Chapter 14 The Short Stop

Chapter 14

The Short Stop

Singer got his nap, and Gator delivered us safely back into the bayous of Southern Louisiana. When I climbed down from the plane, we weren’t the only Cessna 208 on the ramp. A matching pair of Caravans with probes extending from the rear of each fuselage sat at the east end of the parking apron.

Disco seemed to notice them at the same instant as I did. “Check out those two. What do you suppose the probes are for?”

I shrugged. “No idea, but I’m curious.”

“Let’s take a look.”

We strolled across the tarmac as if walking through our own backyard. I’ve always been amazed how easy it is to fit in somewhere with nothing more than confidence.

The two Caravans appeared to be exceptionally well maintained. They were far from new, but the ubiquitous black swath of turbine exhaust that was so common on 208s all over the world was missing from the skin of the two glistening planes in front of us.

“Somebody loves these machines,” Disco said.

We walked around the aircraft, and I committed the registration numbers to memory. When we arrived at the booms protruding from the tail section of each aircraft, I grew even more intrigued. There were no markings of any kind on the probes, and they were painted an identical color to the fuselage. It looked as if they’d been installed at the Cessna factory.

“Any ideas?” Disco asked.

“Nothing. Maybe it’s some kind of an atmospheric research thing. Who knows?”

He reached up and ran a hand across the device. “It doesn’t feel like aluminum.”

I followed his lead. “You’re right, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe fiberglass?”

“Could be,” he said. “My money’s on carbon fiber, though.”

“Hey! What are you doing?”

I looked up to see a man and a woman crossing the tarmac in a run directly toward us.

I said to Disco, “This should be interesting.”

When the two people were within fifteen feet, the man said, “Can I help you with something?”

I said, “We were just taking a look at these probes. That’s our Caravan on floats over there. Are these yours?”

“We’re responsible for them, and I’d appreciate you keeping your hands off.”

I said, “Sorry. We didn’t mean any harm. We were just curious.”

“Yeah? Well, you can take your curiosity somewhere else. You don’t see us messing with your airplane, do you?”

“Again, I’m sorry. There’s no need to get upset.”

From my vantage point, I watched the great diffuser crossing the ramp, and I couldn’t wait to see him at work.

Mongo stepped between the man and woman as if they weren’t there. “Hey, boss. Is everything all right?”

The woman never changed expression, but the unnamed man took a step backward. The intimidation factor of a man the size of Mongo is difficult to quantify, but the look on the previously aggressive face of the man said he wasn’t interested in pushing the situation any further. The woman, on the other hand, didn’t back down.

She said, “No. Everything is not all right. Your boss put his hands on our airplanes, and that’s not how we do business. We’ve got a job to do, and we’d appreciate being able to do that job without worrying about somebody, like your boss, molesting our equipment.”

Mongo turned to face the woman. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to dial back the aggression. We’re doing our job, too. If you’d like to see our credentials, we’ll be more than happy to produce them for you, but that will only escalate this situation, making it far more unpleasant for you.”

“What credentials?” she demanded.

Had we been playing volleyball, Mongo’s set would’ve been perfect for my spike, so I slid my Secret Service cred-pack from my pocket and stepped beside him. I didn’t open the pack, but the embossed seal of the Treasury Department on the outside of the black leather wallet was impossible to miss.

I said, “I assume your job entails flying these two airplanes that have been highly modified. I don’t see any placards indicating the aircraft are experimental or restricted, so I suppose I’ll initiate an investigation to determine their airworthy status. It shouldn’t take more than thirty days. In the meantime, we’ll chain the propellers and start the paperwork.”

The man said, “Wait a minute. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. We didn’t know you guys were officials. We have all the necessary paperwork. These aircraft are perfectly legal and airworthy. Why don’t we just show you our documentation and call this whole thing a misunderstanding?”

“There’s no misunderstanding on our part,” I said, “but it sounds to me like you meant to apologize for your aggressive behavior toward…” I bounced the cred-pack in my palm. “Well, toward us.”

“You’re right,” he said. “We saw you messing with our airplanes, and we didn’t know who you were. I apologize for the misunderstanding. Would you like to see our paperwork?”

I pocketed my credentials. “That won’t be necessary. Feel free to continue your…”

The man said, “‘Aerial survey’ work.”

I nodded, and as if we’d rehearsed the move, Disco, Mongo, and I stepped at the same instant. “All right. Fly safely, and I hope you find what you’re looking for during your…aerial survey.”

