The Last Plane to Pucon

By AJ Georgia

Join Sheri and Bill Banks as they fight, bureaucracy, corrupt politicians, crooked hospital administrators, insurance companies, drug companies, and cancer. Be with them as they franticly search the world for a cure. Be there when the call comes from a tiny town in South America with a claim of help. Follow the journey of Sheri Banks through the heartaches, short falls, and cold hard truth about the world. Will she make it? Will she find answers or a cure before it’s too late for her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AJ Georgia
• Release date: May 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311955975

AJ Georgia

The AJ Georgia persona is a cheeky 30ish female with a quick wit and infectious sense of humor. AJ loves to put her ideas and fantasies to paper to share them with the world. Never lacking in humor, drama, or passion she forges ahead with whatever idea comes to mind. Deep rooted in family beliefs but also not afraid to let her hair down and delve into the realm of passion. No one knows what to expect next and surprise lurks around every thought.

Book preview

The Last Plane to Pucon

By AJ Georgia

Copyright 2015 AJ Georgia

Smashwords Edition

AJ Georgia is my chosen pseudonym or nom de plume if you will. The origins of this name are very personal and mean a great deal to me. I hope you enjoy the literary works created by AJ Georgia.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The idea for this book came from my best friend in the entire world, thanks love you’re the best.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Prologue

The sun was just coming up in Dawsonville City South Dakota as Sheri Banks stood in her bathroom drying off after a shower. Today was like any other weekday in the tiny town of just over five hundred. She would spend an hour on the road after breakfast heading two towns over to Falls Creek where she worked as a real estate broker. She would spend the day looking over the new listings, updating the old listings, and if she was lucky a potential client might just stop buy and actually want to buy a property. Even though Falls Creek was five times the size of Dawsonville still not much happened there when it came to real estate. Most of her work consisted of updating the records for the larger Real Estate offices in the big cities. She was lucky that her firm had managed to get some contracts like that because they hadn’t actually sold a property in months.

After she finished getting dressed she headed for the kitchen stopping long enough to wake her husband Bill. He was a general contractor and since the down turn the building business was practically nonexistent. He used to travel all over the state working on what Sheri considered huge projects. Strip malls, convenient stores, restaurants, and even some manufacturing facilities. Now days his work consisted of finishing basements, mending fences, and the occasional addition or kitchen upgrade. A few years ago he had several direct employees and multiple contractors on retainer but now it was just him. His employees had drifted away with the workload. He couldn’t blame them, who wanted to hang around and hope a job was coming in so that you got paid? They had all left on good terms with Bill promising to take them back as soon as the market starting growing again.

Financially they were strapped but were hanging on. All of the bills were paid but after that the cash was gone. They hadn’t had a vacation in a few years and neither one of them could remember the last time that had went out for dinner. When construction had been booming it was so much different. Sheri had parties for the neighbors and Bills employees. They were always entertaining, Bill had built an amazing back yard just for that purpose. The kitchen was full commercial quality and had enough cooking space to prepare meals for dozens of people. Life had been great. They were both in their forties and in good health. They both enjoyed the same types of things so vacationing was easy. The only stumbling block so far had been they hadn’t had kids. Sheri had finally been tested and it was determined that she was infertile. She had been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This is a condition that caused her not to be able to produce eggs. They had thought of adoption several times but in the end decided that it would just be them.

Chapter 1

Sheri pulled back the curtains in their bedroom showering the room with light. Wake up sleepyhead it’s time to rise and shine. Shine to what? Come on Bill it’s a beautiful morning, looks like it’ll be a great day. Oh yeah great, maybe someone will call a need a new front step or maybe a real project like a dog house. Sheri left the room in a huff. She could understand why Bill felt bad but she hated the fact he took it out on her.She stood in the kitchen fixing her breakfast fuming. He’d better get some work soon I don’t know how much longer I can take the pity party crap. She decided to wait and eat once she made it to work so she put her omelet in a bowl and filled her coffee mug. She stopped on the way to the door and wondered if she should check on Bill or at least say bye but decided against it. It’ll serve him right to have to fend for himself, he should be nicer in the mornings. With that she headed out the door and climbed into her now eight year old car and headed to work. As with every morning she said the same prayer over her car. Lord please let this piece of crap make it there and back one more time because heaven knows we can’t buy a new one or afford to fix this one.

