Loosening Up Bk. 08 Ch. 16-20

The two sparred for a few minutes. Alice said, "May I use the plane's toilet. There's no place to go from there -- only one door."

Morton waved the gun and Alice moved to the rear of the passenger compartment. She went in and locked the door, making some noise as she dropped the toilet seat. She had her cellphone in her hand and instantly texted Dave, Julie, Karen, Dev, and Dale that she was a hostage in the plane at the Circle Airport. She made sure to mention the handgun. She ended with'DO NOT REPLY TO ME. Come save me.'

After her 'tinkle' she flushed and came back out. Morton and she talked at each other a bit more, and then he asked, "Can you fly this plane?"

"Kind of. There has to be a second pilot and a number of other things done." The white lie about needing a second pilot did not appear to be detected. The thought of flying off did appeal to Angus Morton, but he was still modifying his plan.

Morton went to the door on the plane with Alice in front of him. He ordered, "Fold up the stairway." Alice touched the right buttons and a few extras by the door to retract the stairway. She didn't want him to understand the mechanics of the plane. As she did, she saw a shadow on the ground under the plane. Maybe there was already some help nearby.

Alice said, "If I start the auxiliary power unit, we'll have some air conditioning in here. It's apt to become really hot and stuffy in a couple of minutes without that."

"Do it," Morton ordered.

Alice went through a checklist for the APU, taking a lot of extra time to make the job look more complex than it was. She started the unit, and then adjusted the climate controls for the cabin. Morton held his gun on her the whole time. She thought, 'At least now there's a lot of engine noise allowing things to happen outside the aircraft without detection.' She recalled the obvious that anything going on beneath the wings or behind the aircraft could not be observed from inside the plane.

As she went back to her seat, she felt the slight shift of weight of the plane. Somebody was underneath the plane or under one of the wings doing something. Alice sat in the passenger compartment still covered by the handgun and Morton's menacing face.

Over the course of a half hour Alice became aware of a lightening of the plane on one side. She wisely kept quiet but did notice the nearly infinitesimal tilt to the starboard side of the plane.

Alice taunted Morton. "I thought you believed in the fundamental messages of the Bible and Jesus? Were you always the biggest hypocrite in the country or was that more of a recent phenomenon?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he yelled at her.

"The fundamental message in the Bible and from Jesus was to love your fellow man. Yet, YOUR church -- the one I grew up in -- taught only CONDITIONAL LOVE. You only get God's love IF you belong to THIS church, and believe what THIS minister tells you. That sure isn't very Christian, is it? That's about as narcissistic as you can get."

"You don't understand?"

"Oh, I understand hypocrisy very well, Reverend Angus Morton. Your picture is next to the definition in the dictionary." She continued to beat him up with how un-Christian the Bible Church had been, and how the church's teachings and actions were purely sinful as measured against the Bible. Alice remembered her Bible classes well, and could still quote chapter and verse to him to make her points.

The theological argument went on for forty-five minutes. Alice invoked all the spiritual principles about love, unconditional love, empathy, support, caring, gratitude, equality, achieving one's potential, and harmony that served as the basis for the Circle and for her lifestyle. She often quoted statements she'd learned from Ross Buchman, the Circle's spiritual guru.

Alice threw questions are him: "Where in the Bible does it say to use a mortar to bomb those that you Reverend Morton are unhappy with?" "I must have missed the reference in the good book about where it said to spray paint thy neighbor's house or bomb it with colorful paint." "Could you tell me the verse that told you to try to harm my sister and her family?"

Several times Morton pointed the gun at her as though to shoot her, but Alice just laughed in his face and taunted him with more provocative statements. During that time, she was aware of how the plane was rising up slightly on the hydraulic landing gear and returning to level as it got lighter. Alice realized that somebody was quietly sucking the fuel from the plane's tanks. This was good because it would prevent the plane from leaving Circle Airport.

After a while the APU started to sputter occasionally. Alice pointed out, "We're low on fuel for the power unit. Maybe I should switch to the other fuel tank?"

"Do it, and no funny stuff," Morton said. "Stay away from the radios."

