In the Air

"Ready?"

On the helicopter landing pad at the Port of Los Angeles, Simon sat in the pilot's seat and spoke through his headset to Meg, who was beside him.

In the United States, everything could be a business.

Los Angeles, as a major tourist city, had many popular attractions, and helicopter tours were no exception. There was not only the option for sightseeing, but also helicopter rentals.

However, while many people opted for a simple sightseeing tour, very few took the step to actually pilot a helicopter themselves. Though rare, it was not impossible. This particular landing pad was one of the few places in Los Angeles where people could rent helicopters.

The one Simon rented was a Bell 47G, a light two-seater helicopter, perfect for him and Meg.

As for the price, it was $500 per hour, which covered fuel, maintenance, insurance, and other costs. Simon rented it for two hours, costing him $1,000, plus a $10,000 deposit for any potential damages to the helicopter.

After hearing the sound in his headset, Meg gave Simon a thumbs up.

Once she was ready, Simon gave the ground staff a thumbs up as well. The staff, understanding the signal, began to clear the area around the helicopter.

When the pad was clear, Simon started the engine.

The helicopter slowly ascended into the air under Simon's control. Once they reached an altitude of 300 meters, Simon and Meg began to enjoy the beautiful Los Angeles night view.

"How does it feel?" Simon asked.

"Great!" Meg replied with a smile.

"I've got night-vision goggles in my backpack if you want to get a closer look at the scenery," Simon said with a grin.

"Are you kidding? We're here to enjoy the night view, not spy on people! And why do you even have those?" Meg asked, confused.

"Well," Simon chuckled awkwardly, "you should understand. Every guy has a soldier's dream."

"Sorry, I really don't get that," Meg rolled her eyes.

Though she said that, Meg still pulled out the night-vision goggles from the backpack.

"How do you use this thing?" Meg asked.

"It's simple. Just flip the switch, and it works just like a regular pair of binoculars," Simon explained.

After hearing that, Meg began to try it out.

"Ha, this is fun!" Meg suddenly exclaimed, though her words seemed a bit odd.

Simon, puzzled, asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure if I'm seeing things, but I think I just saw Sarah!" Meg said, explaining further.

Simon froze for a moment. "Where?"

"In the trunk!"

"What?!" Simon exclaimed, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not 100% sure, but I can tell you for sure that I saw a blonde woman being shoved into a trunk near Chuck's place," Meg replied with certainty.

"Tell me which car. Also, there's another night-vision device in the bag. Hand it to me," Simon instructed.

"Simon, how much useless stuff have you bought?" Meg asked, exasperated.

"I swear, this is the last one!" Simon quickly reassured her.

"Ha, I'll believe that when pigs fly."

Rolling her eyes, Meg gave Simon the details about the car.

With the information, Simon quickly identified the car and began to follow it.

"By the way, should we call the police?" Meg asked.

"Let's wait a bit. I need to make sure it's actually Sarah first."

"How do we confirm?"

Hearing this, Simon took out his phone. "A quick call will do."

He connected the phone to the headset, and soon, Chuck's phone was ringing.

"Buddy, I've got something urgent, so I don't have time to chat," Chuck said in a rush.

"Wait," Simon stopped Chuck from hanging up. "Are you guys looking for Sarah?"

"How do you know?" Chuck asked, stunned, before quickly responding, "What's going on?"

"You might not believe this, but Meg just saw Sarah getting shoved into a trunk. We're following that car right now," Simon explained.

Chuck paused as if talking to someone, then replied, "Where's Sarah now?"

Simon looked at the car's direction. "Based on where they're heading, they seem to be going southwest."

"Are you sure? According to our tracking, Sarah should be heading toward the MyDodo Supermarket," Chuck asked.

"Listen, Chuck, I have no reason to lie about this. If we're not tracking the same person, I'm calling the cops," Simon warned.

If it was Sarah, Simon would leave it to Chuck and the others to handle. But if it was a kidnapping, Simon wouldn't hesitate to involve the police.

"Hold on!" Chuck said, then fell silent.

After a long pause, Chuck finally responded, "Listen, Simon, I had to really push Casey to accept this. If you're wrong about this, I'm going to kill you."

"Buddy, trust me," Simon replied.

"Stay in touch."

About ten minutes later, Simon figured out the car's destination.

"Chuck, I've got the destination. They're heading toward the Port of Los Angeles," Simon said based on the direction of the car.

After a pause, Chuck responded, "Casey says that's the best place for a getaway. So, you're probably right."

"Thanks! And by the way, I can see you guys. The car with Sarah is one block away from you. You can slow down, and I'll guide you," Simon said.

"Guide us? Wait a minute, where are you?" Chuck asked, sounding very curious.

Simon answered calmly, "You might not believe it, but I'm actually following the car from a helicopter."

"What? You can fly a helicopter? Simon, are you sure you're not a spy?" Chuck asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Simon sighed, "Chuck, knowing how to fly a helicopter doesn't mean I'm a spy! Besides, if something happens, I'll let you know. Right now, I see a guy carrying Sarah into a warehouse."

"We're almost there," Chuck replied immediately.

A short while later, Chuck and Casey arrived at the warehouse, guided by Simon.

Seeing them arrive, Simon knew his part in the mission was nearly done.

He turned to Chuck. "Chuck, the rest is up to you. I'm going to keep showing Meg the sights."

"Okay, hope you two have fun," Chuck replied, not expecting Simon to leave so soon. However, since the situation seemed to be under control, he didn't try to stop him.

"Will do, buddy."