Not Cleared for Takeoff

     Jackson Tillman anxiously waited for the snakelike line to slither up to the airport security desk so he could start his journey to the Chicago sales meeting for which he had made preparations for the last week.

      He couldn’t wait to get seated on his flight so he could take out his laptop and finalize the figures on what could become the most profitable contract of his career.  While software sales had softened for his other colleagues due to the continuing inflation, somehow Jackson had swum against the tide and continued his rise to the top of the tally charts.

      Brushing past him, the attractive flight attendant rushed to catch up with her fellow crew members poised to race across the tarmac and prepare the waiting 747 for its trip to the Windy City. Usually arriving ahead of her colleagues to continue the career journey she truly treasured, Diane Mitchell today had just left a horrible fight and breakup with Jason Wainwright, her boyfriend of six months.

     Luckily, she had dressed for her flight before the confrontation took off. She threw him out of the apartment and scattered his clothes all over the front lawn before slamming the door closed, locking it and rushing into her waiting Uber.

      Just as both Jackson and Diane got to the front of the queue a solid line of confused passengers and terminal officials greeted them.

      Announcements blared from the airport’s public address system:

      “Due to hazardous winter weather in Denver and similar conditions throughout the Midwest the airport authority has canceled all outbound flights until further notice.”

       Jackson couldn’t believe his ears. 

       “This can’t happen. If I don’t get to that meeting it will scuttle the biggest deal of my career.”

        In a nearby corner of the airport Diane thought, Bad enough I had this breakup right before my 100th flight. Now I can’t even bury myself in my work so I can forget the most ugly argument in our four-year relationship.

     Separated by a few feet, lost in their thoughts about the flight delay, they began to sense the frustration in each of their situations.

     Jackson approached.

     “What a bummer,” he said, “I am missing out on a major business deal because of this. Any idea how long we’ll be stranded here?”

       “I am not a fortune teller and I don’t run the airline,” she replied sharply. I have my own problems and was hoping this flight would help me forget them. Now I have to sit here and keep reliving them over and over in my head.”

       Then she decided to retract her nasty attitude.

       “Sorry. I really don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here. Also, you didn’t create my situation. No reason we can’t be pleasant to each other.”

        Jackson introduced himself and began talking about the software sale gone South, while Diane said she was dealing with a personal matter without going into details.

        “Let’s do an experiment,” the flight attendant replied. “I am sure your life involves more than just your profession, and I have other things I could do with my life than crying on a stranger’s shoulder about a failed romance or telling you about serving drinks on international airline flights. For example, what is the most exciting thing you would do with your life if you hadn’t decided to sell software?”

       With a laugh he said, “Suppose I’d become an international spy. What about you?”

       “I’d like to prepare top-notch meals for high class people as a world-renowned chef,” she said. “Like to learn the secrets of real cuisine rather than the second class stuff we pawn off on our passengers for way too much money. Hey, maybe I’d prepare a gourmet feast for one of your dangerous missions.”

       Jackson and Diane laughed about their ambitions and spoke for what seemed like several hours. The time seemed to fly by.

      Before long a public address announcement summoned the salesman to the airport security office. Two men who identified themselves as officers of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) met him at the door and began questioning him.

     “What is your real name?

     “How did you get on the flight where you were named on the passenger list?

    “Do you have any connection to foreign governments known as adversaries of the United States of America?

     Jackson replied that Jackson Tillman was his real name; he booked the flight so he could travel to Chicago for an important business meeting connected with his software sales position. No, he had no affiliation with any foreign government.

      Now, he had a few questions of his own:

      “Why have you detained me here?”

       “What, if any information do you have on me and who supplied it to you?”

       “Why are you questioning me?”

        The head TSA agent reported that all flights out of Denver had been canceled not due to weather but because of a tip the agency had received about a possible threat to the safety of passengers on Jackson’s flight.

          Their information came from an undercover agent based in Colorado Springs.

           The agent had revealed that the man calling himself a software salesman had come under suspicion because TSA agents had observed him carrying on a conversation with a woman posing as a flight attendant who, in fact, was an agent for a foreign government hostile to the United States.

           The reported spy also had posed as an internationally-renowned chef at times in her career.

           Jackson angrily shouted at the head TSA agent, “Look. I met this woman, who called herself Diane Mitchell.  She told me she worked on our flight as an airline attendant. As we talked, she did say she would have liked becoming an international chef in a dream career, but I knew nothing about her beyond that.”

            Ten minutes later, two more TSA agents brought the woman who had identified herself as Diane into the office in handcuffs.

            As she struggled, she yelled at Jackson, “What kind of lies did you tell the agency? I am an innocent flight attendant only guilty of having a pipe dream of a more profitable career as an international chef.

I thought we had struck up a conversation as two passengers stranded in an airport by bad weather.”

      At that moment the head TSA agent on duty in Denver got a phone call from his regional director. The director ordered him to leave his prisoners with his fellow agents and report immediately to the regional office in Colorado Springs.

       When the Denver head man arrived at regional headquarters the director introduced him to a man in handcuffs.

       “Let me introduce you to Jason Wainwright,” he said. “Mr. Wainwright has worked for our office for about six months. We recently discovered that he presented false credentials to obtain a position with the agency. During that time, he allegedly had relationships with a few women who he reportedly attempted to blackmail by threatening to turn them into various federal agencies as spies or other criminals if they did not meet his monetary demands. Apparently, he scared his other victims so convincingly that they continued to pay him off.  Ms. Mitchell came forward and helped us finally catch up with him. I have ordered both she and Mr. Tillman released immediately and the agency will make arrangements to have them, the airlines and the airport properly compensated for TSA’s errors.”