Chapter 13

Major Austin finally got John to agree to show him the airplanes. Since Sultry was back from the past, post war Japan, having learned the skills she needed to protect herself and Jack on Chaos, Jack was pretty bored. She was forever practicing and he’d been through that.

He didn’t want to fall into the Crossroads Caretaker trap. He was still working out in his head what was going on. There had to be a reason more Heroes were from the United States than any other country. And more American heroes died.

Oh, Conspiracy Theorists ... right.

David was majorly impressed with the aircraft.

“Can we catalogue these? And you’re right. Most of them were tested at the factory and shipped to the front. They’ve never flown in combat.”

“How do you know that?”

“No matter how hard a pilot tries there’s always some asshole that puts at least one bullet in the aircraft. Some of the planes ... those on the losing side ... most of them ... were in the air from dark thirty to dark thirty. Maybe twelve sorties a day ... sometimes more if the army was in retreat and needed the air-cover. The airdrome might be 20 miles behind the lines.”

He shaded his eyes and gazed into the darkening two acre hangar. “Most everything I can see flew 220 miles an hour at least. Fly out, strafe the enemy infantry, fly back, rearm refuel ... takes an hour turn around tops and many ground crews were faster. A good ground crew could get a plane and pilot back in the air in 30 or 40 minutes.

“With that much time over enemy territory ... somebody was sure to get lucky eventually.

“There are no patches, no replaced parts. No, these were never shot at ... at least the ones I can see. But I have a hundred dollars that says they’re all brand new. Even this hangar was erected HERE first. None of the bolts and nuts are replacements.

“Can I please please please inventory your planes?”

“I guess, as soon as Sultry gets home we’re going on a road trip. How long before you finish up with the guns?”

“We keep finding experimental weapons that were supposedly destroyed ... I don’t know where or how your source obtained this stuff ... but it’s got to be stolen. It’s just that no one ever complained or filed a report. There’s a couple of Thompson’s that have no serial number and they’re NOT ground off.”

Uh oh ... he’s about to make the Holmes logic bridge, Jack thought. Within the set of known phenomena, once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be true. If the entire set of known phenomena are eliminated as impossible, then the solution is simply unknown until new phenomena that can serve as a solution is positively established. And we certainly don’t want him discovering that new phenomena.

“Had enough of a look-see?” Jack started elbowing the major towards the door.

“And that’s another thing. The folding doors work. If this had been erected by the army engineers, I could see it. But there’s no record, no orders. How many planes are in your other hangars?”

“Don’t know ... never been.”

“Never looked? Do we have time?”

“No keys.”

The major reached into his briefcase. He waggled a very professional looking lock picking kit, “Locks have never bothered me before.”

“Aren’t those illegal?”

“Nothing is illegal for the government.”

“Ok.” Jack said, “I’m willing to look if you’re willing to take the heat.”

The first hangar was empty ... except for a sign.