CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO – CITY OF LIBERTY

The gentle patter of rain against the town car's windshield was the first sign that their evening wasn't quite over yet. By the time they arrived at the airport, however, the tropical drizzle had intensified into a raging tempest, the wind lashing furious sheets of stinging droplets against the terminal's glass facade. "Well, this is just brilliant," Julian muttered, squinting up at the ominous thunderheads as they made a mad dash from the idling car towards the shelter of the airport. "Seems our string of misadventures is determined to follow us all the way home." Charlotte could only laugh, her silk wrap doing little to shield her from the deluge as they hurried through the automatic doors. "At this point, my dear, I would be utterly disappointed if our journey ended without one final curve ball." The harried expression on the face of the gate agent, however, made it clear that this was no mere inconvenient squall. "I'm terribly sorry, folks," she said, her brow furrowed with genu