Chapter 6

To be or not to be ... As old Orville used to say, Friends and Family Come First

That black card was now crystal, and the airlines really treated me better. I got to Paris on a Air France helicopter from Nice. Then on to New York. There were a lot of flights to Regan and Thurgood Marshall, but none, in my timeframe to Virginia. I was tempted to even try Evergreen or any of the other 'Company' planes; but I had promised to stay away.

Air France tried but no luck. If I had to, I would charter a plane or helicopter. I heard a Jet Ranger III or the new A-5's could do 500 miles or so, if you had a pilot who would ignore the reserve rule. At this point, I would make it worth his efforts to do so. Victor, Angela and Marie were the only 'family' I had; and you can be damn sure nothing was stopping me from being there.

I had tried repeatedly to reach all of them on the SAT phones. I made another call in New York, Mr. Mac Gregorie(He thought Mac would sound more American), the older man at The Club, was my closest link to Victor's 'people'. He answered and I told him the detail. I was in New York trying to get 'Home". Yep, I now called Victor's Palace 'Home', as tears welled up.

"I don't know when but I'll you at 'The Club' ASAP. Please see what you can find out, and if they are not all-right, can you advise me who might help. Cost is no concern, Victor, Angela and Marie are worth anything and everything to me."

He said something strange to me.

"Welcome back, 'Boss', get here when you can."

Just about that time two very familiar figures came up to me at the airport lounge.

"Hi Pappy! Hi Deke! Long time! Wsup?"

"You, you old SOD. Word was, poor little you needed a ride back to Langley. One of the Air France pilots was old Legion and gave me a call when he recognized your name. So, is this a freebie or business, boy."

"Buddy, I need help, and it is not business, buy it is not a freebie. The closest thing to a 'family' I have called me when I was overseas. All I heard was to come home now, they needed help. So, whatever you clods want for a ride to Richmond, you got it."

"Nick, you know to go that far, we will have to break a few rules?"

"No, you break a rule. Be still my heart. Would the little 'Scorpion' you always wanted and a LZ right where I need to be influence you in any way?"

"Well since I always had my eye on this little red one, and never had the $3 Mil for it, and the fact that we have the extended tanks on 'Angel Baby', as long a Deke got that new S-550 he always wanted, I guess 'We be going to, Richmond', Bro."

"How long Pappy?'

"Well, since you're 'Company', and this is a 'Special Mission' the box is off and 'we be rollin' at top speed, I'd say 65 to 75 minutes, unless I get lost. You buying lunch, then I won't get lost?"

I called Mac. "MAC, ETS is 11-11:15. Can we land at the Club?"

"Is the Pope Catholic? Unless you have one of those Jumbo jobs; land in back or, if you came around more, you might have noticed a small strip for 'fast flyers'. I have a little new, but not too bad, yet, and a few 'friends' will meet us here, 'Boss'!"

"Mac, my ride there may be a might low on 'Go juice' have any JP-3 or JP-5 at the 'store' of yours?"

"Well, if'n your ride can drop a few 'friends' off at Victor's, I guess we can make them welcome here."

"Pappy, we got a 'Trade' in the works. Fuel, food, booze and 'who knows what else, in exchange for a little detour, you 'game?"

"Never let it be said I passed up food or booze."

"Mac, I think we got a deal, you wouldn't, by chance have a 'Scorpion or two in that 'store of yours?"

"Nick, Nick, what kind of "Store-keeper' would I be if we didn't keep a complete selection on-hand. We even have some better stuff, but no pilots."

"Mac, can I place a take out order for one 'red scorp', one S-550, and two cases of your sour mash, I am bringing 2 pilots with me, plus I can do a few too."

"If you boys can navigate some 'Hind III's to Victor's 'shack, we should be ready to 'Lock and Load', these beauties are fresh from Afghanistan. Still most of the cannons loaded too. I assume all this conversation was 'Protected'?"

"Yep, Your birds only, so unless 'Spetnaz Teams" are nearby, we should be OK."

"Ahh, Nick, Umm, a few of those 'friends' of 'ours' ARE nearby. But they are 'friends', very upset friends. Those 'Presents' will be waiting at the hanger later today. Do you want the 'Scorpion' regular or 'Extra' strong?"

"Pappy, Mac wants to know if you and Deke can play with Hind III's and if you take your 'Scorpion' regular or 'extra' strong? Deke, not sure what colour you S-550 will be, but if you need more, just give a shout."

"Your kidding, right Nick?" Both Pappy and Deke both asked.

"Is the Pope Catholic? I take that as a Yes. Mac, get 3 more rides ready to go and see if we can have a few different colours in the S-550's, my poor buddies don't know what they want, let them choose after we celebrate with Victor, who knows, maybe these clowns will want to stay. Pravda, Tovarich!"

