Chapter 64

She is a very good pilot, I thought.

On the TBP (Talk Between Pilots ... it’s an intercom channel separate from the radio ... no broadcast.) I asked, “Abby ... I’m not sure I understand what happened.”

“Raining, thunderstorm, twentieth anniversary of mom’s death, I had pissed off Dad, he took off ... bought a carton of cans.”

“What?”

“In Australia a carton is 24 or 36 half liter cans,” she said.

“Ooo, 17 ounce cans,” I said. “Good beer?”

“Reich’s Draught. Daddy is a member of the club.”

Reich’s Draught has an association of supporters that seek to continue the brand and brew. The bitter has already been abandoned by the brewers.

“After 3 cans, I took his car keys. Had to wrestle him for them,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve told the story.

“My 20th birthday ... Mom died birthing me ... Daddy was mourning her passing. I joined him drinking. We ran out of beer. I had his keys. I remember I was going for more. I opened the door, stepped out and lightning struck the tree in the backyard.

“The police report said the tree exploded ... I got hit by shrapnel ... and the bolt struck an abandoned underground pipe ... I was standing over the end of it.”

“Ouch.”

“Yup ... coma for three months ... doctors were ‘experimenting’ ... The Seven took me to Crossroads ... the hospital never found my body ... I’m dead.”

“In Australia,” I said.

“Yup.”

“Not dead here.”

“Nope.” She said, “There’s zero possibility of explaining it to the authorities ... here or there. Go with the life you have.”

“You miss your dad?”

“Yes ... but he has his life. Go with the one you’ve got.”

The AD is supposed to be a Dive Bomber ... this one was stressed for a nuclear weapon ‘toss’ ... hug the deck ... treetop level ... rapid climb ... toss the bomb ... dive and hope you survive. America was never a ‘suicide nation.’ Give ‘em the chance to make it. The AD was stressed for violent maneuvers.

Abby flung the plane into an airshow. I’m experienced ... she was amazing ... I didn’t get sick ... it was close ... but no cigar.

They ... we all know who they are ... were waiting.

“Don’t look at me ... she did it,” I said, throwing Abby under the bus.