Alice went to the cockpit and after a brief check of the instruments she noted that both fuel gauges indicated empty. She switched the APU over to run off what was left in both tanks, knowing that soon that would stop.

Alice went back to the passenger compartment again after the small adjustment. As she sat, she realized she was getting groggy. Her eyelids were heavy and she just wanted to sleep.

Alice threw out another jab at the good reverend. "So, Morton, what are you going to do now that you can't sew your seeds of the devil any more? You really are the devil incarnate. You made a shitload of money off that Bible Church -- off those mostly poor people. Are you going to some tropical paradise to spend your ill-gotten gains or will you give it back in a flush of charitable repentance?"

Alice heard Morton arguing back with her, something about not caring what happened or where the money was or something strange. The words were garbled and even his voice was slurred almost like he was drunk. Alice slowly closed her eyes but kept trying to listen to his voice that kept getting further and further away.

* * * * *

Alice felt all warm and safe. She was in someone's arms and they were kissing her. She knew those lips. It was Dave. He was her husband and he loved her. She loved him more than anybody in the whole world.

"Is she all right?" someone else asked in an excited tone.

She heard other voices say, "Yes. She'll be fine."

Alice's eyes blinked open. She was lying supine on a gurney beside the Cessna Citation. She was going to fly the plane away from the Circle so it would be safe. But she could see the plane beside her.

"What ... where ... Morton? Morton is on the plane ... he's armed." She was still recovering from her groggy experience.

Dave said in a comforting tone, "No. Morton has been captured. He is also returning to consciousness in the back of that police car over there."

"What happened?" Alice asked as she struggled to sit up.

Lt. Hotch appeared in her field of view. He explained, "We gassed the plane as we were taking the fuel out of it so it couldn't fly. You both went to sleep due to the methyl propyl ether we pumped into the plane through a hole we made into the passenger compartment. The gas is odorless and undetectable. We put a tube into the passenger compartment and started the flow of gas. We were watching what was happening in there with a small camera on a long tube. We waited for over a minute after you both seemed to pass out before we cranked open the plane door and immediately took control of Morton. We got you both outside out of the gas as soon as we could. There should be no side effects."

"So, it's over?" Alice said as her body started to choke up and spasm as tears came to her eyes. She'd held the tension of being an unwilling hostage for almost two hours.

Dave hugged her, "You did it. You became the bait and we just followed up to be sure he got locked up."

Alice sobbed, "I thought he was going to kill the two of us. At one point he talked about flying into something important -- like the 9/11 planes did. It's a good thing you emptied the fuel."

Dave pointed back at the plane. The plane would never have moved but a few inches. A large chain wrapped around two of the three wheels and then back to a large truck brought down from the construction project. The plane had a pretty heavy anchor.

"What will happen to Morton?" Alice asked as she sat up and shifted to the edge of the gurney.

"He will be held without bail if the DA has anything to say about it. We have list of felonies as long as your arm and he is a flight risk. We have lots of questions for him about the mortar and mortar rounds, and Ohio tells us that a significant amount of money is missing from what was left of the Bible Church treasury -- enough so that the FBI wants to have a chat with him, too. The explosives and apparent hijacking of an aircraft also put him in violation of a boat load of Federal laws, so they might like to tuck him away even before we do.

Dave said, "We could hear your conversation after we got close to the plane and could put a sensitive microphone on one of the windows. There's a buzz from the APU motor but with noise canceling we could hear you baiting him and keeping him talking. That was brilliant. He confessed to everything."

Alice said in a shaky voice, "I knew somebody would do something to rescue me. I sent that text to so many of you hoping that somebody would see it."

Dave chuckled, "Oh, we all saw it and were out here in minutes."

Alice asked, "How'd you drill the hole for the gas? The plane is all metal. We would have heard the drill."

Hotch laughed, "Oh, we have our secrets. Someday, I'll show you. We went through all the layers of metal and insulation in less than two minutes without a squeak or thrum or anything. We practiced for exactly this situation on much larger aircraft. You will have to get those holes repaired before you fly above ten thousand feet."

