19. The New Plan.

“Who in the hell are you?” the officer yelled as Ava stepped out of her hiding place. It was better to make the first move, she reasoned, than be caught cowering in a corner. 

She spoke with authority, careful not to betray her inward fright. “Whatever that man did, I’m here to put it right.” She had to reverse whatever her grandad had done. That was the only way to fix the timepiece.

The officer grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. “Well then, you’re going to have to crash the whole damn plan,” he grumbled. “I don’t know how you got on board, but this is a felony.” He shoved her towards a seat on the far side of the hold.

Ava acquiesced numbly. “He saved you?” she asked in shock. 

The officer didn’t look happy about it. “The SOB figured something out. Stay here.” He pushed her into the seat and turned back towards the cargo boxes to continue his search.

Ava felt like someone had just dropped an ice cold rock in her gut, and she was sure she'd never hated her grandfather more than in that moment.

18. The Calm Before.

He was supposed to wait the entire hour. He was supposed to be there when she got out--to make sure she did get out. But there was a storm over the forest just a few miles off, and it was headed this way fast. The gathering clouds whipped up the previously dead air into a frenzy and drew a heavy darkness over the field around him.

She'd been out of his sight for over twenty minutes now. "Ava?" He pulled his jacket tighter and hoped she was staying warm.

There was no answer. Lightning struck over the forest, and thunder rumbled loudly seconds later. He checked his watch. If he went to find shelter now, he could easily return in forty minutes or so, and with a much readier hand to help. Ava would never even know he'd left.

17. The Officer.

Another yell from the men drew her attention back, but they still hadn't seen her. Ava crouched behind the box to watch their argument. She couldn't hear much above the roar of the engines, but she was sure they must be talking about her grandfather, and she was doubly sure they were furious. Grandad never had bothered himself with dated, irrelevant things like diplomacy.

One of them gestured angrily and pointed towards her hiding place. She could have slapped herself -- obviously this would have been the last place they’d seen him! She glanced around for a possible escape, but unsurprisingly there were no clear options in the confined space.

The officer strode towards her looking venomous. Maybe it was better this way. She had exactly one hour, and in a cramped place like this secrecy would only slow her down.

16. The Stowaway.

“Where’d that damn hitchhiker get to?” Twelve men were strapped into two rows of six, each in a U.S. Navy uniform. The engines roared and the man standing near the front had to yell to be heard. Ava turned quickly back to the opening, that vicious rip in the hull she’d just pulled herself through. But it was gone, sealed up as though it had never been. 

Well, she reminded herself, at this point it technically hadn't.

She had not yet been noticed by the men thanks to a large cargo box blocking her from view, so she snuck a glance out of the oval window next to her. A warm evening sky greeted her, and tufts of clouds drifted over the English countryside far below. 

The propellers whirled and the sight pressed into her a sudden feeling of panic. She willed herself to be calm; more than anything, she needed to keep a level head right now. There was nothing for it but to get this finished as quickly as possible.

It was really happening. Charlie had been right. 

This was not a haunting.

15. The Figure.

Click-click. 

Ava jumped at the sound and pulled her hand away from the siding. It had come from inside the plane! She glanced back at Abe, waiting a few yards off. He looked paler than ever, and watched her progress with a pained but attentive gaze.

She steeled herself. Once she got inside this dump she was bound to see some loose old screw or other, fidgeting around as old things do.

Click-click.

With a deep breath she moved around the edge of the tail, which had snapped off and lay embedded in the frozen dirt. The grove of trees came back into view, and with it-- Click-click. 
A figure stood at the edge of the grove, watching them. Watching her. She blinked and then--it was gone. But she thought--she could have sworn--had someone been following them? 

Click-click. 

The sound echoed out more clearly on this end and pulled her attention back to the crash; whoever it was would have to wait. The metal siding was torn on this end, and the shadowed opening was just barely wide enough for a person to step through.

Click-click.