Chapter 35

Wednesday

We wake early and get ready for the day. The last of our things are packed ready to go, and we’ve a very filling breakfast. After breakfast we have a number of visitors wishing us a safe journey: Taiki and Sachi Nagumi, Tomoya Nagumi, Shoji Kybo, Takeo Tanaka, Kazuki Sasaki, Daiki Kondō, and his father. We exchange small gifts with them all, as they were expected, and we’re off to the airport in time to arrive at eleven in the morning. We’re very early because I wish to have a good look at the airport and investigate the troubles that were mentioned yesterday.

The bus drops us off at the airport entrance, and then it goes around to drop off our luggage. Today we’ve been assigned a gate at the end of the concourse to make security around the baggage storage area easier. Most of our weapons and special extras are in the baggage, only those with weapons licences for Japan and the USA are armed today, apart from the small items we ninjas carry that don’t require a special permit. I’m not worried about any of the security screening, because we’re on a private jet and I will just approve the gear when we go to board. Being private we’re not subject to the same security as the commercial flights.

Just after our arrival I find out what they were talking about as the problem at the airport. On Monday afternoon a landing Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400 lost an engine to a radio controlled model plane while on final approach. The model plane got sucked into the engine and totalled it. The plane is out of commission until a new engine arrives and is fitted to the plane.

Just over four hundred and fifty passengers were stranded by this, because they couldn’t depart on their scheduled flight. Japan Airlines are doing all they can to get the passengers on their way, but they don’t have a spare aircraft to fly them out on. At present they’re paying the ticket price differences to get people on departing flights of other airlines, but all flights are full, and the best hope the passengers have is to sit at the terminal while waiting as stand-by passengers. A few have managed to get on flights that way, but there are still four hundred and twelve passengers trying to get out. Most are people returning to the USA.

While we make our way through the packed concourse I think about this as I run some numbers in my head. Ryū has eighty passenger seats, two flight crew seats, two extra flight crew seats, two seats in the office, and two drop seats for cabin crew in the galley; that’s a total of eighty-eight seats we can stuff people in, although I think of Ryū as an eighty seat plus flight crew plane. We can’t have someone spend the whole flight on the drop seats or the two extra flight deck seats, but we can have people rotate through them. My group is now twenty-seven plus flight crew of four, making thirty-one. That means I can take away another fifty-seven people, that isn’t much in the big scheme of things, but it’s still over one in eight of the people stranded here, and it reduces some of the pressure on the facilities here. Now, how do I go about doing this?

Making a Deal

I look around for the airline offices here at the airport; the nearest one is for a leading US airline. As most of the passengers are from the US I go over to ask one of the staff, “Excuse me, Ma’am, can I please speak to the manager about this problem with the passengers?” She gives me a smile, and goes to speak to an older man a few steps away.

He glances at me, and speaks. She returns to me, saying, “I’m sorry, Sir, but he says he’s too busy to see you right now. Can I help you?”

I smile, “No, I’m sorry, but you can’t! When he does have some free time you may wish to tell him that he just blew an opportunity to get some good publicity for your airline, as I was going to offer you some help. Now I’ll talk to one of the other airlines. Have a nice day.” She looks very surprised, but wishes me a nice day too. I take a note of the name plates on both, so I can let their head office know what happened.

Since I’m an Australian I head for the Qantas office next. I find it a bit further along. With my entourage still in tow I walk over to join the line for general enquiries, as against those for boarding passengers. When I reach the front I ask the staff member, “Excuse me, Ma’am, can I please speak to the manager about this problem with the passengers?” She gives me a smile, and looks over the group behind me. We’re all in nice looking casual clothes with most of us in corporate colours and wearing our capes, so it’s clear we’re part of the same group. After giving me a quick nod she goes over to an older man at the other end of the counter.

She waits for a break in the conversation with the current client he’s dealing with then she speaks to him, he glances over, and speaks to her. On her return she says, “As you can see, he’s dealing with another issue at the moment. However, if you’ll be kind enough to move a pace to the side to wait while he finishes that he’ll see you next. That should only be a few minutes.” I thank her, and step to the side while telling my people to move back from the counter a little to give them more room. The lady behind the counter smiles when they do, and she speaks with the next person in line.

A few minutes later the manager finishes sorting out the problem for the other client, and he comes down to talk to me. He reaches the end of the counter, and says, “Good afternoon, Sir. How may I help you?”

I smile back, and say, “Actually, I think I can help you. How would you like the good publicity of getting over fifty of these people in the air and out of here in one go?”

He looks us all over, and says, “I’m sure head office would really love to do that. Please come through to my office, and tell me how you propose to make this minor miracle happen.” He waves to a door beside the counter while he walks into the open doorway behind the counter. A moment later the door opens. I sign for my people to wait here while I enter, he’s about to close the door when Tora walks in on my tail.

