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All packed up and ready to set off on their newly-planned vacation, the six men met at the three amigos’ apartment. They had decided to call cabs. Firstly, what would they do with their cars after leaving the city – or country – ? Yes, they could park it in the car park but for long periods of time, it could be a bit too expensive and they didn’t want to finance extra money – the tickets themselves were of a very high cost. And secondly, their was quite a wholesome amount of luggage and baggage and god-knows-what which would be better off in a cab. So three cabs it was. The airport wasn’t very far from Gale Apartments. About a 15-minute drive, shouldn’t cross £5 or £6 at the most per car. To get to the airport, £20 isn’t bad for six people and their luggage.

It was the day after the operation of the man-snake-lion. A very amazing operation. The man-snake-lion was now ultra-securely locked in a small freeze-chamber linked to Operation Room 404. Nobody and nothing, not even a virus, could get into that room, let alone a nigger who wants hold of the creature – like the one who stole it from Kanwar’s car.

Kanwar, Shah, and Khalili got into one of the cabs while the other three entered one of the other cabs. The third cab was full of suitcases. There were six suitcases altogether and six hand-carry bags as well. The late-summer air smelled fresh. It was 4 O’ Clock and the sun was shining down on the city. There were some clouds in the sky, but not rain-clouds. They were peaceful clouds. The ones that look like stretched-out cotton-candy. Peaceful, white clouds high in the sky. Murthy went over to the cab driver with all the suitcases and no human passenger and told him where to go. Then he got into the front cab and seated himself in the front seat. The cab driver asked, ‘airport?’, to which Murthy nodded. It was obvious they were going to the airport.

Khalili entered last and shut the door. Murthy was in the front seat. In the other cab, Tzanev sat with Kostov at the back while Shah positioned himself in the front.

‘Follow that cab,’ Shah instructed to the cab driver, pointing to the cab in front of their own, the one in which Kanwar, Murthy, and Khalili were. Without any further hesitation, the cabs took off. Inside the cabs, it was hotter than they had expected and they had to roll the windows down a couple of inches to let the air circulate through the cab, providing both coolness and that fresh smell.

Nobody spoke. The entire journey took place silently. Finally, the three cabs reached the airport. Of course, getting to the plane can be one of most boring procedures on the face of this earth. But they survived it. They happily survived it. Within and hour and a half and a few minutes, the six of them were in the plane. Lucky for them, the seats were booked in one row, and there were six seats in a row. They sat in a random order, and in the end, Kanwar and Kostov got the two seats near the window, and so did Shah and Tzanev, while Murthy and Khalili got the centre seats. That also meant a clearer view of the big screen directly in front of them. This time they had got into executive class. On the way back, they thought that they’d rather get into first class, but after thinking it over they thought it would be wiser to invest the money on ridding the city of those creatures. But at least no more of the creatures for two weeks. After all, they weren’t the only people in that town. Official, it was their case – but how did it matter if someone else took over for them while they took a vacation? It didn’t, and that was the whole point. Not only would this vacation be a good break for them, but even leisure and pleasure. And of course, it would give them time and the mind to plot different methods – hopefully that would help them succeed their mission, well, case.

The plane was still at the airport waiting for everybody to get in. Why couldn’t everyone just get in at one time? They should do something that would speed up aeroplane boarding. Well, that’s  how it is. It smelled strange in the plane. The smells of over a hundred people combined into one. That’s how it smelled. And then the food, the carpet, leftover smells on the seat. Whatever. Those kinds of smells. At least it didn’t stink – it only smelled. Not bad, though.

After what it seemed to a normal human as several hours, the take-off announcement was made. However, the plane showed no signs of taking off. The passengers sat patiently, however, waiting for the plane to take off. Kostov peered out of the window. Trucks here and there. People below. Cars. Other planes. Not much of an exciting view. Very ordinary. Actually, quite boring. But if you take time and observe and analyse and think about the view, you would seem to notice much more. Like tiny parts you never knew a plane had. Or watching people work and do the strangest things.

On the other side of the plane, Shah was also peering out. His view was also the same. The only difference was that it was the other side of the plane.

A sorry-for-the-inconvenience message was heard, and a few minutes later, the outside world started to forward. Actually, the plane was moving backward. Finally. It was going to take off. Well, hopefully. Sometimes planes moved and got to a certain point, and then stopped for another 15 minutes. This better not be one of those times.