One more time the car made the trip and Sheri happily walked into her office. Not that it was really an office it was a large open room with a few desks scattered around the middle. Her boss called it collaborative but she just called it too cheap to buy cubicles. None the less it paid the bills and she did enjoy what she did. Morning Margie how’s things? Good, good. As a matter of fact I talked with a broker over in Sweet hill yesterday after you left and he wants you to start managing his listings. Asked for you specifically, I didn’t tell them that other than me you were the only one here. It makes us sound so small when you say it like that. Margie we are small. Two people makes for a small business. I know but still. So what kind off account will this be do you know? No idea but hopefully it’ll bring in some good business. Yeah and if people keep calling and asking for me by name you going to have to make me a partner you know. I know, I know. I’ve thought about it I really have and I’m not saying you don’t deserve it because you do, it’s just that I started Spaces Moore and I’m just not ready for that yet. Wow I was only kidding, this is your baby you built it from nothing and it’s all yours.

True but I’m not getting any younger and someone will have to take over when I decide to retire. It’d be a shame to just close up the doors. The sound of the phone saved Margie from having to tell Sheri that without some more business not only would she not be getting a partnership she might be looking for a job. The truth was she was barely making enough money to cover their salaries and the rent on the building. Times were tough and money was tight and if she had to let Sheri go to keep the business open she would. Good morning Spaces Moore this is Margie can I help you? Oh good morning sir, yes she is hold one for one second and I’ll get her. Margie pressed the hold button and pointed the receiver at Sheri. This is broker I told you about his name is Ronald Jeffery. Really? He has two first names. You be nice now. Yes mommy, anything else or are you going to keep him on hold all day? Awful, you’re just plain awful. Sheri laughed as she sat down and picked up her phone.

Good morning mister Jeffery this is Sheri how can I help you? Margie sat and listened to half of the conversation for the next half an hour wondering what in the world could be taking so long. The conversation ended with Sheri giving him her email address so that he could send over some files. Sheri finally ended the call and looked at Margie and broke into a huge smile. Margie this could be huge. How huge? Mega huge. Not at first but it has huge potential. Oak Bridge does millions in real estate deals and for every deal we process for them we get a percentage. It’s a tiny percentage but it’s still a percentage. Margie sat in silence for a few minutes soaking up the news. This is good news Sheri, really good news. I know, he’s sending the reports from the last few months along with a detailed list of exactly what he needs us to do and how much he’s willing to pay for it. He said I should have it by tomorrow at lunch. Wow, we should celebrate. How about we go out for lunch today, my treat? Sounds great.

The sound of his cell woke Bill up and he realized he had fallen back to sleep. He finally found his phone on the nightstand and answered. Banks Construction this is Bill. Good morning Bill I’m Roger Dell from Galaxy Printing in Falls Creek. Good morning Roger what can I do for you? Well I was hoping you would be willing to quote a construction project we have coming up. It’s not very big so I’m actually having a hard time finding a company willing to quote it. Well you’re in luck because I don’t believe a job is too small so I’ll quote anything. What do you need done? We need a new shed built for some facility equipment. We have a chiller and an air compressor outside and the shed that’s over it is about dead and needs to be replaced. I’d love for you to come over and look at and give us a quote. The thought of driving to Falls Creek just to put in a bid on a job he probably wouldn’t get wasn’t very appealing but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to possibly land a paying job. When would you like me to come by? I could drop by later today if that’s ok, I’ll be in the area anyway. He didn’t like little white lies but he didn’t want to sound desperate either. Today would be great. I expected you to say you’d be by in a few weeks so today’s great. Ok sounds good Roger I’ll see you sometime this afternoon. Excellent, just ask for me at the lobby and they’ll get me. Alright, see you then. Bill laid in bed for another minute thinking about what Sheri had said. This may be a good day after all.

Bill left the bedroom and headed for the shower. The entire time he was in the shower he was thinking that maybe today really was the start of something good just like Sheri had said. If this job goes well maybe I can actually afford to take her out for dinner. Not that I could afford a really nice restaurant on a shed build but maybe something better than fast food. Maybe I should surprise her and fix a nice dinner here. I don’t even remember what a steak tastes like. Yeah I think that’s what I’ll do. If I get the job. I’ve heard the sob story about no one want’s to quote but then you never hear back from them. Bah, I miss the days of not quoting the small jobs because I was too busy. Bill finished up in the shower and head to the kitchen to see what Sheri had left him for breakfast. All he found was a dirty pan and a spatula. "Wow I guess I was a little crabbier than I thought, looks like a toast kinda morning. He made toast and headed out to his truck to do an inventory to make sure he had everything he needed to quote a job. Even though he knew it was all there, none of it had been out of the truck in weeks but it still made him feel better.