I look at her, and she says, “Orders from Captain Dasler and Sharon, one guard is to be with you at all times when out in public.”

The manager’s eyebrows go up a bit, but he just smiles while he closes the door, and he waves us to two seats on one side of a small desk while he moves around to sit on the other, it has a lot of papers in racks on the wall around it. We sit down, and I say, “There’s an unpublicised private jet scheduled to land in a couple of hours. It’s my Airbus A three one eight with seating for eighty passengers plus a few crew seats. My flight plan is Hawaii, Los Angeles, and home to Frederick, Maryland. If we can come to some sort of arrangement in regards to servicing and meals Qantas can get the publicity for talking me into taking on board fifty-five passengers and, if I stuff them in jump seats as well, another two.”

He gives me a penetrating look, then he turns to check something on the computer on the desk. Turning back to me he says, “Convince me, give me the plane’s call sign.”

“Well, it’s been a few weeks since I spoke with my chief pilot, so I don’t know which call sign he’s using. We had been using the plane’s name, which is Ryū. But when we last spoke I suggested he use a call sign of Dragging Air, because he’s dragging my arse through the air. He didn’t like the joke, but the rest of the flight crew did.”

“Do you mind if I bring in some of the people from Japan Airlines and get my head office on the speaker phone?” I nod approval, so he opens the big drawer in the desk, and pulls out a speaker phone while he uses the phone on the desk to call another number to speak to the manager of the local office of Japan Airlines. They speak Japanese, and the other man agrees to come visit. While he changes phones the manager says, “Sorry, I should have introduced myself, I’m Jason Mason. Things have been so hectic the last few days we’re all doing double shifts.”

I reach across the desk to shake the offered hand, “Al Adams.” We shake hands while he calls his head office in Australia. It takes a few minutes for him to be talking to someone with enough authority to approve special aircraft service arrangements. Just as that person comes on-line there’s a knock on the door. Tora gets up to open the door for a man wearing Japan Airlines corporate clothing. Both Mr Mason and I stand to bow our greetings. When we sit again Mr Mason waves at a seat beside the desk, the last in the room, and our visitor sits down too.

Jason, introduces Mr Matsuda to me, and me to Mr Matsuda as Mr Adams. Mr Matsuda looks at me then he looks at the logo, he smiles wide, and says, “Mister Al Adams, the very important businessman!” He makes it clear he’s made the link, and this is a statement. I nod yes, while Mr Mason looks puzzled. “It’s so good to meet you, Sir. My wife has a distant cousin you know, your good friend Kybo-san.” I smile, and nod yes while Mr Mason’s eyes go very wide; it seems he knows of Mr Kybo.

I lean back, and say, “Right, here’s the deal. Ryū is coming in to pick me and my people up to take us home to Frederick, Maryland. We’ll have seating for fifty-five, fifty-seven if I stick people on the drop seats for the cabin crew, which I don’t normally use. Ryū will be stopping for servicing at Hawaii and Los Angeles. I don’t really care how you go about organising the publicity aspects, but what I want is servicing here, Hawaii, and LA. Baggage handling, refuelling, drinks and food for all on board, and rubbish removal. Meals to be in single serve boxes, drinks to be cans or plastic bottles, and no alcohol. No smoking on board, either. I get to pick who gets to board. Also, I may pick someone from another flight as long as they have full reservations and they hand them over for those from the cancelled flight. I don’t care how you assign the handed over tickets. I don’t want to get into the hassles of selling tickets or organising all of the other stuff. So I’ll give people a free ride, and you’ll give me free services as a thank you. I also have some spare cargo space that I’ll let you throw some stuff in to fill it up. What’s available won’t be known until we know how much the other passenger luggage uses.”

They’re all a little stunned for a moment, then the three start to discuss the matter: two in the room with one on the phone. After a few minutes they come to an agreement on cost splitting while they agree to it all. After that it’s organised mayhem for the two local managers while they arrange for Ryū to be serviced by their people. Mr Mason will look after the food and fuel while Mr Matsuda will organise the tickets and gate staff here. Qantas HQ will handle Hawaii and LA. With that all set I head off to organise the passengers for the flight, all fifty-seven of them. Both of the airlines will get the publicity by pushing it as a joint effort.

Passenger Picking

After Mr Matsuda introduces Chie and I to two of the Japan Airlines counter staff he sets up a section for them to book in people for tickets on the Dragging Air flight. Only Chie and I can authorise the issue of tickets for the flight. She’ll stay here while I wander around with Andre and Tora to pick out people to fly with us. The Japan Airlines staff will take their tickets to cross them off the list if on the cancelled flight list, or issue their tickets to people from the list. They’ll also do the coordinating of the change of passenger with the other airlines.

