Dark as Daylight Ch. 11

If he does not complete this task, during the first year, he has to repeat the year, until he gets it right."

"Do you agree Miss Wells?"

"No Your Honor, I love him too much to do that to him. Besides, Dina has her heart set on taking him to school to prove she has a daddy. I wouldn't want to disappoint her."

"What did you call him before, Miss Wells?"

"Dummy, your honor."

"Dummy get over here, and be quiet, until I tell you to speak."

"Miss Wells if you would. That will be fine, we don't want you catching anything from him."

"You're going to get it later Nancy."

"That's funny, I was hoping something might happen between us tonight."

"I can't slip anything by you?"

"The next time you try that entrance, maybe you should lubricate it. I'm waiting for you to teach me to fly that airplane of yours."

"How did you know I knew how to fly it?"

"Airplanes come with books. Shall I continue?"

"No, that will do."

"Are you two finished now?"

"No Your Honor, I think we are just getting started."

*****************

44. Time - Travel - Space

"Hey big guy, what aircraft do we have flying today?"

"Little Bird is this a trick question?"

"No, it's an honest question. I thought there were only two of us up here taking pictures, and looking for signs of enemy movement. I am at 12,500 feet, and about 1000 feet below me is a drone circling right over our base. He's taking pictures as sure as I'm smoking cigars."

"Which way is he heading?"

"I would say he's heading south by southwest at about 100 mph."

"Very funny Little Bird; I'd like to catch that little shit. Do you remember that James Bond movie, where this huge ship, ate up an American submarine?"

"Of course, it was that terrible movie, with Roger Moore. What about it?"

"I'm going to let you guide me right over the top of that thing and have him fly in my back door."

"You're out of your mind. Your rotor wash will knock him out of the sky before he gets close to you."

"I'm going to come down over him, at a 40° angle, nice and slow. He won't feel my rotor wash, because the body of my helicopter will be protecting him. You get me real close to that little thing, and I'll let him fly right through the open ramp. As soon as it clears the door, my guys will throw a net over it. That will kill the engine, and a blanket will make it blind. I will land this big bird, and give it to the general as a present."

"Kiss'n the brass's ass again, are you?"

"I only do that when the Colonels around. Everyone else can go fuck themselves."

"Jasper, you can tell me to go fuck myself, when you bring me my drone, in the one piece. I need to know how much fuel it used to see how much telemetry it sent back to our new friends. If one drop of gasoline gets out of that thing, think about push-ups for the rest of your life. Did you hear me; you fuck up?"

"Yes sir, general sir, on my way sir, sorry about that sir, didn't know you were in the communication shed, sir."

"I'm not in the shed, you asshole; I'm in my Jimmy listen to all you overpaid sky boys complain. I've got a good mind to uncover one of these missiles, and shove it up your ass."

"You would regret not having us up here tonight sir."

"I would still have Little Bird, the 'Huey', and the Apache, wouldn't I?"

"Yes, but you would miss my handsome face, in the morning."

"Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one young man."

"Roger that sir."

"Where is my drone?"

"3 miles dead ahead, 2500 feet below me sir."

"Well, what are you waiting for, an invitation to Prince Charming's balls."

"I'd prefer Cinderella's pussy, and I'll hop right on it sir."

"Crew chief open loading ramp."

"Loading ramp coming down sir. Sir, how big is the drone are we talking about?"

"Little bird, you're closer, what you think?"

"Wingspan is approximately 7 feet, body length six maybe 8 feet. Tricycle landing gear, cameras mounted underneath each wing, and one under the fuselage. This is not a child's toy."

"It certainly doesn't sound like one from here."

"Sir, you are aware that the opening to the fuselage is only 9 ¾ feet wide."

"What's your point Sergeant?"

"Just thought I'd mention it sir. That, and push-ups, and all."

"It was mighty nice of you to think of me in those terms. Just a word of caution chief, once that drone passes the rear bulkhead, that bird belongs to you. If anything happens to it after that, you are not going to be doing push-ups from this side of the ground. You are going to be pushing up daisies, from the other side. Do you get my drift chief?"

"Loud and clear sir, loud and clear."

"Little bird, you're my eyes now, I can't see him anymore. ½ mile out I am starting my descent, slowing to 70 knots."

"Did you just say 70 knots?"

