Chapter 128

Remember ... we are a Warbird in full plumage and we ‘look’ official.

Taking off from Bud Field, we did an up and down at Bergstrom ... on the grass south of the South Terminal. When we stopped ... things got exciting. The field south of the South Terminal isn’t a ‘real’ landing field. But ... it’s as close to the National Guard building as we could get ... and it’s waaay longer than Bud Field.

Besides ... it’s where Colonel Joe told us to land.

We were met ... a Hummer full of Air Police and a Lieutenant who had NO idea who we were. All he knew was we weren’t supposed to land there. Colonel Joe dropped in 20 minutes behind us.

Him the Lieutenant knew.

The AP’s were busy excavating holes ... getting to the bottom of the situation.

“I’ve got this, Lieutenant,” Joe said.

“What?!?”

“Need to know ... and you don’t.” Joe said, “They’ll be here no more than 60 minutes and they were never here.” He turned to the shovel and pick crew, “You got that? Never here.”

Assorted utterations of Yes Sir. And we were alone.

“On me,” Joe said.

The Guard building is on Fighter Drive ... we crossed it and went to an unoccupied, and rather dilapidated, building on Outlaw Country Drive ... where we were issued well used passports, new visas, verbal instructions and shooed back to our Sandy. We were freshly fueled, ran our check list left.

Long flights are boring ... however ... long single engine flights over BIG water have their own charm ... when you’re at 1oo feet. Don’t make mistakes keeps the interest up.

Feet dry was at Dzilam de Bravo Municipality and we roared across the Yucatan at 170 knots dropping in to land at BASE AEREA MILITAR, Cozumel. We were expected.

My baby was fueled, oiled, wiped down and installed in a secure hangar at the base. The base commander wanted to know ‘What was up.”

“I can’t tell you ... it’s need to know and you don’t.”

“I’m not sure I like that.”

“I’ll tell you what we’re doing ... and that’s all.”

“Proceed.”

“We’re watching every cruise ship that docks at the International Pier.”

“Looking for someone?”

“We’re watching every cruise ship that docks at the International Pier.”

“You said that.”

“Yes.”

We rode our bicycles to Caleta marina where I paid cash for a bank repossed 42 foot 2007 Lagoon owners model catamaran. I got it for half asking price.

Sixty-eight grand complete ... including a one year old 11 foot 15 hp Tohatsu outboard powered Highfield dinghy, a stand up and a two person ocean kayak. A steal.

The marina had two ... but the 36 was just too small.

The 42 is going to feel cramped. I’m used to a 65.

Ten days of warmth ... ten days of fun ... ten days of SEX! Yea! Me!

In between rolls in the hay and cruise ship arrivals ... we explored. That was when I found I was interested in Archaeology. Cozumel had an active Mayan population.

On a Wednesday a cruise ship docked and 99% of the passengers disembarked ... a few stayed.

Tyche was using binoculars to examine the ship. One elderly gent set up an excellent telescope with a monitor and was scanning the general seaside. In one of his passes, he saw Tyche scanning him. She lowered her optics and waved. He looked shocked and called to someone. Soon a crewman approached the elderly fellow with a large posterboard. The old man wrote something on it and held it up.

Intrigued I focused on the poster...

‘Sultry Wench Shingle?’

I found a white piece of cardboard and wrote, ‘My Grandmother.’

On his board he wrote, ‘Come aboard?’

‘When?’ I wrote on mine.

‘Now,’ return write.

‘OK.’ Now I was out 0f room.

‘Starboard side.’ This one was written by the crewmember.

“Adam?”

“Yes?”

“Get up,” I said. “I have to run to the ship.”

“That’ll be interesting.”

“I’m taking the dinghy.”

“Oh ... see you.”

I grabbed the painter and pulled the dinghy to the stern sugar-scoop. The Tohatsu started first pull.

The Nordic Princess was port side docked, I powered down the starboard side and a hatch opened almost at the waterline. I entered and a couple of crew manhandled the dinghy into the port and my guide took me to an elevator that took me to the observation deck.

“You look just like your grandmother.”