No sooner do we get to the area where the majority of passengers are waiting to see if they can get flights than I have to deal with a problem. I spot a late twenties woman with three young children, she’s almost asleep in a seat while a Japanese youth is opening her purse from behind the seat. I take a few running steps to leap over a large waist high rubbish bin to land beside him and grab his neck as his hand comes out of the lady’s purse. He’s startled, and he reaches under his shirt with his other hand. My tanto appears faster than he can get his hand under his shirt, and he stops his hand when I place my knife at his throat. “Hand the lady what you were removing from her purse,” I demand. Since I speak in Japanese he can’t claim to not understand me. The lady turns at the sound of a voice so close. She jumps on seeing the situation, and her eyes go wide when his hand rises to hand over her purse and tickets. She starts to thank me, and Andre walks up. “Andre, please find out what flight this lady is on and what her situation is. Tora, am I right to think a Yakuza clan is responsible for this area, and one should be visible from here?”

Andre nods yes, and starts a quiet talk with the lady as Tora says, “Yes, Lord. I can see a low level member of the clan approaching us.”

A man walks up, and says, “What are you doing with my cousin?”

I look up at him, the boy has no clan markings, so this can’t be a clan operation. I suspect it is a private operation on the side. Looking up at him I say, “I want to speak to the senior member of your clan here at the airport. I want him here, right now! Call him!” He goes to speak and reach for his knife instead of his phone. “If you grab a weapon I’ll kill the boy and then I’ll kill you. Decide.” He’s still hesitating. “Tora, call Mister Kybo for me to have him call the leader of this clan to pass on my request for the meeting as a priority matter.” When Tora reaches for her phone the man finally gets his out, and they both make calls.

A couple of minutes later a middle aged man is approaching us, he has three younger men with him. I stand up, and pull the youth up with me. All four new men have clan markings, and the older one is talking on the phone while he walks. He stops in front of me.

After making a slight bow I say, “I caught this young pickpocket trying to steal from one of the passengers trapped by Monday’s problems. This young man then approached and ordered me to release his cousin. I do not know what the usual arrangement the clan has with regards to passengers at international airports, but whatever it is it at the moment it now changes as follows. No stealing from any passengers at the terminal except rich businessmen, and then limit that to their money. Take the wallet then have it left where it’s quickly found and returned to them so they can have their other papers back before they leave. I don’t want to hear about tourists who spend their savings for a once in a lifetime trip to this great country complaining because someone stole their papers or money in the airport. Too many such complaints and the tourists stop coming. Such an event isn’t good for the economy or the clans. How you deal with these two I leave up to you. But I see the main one at fault here as the older, because he should know better.”

The two cousins are very surprised when the senior clan member bows, and says, “Yes, Lord, it will be as you say. I’ve often spoken of such a limited activity as you say, and so have some of the clan leaders. But others have spoken against, and have outnumbered us. With your solid support on this I’m sure they will now change their minds. They would rather lose a small additional income than their lives and all of their income.” While he speaks he waves to those with him, and they take control of the other two. I smile as they move the shocked thieves away.

When I turn to Andre he tells me the woman and her children are from the cancelled flight. They’re on their way home, if they can. They’re going home early due to her husband being injured. They changed flights to go back two weeks early, and now can’t get on a flight for four weeks, unless they get a set of four as stand-by passengers. They’d been here visiting her parents who are working in the country.

Smiling at the woman I hand her one of my business cards, and tell her to take her family to the Japan Airline counter because they just got seats to leave today. She looks stunned and not sure if to believe me, so I add, “Ma’am, if I’m telling you the truth you get on a plane today. If I’m lying all you lose is the short walk to the counter and back. Surely it’s worth the trouble to check it out?” Sighing, she nods yes to me, and stands up while her children grab their three carry-on bags then they head to the counter. I watch her go. After she hands the card to Chie she turns to smiles at me when the counter staff take her tickets and give her new ones for a flight today. I smile, and move off through the large crowd, looking for more deserving people.

Sticking a Bastard

Most of the crowd seem wealthy or business types, and I’m looking for those who can’t afford to hang around. While I move past one row of seating to the next I hear a large man say in a loud voice, “I don’t care if you’re travelling with your family and they’ve the seats by yours. The ticket you have was bought by the company and I, as a more senior member of the company than you, am swapping tickets. You can wait here the extra week or so until they can get you on a replacement flight. And I’ll be quite happy to see your lovely wife gets home safely.” It’s clear this doesn’t suit the other man or his wife. I can see they’re about to say something they shouldn’t.

