One Month of Chuck Steve an Alternative ScenarioChapter 19
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CHUCK - DAY SIX - Saturday
I got home so late last night, that I just crept into bed trying not to disturb anyone. All my women wanted to make up for it this morning, but I did my best and I think managed to satisfy them all. I also managed to get some exercise in; followed by Tai Chi, before we all went down to he patio. The girls were all dressed appropriately for Saturday breakfast. Wow. What would our visitors to the patio make of this, I wondered?
After we had breakfast, Lisa went off to Lutz to check the fax machine. She told me what happened afterwards.
While she was reading through the latest applications, her cell rang and a female voice asked.
"Are you the Lisa Johnson who went through the USMC Quantico Officers School followed by Flight School?"
"Err, Yes," she guardedly replied.
The woman at the other end burst out laughing.
"It's your old roomie, Sookie James, here."
Lisa said they both squealed, and after inquiring about each other's health, Lisa asked.
"Why are you calling, Sookie?"
"Well," she explained. "A friend, Josh Reynolds, and I (he was a couple of years ahead of us at Pensacola) were let go yesterday by our airline employers here in Boston. Josh showed me the CS&S ad for pilots last night. I thought I recognized your name, so I decided I'd just call on the off chance. Do you need two more hot pilots who fly big jets?"
"Do you still have your own plane?" Lisa asked, laughing.
"Yes, but it's no longer a Mooney. I've got a late model Piper Cherokee now; Josh doesn't have anything at the moment, however."
"Hey, Sookie," Lisa told her. "Get hold of Josh, then both of you leave your apartments and car keys with neighbors, and get down here to Lutz as fast as you can in the Cherokee. Your apartments will be packed up and all the contents transported down to Florida together with your vehicles, all at CS&S' expense."
Sookie gasped. "Are you serious? Is this all it takes?"
"No, I'm not kidding you. Now git,." Lisa happily assured her old friend.
Meanwhile, Steve wouldn't rest until Tiny and I had talked through everything that had been happening, so we sat down beside his sickbed to review our really eventful week and to try and ensure that we hadn't missed anything or made any expensive mistakes.
First, I brought them up to date on everything that had happened at Spring Field. Tiny was fascinated by our tale of how we acquired the Lacy Estate. Both were excited at my idea of an ultra-exclusive hotel and spa there. They were both horrified at the story of the VA hostel. Steve was very happy to hear about the Lacy Field developments and our aircraft acquisitions.
"I can't wait to get over there and see it all," Tiny remarked.
I hadn't told them about my Denver trip, so I did so now. Steve just smiled rather painfully, but Tiny couldn't believe that I'd picked up ten helicopters for so little, especially three of the big Chinooks and some of the super long-range Black Hawks. He asked if the latter would have their external long range fuel tanks mounted. I had to admit that I didn't know.
"We urgently need a new General Manager at Halcyon," Steve remarked.
I was happy to report that I'd already hired a man for the job. I gave a quick description of Carlos Rodriguez's qualifications and said that I'd invited him and his wife for supper at the patio that evening to meet everyone.
"With the pace at which CS&S is developing, I think we need to strengthen and possibly formalize our management," I told them. "DeDe and Star did an awful lot here at Lutz, and moving them both has exposed a problem - actually, I've already started doing something about it. John is doing the General Manager's job – he has been for years - and I suggest that we confirm Betty as Air Charter Manager here at Lutz. Jimmy should be the overall Maintenance Manager – he wants to appoint a number two, and I'm discussing this with him later today. Our flight training here has grown so much that I think we need to appoint a Chief Instructor. Tank is effectively running the rotary training at the moment, and I suggest we don't change anything there, but we need someone to control the fixed wing side. Any suggestions?"
"I'm not happy about how the Golf Tours are going," I then went on. "Some of the things that are happening don't make sense to me, and I want Bart Moleson or one of Tiny's more experienced accountants to be more closely involved."
"I totally agree about the Hawaii position," Tiny commented. "However as I'm now delegating most of my other work to my assistants, I intend to personally get more closely involved with what my people are calling "the overall Lutz activities." These are easily the most exciting happenings around here at the moment. And I find planes fascinating – maybe I should have been an airplane buyer."