"Yes I did; do you have a problem with that?"

"Isn't that is your stall speed?"

"No it is not my stall speed. 69 knots is my stall speed. I'm, also, going to be descending, so don't worry about me, keep your eyes on the prize."

"Okay Jasper, he's at 12 o'clock, a little less than half a mile, 1800 feet or less."

"Chief make sure everyone is belted in back there, I don't want anyone flying out the back end."

"You got that right Captain. We have a net strung across the back, and one across the top. As soon as it passes the bulkhead, we pull a string, and the net will fall on it. That will kill the engine."

"Okay, keep yourselves up high, we don't know how tall that tricycle gear is."

"Roger that.

"1/4 mile, 1200 feet."

"Dipping over to 50° down angle; slowing to 60 knots."

"You're going to overshoot him; you are coming in too high."

"Slowing to 50 knots, 80° down angle; how far are we from him?"

"600 feet high, 400 feet back, 300 feet back. Left 5 degrees; 300 feet high, 200 feet back. Left 3 degrees, you are directly over the top of him. Start leveling off, 100 feet high; you're right over the top of him. It is buffeting in your rotor wash."

"Chief do you see anything back there?"

"I see it captain. Wiggle your ass to the left, and he'll fly right in. A little more, more, more; 70 feet high. He is rocking. 50 feet, dead center, 30 feet high, dead center. Here he comes. He's in the door; Capture; he's in the house, captain, great job."

"If nobody minds, I think I'll pick up speed now so we can fly, instead of falling out of the sky."

"Jasper, you are one crazy son of a bitch."

"You heard the general, he wanted that drone. I have to follow the legitimate orders of the superior officer."

"That was probably the first order you have ever listen to in your entire military life. In a Court Marshall, they would find you guilty, because it was not a legitimate order. You could have killed everyone in that helicopter, by flying it in a configuration it was never intended to fly. So whatever General Marcus ordered you to do, you shouldn't have done it. He doesn't know how to fly a helicopter, you do. "Not his fault six people died, it's your fault.

You go to jail, you do not pass go, you do not collect $200. You stay for 25 years to life. He retires as a 3-star general, lives on his yacht on France's Mediterranean coast for the next 30 years, and never thinks about you once."

"When I get on the ground, I'm going to punch you."

"I'd really like to see you try."

"Why, you don't think I do it?"

"No I'm sure you would, but I have 2 hours left in my patrol time. I'll be up here, and you'll be down there. I know your arms are long, but I don't think you'll reach me."

"Very funny, I'll see you on the flip-flop."

"You certainly will."

*************

Dressed like your average English tourist, with tan sandals, black socks, striped shorts that come past the knees, a plaid shirt, a straw hat, and the obligatory, ceaselessly talking wife, Tom Wolfe walked into a huge truck stop in Orangeburg South Carolina. The place was nearly filled to capacity, while the parking area seemed to be generally quiet. It could have held up to 50 trucks, but there were only 23 spaces filled. He made note of it.

He spoke loudly. "Felicity, before you use the toilet, place your order so it will be here before you return."

"What if it's cold, when I get back, Steven?"

"That's the point dear. If you order now, you won't spend all day sitting on the toilet."

"I do not spend all day in there, I just take my time."

"Yes you take your time, and everyone else's time. Place your order, and then hurry along."

"You weren't this way when we got married."

"You learn a lot in 37 years. I learned this in the first month."

"I knew this vacation was a mistake."

"Why didn't you say that seven weeks ago. Look at all the money I could have saved."

"Money, money, money, that's all you ever think of; you never think of me anymore."

"How can you possibly say that. All I've thought about is you, since we came in here. I told you to order, before you went to the toilet, so your food would be here when you return. Isn't that thinking of you my dear?"

"Order for me, I'll be right back."

"You old hag."

"Hello sir, my name is Shirley. How can I help you?

"You seem to be very busy today, but there are very few trucks outside? Is there a tournament or festival in the area that my wife and I can visit?"

"It's been very busy in here the last several weeks, and nobody seems to know why. There's nothing scheduled for our area according to the town council. Many men have been coming in here, with fishing gear, so I think there may be something going on in Lake Marion, which is not too far away."

"What can I get you and your wife to eat?"

"Do you have alligator tail?"

"Yes we do."