Walking over I butt in, “He’s right. If the company bought the ticket the company management can change who uses it. You’d best hand it over. Mind you, I’d get that order from him in writing first, because the extra time you’re hanging around here is time you’re on the company clock. If you’re waged staff and not salaried that’s going to be a lot of overtime they have to pay you.” The woman is shocked, at first, and smiles at my mention of overtime. The business executive doesn’t like it. But he is in a hurry to get back to the USA, so he writes out the order, they exchange tickets, and the man wanders off to have the passenger list changed. I wait until he’s out of earshot, then turn to the couple, “Now, let’s really stick it to that bastard, but good.”

They give me strange looks while I lead them and their two children to the Japan Airlines counter, and say, “Mister Matsuda, do you have three very obnoxious people who are on your priority list to get out of here on another flight?” He smiles. “Good, then please have them swap their tickets with this lady and her two children. Then swap those tickets and this man’s ticket for four seats on the Dragging Air flight today.” They smile when they realise what I’m doing. I turn to the couple, “My luxury private jet will be taking on board some extra passengers when it leaves a little later today, and you’re now on the flight. It stops at Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Frederick. You have to list which stop you want.”

The woman grins, saying, “Our original flight leaves mid-afternoon with a four hour layover in Hawaii and a six hour layover in Los Angeles for a multi-stop regional flight to Pittsburgh, then a multi-stop local flight to Gettysburg. That return flight will have us home two days later than your direct flight, thank you so much.” I smile at them before I go back to search for more, that’s eight people, and I need a lot more.

Surprise Meeting

Walking through the crowd I notice a knot of eleven people in army fatigues lining up for food at a take-away food shop. I recognise a few, and some of the others look vaguely familiar; like someone I’ve seen but not been introduced to. Walking up behind the group I smile, and say in my best officious voice, “Your travel orders, Sergeant?”

Sergeant Steve ‘Powder’ Curry spins around while he reaches for some papers in his pocket. The others turn to look as well. On seeing it’s me Powder stops his scramble for papers, and exclaims, “Arctic! What the hell are you doing here?”

Both Tora and Andre say, “Arctic?” I glance at them, and they smile.

“Been on a holiday, Powder, and I’m now heading home. And you?”

“Going to the US to teach some people the right way to do things. But our flight out got cancelled. So now we’re waiting on stand-by.”

“Not any more, you aren’t. You just got seats on Dragging Air, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Frederick in Maryland. Pick a get off point.”

“Dragging Air, never heard of them. And how do you know?”

“My plane is coming to take me home to Frederick. That’s where Dad and I ended up after his retirement. It has a few vacant seats so I’m doing what I can to relieve the congestion here.”

Steve loses his smile when he remembers why Dad retired. “Good to see you looking so well. We’ll be happy to fly with you. We’re heading to Virginia, so that puts us close enough we can take a bus over. I’ll have to make a call to get approval, though.”

“Of course you have to get clearance from HQ. And I’ll even let my people fly you down to NAS Oceana at Virginia Beach, they’ve got the OK to land there, so that puts you real handy to where you need to go.” He blinks twice, because I’ve just told him I can drop him off at a restricted access military air base. He smiles while he reaches for his cell phone to make a call. When he hangs up after getting approval to switch flights a soldier walks up to hand him a bag with his lunch. I hand over one of my cards, and send them off to see Chie. They all smile while they pick up their duffel bags, packs, and move off.

Moving through the crowd I pick out some more families to send to Chie. I’m looking at groups with kids as my main priority.

Child Care

We’ve almost got our quota when I hear a baby crying, but I can’t see it when I look around. I need more height, so I take two quick steps to jump on top of one of the large rubbish bins near a support column. It takes only a moment to spot a woman with two young children and a crying baby on seats a few rows over, she’s crying as well.

After hopping down I head through the crowd. I reach the woman, she’s Japanese, but the children are part Caucasian. There’s a baby travel bag beside her leg, and the five baby bottles are empty. I go to the woman, and the oldest child, a girl of about seven years old, moves between us with the clear intent of not letting me bother her mother.

I squat down, and ask, “How long since the baby had something?”

The girl studies me for a moment, “Last night, about midnight.”

Shit, that’s too long for a child of this age. I pull out my cell phone, and hit a speed dial, they answer, “Hideko, I need a nurse and several bottles of baby formula right now! The baby hasn’t had anything for about twelve hours.” I look around, and give her my location by its relationship to some of the shops and other landmarks. Turning to Andre I hand him some money, “Get some food for these two kids and the mother.” He nods to me, and he moves off to the food shops.

The mother has stopped crying, but the tears are still rolling down her face while she and her two children stare at me. I reach out, and take the baby from her. Placing the child with its head on my shoulder I rub the baby’s back while I speak quiet words in a calming voice. The child is still not happy, but it settles down a lot. I do a sort of close order waltz while I hold the baby. I know the movement will help quiet the child, but I don’t want to seem as if I’m taking the child away from the mother.