Library

Chapter 8

CHAPTEREIGHT

After Owl and Pipe returned from the hike with the guests out to Table Rock, they headed to the lodge. Brick had requested an owners’ meeting and no one hesitated to agree.

When he entered, Owl wasn’t sure what the huge grin Alaska shot his way was about, but he immediately asked where Lara was. After sticking his head into the small room where Alaska said he could find her with Cora, and seeing for himself that Lara was all right, he made his way to the larger conference room where his friends were convening.

Tonka was the last one to join them, and as soon as he was seated, Brick spoke.

“We talked about the possibility of getting a chopper for The Refuge after Stone and Owl borrowed that helicopter to head down to the border to rescue Reese. And after what happened in Arizona, I think it was made even more clear that having a chopper at our disposal would be a good addition. We could help with searches for missing hikers, and maybe even transport firefighters in the case of wildfires.

“I’ve talked it over with Stone, and we agree that the best place for a hangar and helicopter pad is near his cabin, where we’d been planning on building a few more cabins. But this isn’t a cheap proposition. We’d have to forego the extra cabins for now, and more staff to help with the housekeeping and admin. But more importantly,” Brick looked at Stone and Owl, “you two would bear the brunt of buying and maintaining the chopper. You guys are the pilots, and you know about upkeep and safety and pretty much everything that has to do with owning a helicopter. What do you two think?”

Excitement rose within Owl. After he and Stone had crashed and been tortured, for years he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted to fly again. But he’d kept up his training and licensure because he hadn’t been able to let it go. And flying down to find Reese with Stone had felt so right. Climbing into the pilot’s seat was like coming home.

And while the circumstances in Arizona hadn’t been ideal, and he really didn’t like flying the R66 chopper, the adrenaline rush he’d gotten from the rescue was eye-opening.

The one thing he knew without a doubt he could do better than just about anyone on earth, was flying. In the sky, he didn’t feel as if he was lacking. It didn’t matter how well he could shoot, or how good he was at hand-to-hand combat. Up there, he was the best of the best. And he loved it. Being an Army Night Stalker pilot was one of the things he was most proud of in his life. And the thought of being able to continue to fly and help others with his skills—and not have to worry about being shot down by terrorists—sounded like a dream come true.

But Brick was right. There was a lot involved with owning a helicopter. Safety being the top of the list. They’d need to find mechanics who could help troubleshoot and fix issues they couldn’t, they’d need to figure out how to get fuel, and while The Refuge was profitable, they weren’t a charity, so they’d need to decide when and how much to charge people for their services.

Maybe they could even offer rides to their guests, so they could see the beautiful landscape of Northern New Mexico…for an additional price, of course.

Even though building a hangar and a landing pad would be a pain in the ass, Owl couldn’t help feeling thrilled by the prospect.

He looked over at Stone, trying to determine what he was thinking about all of this. When their gazes met, Owl knew his friend and fellow pilot was on the same page.

“Yes,” Stone said firmly as he turned back to Brick.

“Hell yes,” Owl agreed.

Their friends all grinned.

“Are we really buying a fucking helicopter?” Tiny asked with a huge smile on his face.

“I think we are,” Brick agreed. “Although, now we have to find one. I’ve talked to Tex, and he’s connecting me to some contacts who can help find what we’re looking for.”

“A Bell,” Stone said. “Maybe a 505. They’re reliable, a lot of law enforcement departments use them. The avionics system is top notch and easy to read, and it has a good-size cabin. It’s not the largest bird on the market, but for what we need, I think it’ll be a good fit.”

“Agreed,” Owl said. “And it only needs one pilot, which comes in handy.”

Stone grinned at his friend. “What? You don’t want to fly with me anymore?”

“Shut up. You know there isn’t anyone I’d rather have in a copilot seat than you.”

“You mean pilot seat. You can be the copilot.”

Owl grinned at the banter. The truth was, they were both perfectly capable of being pilot or copilot, but it was fun to argue about it.

“Okay, that’s settled then. I’ll call a contractor in town and start discussions on clearing some land and getting the plans drawn up for the hangar and pad. If we get a bite on a good deal before it’s done, we can probably rent a space at the regional airport in Los Alamos.”

“Wow, you aren’t wasting any time, are you?” Spike asked.

“Since when do we waste time on anything once we’ve made up our minds?” Brick asked.

“True. Look at us. Married, kids on the way, we don’t fuck around,” Tonka quipped.

When their laughter died down, Brick turned to Owl. “I’m gonna need you guys to take the lead on this. Which means traveling to check out any potential choppers. Take them on test flights, things like that. We could arrange to get it transported back here to The Refuge, but I’m thinking maybe the two of you wouldn’t mind flying her back here from wherever we buy one. But that means…” His voice trailed off.

“Lara,” Owl said, knowing what his friend was getting at.

“Exactly.”

Owl’s first thought was that there was no way he could do it. He couldn’t leave Lara, not when she was still so vulnerable.

“I can do it,” Stone volunteered without hesitation. “Owl can stay here.”

But the thing was, Owl didn’t want to stay here. He wanted to run his hands over the bird. Do a proper inspection. Feel her rumble under him. Buying a helicopter wasn’t exactly like buying a car, but close in many ways. He needed to see how she handled. And every pilot was different; things he discovered in test flights wouldn’t be the same things Stone noticed. It would be smart if they both made the decision on such an important purchase.

“Lara is doing much better. We’re not talking about leaving tomorrow to go check out a possible helicopter, are we?”

“No,” Brick said. “I mean, Tex is on the hunt for us, so I’m guessing it won’t take too long, but we need to talk to Savannah as well, make sure our numbers are good so we can do this. I don’t foresee a purchase happening immediately.”

