Chapter 286

I was up early; maybe it was because there was so much riding on today's outcome. Receiving the contract to provide embassy security personnel for the State Department in my mind was a turning point for JBG. Today was the biggest test for JBG since we had formed the business. It could be another shining achievement or a colossal failure.

It was bigger than when we took on MAAR or the vacation homes division. I thought we would stop growing with the eight colleges and now we were adding two more, not to mention the college police force. This was bigger than all of those achievements combined. The outcome would decide our future in so many ways. It was a joint effort by two departments of our company supporting one another on an international scale. The parts were aviation and security - totally dependent on each other for a successful outcome.

If the next three to four days were successful it would quiet all the Doubting Thomas's within the State Department and the rest of the agency that we were worthy of having the security contract. No one had come forth to challenge the awarding of the contract to us in bold print. In big government they were always there with campaign contributions to sway opinions and gain influence.

There were so many things that could go wrong with the planned flight. If the in-flight refueling went bad there was no choice but to crash land in the ocean, thousands of miles from nowhere. It was not a comfortable thought.

My people had been checked and double checked to the last possible detail. I had comfort in that they were the best anyone could have in our business. The C130 had flown multiple flights for us with no problems. It had been checked out by our C130 certified mechanics. The pilots had double checked everything they could yesterday.

The flight plans had been sent to DOD and the agency for approval to make the refueling schedule workable. Everyone had signed off on it so it must have been well planned. I was not qualified to look at it and make changes. In fact, we had no one in our senior management who was qualified. I needed to look at all the qualified pilots we had on board to see if anyone was qualified for such a position. Jack has his plate full as out chief pilot and recertification instructor.

It was early enough that I made the normal big Sunday breakfast on a Wednesday morning. I called Dad to see if everyone was up and if they were, to invite them to breakfast. It was just in time - they were trying to decide what to do for breakfast. 15 minutes later they were walking in the door.

The percolating coffee aroma had all the girls and Crash up and at the table with my folks as I was taking the food off the stove.

I knew what everyone liked: eggs, bacon, sausage, scrapple, pancakes, an omelet for Ching Lee and Marcy, plenty of toast with orange juice and coffee made it a morning power meal. I asked Jake and Mindy if anyone wanted anything fixed differently for them.

I watch as Jake made a breakfast sandwich, a slice of buttered toast, layered with bacon then an egg, then two slices of crispy scrapple and three sausage patties, two slices of cheese, another egg, and all covered with another slice of toast.

Jake was smiling as he finished putting it together, "You cannot find a sandwich like this anywhere in the world," and then took a big bite of it.

Mindy asked, "What is scrapple?" All of us had at least one slice and a couple of us two.

"It's good - try it, you will like it - if we tell you what's in it, you won't eat it like some Japanese foods," Jake replied as he took another bite of his sandwich.

By the time we finished all the food was gone and everyone was full. With the dishes in the dishwasher and full coffee mugs, we went over to the gym to do our own things.

Jake connected to our wireless to do some research while everything else was getting started.

Jenny was in her office doing her state work, making conference calls to her associates. Tomorrow she was going to Annapolis to work on the next set of cases that were going to trial. Because she was so pregnant, the other prosecutors were going to handle the actual trials for her.

The VCATS was pinging as soon as I signed in just like yesterday; I only had to do updates today, no serious problems for me to deal with. Amy was one of them. She asked if I had notified the embassy at Bamako to tell them that the chopper was on its way.

"No, I want the plane safely on the ground there before I make the call. It will be 8PM there before the plane lands, too late to unload the chopper tonight anyhow," I replied.

It was 10:30 AM before I heard from the flight, six and a half hours after takeoff. At six hours the flight should have been past the halfway point. I had been concerned for an hour. The refueling should have happened by now.

Charlie Campbell called on the satellite phone Marcy had given him. Where they were going, who knows what kind of cell service was available.

'"BJ, the tanker just pulled away. We have been making good time, even with two engines feathered. We have had one heck of a tail wind for the first five hours but we are going to loose some of it soon. We are 800 hundred miles past halfway. The one refuel should be enough. Buddy brought his good camera equipment. He is going to have some great video and still shots for Ching Lee and Vicky to put on the web site," he said.