffic finally began to clear, and Sarah made her way onto the highway. She felt that if she hurried, she could still get home before they had planned to leave. If not, they would just catch a later flight. At least she didn’t have to worry about the office now.
In the passenger seat of the black BMW M6, Sarah’s phone was tucked neatly in the pocket of her fancy leather purse. Though the red light blinked every few seconds, indicating a message had been left, she had no idea. If only she had not turned the phone on vibrate the night before… but it wasn’t so.
She pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor, and sped off into the pouring rain.
CHAPTER 7
Thomas and Janie locked up the doors back at the house, and made their way to the garage. With Sarah’s mother off on a vacation of her own, it would be a quiet week there at the estate. They finished loading up the car, and Thomas buckled Janie into her car seat. After pulling out onto the long winding driveway, it was finally time for their week-long escape to paradise.
A few minutes later, the pearl colored Range Rover eased up to the gate, and Thomas gave a few parting instructions to the guard.
“You have a good weekend,” he said before advancing to the main road. “We’ll see you when we get back.”
“Enjoy your trip Sir,” replied the guard while waving good-bye. “We’ll keep an eye on the mansion.”
With that, Thomas turned onto the main road, and began the hour-long drive to the nearest airport. They cruised the roads carefully in the driving rain, trying to avoid any mishaps that would delay their arrival at the terminal. They seemed to be the only travelers on the desolate country road, which wasn’t unusual for a Saturday morning.
The radio played quietly as Thomas and Janie talked about what they would do on their trip. Then, as they passed a sign signaling that the highway was only 4 kilometers ahead, the cell phone suddenly rang in Thomas’s bag. He went to grab it from the center console, but it slipped out of his hand and tumbled to the floor near his feet.
He slowed the car as they approached a bend near the top of the hilly stretch of road, and attempted to reach the phone with his hand. Unfortunately, it was slightly out of reach, so he glanced down quickly to pinpoint its location before trying again. As he looked, he saw the phone’s glowing screen on the front. It was his wife, Sarah.
Knowing that she was probably calling about the message he had left, he was momentarily frozen by the thought of missing the call. With nowhere to pull over on the side of the road, he tried again to reach the phone. Finally, he felt it with his outstretched fingertips, and lifted his gaze back toward the road... but it was too late.
“Daddy, watch out!” screamed Janie from the back seat as she pointed to the black sports car drifting into their lane.
But before Thomas could react, they were struck head on by the vehicle, and violently propelled off of the nearby cliff. The cars twisted and tumbled over and over until reaching an abrupt stop at the bottom of the rocky valley. As the mangled metal frames lay side by side, one thing was clear: their lives had changed course, and the family trip would have to wait.
CHAPTER 8
As Sarah and Thomas lay lifeless at the bottom of the valley, their still conscious minds listened for the cries of one another. They heard nothing. Despite the violent collision, nobody had seen the accident, and nobody would be calling for help. Nevertheless, a force moved within the countryside, begging them to awaken.
“Help!” Thomas cried as he slowly regained his focus. His voice was barely audible. “Is anyone else there?”
Sarah heard the cry, but was unable to speak because of the way her body was twisted. After much effort, she was finally able to unbuckle her safety belt, and wiggle her way out of the broken window. She checked her body for injuries, but amazingly, there were none.
“Thomas!” she said as she raced over to the other vehicle. “Are you alright?”
“I can’t move,” he replied. “I think I’m stuck.”
Sarah got down near the ground to observe the situation in the upside down SUV. She moved the air bags, and unfastened the safety belt. Thomas fell instantly. He crawled out of the window as well, but was suddenly frightened by the prospect of what he saw when he looked back.
“Where’s Janie?” he asked himself aloud as he frantically searched the backseat area where she had been. “Please God, not my little girl!”
Upon realizing that Janie was missing, Sarah could not respond with words. She stood motionless beside the broken vehicles with her hand over her mouth. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she imagined the horror that the poor child must have endured.
“Sarah!” Thomas yelled as he leaned on the car from the other side. “Have you seen Janie anywhere?”
But still, she remained unable to speak. Sarah simply shook