"Do you promise to tell my wife it's chicken? I'll give you an extra $20 tip, if you do."

*******************

"And what would you like with your chicken sir?"

"Those bathrooms were as clean as my own."

"The inspectors are always around ma'am. That's the first place they check. If the bathrooms are not clean, they know the kitchens aren't clean. The management has the bathrooms cleaned every two hours whether they need it or not."

"That's very nice. What did you order for me?"

"He ordered the boneless southern fried chicken, would you like to change that?"

"No that sounds fine."

"I'll have the same as my wife please."

*****************

"The alligator tail was delicious. The waitress couldn't help laugh, while I was eating it, and marveling how well the chicken was done."

"We couldn't take a chance just in case she was on their payroll. Very quiet in there for truck stop, and they weren't speaking Spanish, French, or Creole either. We sat there for an hour, and no one got up to leave. No one came in either. Very unusual don't you think."

"We've done this for three days now, in different accents, make up, and clothing. It's a cinch they can get 1000 men and arms in here. There were 300 guys in that restaurant, and that was for lunch. They must be taking them on short hops, with the guys in the back to a dispersal point.

I hope the kid is right, and they are going to come in through the front door. If they come in from the south, it is going to be a bloodbath; the south is our weakest point. They can get into mortar range if they can push us back a click."

"You're right, but we do have an answer for it. As far as we know they don't have any air support, and we do. The Apache should chew them up with no problem, unless of course, they have surface-to-air missiles. Isn't war fun?"

"The first caveman said, "I have a fist." The second caveman said, "I have a stick." The third caveman said, "I have a stick with a..."

"Oh, for the good old days."

"Let's call it in. They will think were fucking again, if we don't."

"Well should we; then we can call them later than we were supposed to, because we were fucking."

"What would your wife say?"

"Probably the same thing your husband would say."

"I can't wait for this to be over, so we can go home, and fuck like regular people."

"Regular people don't get paid as much money as we do, but then again, they don't do the same work we do."

"Do you mean they don't believe we work for the Bureau of Mind's?"

"It was hysterical, when Mindy Forsyth looked at the certificates in your home office, and saw the D, instead of the E, in the Bureau of Mind's. She was absolutely outrageous for the rest of the party. 'I knew the Government was doing this, I knew it. I just knew it.'

John was not helping her at all. He kept egging her on."

"Here come the trucks. It took them long enough."

"There were 23 in the parking lot; lets' see how many of them go by."

"I guarantee you it's gonna be all 23. Then the make the left on U.S. 61 and then we are in trouble."

"Dollar says wrong."

"Is that wishful thinking, or do you know something I don't know?"

"No, I just have a feeling they going to turn left at Branchville and take US 78 towards Ridgeville there are more places there, and get lost among the weeds in the small towns; then there is anyplace else. If they pre-positioned small trucks for an attack through the front door that's where they'll be."

"Let's hope you are right. We will know in a few moments."

***********

"You owe me a dollar; there are only 16 trucks, and they are slowing down. Slide over to the right, one wheel on the pavement one wheel off, like you're in a hurry to pass them. It will make you look less obvious, and we can be sure they are making the turn and not slowing to rendezvous with someone."

"What happens if there are police in the area?"

"Now wouldn't that be a shame? We would have to sit here and watch them all make the turn; and verify what they were doing."

"Do you want to take the wheel and put the points on your license?"

"I thought I had the pussy in the family?"

"You do, and I take full advantage of it."

"Would you please do as I ask then, and stop being an asshole."

"I take full advantage of that also."

"Not if you don't make a move on it sometime soon."

"Lady you drive a hard bargain."

"That's funny, I thought that was your job."

"Why don't you go up on tac three, and see if we have a helo in the area?"

"A man with brains; what a concept?"

"Airborne flotilla this is scout two, airborne flotilla this is scout two."

"Scout 2 this his Little Bird, scout 2 this his Little Bird go ahead."

"Little Bird, this is scout 2; we just broke contact with the snake heading south east from Branchville, US 78 your direction. Might be interesting to know what they do when they reach Saint George, over."

"I'd like to accommodate you, but I am at minimum fuel, and at the end of my run. I'll see if the Apache or the Huey is ready to go and have them check out your sighting."

"Roger Little Bird, let us know what's happening."