"I've already started to take action on this Golf Tours business myself," I continued." I hired a man yesterday who will initially concentrate on the Hawaiian Golf Tours. His name is Kurt Eccleston and he will initially run the crucial aircraft side. He's got the relevant experience and you'll like him. When he's got that sorted, we might use him as a trouble-shooter – he's got the qualifications.
"Today, I want to offer Doug Schaeffer the job of Chief Pilot of the 737 fleet – this needs much better organization, and he can help Kurt too."
Both Steve and Tiny thought this was good.
I went on to brief them about the military pilot applications and resumes that Lisa was handling. I said that she seemed to be really developing the same ability Mercy has to read people's minds, which was really useful when interviewing job seekers.
Ben arrived at that moment, wanting to talk about the Mojave business.
He explained that Sue had insisted he do everything, and told us about how he had acquired all the Mojave loans for 4 mil (which was in fact 40 cents on the dollar). After Tiny had digested this and we had all congratulated Ben on his success, Tiny asked about the snags?
"The notes are secured in a rather unusual way – by the shares of the company that owns all the assets and business of the Mojave operation," Ben explained. "To permit the holder of the notes to enforce his security and be able to manage the Mojave business, the company passed a special resolution which was also signed by all the directors and shareholders, agreeing to the appointment of a new President, whose name was left blank on the document. The signatories also undertook not to oppose any such appointment. The bank gave me these documents.
"I visited a leading firm of lawyers in Vegas on Friday morning. They thought the security was good, but are working to discover any possible problems that may arise, both before and after the foreclosure, which can occur any time after noon on Monday."
"I'M GOING TO BE THERE." Steve declared, grinning painfully.
We agreed that John was the obvious man to appoint as the initial company President.
"Jimmy made inquiries about the flying school while Ben here was at the bank," I told them. "They have forty fixed wing aircraft that are all said to be in really good condition, and an ample number of instructors, both full and part-time."
"We might transfer five aircraft and instructors up to Spring Field to start a school up there," Steve suggested.
We all thought this was a good idea, and agreed that we'd also need to offer helicopter training at both locations. We shouldn't have any problem getting the trained instructors necessary in view of Lisa's initial results.
Steve remarked that he thought that there were a number of Schweizer 300s advertised on the Federal Disposals website – I promised to get Bill to bid on these and look for more. In view of all this, and because we would want to start an air charter operation at Mojave if all went as planned, Bill and I should review our list of potential acquisitions from that website again. Steve said bids had already been entered on 13 aircraft.
We discussed the price of aircraft fuel, which we all recognized as one of the key factors in our success at Lutz.
"I think we should ask Ben to get together with Dewey, and start trying to negotiate a special fuel deal covering all of our sites and operations," Tiny suggested. "We should be able to exploit our successful record down in the Mexican oilfields, as well as dangling a carrot regarding the Costa Rican oil."
Ben thought this was a great idea and very promising – he'd get on to it.
Steve expounded on his idea of exploiting the luxury charter business out of both Vegas and Reno. He pointed out that we would be ideally placed to do this. We agreed to get the planned G5s, Lears, and some B200s at both locations, with the same interiors as the very successful Lutz Learjets and B200s.
"There's one last thing, although it's not really any of my business," I said. "Terrell is the head of S&S Construction, and at the moment, we have him running around sorting stuff out at Spring Field which is a job anyone else could do, and we need input and plans for the Estate mansion and stables. It occurred to me yesterday that it would be ideal if we could find him an assistant who is an architect and can do both the drawings, as well as organize and supervise the work. I haven't had a chance to discuss this with him yet, but do you think Fran Fisher could be a candidate?"
"You know, that just might work," Tiny mused. "I understand that the house she built in Tampa has become the talk among the trade here, and she does seem to have a lot of surplus energy. Are you planning on coming out to the pharmaceutical shop this afternoon? You could quietly take Jim aside and sound him out."
As Steve was obviously getting tired, Tiny proposed that we adjourn until next Friday, but that we should invite all our most senior staff to be present, or be available on a conference phone.
