Dark as Daylight Ch. 13

He stopped and leaned against the wall.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"What did I do this time mom?"

"You're divorcing Zoey?"

"I have 9 witnesses that will tell you that is not true. Those same 9 witnesses will tell you that Zoey is divorcing me. She did not like the way I said she has no filter between her brain, her mouth, and the newspaper. If she says it, it goes in there and she doesn't care who it hurts, or the ramifications of it. I gave her examples, and she didn't care. One of our security agents lost his rank, and went to the brig for two weeks, because of that picture. She didn't care, she got her picture. I told her Janet was restricted for a month, and Zoey didn't care. I told her the entire security team that was supposed to be watching this ship for anyone who might be getting injured was going to the brig, and she didn't care. She got her picture. I told her if she didn't stop this intrusion on everyone's privacy, I was gone, and she did not care."

Monty asked her if she had anything to say about my request.

She said "Yes! She told me to go fuck myself. She wanted a divorce."

"Well mom, she can have her divorce. Payne is my responsibility, and I will take care her, just the way you took care of me. When she has our next child, I will fight her tooth and nail for custody of it. The way she is behaving, they are better off with me anyhow. Those 2 children are as much mine as they are hers, and I am going to fight hard for them in this divorce. If I have to take a lesser job to get them, I will. If they want me to work in the nursery, I will. I will keep those children close by me every hour of the day, doing whatever I'm supposed to do. We are on the ground, and we have enough captains to cover each shift. If I am needed in an emergency, everyone will know where I am."

"Gordon, you're forgetting a few things. I can help you, and so can your sister."

"Mom, you just had twins, when are you going to find time to help me? According to Teddy, I'm better off keeping Payne away from her brother and sister. It seems they have an attitude problem."

"Teddy didn't say anything about that to me."

"Ask her, because I have a feeling Tatum is going to be just like her mother, and Truman is going to be a mix of Delicious, and Gray. That's going to be a very interesting household."

"Interesting is not the proper word. Do you know how to make cement, because we are going to have to keep your sister on one side of the wall, and Tatum on the other."

"Whose problems are worse mom; mine or hers?"

"I'll let you know in a year."

"I'm going to ask you a very big favor, mom, no this is a huge favor. Don't shut Zoey out. If she comes to you to talk, talk to her. Don't victimize her, listen to her side, and don't be judgmental. Tell her to go see Hannah, because it would be the best thing for her. Have her talk to Elizabeth about talking with Hannah and how much it helped her. Will you do that for me?"

"Of course I will. She will always be the mother of my grandchildren."

"I will be fighting for custody mom. Full, complete custody. I want to set the rules. When I submit my paperwork, I'm going to include how she was for the first 17 years of her life, and submit to the court that she is returning to the person she was all those years ago. I will request that she be kept away from Payne, until a thorough psychiatric evaluation is made of her. When I say that out loud in court, she will explode."

"Honey, any mother would."

"I didn't ask for this mom, I asked for a little common sense. You can ask Monty; you can ask Janet. All I asked her to do was to stop digging into other people's lives."

"How did you ask her to do that?"

"Initially, I asked her very kindly to do it. Then she yelled at me that I was only angry that she got the picture. That's when I told her what happened to everyone associated with that picture, and she didn't care. One life was ruined; Janet has to spend a month in the Arboretum, and everyone that was down in the security area, monitoring the ship will be spending time in the brig because of her.

Mom she didn't care about anyone but herself."

"Let's go see how Elizabeth is doing with your daughter."

"She's probably doing as well as I will be doing the first few days. I will be alone with Payne, learning how to deal with a baby one on one."

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

50. The Big Bluff

The winds and rain had not abated one bit, because the thunderstorms were training one after the other directly over Charleston, South Carolina. Everyone inside the area, with the partially built Good Luck 2, was well rested, fed, warm, but most of all dry.

The opposition force was in the opposite condition. After Lucius told Alphonse his plan, he was sure it would work. All he had to do now was to find his helicopters. He opened his briefcase, attached the antenna, turned to a secure channel, and received a green light.

Alphonse stood behind the Colonel, wondering how far off the beaten track his mind had gone. He was sure this plan was as crazy as any he had ever heard, probably crazier.

