Time Taken: Part Five
Back in Liverpool
Savannah Daniel slammed the car door, the sound echoing through the quiet Stoney Croft street. Colwyn Bay had been another bust. Another set of frayed leads, another handful of whispers that led nowhere. Brett, the subject of her obsession, remained a ghost, a phantom she chased across the windswept landscapes of North Wales.
She dragged herself into her small cottage, the familiar scent of woodsmoke and lilies strangely unsettling tonight. Jared, her fiancé, sat on the sofa, the muted glow of the television screen reflecting in his weary eyes. One look at Savannah’s face and he knew.
“Another dead end, huh?” he sighed, already bracing himself.
Savannah dropped her worn leather satchel on the floor with a thud. “Iced cold. Iced cold.”
Jared rubbed his temples. He’d been patient, supportive, for so long. He knew how much this story meant to her. He’d even tolerated the postponed wedding, the missed anniversaries, the constant late nights fuelled by coffee and adrenaline.
Savannah worked for the Daily Buzz, and Mr. Sanderson, her boss, swore she was the best reporter he had. This Brett story, though, had consumed her. Ultimately, Savannah had covered it from the beginning, and she couldn’t let it go.
“Savannah,” Jared began, his voice gentle but firm, “don’t you think maybe… maybe it’s time to let it go? It’s been three years. The trail’s gone cold. You’re burning yourself out.”
Savannah, all five feet of fiery determination and a surprising measure of sweetness, bristled. “No, I can’t.” The words were clipped, defensive.
“Why?” Jared pressed, his patience wearing thin. “What’s so important about this… Brett?”
“I know he’s abroad. I can feel it. I need to find out where. This story… it matters.”
Jared stood up, his frustration now bubbling to the surface. “Savannah, you’re bordering on obsession. It’s affecting everything. Our relationship, your health…”
“Don’t be stupid,” she snapped, instantly regretting the harshness.
Jared flinched. “I’ve had enough.”
Savannah stopped, her hand halfway to her forehead. The tremor in his voice frightened her. “What do you mean?”
He looked at her, really looked at her, and she saw the exhaustion etched on his face, the love dimmed by years of neglect. “It’s simple. I’m moving out.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. The room suddenly felt more minor, the lilies suffocating. Savannah stared at him, disbelief warring with a dawning comprehension. This wasn’t a fight, a temporary disagreement. This was definitive.
“Moving out?” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.
Jared nodded, his eyes filled with a sadness she couldn’t ignore. “I can’t do this anymore, Savannah. I can’t compete with a ghost. I need someone present, someone who is here.
He turned and walked towards the bedroom, the faint creak of the floorboards a death knell to the comfortable life they had built. Savannah stood frozen, the weight of her choices crashing down on her. She had chased a story, a phantom, and in the process, she had lost something real, something tangible, something infinitely more precious. The iced-cold trail of Brett now mirrored the chilling emptiness that had just settled in her heart.
“Jared, come on, it’s my job”
“Yeah well, your fuckin job gets in the way of everything, the mighty Savanna must get her fuckin story no matter what the fuckin cost is”
“I’m so close now”
Jared shakes his head and looks at his feet “See what I mean? I’m packing my stuff and I’m going”
“Jared Garret, if you leave, that’s it”
“Savannah, I’ve met someone else”
Savannah stood like a statue frozen to the spot. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing; Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall and roll down her face. She took a deep breath and told him he could go. She had no time for a cheat.
“What did you expect, you had no fuckin time for me you even cancelled our wedding for this fucking story, did you really think I would just stay at home and be celibate like a good little boy?”
“Fuck you”
“I didn’t plan this”
“Get the fuck out”
Jared packed up his stuff and headed to the door. he turned and told her he did love her, but he couldn’t live like this anymore, then left. Savannah paced around the lounge, thinking it was a lucky escape, yes, a lucky escape! Then burst into tears. The tears came fast and furious. When she calmed down, she knew it had been her fault; she had neglected and taken him for granted, but her career had always come first.
