Chapter 1

Taipei to Narita to New York took 23.5 hours overall and people thought that was a good flight. Yeah, I should say SOME people. Me, I’m not impressed with the choices of crackers, salted squid and orange Nehi available at 3:30 am during the herding operation in Narita. One very nice FA even exchanged some Yen for Pounds or American dollars though, so I had enough to pay the exit fees in Japanese money; of course no banks or money exchanges open at 3:30 am.

Off Plane A we went, then waited and re-boarded the same Plane A a few hours later; meanwhile the place keeps sinking. Reminds one of that engineering marvel in Dubai.(Nakheel Tower along with a few others) Not the only one though just was never even completed; ‘Cheep, Cheep, you buy now, you swim later; Velly Good Deal’ seemed to be the mantra of the month there.(Duh ... I know Cheap. Those man-made islands done by the lowest bidder with sand from the sea)

It’s the excuse I often use for my foul moods.

In my opinion, granted not to be taken any other way, the rules and hoop-jumping required when traveling to several countries makes commercial flights the method of choice; too much scrutiny and paperwork for private jets when several countries are involved.

They call landing in a New York airport a pleasant experience, but who cares. Getting from JFK to your Manhattan Hotel can be another experience, the best, fastest way is the helicopter, private charter costing about $900 per seat if shared or $1,970 plus, plus, plus by a charter unless you have your own bird; even then your hotel choices and times are limited.(9:00 am to 4:30 pm usually) Note: You pretty much are limited to using the central helipad since 1977 rather than landing at any particular hotel.

Now, you may wonder what all this nonsense has to do with the story; well it does.The point, money buys a lot of things. New York is one of those places you can spend a lot and buy ‘almost’ anything but not everything. That’s were this story begins. Looking back, she was pretty smart, pretty and young too and smartly dressed to the nines. At places like this and in New York proper, one might expect something like this.

Her greeting at the Helipad was not expected though.

“Hi, my name is Hannah! Can I ‘escort’ you around the city? She said that with a straight face. She was dressed much like a fashion model and looked like one too; not some street-walker you might see in many large cities. No, this girl was more like one that could be seen modeling on a runway in Paris or London, definitely not a normal pick-up date.

“I n’a speak’a da anglais, langa much, missi!”

“Thanks for telling me but that’s OK, I speak 7 languages and can muddle through six others; besides you came in on a private bird, not a charter.”

“Good eyes lady! Does this mean ‘The Company’ sent you or what.”

“No Tovarich, Comrade Iyanenchov did, wanted you not to get lost in the big city!”

“Da! That happens when I am not in Moscow, much traffic here!”(Pun, Moscow traffic like LA)

“So, we have ‘d’accord’?”(Agreement in French)

“Unless you have your passport or get very friendly with them, some Commisar will not be happy if I bring you back with me though! The way you look we can probably go anywhere else; not just to the ‘big red building’(Kremlin, Pun too maybe)”

“If we will go to very cold places ‘WE’ need to stop in Paris or Milan to get me warmer outfits. I don’t wear much!”

“Somewhere warm then. Rio is nice this time of year and we both can brush up on our Portugues. Natasha, is it?” Pause: “You’re funny, like a coral snake; beautiful but deadly no doubt.”

“Oh, I love it, a smart man and very observant.”

“Never let it be said that I ignored a challenge, and, my dear, you appear to be a very delightful challenge. I need one day here for business then, as you said, we can go somewhere else warm perhaps if not Rio?”

“Fate! I just had a good feeling when I saw you!”

“I’ll bet you say that to all the men with their own chopper.”

“Oh No! Rich women too especially if they have an Augusta or a Jet Ranger.(Nice civilian helicopters with doors even) I’m serious though, I felt something when I saw you.”

“Clutched your purse tighter, did you?”

“That’s probably it! I figured you had to pay the bills someway.”

“I’m serious, I can send you back home in a car and pick you up when it’s time to leave or there is room for you in the hotel if you really don’t wear much, they will have some night clothes maybe designer stuff if we are lucky?”

It had been a long time since Mike/Mikel or whatever he called himself was not alone. Most of this exile was self-imposed, some because the potential company was just not worth the bother. This ‘Natasha’(not her real name) seemed ... interesting, certainly not boring. Would be the type ‘The Company’ or ‘Minders’ would send. In another vein, if she was Czech, the long ash-blong hair, blue eyes and killer body would mean BIS(Secret/Special Police: Read ‘assassin’) was involved. As I said, she was interesting, beautiful and deadly to the touch; irresistable for me in other words.

“Hannah, make it quick packing; if you have to, but be aware, now that I’ve found you I’m keeping you; for awhile anyhow!”

“Why ‘Boris’, I didn’t know you cared! No, really, I’m just a simple girl with simple but expensive tastes. What I said earlier is true, Fate seems to have brought us together. My tastes just got less costly. Just don’t try take me places one must be 18!”

I closed my eyes.

She was laughing. “Oh! You cradle-robber you. Kidding, my birthday was last week. Now my sister, you can look at her but no touching, she’s not even 16.”

“I do have two arms, if she looks like you we all can go someplace warm, hot even.”

“Fate! I knew it!” As she linked his arm.