Chapter 35

Janet and I were up moving around at five o’clock. Janet shook Sheena and Nikki so they could hostess for us. Donna woke up and said that she didn’t have anything happening today and asked if she could come too.

Janet said, “Okay, but you’ll have to act like you’re a hostess in training so that the customers don’t think they’re being taken advantage of.”

Sheena said, “The customer is three couples with two teens, so it won’t be that full. I’ve ordered the food to be picked up at the park before we leave. They’ll have a snack after we’re airborne and a good meal for lunch. That part of the flight will be about four hours, so there will be plenty of time to serve everything.”

Janet and I were dressed business casual today, with me wearing my sport coat to hide my shoulder harness. Janet had taken some advice from Lisa and had a holster that fit on her thigh. She wore a knee-length flared skirt that made access easy if she ever needed it, but we had to be careful as she wasn’t licensed to carry in states that didn’t have reciprocal agreements with Florida. I planned on asking the folks out west what I could do about that.

The three girls all wore cute fairly short skirts with shirts that had the Island Paradise logo on them. Diego gave us two dozen shirts for all the hostesses who would be flying customers to the resort.

We bought some breakfast sandwiches from McDonalds, along with some milk and juice. The food made the early morning flight to Chicago that much shorter. We had picked up enough food for five couples and not just three with two kids. It was a good thing that we did as we found the original three couple with two additional couples and two additional children when we arrived in Chicago. I asked them if they all had reservations and they assured me they did. The Gulfstream is a big plane, so it wasn’t a big deal but I wanted some extra for the additional weight. The primary customer happily agreed to the extra we asked for. They were lucky we were using a G650 that was configured for more passengers. We refueled in Chicago in preparation for a nonstop flight to Costa Rica.

We had to wait an hour because one couple had forgotten their passports, but their apartment was nearby. We left Chicago at nine-fifteen, and landed on the home island at one forty.

It took all three girls to keep up with the requests from the fourteen people on board. They did keep Janet and me in coffee. I took the time to take the girls up to the big house, but this was Saturday and almost everyone on the island was at the markets in Limon.

We left Costa Rica and were back at home and on the patio by six. It was Janet who said, “That ride took care of all our expenses for the week. We’d be rolling in money if we could get a couple like that every Friday and Saturday. This next week is going to be good, because we have a flight to Hawaii and two from out west to the resort. We’ll have the new 650 in the air if Jimmy passes it Monday.”

Kissa was in her new office all day, trying to get settled in and learn everything she has to do. She said, “The phone constantly rang with people wanting to know about the courier jobs and the type ratings,” when she rode home with us. “I told all of them to fill out the online applications for a background check and we would call them. I did get a couple of people, one male, one female, who are type rated on both the King Air and Gulfstream. They are both looking for regular work and not just a couple of hours a week. They both said they would fill out the online apps.”

“Sounds like you had a decent day, Kissa. Do you feel more comfortable doing the job we need you to do?”

The girl said, “I can do this. I doubted myself because no one has ever asked me to be responsible for anything in my whole life. My folks didn’t help me much by giving me everything and not making me do house chores. I felt good today learning the software for our service and linking to the charter server. Betty, DeDe, and Star really did spend a lot of time teaching me. The way they have the phones set up is for me to pick up when they are on the phone. I’ll have all the schedules available and can answer questions about requests. The charter office will confirm everything I do, and they will watch my input to see how I’m doing. We might need a second person if we get that many pilots and more airplanes.”

Saturday evening was very relaxing. I took my family, including Fran and Kissa, to Park Place for an Italian meal that was second to none. I had called for reservations only to find out they were booked, but they promised to try to get us in if we came and stayed in the lounge while we waited for a table. We had a good time having some drinks in the lounge and joking together. The hostess came to get us at eight-thirty, and was able to seat all eight of us at one big table. She said for us to enjoy our meal and not to hurry since we were going to be the last diners seated at this large table.

We all had a great meal. Gin even said that it was worth missing some sleep for a meal like this. The evening’s discussion was whether or not we might want to come out and spend a couple of nights in one of the cabins so that we could find out how we felt about having fun at a naturist park. It became Nikki’s job to get the details. Donna was given the job of finding out about us spending a weekend at the Island Resort. I think there were more details for Costa Rica than the Paradise Naturist Park.

Sunday was relaxed with a lot of the families out on one of the big sailboats. I thought that I should get prepared for the trip out west. Fran said she had her clothes ready so that we could leave in the morning. My cell phone rang about three in the afternoon. It was my contact. “Two things, Miller; one, can you come out today so that you’ll be ready to roll in the morning, and the second is if you can bring Janet Peterson with you? We want to begin some training with her, and this would be a good time. We know you have a charter service and do courier work for the DOD, but we want her to have some knowledge about what you do. Tell me if I’m wrong, but she has become someone important to you, and you two may be flying with each other a great deal.”

