Chapter 104

Jeff turned to Frank, but he was already on another line with Reed, the helicopter pilot.

" ... I'm about ten minutes out of Boulder with an older couple on board. Fifteen minutes after we land, I'm scheduled to pick up a group of four who are bound for Fort Collins."

"Who are they?"

"Hang on a sec..." then after a moment, "A Mr. Thaddeus Snider with three more in his group."

Wainwright chuckled. "I know him. Do you have a contact number for him? I have it, but it's back in my suite."

"Yeah ... His cell is..." and Reed gave Frank the number.

"I'll call you back in a few minutes. In the meantime, as soon as you drop your fare off, get out here ASAP. Don't worry about Snider, he'll work with me on this."

"Will do."

But Wainwright didn't even hear the pilot's answer, for he was already dialing. After the call was answered and pleasantries exchanged, Frank got down to business. "Thad, one of the things we advertise for the helicopter service is our reliability, but I'm going to divert your ride and screw that up. We have a family emergency and I need that chopper for an hour or so. Your trip will be free of course, as will be the next one, to help make up for the inconvenience."

"Ah, hell, Frank, we've been gone two weeks anyway, a little more time won't hurt a bit. We can just go in the lounge and have a couple while we wait. No problem. Can I do anything to help with your family emergency?"

"You already have by letting us use the helicopter for a while."

"Take your time, Frank. Hell, you've always been good to me. We're not in a hurry, anyway."

Frank grinned as he redialed his pilot. "Pick up your fares after you get back to Boulder with my group. You will have six, plus the flight crew and security to pick up here."

Frank hung up and turned to Jeff. "Both copters are busy, but I delayed Whitmore's group. Your ride is on the way. And before you ask, it won't cause any problems. He's a nice guy and..."

" ... You did him a favor," Jeff finished for him.

Wainwright chuckled. "Every chance I get to do a favor, I do it, then sometimes I call one of those favors in. It was his turn today. No big deal."

Jill and Kathy came back into the kitchen a few minutes later pulling three cases. Jeff raised an eyebrow. "We always have a backup bag ready," Kathy said. "If we come in from a flight and immediately have to go back out, we're always ready."

"Mr. Matthews, this is Judge Wiley Carver. I believe you spoke with my wife a short time ago?"

"Uh, Judge, you may not remember me..."

"I do, indeed, remember you, Mr. Matthews. I have an excellent memory, and an efficient assistant. Plus, there are several other reasons to recall you and the two girls you petitioned the court to have you become their legal guardian. By the way, how are those girls, Jennie and Melissa, as I recall?"

Jeff doubted that the judge's memory was that good, and suspected he was looking at the file. "They're fine, Sir."

"My wife tells me that our young visitor is Jennie's sister, Hope."

"Yes, Jennie is positive that the girl at your home is Hope."

"If Hope is, indeed, Jennie's sister, then it becomes obvious that Jennie and Hope's father, Clifford Stewart, was killed in that motel room. Their last name and address are the same. There is an FBI agent on the way to my office to brief me on what they know about this girl's, uh, Hope's situation. But from what he told me on the phone, they are unable to find her mother, or any other member of the family."

"Judge, Jennie is frantic to see her sister, and if you can't find their mother, my wife and I would certainly be willing to take care of Hope. That way, the sisters could be together."

"You and I need to talk, Mr. Matthews. And I would need to talk privately with Jennie before I decide anything concerning Hope."

"I'm not sure how long it will take us to get there. The helicopter is on the way to pick us up and take us to the airport. We will leave Boulder in a private jet shortly after arriving there. I assume you want to meet us at your court..."

"Normally, yes, but the sisters need to meet in less threatening surroundings, and I don't want to take Hope out of our home environment just yet. Suppose you come to my home, instead. I think there would be less trauma for Hope, particularly considering her rather delicate mental condition right now. Also, I should have more information about what's going on after talking with the FBI."

"I'll bring Jennie, my wife and my daughter with us, plus a licensed child counselor who is also the teacher at our school. If you will give me your home address..."

The judge gave Jeff the address and his cell phone number, then asked Jeff to call with an estimated arrival time after they were on the plane.

Jeff had a quick conversation with Lieutenant Mayfield via radio, which set a planned chain of events in motion. Mayfield switched channels and informed his troops, then the base.

A moment later at the old ski lodge, Mayfield stuck his head in the door and snapped out, "Carter, you're with me. Civvies. We ride with the Colonel and some of his family. His chopper is on the way from Boulder as we speak."

Ten minutes later, a black Escalade sat idling, two doors standing open, only steps from the ski lodge door. Troopers met the two as they stepped out of quarters. After grabbing Mayfield's and Carter's gear, the troopers sprinted with it down the hall and out the front where they quickly put the equipment in the waiting vehicle. Mayfield grinned as someone pushed a big thermos of coffee into Carter's hands. That wasn't part of the plan, he thought. But it damn sure is going to be added to it. I wonder what else we missed. Hopefully not much. Shit, don't fuck up now, he admonished himself as he slammed his door closed. The vehicle shot away before he could even give them the command.

At the base, the General sat watching the big screen as the security vehicle began to roll. Checking his watch, the frown that had adorned his face for the last few minutes gradually changed to a smile.

"I just checked. Temperature is seventy-five degrees in Atlanta," Diana said as they all gathered in the living room, each of the five women pulling a small rolling case, with Arlene pulling an extra one — Jeff's.