The man appeared relieved and said, “We already found it. Now, it’s just a matter of getting to it.”

My posture was meant to give the impression that I’d let the comment float away on the breeze, but in reality, I tucked it away inside my head, just in case it somehow tied into Kenneth LePine’s body parts situation.

By the time we made it back across the parking apron, Gator had our rental truck positioned beside the Caravan, and the rest of the team was tossing gear into the back.

I laid a hand on the bed rail of the truck. “Hey, guys. Where are you taking this stuff?”

My team froze, and I said, “Gun Bunny will be here soon with the helicopter, and we can transfer the gear straight to the Huey.”

Kodiak said, “We’re just sorting out what we’re taking to the ship and what we’re leaving ashore.”

Before I could agree with his plan, the unmistakable chirp of tires on the runway caught my attention, and I looked up to see Anya’s Citation slowing to make the turn on the taxiway.

Kodiak’s eyes followed mine, and he said, “It looks like the beauty and brains of this operation made it.”

I furrowed my brow. “Hey! I thought I was the beauty of the op.”

He huffed. “Well, of course. I meant the other beauty.”

“Good. I’m glad you recognize my value.”

Gator tossed a gear bag at me. “Oh, we all recognize your value. It’s your signature on our checks.”

“There is that…”

Anya taxied beside our Caravan and shut down the turbines. She pulled off her headset, laid it on the panel, and shook out her long, blonde hair.

Kodiak gave me a hip check. “Cut it out, boss. You’re a happily married man.”

“I was just making sure she shut down the engines correctly.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. She still gets to you, doesn’t she?”

I tossed the gear bag into the truck. “It’s not that. There’s something going on in her head, and it has her distracted. I’ve known that woman a long time, and it’s not like her to let anything pull her focus off the mission.”

“Any guesses what it might be?”

“Not yet, but if this thing turns into a fight, I’ll need all hands on deck and laser focus on the objective.”

Kodiak said, “Do you want me to poke around and see if I can get an idea what’s on her mind?”

I shook my head. “Not yet, but I’ll let you know if it comes to that.”

The fairer half of our team descended the stairs from the Citation, and I couldn’t resist having a little fun.

I checked my watch. “It’s about time you got here. If I had a jet that couldn’t keep up with a Caravan, I think I’d trade it in for an electric car or something equally useful.”

Anya rolled her eyes and laid a palm in the center of my chest. “If we arrived before you, you and your boys would be deprived of watching us walk down the stairs. We would never want to rob you boys of such pleasure.”

She stepped around me and whispered, “I know you were watching.”

Thankfully, the beautiful sound of Huey rotor blades saved me from whatever I would’ve said next, and Gun Bunny nestled the skids onto the tarmac as gently as a baby’s kiss.

We spent the next several minutes sorting and loading gear. When everything was in order, our pilot said, “I can’t take everybody and all the gear at once, so hop number one will be all girls. Sorry, boys.”

We watched them fly away, and Shawn said, “This is a strange life you live.”

I laughed. “You’re living it too, SEAL.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, maybe, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever get used to it.”

The Huey returned, and the sweaty, grimy contingent climbed aboard. We touched down on the helipad aboard the Research Vessel Lori Danielle after a perfect flight over the bayous and oil rigs as far as the eye could see.

* * *

In the combat information center, the nerve center of the ship and our operation, I rolled a chair beside Skipper and passed her the slip of paper.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“It’s the registration numbers of two Cessna Caravans on the ramp back at Houma. We had a little run-in with them, and I’d like to know everything you can find on them as quickly as possible.”

She took the paper and pulled her keyboard from its slot beneath the monitor. “Sure. No problem.”

I stood, and she put a hand on my thigh. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll have everything you need in seconds.”

I replanted myself and waited the promised seconds. She did not disappoint.

“Okay…let’s see here. Sequential serial numbers. Cessna Two-Oh-Eight Caravans. They were manufactured in two thousand eight and ordered by Skyways Solutions, Incorporated. The total order was eight identical aircraft.”

“Did you find anything about the probes?”

“Hold your horses, Spy Boy. I’m getting there.”

“Spy Boy? That’s what you’re going with?”

She chuckled. “Yeah, for now. Anyway. All eight of the Caravans went to a company called Morgan-Danley Systems to have aerial natural gas, oil, and mineral exploration systems installed at a cost of just over a million bucks per plane.”

I let out a low whistle. “Ouch.”