"Buffalo 1, this is Hotel, where the fuck are you? Buffalo 1, this is Hotel, where the fuck are you?"

"Hotel, this is Buffalo 1, we are in the maintenance hangar at Charleston military base. All four of us are here. Over."

"Buffalo 1, what is the condition of Dragonfly?"

"Hotel, Dragonfly has a broken oil line, which is being repaired. His radios are shot to hell, and they are trying to repair those, over."

"Buffalo 1, what is the timeline on Dragonfly?"

"Hotel, the oil line is being completed now. They will do a pressure check on it to certify completion. That should take 30 minutes. I have no idea how long it will take for the radios. Over" him

"Buffalo 1, tell whoever is working on dragonfly they have 90 minutes. After that they have to button up, and start the preflight on that aircraft.

We'd leave in two hours. Verify Dragonfly can fly in this weather."

"Hotel, the Dragon is in all weather aircraft. I will get a message to the captain to make sure he certified to fly in this weather."

"Buffalo 1, can you fly in this weather?"

"Hotel, that is affirmative."

"Buffalo 1, I want you at the Schneider Industries terminal, bay six in 30 minutes."

"Hotel, unable to comply. It takes more than one hour with four men to do a preflight on this aircraft. There are only two of us qualified to check it out."

"Buffalo 1, you now have 29 minutes and 40 seconds to get here. Don't be late, or there will be consequences."

Tony ran to the maintenance chief, told him his problem, and begged him to drag his helicopter outside. Once that was accomplished, they had to unfurl the six, 27 feet long, rotor blades, warm up the electronics, and start the two jet engines. They had not done one third of their preflight checklist, when they started moving towards the runway. They got clearance from the tower to cross it, and proceed to Schneider's terminal. When they arrived, Lucius was standing on the dock waiting for them.

Captain Anthony Sagan shut the helicopter down, and told his warrant officer, Gino Capiletti, to check everything, make sure the rest of the preflight was completed, and everything was okay with their aircraft.

He jumped out, and ran straight to the Colonel.

"Why the fuck couldn't you wait an extra 30 minutes so we could check out our aircraft properly, instead of possibly ruining a $50 million delicate machine?"

"I needed you here for briefing Captain. If you don't like it, you can take off those wings and go to jail."

Sagan reached for his wings tore them off his shirt and handed them to the Colonel.

"Fly the fucking thing yourself. I am not going to explain to you or anyone else how I wrecked that aircraft, because you had a temper tantrum. I resign, put me in jail."

"Anthony for the amount of money I'm paying you, you should stand up and dance every time I order you to do something. Instead, you are a pain in my ass. Should I ask you why, or do you want to tell me why you disobey me?"

"I'll tell you why Colonel. You are ground pounder. On the ground I would follow you anywhere, and do anything you asked me to do. You have no concept of what it takes to fly an aircraft. It's not a rifle which you can break it down in under 30 seconds, and put it back together in another 30 seconds.

That aircraft is a delicate machine, and it has to be treated properly. If we don't, once we get in the air that machine will kill you before we perform our duty.

If you give me an action to perform, I want to perform it properly. I don't want to die before, or after, because of a malfunction. It takes over an hour to check out that him aircraft properly. You have to check out each rotor blade to make sure there is no crack in it. Those rotor blades are 27 feet long, and for one man to do it, it takes 20 minutes. If you are in the air, and there was even a minute crack in any of those blades, it will break, and I am dead. If I am carrying 55 soldiers in the back, they are dead too.

You are not dead, because you are on the ground carrying your rifle, but sure as hell, everyone in my helicopter is dead, because you wouldn't give me an extra 30 minutes to check out my aircraft properly."

"Sagan, I give orders, and rarely, if ever, do I admit I made a mistake in judgment. I did today, and I apologize. If you tell anyone I apologized to you, I will kill you on the spot. There is only one man in this world I apologize to, and I have known him for almost 40 years. Here are your wings, you have just received a $50,000 a month rate increase for being right. Don't die before your first paycheck."

"I want the same raise for my Warrant Officer. I would never have been here on time without him."

"I told you Tony, you are a pain in my ass."

