CHAPTER 4
Hello, and thank you for taking time to read my story. This is a first effort so I hope you will be forgiving of the mistakes I am certain my work contains.
This is the third installment and I suspect you'll be lost as a goose in a hailstorm if you don't read the previous chapters.
I find that the story is much longer than I expected it to be, so I wound up breaking it into two "books" with a change in writing style between book one which is written in third person and book two which I have written in first person.
The entire story is set in an alternate reality where slavery has been re-instituted. I'd like to thank the people responsible for creating the foundation on which this story rests, Carl Bradford, Joe_Doe_Stories, MrSmith27, and Avicia. Although my story has a very different character than most of the other work I've read set in this universe, I've tried to stick closely to the basic concept envisioned by the original creators.
I'd also like to thank bad_hobbit for reading the first chapter and providing invaluable insight that kept this story from becoming a Mongolian cluster-fuck..I hope. :-)
Shall we begin?
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The next two weeks flew by. James was excited but nervous, Morgan was apprehensive about her baby boy being gone for a month, and Sam spent most of his time trying to reassure Morgan. Emily was oblivious, there was no need to notify a slave of their plans. She would figure it out as events unfolded.
Sam scheduled the jet, the pilots, and Dave. It was also his job to get James' Durango leased and delivered. Since Dave would collect James and Emily at the airfield, Sam had the truck delivered to Dave's facility. It should be waiting there for James when he arrived.
On the day of departure, James, Emily, and Morgan loaded up in Sam's Durango. He and Morgan both drove Citadels. Alabama law required all slaves to be transported in a kennel. The third row seating was caged off for a slave kennel so any slave being transported could ride belted in. Slaves weren't cheap, Sam and his family thought this type of kennel was a prudent investment in keeping their property from being damaged in an accident.
When the four of them arrived at Guntersville Municipal Airport, the Gulfstream G280 was fueled, crewed, prepped, and ready to leave. The only crew were the two pilots. Emily was expected to provide for James' needs in the aircraft just as she would on the estate. James' luggage was loaded in the cargo hold. There was no luggage for Emily, all she needed was her collar and the pair of flip flops that were the only things she wore.
Emily was visibly excited when James leashed her and led her towards the jet, she had been on a commercial flight exactly twice. She had flown to Fort Lauderdale for spring break two years ago. The trip was one of her fondest memories. But a corporate jet was a different matter entirely.
Wide eyed at the luxury of the jets interior, Emily followed James to the slave kennel at the rear of the passenger compartment. James instructed her to be seated and belt herself in, just like in the truck. The kennel would remain closed and locked until the jet was at cruising altitude. After that Emily could be released to serve her Lord and the pilots as needed.
Sam and Morgan boarded the jet long enough to say their goodbyes.
Morgan hugged her only son tightly, then held him at arms length, looking into his eyes, "You take care of yourself, son. Have a good time and learn everything you can. Make sure Emily pays attention and does exactly what you tell her."
"I will Mom, don't you worry."
"I'm not worried. Well maybe a little, but that's my job. I'm your mother and I'll still worry about you when you're 60 years old. So you may as well learn to live with it." Morgan grinned at her son with glassy eyes.
"I love you too Mom." James replied sincerely.
"Do have everything you need? I didn't get a chance to check your bags before they were loaded in the truck."
"Morgan, I'm sure our son is perfectly capable of packing his own clothes." Sam tried to distract his hovering wife.
"Oooohhhhh? You think so? I
still
have to check your luggage and yet you manage to get away without something you need every time we go anywhere, don' t you? You leave your underwear, your razor, your deodorant, your wallet! You even left your phone the last time we went to St John."
The intercom crackled to life, "We're ready to taxi, will all three of you be traveling with us?"
Sam replied, "No, Morgan and I are just leaving."
"Morgan, the pilot is ready to go, we have to get off the plane now."
"Okay Sam. James, sweetie, don't forget sunscreen when you go out to the beach, the sun down there is brutal. And wear a hat or your ears will blister. That's very painful."
"Morgan, we have to go." Sam reminded her.
"I know I'm almost done Sam. Now James, make you sure you eat right, you can't survive a month on burgers, pizza, and beer."
"Yes ma'am."
"And get plenty of rest, if you stay up all night every night you won't learn anything, and you'll make Dave angry if you aren't paying attention."
"I'll get plenty of rest, mom, I promise."
"Ma'am, we won't make Miami on time if we don't begin our taxi."
Sam took Morgan by the elbow. James pulled her into a quick but tight hug, kissing her on the cheek. "I love you Mom, and I'll be back safe and sound before you know it. I swear!" Morgan looked at James obviously distraught, Sam gently turning her towards the ladder so they could deplane. "You better be" Morgan almost whispered as Sam led her down the aisle.
Morgan stopped one last time on the top step of the ladder, "James don't you dare go down there and make me a grandmother, I am way to young to be anybodies grandma!"
"Yes mother, I'll be careful." James said while Sam pulled Morgan down the ladder. As the hatch was closing he heard his mother shouting, "I'm serious young man, if you come home a father I'll never forgive you!"
Grinning hugely, feeling almost overwhelmed with his mother's love, James shook his head and picked a seat for take-off.
Morgan and Sam watched the jet leave, banking to a southerly heading without incident. Morgan continued to watch the sky long after the jet was out of sight. Sam eventually took Morgan's hand and gently led her back to the truck, helped her to her seat and put her seat-belt in place.
James was gone for an entire month. Until now, the longest Morgan had been separated from her son was a few days. She knew James was rapidly growing into an intelligent and responsible young man that could be trusted to take care of himself. But, she was going to miss him terribly. Morgan stubbornly refused to cry all the way home... just barely.
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James had been on the G280 many times. It was the jet the family typically used for vacation travel. He had flown all over the western hemisphere in this jet and always enjoyed the flight. Unlike Emily, James had never experienced commercial air travel and hoped he never would.