CHAPTER 1.

  When the time is right Rupert Richardson and Abagail Abercrombie

  M E Harris Copyright ? 2026 M E Harris All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9781234567890

  ISBN-10: 1477123456

  Cover design by: M E HARRIS

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  Printed in the United States of America Contents Title Page Copyright

  A great asset to our team

  Chapter One

  A GREAT ASSET TO OUR TEAM

  Abagail had done everything necessary to obtain her RPL. She had completed her course weeks ago. Her flight instructors had only high praise for her dedication, efficiency, patience, ability to listen to instructions, and navigational awareness. This was it! Her first solo flight stretched out 1900 feet ahead of her as she sat by herself waiting for clearance. For two years she had squeezed all her spare time and money into obtaining her Recreational Pilot's Licence. BUT... the more she took to the skies... the more she missed her shop. Her shop Spiritual Gifts was booming. She had expected it to be a one-year lease. However, customers were frequent. Being hands-on with ordering, expanding, learning, painting, fixing, staff, selling, buying, opening and closing day after day had now overtaken her desire to fly. She simply loved the shop. In fact, she was having friendly negotiations with the owner to buy it one day.

  'Tango Alpha 67543, Gemini Tower, Runway 1, clear for takeoff,' said the Air Traffic Controller, very quickly.

  'Cleared for takeoff, Runway 1, Tango Alpha 67543.'

  Abagail gulped. As calm as she had felt, she now had a bad feeling about this. Her mind raced trying to reassure herself that all was well. Checklists, instrument panels, satnav readings, wind speed, crosswinds, flaps, weight, fuel, etc.... Abagail had no reason to make an excuse to abort, so accelerated to over 70 knots. Slowly she pulled back the nose of the Diamonds DA71 as it swayed and bounced ever higher into the sky. The winds were accommodating, the day was a little cloudy but held no rain. Once the initial height was achieved, she banked the plane left, away from the airport's busy flight path and climbed ever higher where she would gain clear visibility at 2500 feet. Her dream of flying customers from town to town, city to city was not on her mind anymore. Abagail had paid a lot of money to be here, so she may as well accomplish her first solo flight. She had decided this during her busy week. Get up get down get done. Feather in cap. Put it away. Whenever she regained the bug, she was cleared for take-off.

  'Tango Alpha 67543, Gemini Tower. How are you doing up there?'

  'Gemini Tower, Tango Alpha 67543. No complaints. I'll still continue with my initial logged flight plan out to sea today. Over.'

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  'Roger.'

  Once at 2500 feet, the cloud was breaking up as expected. Abagail flew for a further ten minutes to her designated turnaround point, then headed back to Gemini Airfield. The water looked vast and choppy today.

  To say Abagail was screaming inside as her instrument panel went dead was an understatement.

  'Shit, I knew it!' coughed Abagail. At first, she was surprisingly calm as she swept her eyes over everything she could. Nothing. 'Tango Alpha 67543, declaring an emergency, over!' Now, Abagail felt anxious. She waited. Nothing. Her checklist followed, still nothing. Restarting, everything failed.

  'Tango Alpha 67543, declaring an emergency, over?' Her engine was out. All of her instrument panels were down. Worst of all, no aircraft radio reception. She tapped on her headphones. Unplugged and reinserted. Still, no one to help. Abagail thought with her plane, using just her feet to steer by the pedals. Her soft, clean control yoke was as hard as a twenty-minute boiled egg. This was beyond her. She knew the chances of landing safely now were very low. Below, the sea would swallow this small plane up like an insect. Abagail took a mouthful of water from her water bottle. She closed her eyes and prayed out loud.

  'Dear universe. I need your help. I'm going to die. If this is your choosing and my path, I am ready,' she cried. Abagail thought of her fat cat Roper, alone at home. Clair at the shop wondering why she couldn't reach her. Abagail was an orphan.

  'Tango Alpha....7...543,' she mumbled dejectedly. 'Declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday!' The plane was quickly losing altitude. She probably had less than five minutes until she crashed into the choppy sea.

  'Hello!' smiled a tall man climbing into the vacant seat next to Abagail from the small storage compartment behind her. Unbelievably he was wearing some kind of pilot's uniform and cap. 'Don't be startled. Of course you would be. Totally understandable.'

  'WHAT? WHO? Where did you come from?' screamed Abagail. 'I'm sorry,' she finally said, watching the man start tinkering with the control panel. 'I've lost all control of the plane. Are you a pilot?' she desperately wished.

  'Me ...? Heavens no. I'm just a fan of your work Miss Abercrombie. I couldn't help but hear your prayer for help and.......'

  The instrument panel flickered on and off as Rupert fiddled about with several controls at a pace which Abagail could barely follow.

  'Oh my god!' shouted Abagail. 'Oh! Oh! IT CAME BACK ON! And again!!'

  'Just a couple of little tricks I learned from spending some time with an old fighter ace friend of mine. I'm ... pretty sure we can ...'

  The plane jolted to life. Instruments all working. Engine running. Abagail, speechless.

  'Tango Alpha 67543, Gemini Tower. You're looking good from here. Maybe a little low. Climb to 1500 feet. All clear to land on Runway 2, over.'

  There was a long pause before Abagail looked at Rupert with tears in her eyes.

  'Well go on. Tell him your right to land...I promise you Abagail. I'm not here to Bedevil you. You're all good to land. Captain's orders.'

  'Tango Alpha 67543, Gemini Tower, all clear to land, over?'

  'Gemini Tower,' whispered Abagail. She coughed. 'Tango Alpha 67543 ... Runway 2, all clear to land ... over.'

  'Roger.'

  Abagail slapped the radio button off and grabbed for Rupert's arm, but, it went right through him. She looked frightened, Rupert noticed.

  'I was planning on a more easy-going moment to introduce myself, Abagail. However, I am Rupert Richardson, your international ghost hunter, you might say. Perhaps at some stage I could visit your wonderful little store in Moriset. Spiritual Gifts. We feel you would make a great asset to our team .... Ah, best keep an eye on your altitude though. You're coming in a little too slow as well.'

  Abagail quickly studied her panel and increased her power and levelled off at 1500 feet with the control yoke.

  'Sorry, how rude of me,' apologised Rupert. 'Your first solo flight and here I am ... well ... It's yours, and you're going to land it by yourself. Right?'

  'Right,' replied Abagail, seriously.

  She gritted her teeth. Calmly she took control of the aircraft's speed, updated her satnav, and familiarised herself with the airfield ahead. Slowly but surely, Tango Alpha 67543 gently touched down onto Runway 2.

  Abagail taxied over to the hangar and turned off the engine. Her regular instructor and head mechanic stood waiting for her. She looked at their smiling faces. Their smiles soon disappeared when hers was not returned.

  'What will I tell them?' she asked, looking back at Rupert.

  'The truth. Except for my part of course. I was never here,' grinned Rupert. 'This plane needs to be completely overhauled. Frankly, Abagail, it is a death trap.'

  'No kidding,' grimaced Abagail. 'Thanks Ace.'

  'Hmm, Ace. I like that,' smiled Rupert.

  As the men came up to the plane, Abagail climbed down to meet them. She turned around to see that Rupert had vanished.

  'All good?' asked the mechanic.

  Abagail looked murderously at them both.