"Pravda, 'Boss'!"

When Mac said that a few 'friends' were or had been 'Spetnaz" I had a feeling they might have done a few 'Hostage' rescues. I just hoped to Hell, that School was not going to be repeated. Pappy and Deke kept joking about whether the Hind's came with right hand or left hand steering wheels, or if one had training wheels. I was quiet all the way in.

"I made another call, "Mac, Hanger, lights in 10!"

"Right, 'Boss'!"

"Pappy, lights on at a small hanger in 10, SE 256, straight ahead."

"Rodger, Dodger!"

We landed, a track came our, wheels placed under us and in 1 minute we were inside the 'small' hanger. Mac a about 100 men were inside.

"Welcome home 'Boss". This drew a look from Pappy and Deke. That lasted all of 3 seconds as Pappy saw the line up of Hinds, SU, Vostok and TU lined up. When he saw the 'Scorpions', he could not control himself, he ran up to one and kissed it, lovingly.

"Mine" he just kept saying. Then started to tear-up.

Deke was not so emotional with the S-550s lined up, until he saw the Hinds.

"OH Baby!" he shouted. "Awwh, a Boo, Boo" as he pushed a finger in the small dent and missing ceramic, a 50 cal had left.

"This are our 'Friends', 'Boss'," he said. "Yuri, Gregore, Vlad, and Peter all lead 'Spetnaz' teams. These other two, is best you do not even know they were here. Victor may want them for some special work tonight."

I recognized both men from their Agency dossiers. "The Butcher" and "Herr Doktor" had rightly came by their nicknames, no pun intended. If Mac could pull these kinds of resources together in a few hours, I really wondered just hoe 'connected' Victor was. His comments about the Agency trying "hit' him became another question.

Mac approached. "James has, as your NSC would say, has gone BC-19. He is holding 'The Family' in the home. He has a few people inside, Yannie, Josef, another Georgie as well as Victor have been shot. He is waiting for his so-called people to show up. He was a fool, Yuri has made certain his 'people' will never show up. Even he did not really know who Victor was, if he did, he would never have shot him, or tried to take 'The Family' hostage."

"Our people surround the home. As we speak, whatever friend and family James had or has are being 'protected', both in the USA and overseas. A plane has left Moscow with the man and his family who had told James he would replace Victor. Foolish man. They will all pay very dearly for this. Yuri has a 'right too', he is married to one of Victor's sisters. We must hurry, both all the wounds are very bad, when you called we waited. Now we have three more rides, ad you say and all will go. These are Para trained but these new Hinds all have 'whisper' options, so we will descend by ropes into the 'Castle'.

It will not take long, a med team is standing by, and there are rooms there for both surgery and detainment. James has been very foolish, very, very, foolish."

There is an old American saying, I'm not sure what the Russian equivalent is, but it was 'like taking candy from a baby'.

James just stood there crying while 8 of his 'people'(all Fools too) were gutted first then strangled.

Angela and Marie had not been harmed(Lucky for James, although I do not know what worse things we might do). Victor and the bodyguard were in bad shape. James was to be entertained in a medieval dungeon below, while Victor and the guards were all being cared for in 'clean' rooms to the rear. Mac had told James that there were to be several 'presents' presented to him that night. He was not going to be killed though.

At about 2:20 AM, the med teams said all that could be done had been, it was in God's hands. A few hours later.(The Moscow flight had been flying at Mach 2.6 almost the entire trip and both Russian, English and American tankers had provided in-flight refueling for this urgent 'Diplomatic' mission. I wondered now how a person could fit onboard this fighter. Three Hinds had met the jet, then returned to the 'Castle'.

"James, James, wake up," Mac said, "your present is here!"

Inside a small bag was a bloody head and 73 Polaroid type pictures.

"I am very sorry James, but time was limited, as was space, but, Serge' will not be able to reward you for your treachery, but, 'The Boss" and I will, in Victors place. The pictures were of all of James's friends and families. You may want to keep these to remember them all by. I do not think you will ever see them again. The new 'life' they all will have will fill all the time they have left. They should however become used to farm life, after all, our Georgian friends treat their 'animals' well, especially the young ones, and they really were looking forward to 'playing' with your young daughters."

James never looked up. He just stared into the bag.

"We have not forgotten you either James, Victor will live, so we have another going away gift for you. I'd like you to meet to very 'Special' friends. they will prepare you for your new life too."

'Herr Doktor and 'The Butcher' entered and we left.

"How long I asked Mac?"

"Before he loses his mind or dies, or wishes he was dead?"