"Should I have brought you a suit?" his Queen asked. "If you have to go to court..."

"No," Jeff said. "Casual clothes will be fine. I'm sure the judge will handle things from his home. He's obviously concerned about Hope refusing to speak and continuously staring into space."

"Jeff, she's got to come back with us," Jennie fretted. "Diana just looked it up on the web. From what we read on the news item, it was a miracle she wasn't killed in that room. What was she doing there? Daddy was a shit, but it must have been horrible to see him killed like that..."

"Easy, Baby. I didn't have much of a problem getting this same judge to see things my way when we brought you and Melissa home with us. Come on; think about it. He's taken Hope home with him — well, he and his wife have. He obviously doesn't like the foster home system. But we don't know anything about where your mother is. Maybe she left to get away from your Dad. Hope might know where she is. We still have too many variables. We're mostly guessing right now."

"But we're rid of the bastard at last," Jennie said, barely loud enough to be heard.

Melissa sat beside Jennie and hugged her, then looking at Jeff, "She's always been afraid that her father would somehow get her back. Now she doesn't have to worry about that."

"But we really don't know anything about your mother," Jeff added, looking at Jennie.

"I hope Mom is all right," Jennie quietly said.

"If we can't find your mother, I assume you want us to bring Hope back here with us?" Jeff asked, knowing the answer, but making certain.

"Yeah. With all my being, I do." A frown creased her pretty brow. "Mother could have stopped Daddy, or at least caused enough trouble to make him quit, but she didn't. He kept fucking me, and I guess he started on Hope somewhere along in there. Mother and I had several, uh..."

"Fights," Melissa offered.

"Yeah, that's close enough. Anyway, she and I were barely speaking after the night we walked in on them and you 'convinced' them to allow me to come live with you. But I don't want her dead. Oh, heck, I don't know what to think right now."

HELICOPTER APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH — IDENTIFIED AS CAPTAIN REED'S AIRCRAFT. CAPTAIN REED HAS BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO LAND, the AI said.

"Acknowledged," Jeff replied. Then to the others, "Let's go out through the inside garage. We can just walk over to the helipad, instead of using a vehicle. The wind isn't blowing and the sun is out — well, at least for the moment," he chuckled. "Dave just cleared the path and pad for us."

The rotors were barely stilled when they arrived. A couple minutes later, they were airborne.

Shortly, Bill, in the right seat to get some rotary time, said over the intercom to Reed, "Notice what's on our six?"

"You mean the Apache?"

"Yeah. That was your ride in Iraq, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Miss it?"

Reed chuckled. "I miss flying the Apache, but I damn sure don't mind not being shot at."

"Me either," Madison said. "Me either."

In the jet, they had barely leveled off at altitude when Kathy's voice came over the speakers. "If you would like to see an F-22 Raptor up close, then look off our starboard wing. The pilot says he'll be with us all the way. Probably going to be a boring trip for him having to laze along at four hundred and eighty knots with us."

Shortly, the fighter flipped to a ninety degree bank and peeled away to take up station well behind them.

"Shit," Jeff said under his breath. "The General has gone nuts." Then to Diana, "Can you imagine how much money he has spent just so we can go to Atlanta?"

Carter, having overheard Jeff, and having a long association with him, said, "Ah, come on, Colonel. They have to train anyway. Those pilots are probably tickled to get to do something useful."

Jeff moved back to his seat and snuggled Jennie to him. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but it still makes me uncomfortable. It's like I'm a celebrity or something. I have to tell you guys if I'm going for a run, or we decide to go shopping. Then this."

"This sure isn't bothering us any, Colonel," Carter chuckled. "A chance to ride in a luxury aircraft beats the heck out of our ride when we went to Bismarck, eh, Sir?"

Jeff also chuckled. "Yeah, and it sure is quieter, too."

Later, Jill approached Jeff. "Bill would like to talk to you, Jeff."

"Sure," he responded, carefully easing a sleeping Jennie from his shoulder as Diana put her arms around the girl. A moment later, he leaned into the cockpit.

Captain Madison turned partially to address his Prime. "You will have an SUV waiting when we get to the airport. Kathy also asked them to make sure it has a GPS installed, in case you don't know where the judge's address is."

"I don't," Jeff said. "That will help a lot. You three..."

"We have a suite next to yours at the Airport Hilton, and security has the one on the other side of you. Looks like the temperature will be in the mid seventies when we get there, with clear skies. Shall I go with you, or wait?"

Jeff sighed. "We'll be beyond lucky if we get out of there tomorrow. The process took more than a week for Jennie and Melissa, and the parents were all there ready to sign. I have no idea how long this will take, but Hope is going home with us, one way or the other. I suggest you guys just do what you want and have a good time. I'll call you in plenty of time should things wind up faster than I anticipate. We should be back to the suite later tonight to bring you up to date on what's going on."

As they pulled out of the airport with Lieutenant Mayfield and Carter following in another SUV, Arlene was on the phone with Ann. " ... I wish you could have seen it. That fighter was right alongside us. The pilot sort of waggled his wings, then just zipped away, but he stayed behind us all the way to Atlanta. It was neat, and that fighter looks sexy and ... lethal."

After they got on I-285, I've missed this — yeah, just like I would miss an abscessed tooth, Jeff thought sardonically as traffic slowed to a halt, yet again. At least Jill talked us into eating on the plane, so we don't have to waste another hour trying to get into a restaurant.