I then drove over to Lutz, since I'd arranged to meet Jimmy there.
When we were seated in my office with two iced teas, I told him first that he was now officially the Maintenance Manager of CS&S, with an appropriate rise in pay.
"I'm really too young for the job, you know," he replied, "but I'll do my best to justify Steve's and your confidence in me.
"I told you last night that I needed a number two, and this new job, coupled with last week's expansion, mean that this is now vital if things aren't to start going wrong. With Tank away too, Joy did an outstanding job of keeping an eye on everything, but that's not what she wants. I'd hoped Tank would take the job, but he's having too much fun with his birds, and wants to do more instructing."
"Good," I quickly interrupted, "I want to offer him a second hat as Chief Rotary Instructor, so that fits nicely."
"Fine." Jimmy beamed, "he'll be very good at that. What about the fixed wing side?"
"There's no obvious candidate for that here. Could you please think about it and let me know? You've probably heard that Lisa is advertising nationally for ex-military pilots and mechanics – maybe we'll find someone there?"
"Have you talked much to Jake Brewster, the man who is running all the Boeing work for me? Probably not, as he's usually up at the other end of the apron. He's a twenty year USAF man, who has been working as a supervisor for one of the big airlines over at TIA. Well, he took this job because he wasn't happy about the sloppy safety practices in the shop where he worked. He'd be a really good choice for my number two. Can you talk to him, please?"
"OK. I'll speak with him next week, but you can tell him the job's his. Now, what's the other thing?"
"You know we've been talking about starting an aircraft mechanic's school here at Lutz," Jimmy continued, after a pause to collect his thoughts. "Well, I was thinking about it during my flight back yesterday. I think there are two aspects that need to be covered.
"First, there are the ex-military pilots who are answering your ad – they will need training on all the different civil aircraft types – shouldn't we be doing that as well? What about type conversion courses for commercial pilots who want a change or who lose their present jobs...
"As for the mechanics, do you ever see an apprentice in a shop these days? There are no young guys being trained to replace retirees. We can do that. And what about type certification and upgrade courses? If we can get instructors from the big manufacturers, we could save people in the southeast money by offering specific training here. It would be nice advertising too."
.
"I'm good with that." I told him. I'd been thinking along the same lines myself. "When you can catch Terrell, please talk to him about some new school buildings – we can put them down the other end, it'd be quieter there - and start making plans as to how you would like it staffed and organized. It's your idea, so it'll be your headache too."
Jimmy briskly shook my hand, then went off shaking his head – I think the enormity of his proposal was just beginning to sink in.
Lisa and Doug Schaeffer then simultaneously arrived in my doorway.
"What can I do for you both?" I grinned.
Doug, ever the gentlemen, stood back for Lisa to go first.
"I just wanted to tell you I've found two experienced big jet airline pilots for you. They are both Marines – thought you like that. They're flying down and should be in here tonight."
"Fine." I replied, "Do they have command experience?"
"Yes," and Lisa disappeared back to her den, wherever that was – I'd have to find out.
"Come in, Doug, I want to talk to you," I said. "I'm trying to get things a little more organized around here. With DeDe and Star gone, we're rather stretched as you may have noticed.
CHUCK – Hawaii – Day 17 - Wednesday When I came down to breakfast, I was intercepted by the concierge, who handed me a large packet. I didn't open it until I had finished eating, but as soon as I did so, I got the concierge to call me a cab and went straight around to the Deputy Marshal's Station. When the Station Chief and I were sitting at a conference table in his office, and had consumed the obligatory coffee and law enforcement donuts, I re-opened the package and after I had handed...
DAY THIRTEEN – Saturday Mac Melville - The Junction I woke up in my bed in the motel outside the main entrance to the CS&S airfield called 'The Junction' to the insistent buzzing of my cellphone. The secure line light was flashing, so I sat up and pressed the 'talk' button. After exchanging passwords, the man at the other end began. "Come on, Red Dog, wake up; others have been doing your work for you." It was my Secret Service contact. "You asked for the whereabouts of Bill...