“Ouch is right. That puts the price tag on each plane at three point five million.”

“And they bought eight of them?”

She said, “Yep, and I can’t find any evidence of a lien ever being recorded against any of them, so they paid cash or borrowed against other assets.”

I closed my eyes and let the new information dance around in my skull. “So, the probes. Those are the gas, oil, and mineral detection systems?”

She spun a monitor toward me. “Here’s the whole system. The probe is just the container for the sensors. The real power is in the computer systems inside the airplane.”

I studied the schematic. “This is all new to me. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

“Neither have I, but it gets more interesting.”

“Let’s hear it.”

She spun the monitor back to its original orientation and leaned back in her chair. “All eight airplanes were immediately leased to Flambeau Exploration.”

“Now, that is interesting. So, that means Flambeau is sniffing for oil with thirty million dollars’ worth of airplanes.”

“At least,” she said. “These eight may not be the only ones Flambeau is using.”

I stood. “That’s what I need…one more thing to toss into the mix of this already confusing situation. Thanks. When you have time, do a little digging on Flambeau. I’d like to know where the bodies are buried.”

She stared down between her feet. “Uh, Chase. Have a seat for another minute. There’s something I need to tell you.”

I perched on the edge of the chair I’d just vacated. “Sure. What’s up?”

She took a long breath. “I did something without asking you.”

“Not everything requires my approval.”

“Yeah, but this one probably did.”

I rolled a few inches closer. “Just spit it out. How bad can it be?”

She finally met my gaze. “I asked Anya to teach me to fight.”

“That’s not a big deal. You’ve trained with her before. Why do you think I would care about that?”

She licked her lips. “Well, it’s not just fighting. I want her to teach me everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole thing,” she said. “The manipulation, intelligence gathering, plotting, and the killing.”

I slid myself fully into the seat. “Why would you ask her to do that?”

“It’s about Tony. He knew how to fight, and he still got killed. This is a dangerous world we live in. I want to be able to do more than just punch keys on this computer.”

I crossed my legs with my right boot resting across my left knee. “Listen to me. I know you’re not the bratty little girl in Athens anymore, but what we do outside the CIC is a world no one chooses. We’re knuckle-draggers because we’re not smart enough to do anything else.”

“Come on, Chase. You know that’s not true. Everybody on this team has skill sets that can sustain them in a thousand different careers. You’re a psychologist, for Pete’s sake.”

I tapped on the prosthetic where my shin and ankle should’ve been. “Out there, it’s life and death every time we go to work. I made a promise to your father that I’d never intentionally put you in harm’s way like that.”

“You’re not putting me anywhere. I’m telling you that’s what I want. I want to do what Anya can do. I don’t want to spend my whole life in a dark cave, staring into a computer screen.”

“Now, you’re the one who’s exaggerating. You know you do far more than stare into screens. You’re the lifeline we rely on when bullets start flying and blood starts hitting the ground.”

“I’m doing it, Chase. It’s my decision.”

I chewed my bottom lip. “I can’t stop you from learning, but my greatest responsibility is to put the best people in positions where they can do the best work. Nobody—and I mean absolutely nobody on Earth—can do what you can with that mouse and keyboard. Nobody’s better behind a rifle than Singer. Nobody’s better at making men melt down in front of her than Anya. And there’s not a finer pilot on the planet than Disco. What kind of leader would I be if I put you behind the rifle, Singer in the cockpit, and Disco in the chair you’re sitting in right now?”

She squeezed her eyelids closed. “I get it. I do. But Anya’s almost forty. How much longer can she—”

I took her hands in mine. “Do it. Learn everything you can from her. She’s got a broader skill set than anyone on this team, and I’d be a fool to let that skill set die without being passed on. I’m not saying I’ll put you in the field, but I support you learning everything she knows.”

She pulled her hands from mine, leaned forward, and took me in her arms. “I love you, Chase. I had a stupid teenage crush on you when you were the big-shot ball player at Georgia, but you turned into the best big brother anybody could ever have.”

I held her for a long moment. “You didn’t have a crush on me. You were digging on Randy Cline, the shortstop back then.”

She pulled away and shrugged. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I wonder where he is now.”

“He’s coaching Double-A ball in Tennessee for the Smokies. I think they’re in the Cubs organization. Maybe you should catch a game next time you’re up there. I’m sure Randy could score you some good tickets.”

She gave me a playful slap. “Stop it. Go get to work. We’ve got missing body parts to deal with.”