Alice reached over and pulled Jim Hotch into her arms, "Thank you. Thank you so much for rescuing me." She kissed him.

He adopted a somewhat theatric pose and said, "All in a day's work, ma'am. All in a day's work." He patted his pockets and said, "Damn, out of silver bullets. Now, where's my horse Silver?"

The half-dozen people standing around chuckled. They turned to watch the sheriff's car with Morton handcuffed in the rear pull away and head for the jail.

Alice gave Jim Hotch another big hug after she got on her feet and then a kiss on his lips that developed into something more long-lasting.

As they broke apart, Jim looked at her husband. He said, "Sorry, that was very unprofessional -- highly enjoyable but definitely not something expected or necessary."

Dave laughed, "But fun. She's the best kisser I know. She is also unconstrained by me or anybody else from repeating that over and over again with you. I'm not the least bit bothered unless she's not liking it."

As though to prove the point, Alice pulled the detective back into her arms and planted another kiss on his lips. This kiss also lasted some time and started to involve more open mouths and tongues communicating something lusty between them.

Hotch held Alice's left hand up towards Dave, "Your wife's wedding rings signal that I definitely should not be kissing her."

Dave and Alice both laughed. He said, "Jim, those are not even the rings I gave her. Those came from her other husband."

"Other husband? I forgot about your craziness." He nodded, "I read about that in the book you gave me.

Alice pulled on his arm as a man and woman from the crime lab went up the step into the plane. "Why don't you come up to the Circle. I think enough of us are back on the premises that we'll have a buffet lunch -- it's usually make your own sandwiches. If not, please join us and we'll all go out to lunch together."

Hotch slowly drove his car up the Airport Road following several of the golf carts. The Circle was actually a buzz of activity with everyone returning after a four-day hiatus from being in their homes. There was a lunch buffet on the patio despite the destruction of the kitchen by one of the bombs. A large sign indicated that breakfasts and dinners for Circle members were indefinitely postponed and that 'dues' would be adjusted accordingly.

There were about twenty workers in the core working on the kitchen and the other damage to the building. Dave noticed that Jack Anders, the resident architect for all of the Circle buildings, townhouses, and homes was having an animated conversation with the job supervisor and general contractor. Led by Owen and a special donation, the Circle had asked the contractors to work as close to around-the-clock as they could.

Jim Hotch became Mr. Congeniality over the lunch they shared at the outdoor picnic tables. He was also ogle-eyed at many of the others around the patio, particularly some of the topless women sunning around the pool. There were about a dozen of them. Dave marveled at how fast the Circle had returned to 'normal'.

Jim finally said, "My apologies for staring at your friends. I'm not used to the nudity or the presence of so many gorgeous women in one place."

Dave teased, "You'll have to keep coming back until you get inured to their presence. Please consider that a sincere invitation."

Alice jumped in and confirmed her desire to have the handsome police Lieutenant around more frequently.

Jim focused on his food, Alice, and Dave. I would like to visit. I read the book by someone named Cricket twice. To tell the truth, I couldn't put it down. Besides being well written, it described a utopian lifestyle that I wish existed."

Dave said, "It exists here ... except when someone from the outside like Morton messes with it." He gestured towards the destroyed cabana, the damaged core living room, and the obliterated kitchen.

"The book by Cricket made it sound like there are just over a hundred people here."

Alice said, "More like a hundred-and-fifty including our pledges, but only about half live her right now. Some live offsite, including a few just outside our gates in the neighborhoods on Christian Grey Drive and back behind the airport."

"How many housing units are there on your Circle property?"

Dave replied instantly from memory, "Seventy-five. There are eighteen homes in the racetrack of Circle Drive, five studio apartments for special visitors, forty-eight town house units -- a few still under construction, and four stand-alone homes on Perimeter Drive that starts just inside the gate. We still have a waiting list for spots. A few people have doubled up, especially in the townhouses. I officially have ten people living in my home beside myself." Dave gestured to the largest of the homes surrounding the patio.

Jim filled in, "Because you have ten wives."