CHUCK – The Junction and Los Angeles When I woke up, I had to think for a second to figure out where I was, and what I had to do today. I didn't feel right, so I got up, had a quick shower, put my sports leg on, and went to visit the workout room. I felt human again after half an hour, so I went back to my room, did the three Ss, and went down for breakfast where I met Steve. "After we've met the Vice President, what do you have to do in LA?" Steve asked. "What can I do to help?" I...
MAC MELVILLE – The JUNCTION – Day 14 - Sunday This Sunday wasn't going to be a day of rest, I thought, as I got out of bed. I needed to check on how the techs of the Counterfeit Investigations Division were doing, presumably they would be using the Federal labs in LA, and it could take some time to get a response out of that group. Then I had to get Sunshine Helicopters organized as I couldn't rely on Gita Fullwood being able to do anything. After a quick breakfast at the cafeteria, I...
CHUCK - Tuesday DAY 9 part # 1 We were enjoying our hotel breakfast when I turned to speak to John. "Please make sure that Steve doesn't over stretch himself after I leave," I told him. "That's totally unnecessary,." Steve protested, "I'm fine today." Unfortunately, he winced slightly as he turned; the girls saw this and ganged up on him, insisting that he certainly wasn't fine yet... He had to accept their ruling... We decided to go get the Citation from McCarran and fly it...
CHUCK - DAY TWO - Tuesday I woke wondering for a second where I was – then I picked my cell up and rang the house. It would be 0900 there already. Brandy answered and I heard the slurping noises as our baby fed noisily. She said that only the new mums were there, as everyone else was off doing their thing. She herself was soon off soon to the pharmaceutical shop to watch Jim Fisher start a new production line. She said that everyone there was so very enthusiastic, and they...
CHUCK – Hawaii – Day 18 - Thursday Last night's supper party was a great success, and after Dewey had banned all business talk, everyone relaxed so much that he had to find rooms for all the visitors. At breakfast, the girls announced that as we were all flying to LA tonight, that they intended to spend a quiet day on the beach. Crystal arrived at the table late and said that she had arranged for a helicopter to meet us at the clothing optional resort and take the party to Molokai, then...
CHUCK - DAY SEVEN - Sunday This morning after my usual busy shower, I watched as the mothers fed their babies – something I never seem to tire of doing. Then, because my muscles were tighter than usual, I did my usual half hour's exercise accompanied by half my household this morning. This was a day of rest for most people, except for those at Spring Field, where it was going to be a normal working day. At Lutz, many just relaxed or used it to plan out what they would do the following...
STAR – Monday DAY EIGHT part #2 We were served our breakfast on the terrace this morning. There was a clear sky and only a gentle breeze. What a wonderful life this is. We had our morning management meeting while we sipped our last cups of coffee. My first job today was to get twelve pilots off to St Louis to collect the G-550s and new Lears. When I asked how I should choose which men to send, Jenny told me to just select the first jet jockeys who walked in the door – so that's what we...
STAR – Wednesday Day 10 part #2 I woke up feeling wonderful. It wasn't only having the woman I love here in my bed, but I had a great feeling of expectation. This was becoming a habit; waking and wondering what the new day would bring. I stretched, opened my eyes and found DeDe sitting up looking down at me with a serious, wistful look on her face. "You've moved on, haven't you?" She asked. "I was watching you with everyone at supper last night. You've now got a quiet air of...
STEVE – Day 11 part #3 - Thursday I think that John Truant and Juanita were the only people in the airpark to get a decent sleep last night. Juanita and Mercy traded duties, so that Mercy could catch up on her sleep in the RV during the morning, after staying up with me. The rest of us sat around the table in the large conference room below the tower control room. All night, there was continuous movement both on the apron and on the runway, with C-17s constantly landing and taking...
CHUCK – DAY 15 – Monday - Seattle and the North Cascades National Park Last night, Lisa and I were having a last beer in the nearby bar when to our surprise, our old friend and Senior Deputy Marshal colleague, Sam Nightfox walked in. His face was gray and drawn, and he didn't say anything until he'd swallowed half the long neck I put in front of him. "I hoped I'd find the two of you here," he remarked. "Why?" Lisa asked. "Someone is killing Deputies," he replied. "I'm up here...