*****************

"I think we should check in now; they know were not screwing around."

"Central comm, this is scout 2; Central comm, this is scout 2."

"Scout 2, this is central communications go ahead."

"Scout 2, from Orangeburg, 1 hour ago, 16 trucks, approximately 200 men. Current, southbound US 21, left at Branchville US 78, heading southeast towards St. George. Broke contact, requested air support, not available. Over"

"Scout 2, roger; head East intercept Interstate 95 northbound. Verify trucks not heading southbound."

"Scout 2, 61 to Interstate 95 North. roger, out."

"That would have been a smart move by the Op-Force. A feint to the north, I 95 to the south, and sneak in that way. They can still do it, with US 15, but we already have that covered with sensors, and probably cars at both ends."

"They're supposed to be building the tire factory on the west side of our property. Holy shit! What a smooth move that would be. Everyone's looking at the fence line, and the construction they are doing there, while in the bushes and reeds away from the construction is where they are hiding their attack vehicles. Call that in please, and have them check it out. I'll bet you I am right."

"If you are right, and we live through tonight, you are in for a night of pleasure you have never had before."

"I wish you hadn't said that. I'm going to be walking around shooting people, with a hard-on."

"I'll be doing the same thing, but I'll be dripping."

"Call it in, and concentrate on what we are doing. Maybe we can knock one or two off, before this starts."

"Central communications, this is scout..."

*******************

Kathy and Sabrina were walking up and down the aisles of 'Toys ' Us, looking for a radio controller Quadracopter. It was an idea floated by Sergeant Harry Chase to the Colonel, for use as a nighttime field support tool.

"Sergeant, the lenses on those copters are for daylight vision only. They are useless at night."

"Yes sir, I know. However, if you change the lenses with the one that's in the driving helmet, it gives you both infrared and twilight vision. It will cut your battery life from 18 minutes to 12, but by that time, the enemy should be eviscerated, and the battle, either over, or the enemy in retreat, at least."

"Where do you propose we get one of these things at such a late date?"

"At a hobby store, Toys "R" Us, Walmart, or couple of other stores I'm sure they have in this town."

Lucius yelled, "Andy bring Kathy up here please."

"Sabrina would you join us in the living room please?"

"Absolutely Lucius, would you like another one of my famous sandwiches?"

"If I eat another one of those sandwiches, I won't fit into any of my clothes. You are disciple of the food devils, but on my next time around, I'm going to marry you and weigh 700 pounds."

"You'd be surprised Lucius; most of my meals are calorie, carbohydrate, and sugar friendly."

"How can they possibly taste so good and be that healthy?"

"You use nature's own ingredients, and not man-made. It keeps you looking as you are now, and you feel great too."

"I am definitely marrying you."

"I'll be on the lookout for you Lucius. You are my type of man."

"Reporting as ordered Colonel."

"I don't see two feet standing behind you Andy; where is she hiding?"

Andy turned around, and there was Kathy, hooked to his belt facing the rear.

"We practice this Colonel. If anyone ever get the drop on me, and tells me to drop my weapon, raise my hands, and turn around; they are in for a big surprise, when Kathy hits them with 2- 9 mm Beretta's."

"I must admit, I pictured many things for you two, but this wasn't one of them. How do you get down Kathy?"

"He unbuckles his belt Colonel."

"Now why didn't I think of that."

"Kathy get into your play clothes; you are going shopping with Sabrina. You are going to act like a typical teenager, and throw a temper tantrum when she says 'No.'

You want the most expensive Quadracopter you..."

"I'll be ready to go in 15 minutes, colonel."

Andy asked, "Who is going to protect them?"

"No one."

"Colonel, Kathy is my life. If anything happens to her, I'll go crazy."

"That's why no one's going to protect her Andy. If it's just two women out shopping, no one is going to suspect they are part of any protective team working out of this house. She has been seen playing outside, and Sabrina is the only woman they've seen. All our men have been undercover, during daylight hours, and there has been minimal movement during the evening hours. They will be safe Andy, trust me."

"Yes sir, but I'll be happier when she's back in my arms."

"Andy, in your hand is a better metaphor."

"You are right, as usual, sir."

***************

"Here it is grandma; this is the one I want. It comes with an extra battery, the charging unit, and all the extras I need."