I didn’t know how to respond, and told the man, “Janet doesn’t understand military lingo or have much strength. What happens if she’s involved in a firefight that she’s not prepared for? I can’t have that. Janet is the wild pet in the pen who doesn’t have a clue as to what’s happening in real life.”

The voice on the phone said, “That’s why we want her to come to us for the time you’re here. We think she’s tougher than you give her credit for. We think we can teach her to react the way it would be necessary when and if the time comes. We think she can be that last line of defense should it become a factor.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to her and see if she’ll come with me. This is a major change in our business plan.”

The voice said, “We will not let your business take a hit because we want to teach your partner something. One of our people will step in and take care of business if that’s what it takes.”

“Let me talk to her and I’ll call you back. The staff will have to do some rearranging because we do have charters tomorrow.”

I went out to the patio to find Janet. She was talking to Sal’s women. I went up behind her and snuggled her with a kiss in her hair over her ear. My love groaned and said, “There is only one man on earth who will give me that kind of kiss. What’s up?”

I softly said, “I need to talk to you for a minute. Come inside in case you decide to get loud.”

That made Janet laugh, as she wasn’t a yeller or screamer when things didn’t go her way. She would buckle down and try harder to make it work the way she wanted.

I sat Janet on the couch in the suite’s living room area. “You know that I’m going out west for training tomorrow, Janet?”

She nodded and continued to wait for a reason to react.

“I just talked to my contact and they would like you to come out with me for some initial training. Fran is going to learn one area, and I’m going to be assigned to the helicopter group to learn how to fly a lot of different kinds of helicopters. The senior staff feels that you would be an asset if you were to have training in some different areas. I can’t influence you in this, because you have to make this decision on your own. I’m not sure I want you to be involved in what I might have to do.”

Janet smiled and said, “This is strange, because I just spent a couple of hours playing with the quads and talking to Lisa about what she did with Chuck. She wouldn’t tell me everything, but she did tell me that she probably is the reason he’s still alive. She said that I might be called upon to receive some training. I just didn’t think it would be this soon. Will I go out there with you? I’ll go without question, but Kissa is going to go nuts trying to keep us current with me not here.”

“I guess I’ll have to tell them to send at least one pilot for us to use. I’m undecided as to whether or not this is good for you, but it probably is. I can get you an Emergency Deputy commission, but you’d have to go to the Deputy Academy to be a regular Deputy. I can’t see you going away for six months.”

Janet laughed, “Not likely. Let me be a help to you when you need it and see how it goes. I’m good for this; call them if you have to let someone know. What do I need to wear?”

“Regular clothes. Fran and I will wear BDUs and you will be issued what’s necessary when we get there. I’m not sure how the housing will work out, but it should be okay. We don’t get to be with each other but a couple of nights a week anyway. They want us to come out this evening so that we’re ready in the morning.”

I called my contact and told him that Janet is willing to try to learn what’s necessary. I also told him that we would be leaving within an hour, and to look for us in three to four hours.

Kissa was the next person I needed to talk to. She was out at the Airpark but Betty and Star were sitting at a table on the patio playing cards. “Betty, Star; Janet and I have to go out west for some training. We’re going to be gone for most of the week, so Kissa may need to stay in your office for the week. Let her give it a try in her new office if you can watch her. Her big problem is being short Janet. See what you can do to give her the pilots she needs.”

The two women said they would make her feel comfortable and help her stay organized.

I went in and changed into BDUs and boots, and packed my extra BDUs and boots into a duffle bag. Fran made sure that I had my equipment case and my laptop before we begged a driver to take us to the Airpark. All our women were gone, so we would talk to Kissa at the Airpark.

We had to use a tow motor to get my CJ4 out of the hangar and then shut the doors on one of Wes’ twins, two G650ERs, and a CJ4 that might not be anyone’s because of its condition. Kissa wasn’t that upset and said that she might have to rely on Betty and the other two women more than she should.

I did the exterior inspection and made sure Fran was buckled in. She liked the communications desk, so she was sitting there with the monitor already up.

Janet was good with the right seat and read the checklist to me right up through setting the altimeter. The flight out was peaceful and we had dropped down to under ten thousand feet, cancelled our flight plan, and shut the transponder off. I called in on the appropriate frequency to have them turn their ILS on, but was given a curt reply of changing to another frequency. I changed to that one and called again. A voice said that I was to use non-monitored airport procedures.

Thank goodness that I had saved the settings for this location in memory, and flew past it before coming around to line up to land. I made the announcement on both channels of my intention to land and was lined up descending to touchdown. Janet said, “Give it some gas and check out what’s on the runway. There’s a couple of trucks out there and what looks like a fighter that’s wrecked. You can’t use the main, but the crosswind runway is clear.”

I retransmitted my intention to land on a different runway and lined up for that one. Janet hollered at the last minute, “Pull up, pull up, there’s something across the end of the runway. We’ll have to fly over that obstruction and come in on a shortened runway If we’re going to use that one.”