CHUCK - Tuesday Day Nine part #2 Lisa and I quickly changed clothes before we took off. After the usual "Mother/Eyes" exchanges, we were soon taxiing up to the hangars out at the secret training base in the desert. We did our shutdown checks and were taken straight to a conference room. We only waited there for a couple of minutes before our US Marshal walked in, accompanied by a man who I suspected was the Base Commander. After greeting us, the Marshal immediately began asking about the...
CHUCK - DAY FIVE - Friday When I arrived at the patio with my family the next morning, the triplets rushed over to me, stuttering out a plea to be taken immediately to their daddy. Aunt Etta put her arms around their brother, Mike, while I hugged all three together while trying to give them large amounts of loving, calming thoughts. I assured them that their momma was with their dad and the other mommas, and that they would make sure that the doctors did all they could for him. Young Tom...
When I woke, I again immediately phoned home and spoke to Nancy this time. She said that they were all thinking of me, and that Julie had got home late last evening from her latest trip back to England. Nancy said she was still asleep, otherwise she was sure that Julie would have wanted to tell me personally that she had finally sold her flat. All the ladies there quickly blew kisses down the phone before we said goodbye. I hadn't had any real exercise since Sunday, so I put my sports leg...
CHUCK - Day 11 part 1 Thursday I left the house on my own before 0600 to go down to the patio for a quick breakfast this morning, because I needed to discuss the previous night's call with Sue. Well, she employed thousands of seamstresses, didn't she? Could she use twenty more? She came over as soon as I arrived, and while drinking coffee and munching on a breakfast sandwich, I quickly told her all that I knew. "Late last night, I had a call from an Atlanta Deputy named John Hanmer," I...
Steve I went to check on Chuck and found him crashed back by the kids. Bonita had her head in his lap, snoozing too. Trixie and Dixie were sitting with him with their heads on his other thigh, so he was well taken care of for the time being. Back up front, Mercy and Lisa were trying to explain about the women at Chuck's condo and on the new boat down in Costa Rica. I had to ask, "Mercy, how do you know all this. Did Chuck tell you?" Lisa and Mercy looked at each other and said,...
Chuck Morning is always pleasant, but being between two women is even better. We had enjoyed a great evening at Merlin's and I know Mercy had enjoyed herself by working with her dad. Steve and Sue were going to have to convince Merlin to open another place like that in Tampa to get him closer to Missy and Mercy. Wanda, Lisa, and I were at the airport having breakfast by seven fifteen, in the air by seven forty-five, and parking at the private terminal in Reno at eight fifteen. While we...
Steve Hap and Charlie had gone for a ride and came back to the park a little shook up. Hap parked his bike and came into the patio with Marge, while Charlie put his away. They went to the bar for some beer and also poured some shots. When Margie finished hers, she said she would be back as soon as she took care of Shirley. I didn't know if it was the Shirley over near them or another person, but it sounded like someone unrelated to the park. Both guys gave me a couple of sideways looks...
Steve I was laying on my back, with Gio on my left shoulder and Juanita on my right. I could see the clock on the other side of the room showing that it was right at six AM. We were up later than usual last night. Even after coming to bed, my ladies were more active than usual, but what is normal for these women? Poor Gio, I could tell she wanted to be loved, but all she received was a lot of kisses and hugs. Our baby is more important than sex. The other girls are being almost overly...
Steve I had just discussed the medical laboratory plant with Sue and we agreed that this was an important project. We both wanted to continue to assist Chuck in helping vets any way we could. It was past time to run into work, so I went to see how the company was functioning. A walkthrough of all the shops is always the best way to get a feel for what's going on. I saw Hank in the rear of the motor shop, painting one of Shawna's chopper creations. He was doing it from a chair with his...
Chuck Holy shit! There are babies everywhere. All of them are hollering/crying and they all need attention right now. Literally hundreds of babies were demanding diaper changes, demanding a breast to nurse, and looking for loving attention. All I could do is stand in the middle of the bedlam with my mouth open, too terrified to do anything. Someone was shaking me, "Wake up, Chuck, you're having a bad dream, wake up, Honey." I opened by eyes to find Brandy looking at me with a concerned...