Dave grinned and nodded. "I do. Some of them are shared. My wives Julie and Alice are also married to Owen Bennett. One part-time wife Cindy is also married to Mark Worthington. Cricket is married to Don Abrams who lives in L.A. Scarlett is on the road making movies most of the time. Pam travels a lot, too, but usually only three or four nights a week. Alice has been traveling a lot recently, too." He turned to his wife.

Alice said, "Don't worry about Dave. He never lacks for female company at night. He didn't mention JR, Jenny, Nikky, and Heather who are usually here most of the time. Of course, they never lack for male companionship at night either."

Jim nodded, "The book explained most of that in somewhat explicit terms, particularly your Friday and Saturday evenings patio parties."

Alice laughed, "What can I say? We're exhibitionists, but very loving and caring about it all. That was Morton's problem. He was rigidly locked into a paradigm of his own making, or of the making of his pastor and few others in that church up north. He also got a little too focused on money."

Jim said, "I have trouble understanding that mindset myself. I really liked what I read. What does one do to belong here?"

Dave gave a shrug, "Hang out."

"Hang out?" Jim said. "The criteria and such weren't discussed in the book."

Alice and Dave both laughed. Alice said, "The whole book is the criteria. If you have problems with any of it, you self-select out of joining the Circle. If you embrace it all, you hang out to meet everybody and get known. The people in the Circle become your intentional family." She paused and then asked, "You married?"

"Divorced, like over half the cops in town. No kids. I kind of have a girlfriend. I don't know what she'd think of this place. We've been an event for about a year."

"Would you like a copy of the book to share with her? We recommend that couples thinking of becoming members read the book together and talk about the various precepts in it."

"I would. That's a good idea. When does one 'hang out' as you put it?"

Dave replied, "I guess we'll go back to having a cocktail hour from five to six-thirty or seven in the late afternoon. Until the kitchen gets fixed, I guess various groups will head off for dinner somewhere nearby. The lack of an evening meal will frustrate our forming couples and threesomes for the beginning of the evening.

"So, to answer your question, come for cocktails. Bring your friend, and you might warn her about some partial nudity here so she's not shocked. Come to dinner with some of us. A good time to start is Friday night since you were so instrumental in breaching the airplane and capturing the Right Reverend Angus Morton."

"I'll be back then. I will probably spend the afternoon at my desk writing up all that happened on this case, especially what happened today. By the way, Alice, I am going to want to have a couple of hours of your time to interview you about what happened in the plane today. I think I'll record that and get it transcribed; that'll save me hours of typing. Are you free tomorrow morning?"

Alice responded, "I'm free but high maintenance. How about I find you about nine a.m. at your Cattleridge Road offices. I know where that is."

"Ask for me at the desk."

Chapter 20 -- Rebuilding. New Friends

Dave was impressed that the rubble from the destruction left by the grenade and two mortar rounds had been cleared away by the end of the same day the police had saved Alice and caught Angus Morton. Jack told several people gathered around at the bar that the next day reconstruction of the core living space, the core kitchen, and the cabana would begin with three separate work teams. He'd asked that the emphasis be put on restoring the kitchen to order, and had a four-week time estimate providing that the crew in the core could work from seven a.m. to seven p.m. or later six days a week. He'd approved that, including the overtime.

As had been done on many of the core buildings when they were first built, there was a six percent incentive to finish ahead of time. That percentage would rise to twelve percent if the crews beat the four-week estimate by a whole week.

Most of the Circle members were gathered on the patio as the mid-week cocktail hour started. Alice was asked to stand and give a short recounting of what had happened that morning so everyone could hear her comments first hand. With questions she was under the gun for a half-hour.

Lieutenant James Hotch arrived about five-thirty dressed in blue jeans and a sport shirt accompanied by a cute woman similarly dressed and about a head shorter than he was. The pair had a kind of Mutt and Jeff appearance to them.

Dave went out of his way to welcome Jim and Mandy and introduce them to about dozen people crowded around the bar. He insisted on a high stool for Mandy, and that they join him there so they could talk. As other people came to the bar for drinks, Dave would introduce them. There was an unspoken short-hand in how he introduced them that signaled that they were potential pledges and that this was their first visit to the Circle for unofficial reasons.