I went around again, and checked the entire length of the runway. I was a little hot and came down hard as soon as I cleared whatever was stretched across the runway. I knew which taxiways to use and cut across to those in back. We were looking in every direction and saw the big doors open. They didn’t completely open as usual, but opened just enough for me to pull in between the doors. I was being waved to immediately shutdown.

Fran was freaked and already had her MP5 out, loaded, and ready. Over the regular channel the voice said, “No Gas, Mother.”

“Go ahead, Mother, this is No Gas.”

“All personnel are out on the perimeter to repel a problem. You may deplane if you want, but stay with your aircraft. You may be called upon to reinforce our men outside the building.”

I put my field vest on and loaded what magazines I had. I put the fifty together and made sure that I had sufficient magazines for it as well.

We looked around and found a tow motor and used it to position the CJ4 over one of the ground connections so that we could have power inside the aircraft. I radioed, “Mother, No Gas.”

“Go ahead, No Gas.”

“There are two of us that can do some sniping if that would help. Where is the enemy, and where are our people?”

“No Gas, this is Mother. Use the ports on the walls and look out toward the runway. Our men all have a bright green stripe. The enemy is on the other side of the main runway. We have no idea of how many there are.”

I asked, “Where are the helicopters? I could use one to attack over there.”

“Most of our equipment is all on a bivouac down on the border. We don’t want to recall them unless necessary.”

I went back inside the airplane and put my .308 together. I wasn’t going to outrun anyone with that and all my other weapons. Fran did what I had done and left her fifty in the plane. We found the ports in the big door that faces the runway and pushed the flap open. I had to tuck the flap into the back of the top in order to use the scope. Janet stayed with the airplane to monitor and relay communications.

I scanned this side of the runway and saw several men inching their way toward the main runway. I checked on the F-18 that was crumpled on the runway and saw four men trying to take equipment from the aircraft. I could plainly see that they didn’t have a green stripe, so I lined up and it was like plinking squirrels as a kid. I had three of them down before the fourth was running away from the wreck. Fran nailed him before he had run twenty feet.

Fran hollered, “There is a large concentration of them just to right of where that guy was running. Get your fifty and unload on them while they’re together.”

I ran to the aircraft and grabbed the fifty and ten explosive rounds.

Sighting in on them wasn’t a problem, as they were crowded around another of the same kind of truck that was on the runway by the airplane.

The first round was into a group who were surrounding someone who was talking to them. Two men made a run for the two trucks on the runway, but Fran immediately finished both of them off. Those men who were still together seemed to be trying to get some equipment from the back of the truck that was right there. I wanted to mess up whatever it was that they wanted before they could get at it.

The fifty put a round into the middle of the big truck which caused a bigger explosion than I thought possible. Whatever they had in there was hot.

Fran said, “Someone has made it to one of the trucks on the runway and is trying to get something out of the open bed. Oh shit, they have an RPG.”

Fran shot her .308 at the same time I put another explosive round into the other truck. There was a big ‘kaboom’. The blast was strong enough that whatever was in the second truck detonated and there was nothing but junk left. That’s when we saw two groups of men with green stripes on their back closing in from each side of where the enemy had been gathered. There couldn’t be that many more of the enemy, but we would have to search the entire area to make sure. We needed a helicopter with infrared detection to browse the area to make sure we have cleaned them all out.

We heard a cart coming from the far end of the huge hangar and let it get up close to us. We were a little worried as the headlights could blind you if you stared at them.

The driver had come straight toward us and stopped inches from me. Fran had the guy on the ground searching him for weapons before he could say anything. The man said, “We’re going to lift a reserve helicopter from below that has infrared equipment on board so that we can search. The crew chief of the bird is also the door gunner. You should be able to fly this. Let him tell you how high you need to be to still spot warm bodies. I have four troops who will go with you should you have to chase anyone.”

Fran was looking at the CJ4 and back at me. I told her, “You stay here and let me go take a look. Bring Janet up to date on what’s happening. Hopefully, this bird they’re sending up has armament. I don’t know how to use it but I’ll learn.”

A newer model Huey, or at least an upgraded one with the rotor system from the Twin Huey and, I suspected, a more powerful engine, rose from the floor and was pushed off the platform. Two men who were on the aircraft were immediately all over it checking things similar to a preflight. I pulled one aside to find out who the crew chief was. I had him. I told him to take a minute to show me how to operate the infrared. He handed me a helmet and showed me how a loupe sight could be pulled down over one eye to give me a heads up display of both visual and infra-red, IR, imagery. He said he would power it up and that the door gunners had similar displays.

There were sponsons on each side with Vulcan Gatling guns mounted and connected to large metal ammo boxes for forward fire in addition to the door guns on flex mounts. I had the man show me how to fire the weapons and then I made sure the belts were free and that there was electrical continuity to the mechanisms.

The crew chief told me to go ahead and spool the helicopter up and the doors would open just enough for us to get out. I would hopefully go through the center of the opening.