"I'm going to tell everyone that Sir."

"I've told everyone that myself. We have a meeting to attend, let's go."

"I love meetings; they are on the ground."

"Wiseass."

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

"We are going to do what Sir?"

"We are going to have 600 men surrender to 50 of us. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No sir, you are just as crazy as usual."

"Does everyone understand their part in this action?"

"Yes sir."

"Those of you who are coming with me, get your raingear on, and I will meet you on the loading dock. You, unlucky ones, who are staying behind, will help put the armaments on the men who are going with me."

Harry Chase walked up to the Colonel.

"Sir, I'd like to go along. I'd like to earn my bones along with the rest of the guys. I want them to know I'm not just hanger on."

"Sergeant, if you were just a hanger on, you would not be here."

"I know that, and you know that. I want the rest of the guys to know that. They don't feel comfortable around me yet, and I'd like to change that as soon as possible."

"Get dressed Sergeant, you can accompany me to the 'Bear Trap."

"It will be my honor Sir."

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

Each soldier received a triple load of magazines for their rifles. The 10 soldiers, who were going to support the center, with Colonel Canyon, received one bandolier each of M67 fragmentation grenades and another of phosphorus grenades. The 20 that were going to be deployed on the right, and left flanks, and would be supported by Dragonfly, and Buffalo 1, carried two bandoliers' of M67 fragmentation grenades.

As they were about the board Buffalo 1, Lucius called the maintenance hangar.

"Maintenance, Sergeant Lewis."

"This is Colonel Canyon, what is the condition of the AH1 Cobra, Sergeant?"

"The oil line is completed, and they are still working on the radios, Sir."

"Sergeant, tell the pilot to start his preflight. As soon as he's done I want that aircraft in the air and on its way to the science project. He has to take up station on the left flank. Unless he sees white smoke, any movement at all he is to kill it."

"Understood Sir, I will have him start his preflight now, and get him in the air, as soon as possible. Unless he sees white smoke, he is to kill anything that moves."

"Move out Sergeant, we are not playing games today."

"Alfonse, we do have white smoke with us, don't we?"

"Are we going senile Sir?"

"Where is Paul when I need him."

"I thought you wanted to kill Paul?"

"I do, but he answers my questions politely. Is everyone on board?"

"No sir, we are still on the loading dock."

"Don't let me stand behind you Alfonse; you could be killed by friendly fire."

"By request of Mister and Mrs. Zabo, they want me to come home uninjured. They said they would miss me, if I didn't."

"Now, you're not playing fair. Mount up."

"After you, sir. I wouldn't want you to slip, and hurt yourself. I don't want you behind me either."

"Start your engine Captain, get us out of here, before I kill a member of the household staff."

"Get in Colonel, so we can close that door. Otherwise everyone is going to have a headache."

"Is everyone going to pick on me today?"

Alfonse replied, "I might remind you sir, you came up with this plan. If we can't joke around now, we may never have another chance."

"I will bet you $100 not one shot will be fired today. They will surrender unconditionally. They will leave their weapons behind, and we will release them through the West fence, after we give them some food."

"Talk about cheating, that's as low as you get can get, Colonel. Those guys have not had a bite to eat in two days."

"That's not my fault. It was poor planning by their leadership."

"Don't take off Captain. Patricia are you in there?"

"You bet your ass I am Lucius. I was wondering if you were going to leave me behind."

"Remember, where I am, you are three feet behind me at all times."

"I hope you took a bath today."

Everyone on board the helicopter laughed.

"Make that two feet behind me."

"Okay Captain, let's go end this thing."

Lucius took up a position by the communications gear, and called a Science Project.

"Central Comm, this is Hotel, we are inbound with two helicopters, and a plan. Begin preparing food for 600 men, and a lot of coffee. I am going to get them to surrender to me, over."

"Hotel, this is Central Comm. I will pass the message along to General Morris. I'm not even going to ask you how you propose to do that."

"Darrell wake up the general and give him this message."

"I'll take over your position. You wake up the general, and give him the message."

"Okay, but I'll stopping by the kitchen first and give them their part of the message. I have something to eat, relax, and then I'll go to the general."

"The helicopters will be here by that time. They'll be making so much noise everybody will be awake."