“Let me talk to Lara,” Owl said. “I’m thinking she might be all right in a couple of weeks, enough that I can go with Stone.”

The expression on Stone’s face told Owl that his friend wasn’t so sure.

“I have faith in Lara. I think she’ll be okay,” Owl told his friends.

“What if she goes with you?” Tiny suggested.

“That’s a great idea,” Stone said immediately.

“She’s been here since we found her. It might do her good to get away. See some new scenery,” Spike agreed.

“What about Grant?” Pipe asked quietly. “We all know that threat hasn’t been neutralized.”

Owl frowned. He knew his friend was still blaming himself for not killing the man when he had the chance—and he hated that. Taking a life was something none of them had ever done lightly. But the man was a literal serial killer, and Pipe regretted leaving him alive. There was a better-than-average chance the man had already killed again since they’d rescued Lara. They all worried about that very thing.

“There’s no way he’d know where she was,” Tiny said. “I mean, he probably knows she’s here, but it’s unlikely he’d know where Stone and Owl might go to pick up a chopper. Hell, by the time he realized Lara wasn’t at The Refuge anymore—if he somehow even learned that much—she’d be back.”

Owl liked the option of taking her. He wasn’t thrilled at the thought of leaving Lara, but having her come? Being able to share what he loved with her? Yeah, he was definitely on board with that.

He refused to think about the possibility of her not liking to fly. She’d been unconscious when they’d left the house in Arizona and had no recollection of that flight, which was probably a good thing. And flying for pleasure was way different than being in the middle of a life-or-death situation.

“I think that’ll work. She can give you her opinion from a layman’s perspective,” Spike agreed. “You know, if the seats are comfortable, how loud it is, if she can understand what you’re saying in the headsets. That might seem silly, but if we’re going to be giving tours and people are going to pay big bucks for them, we don’t want bad reviews because the seats suck or they couldn’t hear a damn thing.”

“That’s a good point,” Brick agreed. “So…Owl and Stone, you’re okay with this? You want any of us to come with you?”

Owl thought about the offer for two seconds before shaking his head. He saw Stone doing the same. He wasn’t going to ask Tonka or Spike to accompany them, because their wives were pregnant. Brick was the heart and soul of The Refuge, and no one wanted to take him away if they could help it. Pipe and Cora were just starting their lives together, and Tiny hated flying.

A small part of Owl was scared shitless about being off The Refuge property and completely responsible for Lara’s safety, but if something did happen, he had no doubt he’d do whatever it took to make sure she was protected.

Even if it meant sacrificing himself.

That thought should’ve been startling. That he was willing to give his life for hers. But given how he felt about her, it wasn’t. Just weeks ago, he’d made a vow to himself that if it came down to her life or his, he’d gladly give up his own. And he felt even more strongly about that decision now.

As he thought about it, his fear waned and excitement over the prospect of getting Lara away from here grew. Showing her that she could reintegrate into the world outside of the safe bubble The Refuge offered. Not that he wanted her to leave, but he also didn’t want her to stay simply because she felt she had no choice.

“I’m okay with it if Owl is,” Stone said.

“And I’m okay with it if Stone is,” he countered, the two men smiling at each other.

After another twenty minutes of talk about financing, and setting a tentative time for Owl and Stone to meet with the contractor later that week to walk the grounds and decide exactly where the new hangar should be and what it should contain, the meeting broke up.

Owl hung back to talk to Stone.

“You sure you’re good with this? It’ll mean we’ll be way busier,” Owl said.

“Hell yes. I love this place, and I love helping with the hikes and landscaping, and clearing the trails, but working with birds again? I’m definitely all right with being busier. What about you?”

“I’m in,” Owl said with a grin. Then he sobered. “And you really don’t mind if Lara comes with us?”

“Not at all. She’s…”

“She’s what?” Owl asked, concerned about what his friend might say.

“Good for you. You seem more settled lately.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “She understands me in a way not many people can.”

Stone nodded. “Happy for you.”

Owl snorted. “There’s nothing between us, Stone.”

“Yet.”

He grinned slightly. “Yet,” he agreed.

“What are you waiting for?” Stone asked.

He gave his friend an incredulous look. “He tied her to a bed. Drugged her. Jacked off on her. She’s still working through that shit in her head. I’m thinking getting into a romantic relationship this soon probably isn’t the best idea.”

“What does Henley say?”

Owl shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her about it.”

“You should.”

“I’m not so sure about that. I’m thinking Lara just needs more time.”

“Life can change on a dime,” Stone said with a small frown. “We know that better than most. One moment you’re living the dream, and the next you’re being beaten to within an inch of your life and you don’t know if you’ll live to see the next day.”

“I understand that. You know I do. But the last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt her, Stone.”

“So, you’re moving slow then,” his friend said.

“Yeah. And maybe going with us to check out whatever chopper Tex finds will be the catalyst to her seeing me as more than a crutch.”

“If I can do anything to help with that, just let me know. I mean, having a third wheel around probably isn’t the best thing for romancing your girl.”

Owl didn’t crack a smile. “You aren’t now, nor will you ever be, a third wheel. I haven’t said it before, but…you know that I wouldn’t have survived that hell without you, right?”

“Yeah. I feel the same way.”

A few seconds went by before Stone broke the emotional moment. “Holy shit, we’re getting our own chopper,” he said with a grin.

“I feel like it’s Christmas and my birthday all over again,” Owl admitted.

“Same,” Stone agreed before clapping Owl on the shoulder and turning for the door.

Owl smiled and followed his friend. He needed to talk to Lara, maybe ease into the conversation about the possibility of leaving The Refuge. He wanted to be careful, avoid freaking her out, but he hoped and prayed that she might be excited about the opportunity to not only spend time with him outside of New Mexico, but the chance to take a little more control of her life back.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.