An hour later he was on the road to Falls Creek. After worrying all the way there and then realizing he had no idea where Galaxy Printing was when he got there he was pretty frazzled by the time he walked into the lobby. Good afternoon I’m Bill from Banks Construction I’m here to see, ah, well, I forgot his name. The Maintenance guy. What are you here to see him about? Building a new shed for some equipment. Ok one moment please. After a hushed conversation the receptionist hung up the phone. Roger is on his way. That was it, sorry about that, I’m normally good with names. It’s ok, it’s not uncommon to hear that story because people are always cold calling maintenance managers hoping to get them to buy something. I try to screen out the riff raff so to speak. That makes sense, we get those in the construction business too. Roger peeked out the window into the lobby before he opened the door. Morning, you must be Bill? Bill glanced at the clock on the wall and it really did say one fifteen. The receptionist noticed and giggled. No matter what time of day or night Roger always greets with good morning. That’s right, it’s morning somewhere."

Roger and Bill spent an hour going over the plans he had for the shed and what he wanted it to look like. After the site visit to the old shed they went into the building and Roger gave him a quick tour of the facility before heading to his office. Bill couldn’t help but think that Roger was very proud of the building he was in charge of maintaining. Ok so here’s a full bid package for the shed, I know it’s probably way overkill but it’s what we use for everything so it is what it is I guess. It has a full set of drawings and specs as well as all of the contractor requirements, environmental policy, insurance stuff, and a confidentiality agreement to protect us all. Look it over and let me know if you have any questions. My card is in there and it has all my contact information on it. Do you have a card on you? After looking in his binder it was time for another little white lie. No it looks like I ran out and didn’t fill the pocket back up. I can fill out a post it note if you’d like. That’s works because I don’t spend a lot of time in the office so I like to communicate with email. If you don’t have any questions I’ll let you go because I have a ton of stuff to do. No I think I’m good other than finding my way back out. Oh yeah, that would help, this place looks the same all over so it can be intimidating.

Bill left thinking that he might have a shot at this one. The entire time he was in Roger’s office he looked for other contractor’s cards or anything that would make him think he was only being asked to bid on it so that Roger could say I had these companies bid and I like the company I always use better than any of these guys but didn’t see anything. Feeling pretty good at the moment he decided to stop by Sheri’s office and tell her the good news. As her turned on to the street he saw Sheri and Margie coming out of the café that was a few doors down from where she worked. His good mood turned instantly sour. No wonder we never have money in the bank, we agreed that we wouldn’t be eating out like we used too. I guess she thinks that only applies to me. Must be her way of punishing me for the construction business going to crap. He pulled off to the side of road to give them time to make it back into the office before he drove by. He was in no mood at the moment to talk to his wife.

Bill spent the rest of the day going over the bid package from Galaxy Printing trying to work up a bid that would be good enough to get the job but still good enough to be able to make some money. The entire time he was working on it his thoughts kept drifting back to seeing Sheri walking out of the café with her boss. The more he thought about it the more upset be got.Why should I be the only one who has to suffer because the construction business went down? I enjoyed being able to hit the coffee shop for breakfast and café for lunch. He picked up the insurance requirements and started reading and then threw them across his desk.This is the kind of crap that puts people completely out of business. Why do I have to have two million in liability, a million in workers comp, and then five hundred thousand in auto coverage? He left the office and headed out to his truck. I haven’t had a beer in over a year but if she can hit the café I can hit the bar.

Thanks again for lunch Margie, I miss the Friday out every week but with construction in the toilet we just don’t have the funds. Don’t worry about it sweetie, if this Sweet Hill deal comes through things around here will get so much better. Well I’m not counting my chickens just yet, I’ll wait till we go over the paperwork with a fine tooth comb. Then maybe I’ll get excited. Ok I can see that, I would hate for us to get all giddy and then the terms really stink and we end up doing a pile of work for no extra money. I just can’t get excited about not making money. It’d be like having sex without an orgasm. Just a messy waste of time. Margie! What? Just because I’m old doesn’t mean that I don’t still get frisky you know. No I don’t know, and I don’t want to either. I’m sure your sex life is plenty interesting but I don’t want to know about it. "What’s wrong with old people sex? We may be a