"Stay by the radio, I'll be in the kitchen."

"I just fucked myself."

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

"Randy, I got a message from Colonel Canyon. He wants you to start making food for 600 people, plus a lot of coffee. He's going to get those idiots outside to surrender. I believe he's going to use food as a lure to do it. Get as much help as you need, and get started. I'll just grab something out of the refrigerator and have a snack."

"Since you have nothing to do, grab an apron, and start slicing some lunchmeat. I mean a lot of lunchmeat. I'll go get the rest of the guys we need."

"I just fucked myself. Wait a minute, Randy; I have to deliver a message to the general."

"What message do you have for me?"

"Good morning general. We have a message from Colonel Canyon."

"Are you going to keep it to yourself, or are you going to let me see it?"

"Here you are, Sir."

"What is that moron up to now? Sound the alert. You stay here and continue cutting the meat just in case he is successful. He's done it before; heaven knows if he can pull this off again, it will save us all a lot of grief."

As soon as she heard the alert klaxon, Laura jumped off of Joe and began dressing. Joe was so out of it, he was unconscious. She hit him across the face to wake him up.

"What, what did I do wrong this time?"

"Do you hear that alarm dummy? Either we are under attack, or we are on alert. Move your ass, and get dressed, armor and all."

"You are dressed already. How did you do that?"

"I'm 5' 1", my clothes are shorter than yours."

"Tom, you have to get the boys to let Tom out of his room."

"It's much more important to get the boys back into their stasis boxes. I'll get the solvent from them, and opened his door, with great reluctance."

"Be nice Laura, he is my best friend."

"He is also the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met, and I've met lots of pains in the ass."

"We wouldn't have been in bed together if it wasn't for him. I would not have asked you to marry me if it wasn't for him."

"Well, there is that, and the sex was decent."

Joe grabbed for her, but she was too quick, and his arms were a little too short.

"The sex was decent? I guess I shouldn't thank those wonderful Italian women for all those lessons they gave me, while I was growing up. Is that what you're telling me Burkart?"

"I guess I'm in trouble. I just went from Laura to Burkart. You are going to have to work on that Mister Constantine."

"I guess I'm in trouble. I just went from Joe to Mister Constantine. Go to the boys and get the solvent to get Tom out of his room. Make sure they're in their stasis boxes before you come back."

"Is it going to take you that long to get dressed?"

"Woman, I wish you were naked. I would give you the spanking of your life."

"I'm going to have to take you to the gym just to show you which one of us is better."

"As soon as this is over Laura, I will escort you there personally."

"Your invitation is accepted. How long does it take the fibula and metatarsals to heal, when they are broken at the same time?"

"If you don't get out of here, I'm going to strip you down to your skin and bite your ass until you cannot find one area with out my teeth marks on it."

"I thought you wanted to spank me?"

"I will do that after I bite your ass all over. Get out of here and do your job agent Burkart."

"Since you're still naked can I leave the door open?"

"Yes."

"You're not ashamed to leave little Junior hanging out?"

Joe sprang out of bed and charged at her.

Laura screamed and ran around the catwalk surrounding the Good Luck 2.

Tim Kenshaw saw her running towards him, at full tilt.

"Slow down Laura, we are only at alert status. No one is going outside yet. Colonel Canyon is going to try something rather extraordinary."

"Tell me when that man doesn't do something extraordinary. What is he going to try to do now?"

"He's going to try to get the opposition force to surrender by feeding them and releasing them through the West fence. After that they're on their own. We know they have cars on the north side, and on the south side. They can take as many men as they want using them. We will see what happens. Where is Joe? Did you kill him last night?"

"He was still looking for his clothes when I left him. Like all men, he doesn't know how to fold his clothes neatly, when the little brain takes over thinking for the big brain."

"I've seen his little brain, when his father and I used to take him to the gym with us. It didn't look so little to me."

"Are you a connoisseur, sir?"

"I was a prosecuting attorney many years ago Burkart. I've seen my share."

"Why aren't you in your stasis box sir?"

"We are only on alert status. I'm not going in there until it is absolutely necessary. The boys are having breakfast, and if you want to throw up, you should see what they're eating."