Punctuality was why he was hired. Along with having one of the most forgettable faces in the twelve states. The car was of course always on time, the location sent 10 mins prior within easy walking distance of his location. The backseat smelled faintly of fast food & cologne. A smart blue wheelie suitcase with a bright orange ribbon tied to the handle occupied the far seat. As usual the driver remained silent, a dark skinned middle-aged woman in an outfit more suited to a boardroom than as a chauffeur.
Their eyes meeting briefly in the rear view mirror as she handed back a wax sealed envelope. He held up the letter in her view as a gesture of thanks ensuring she could see the symbol on his bracelet matched the intricate design on the seal. Satisfied she moved out from the curb off to their destination. Removing the ticket from the envelope the passenger enjoyed the sights quietly. Once at the airport he got out bringing the suitcase with him. Walking directly to checkin he waited in the queue.
Going through security was a breeze, as always, he would be ill suited for his profession if that small checkpoint was a problem. The routine was always the same, wander through the gift shops, get a tea and a purchase the third from the bottom paper of the stack from the corner newsagency. Sitting by the gate he watched the loading of the luggage as he sipped. The boarding of the plane went smoothly. With all passengers aboard, the plane taxied down the runway and took off by the time he’d finished his tea.
Finally moving to the paper he casually flicked through the pages before half filling out the crossword. Rising paper tucked under his arm he strolled over two gates to use the bathroom. A few minutes later a completely different man emerged, a small travel sling bag, wired headphones and an inflight eye mask dangling loosely around his neck. The bright colours of his shirt were slightly creased and faintly sweaty. His exit timed well to mingle with into the passengers freshly disembarking.
Letting the natural flow of the other passengers guide him along amongst buzz of the freshly departed travellers keen to retrieve their luggage then be off to their adventures and tours, meetings and loved ones. He arrived at carousel 14, a goodly number of people already standing around watching the mournful march of the empty baggage claim winding eternally along past the expectant faces.
Eventually the bags started to trickle out, one or two at a time, the in great piles as people timed their dash through to hastily yank their often over encumbered suitcases from the never slowing river of suitcases and portmanteau. He spotted it instantly, but as custom to ensure no duplicates, he let it go round for 2 rotations before politely jostling his way to retrieve the charcoal duffle with the red star stitched into the side and a bright green tag affixed to the handle.
Another car waited in the line of taxis and ubers, a nondescript sedan with relatively little in the way of identifying markings. He bundled into the back pushing the bag ahead of him. No words were exchanged, the pale young man indicating out and into the flow of traffic without issue. An envelope was place on the middle console and he retrieved it reverently, slowly counting out the bonds inside. As the car stopped he wordlessly got out and melted into the crowd.