A few weeks down the line, Savannah was getting used to being on her own. Maybe this was the way it was meant to be.
Savannah was sitting at her desk, going over her leads, when the phone rang.
“Hello, Savannah Danials”
“I know where Brett Frazer is, now Brett Peterson”
“Really, omg, He changed his name; of course, why didn’t I think of that she thought. Where can I find him? She asked eagerly.”
“He is in Barbados”
“What’s your name, miss?”
“That doesn’t matter,” the lady said, putting the phone down. Savannah thought that was odd, but she didn’t care. She was back on her trail. All she needed to do now was convince Harry to let her go to Barbados.
“Harry, I have a lead on Brett Frezer.”
“Really? Well, get on it. This is a big story. If you get this, you’ll get a promotion.”
“I have to go to Barbados”, she crept
“Ok, I’ll issue your expense”
She was so excited that she jumped up and kissed Harry on his forehead. Not only did she have her lead, but she also got to go to Barbados, all expenses paid. Happy days! She went straight home to pack. Rushing to get her bag packed, there was a knock on the door. It was Jared.
“Sav, I Wanna come back”
“Not now, Jared. I’ve got a plane to catch.”
“Why, where are you going?”
“To the Caribbean”
“Don’t tell me, Brett Frazer?”
“Jared, if you want to talk when I get back, I’m happy to, but right now, I’ve got my lead”
“OK, we’ll talk when you get back”
Savannah jumped into a cab and made her way to the airport, checked in, and then headed to the café, where she got a coffee and a bacon and egg roll while waiting. She kept her eye on the flight and departure board; many people were rushing from
Savanna felt like she’d aged a decade in the last hour. The sprawling airport was a labyrinth of chrome and hurried footsteps, each terminal a potential dead end in her desperate quest to find her gate. An hour ago, she’d breezed through security,
confident and ready for her adventure. Now, she was a sweaty, dishevelled mess, her meticulously planned itinerary crumpled in her hand.
Finally, a beacon of hope. On a departure board, nestled between flights to far-flung locales, there it was: her flight to the Isle of Skye, now boarding. Relief washed over her; a wave so potent it almost brought her to her knees. She rushed towards the gate, passport and boarding card clutched tightly in her trembling hand.
The queue snaked forward slowly. Savanna bounced on the balls of her feet, fighting the urge to tap the shoulder of the person in front of her. At last, she stood before the flight attendant, exchanging a smile and a quick scan of her documents. The attendant nodded, and with a final surge of anticipation, Savanna boarded the aircraft.
She found her seat, a window seat blessedly, and settled in for the long haul. That was a long time to spend confined to a metal tube, but the thought of Barbados kept her going. She rummaged in her bag for her headphones and a book, already picturing the rugged landscapes and dramatic coastlines she’d been dreaming of.
Suddenly, a low rumble vibrated through the plane. The seat belt sign flashed on. The flight attendants began their well-rehearsed safety demonstration, their gestures precise and their smiles practiced. Savanna plugged in her headphones, but kept one ear free, just in case.
The plane began to taxi, slowly making its way down the runway. Savanna leaned forward, peering out the window as the city lights blurred past. Then, the plane stopped, the engines idling. A collective sigh seemed to ripple through the cabin.
A moment later, the plane surged forward with unexpected force. Savanna gasped, her hands gripping the armrests. The acceleration was intense, almost painful. She could feel her face vibrate with the force of it all. This wasn’t a gradual build-up; this was a sudden, nearly violent, burst of speed.
And then, they were airborne. The ground fell away, and the city lights twinkled below like scattered diamonds. Savanna was so excited, so filled with anticipation, she could barely breathe. Skye. She was finally on her way to Barbados.
But the reality was daunting. She could be looking for a needle in a haystack. She didn’t even know if she was on the right part of the island. The description was vague; all she had to go on was the phone call.
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