Steve I was having coffee in my room at the resort. I had the patio doors open, looking out from the ninth floor toward the beautiful lagoon or small harbor in front of the hotel. It was still too early for beach people, but there were workers cleaning the beach. Two tractors were dragging the sand, smoothing it out to make it more appealing to the tourists. In the harbor and at the dock were several large yachts and sailboats. None, however, rivaled the Have Mercy, the Mercy Mercy, or...
Steve Mercy was shaking me, "Steve, Steve, wake up. Chuck may need you. I think Maria's in trouble." I sat straight up trying to think why Maria would be in trouble. Oh yeah, she's about to hatch. "What kind of trouble, Mercy, what is it?" Mercy just shook her head, "I don't know, but she just woke Chuck up. He may need us. Let's get over there to make sure they are alright." I began putting some clothes on. Sue, Kathy, Mickey, and Juanita woke, seeing Mercy and me dressing,...
Steve I had been told first by Mercy, then by Sue, that all of the women wanted to talk to me. That usually is almost instant death, or maybe it was going to be an execution, mine. At least they had waited for me to finish eating breakfast before the hanging. It was with great apprehension that I was following Sue, Kathy, and Mickey up the stairs, or more appropriately, the broad curved ladder that goes up to the salon. Mercy was at the helm, with Juanita sitting beside her . Juanita...
Chuck A speaker in the room was broadcasting reveille. It had the desired effect, as I swung my foot and stump out of bed. Across from me, Lisa was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at me and said, "Old habits are hard to break, aren't they?" Wanda was trying to pull a pillow over her head, but Lisa gave her a shake and said, "You better get up, or you won't get a shower and breakfast." Lisa looked up at me, "Since you're fast, go do your thing, and I'll go next after I...
Chuck Lisa and I were having fun doing what we liked to do when we were relaxing. We were both sitting on a little raised stage at the bottom of what was like a theater in the round. The platform had a baby grand with a bench and two chairs, with Lisa and me sitting on them. An interesting part of this is that there was absolutely no sound system. If you were looking for un-plugged, this was the ultimate. The acoustics in the theater had been designed so that what was played on the little...
Steve I was up early, as usual, sitting in the parlor on one of the fixed stools at the bar in the suite. You know how it is; waiting for coffee to brew can seem like an eternity when you don't want to sit there and wait. There was no place else to go and nothing else to do. If I went out to the patio, I would just have to come back in. If I went back into the room, I would probably disturb someone. Wonder why I can never sleep late? Only on rare occasions can I sleep until seven or eight....
Steve As soon as I stepped out on the patio, Tiny came in the back door, waving some papers while grinning his conspiratorial grin. I asked, "What are up to, Tiny? What's got you wound up so early?" "I've just heard from another Saudi sheik who is buying a new 737. The man heard we were buyers and called our office. The night customer service people transferred the call to me and we will get the new or rather new/used bird today. The Sheik's agent said we would like the price. I...
Chuck When Sue and Don relieved me at midnight, I went down to the office to check the rings I was going to hand out later that night. I separated eight of the rings, along with the special one I had made up for Lisa. The only difference between the special one and the others was that it had two brilliant blue diamonds on each side of the big diamond while the other rings had two bright red rubies on each side of a big diamond. The bands were wide, much wider than what a normal engagement or...
Chuck I woke up in a sweat. Remembering the night before didn't help with the PTS, with maybe a D on the end. That was close. I wonder why the bomb detonated, did it have a timer? Was there another person with a remote detonator? I doubt I'll ever know. I do know I was grateful to have carried Lisa out of the way. A heavy-breasted person was at my back and it wasn't Frieda as the belly wasn't bulging. That's when I remembered Gina. My, oh my, what do I do after hearing Giovanni's...
Steve Chuck had come out for breakfast this morning to talk to me about something. When we had our coffee and were sitting at the bar away from people, Chuck said, "There's a bunch of things coming together all at once. Magellan called to say the boat's ready to be picked up. I've transferred funds and paid them, so we can bring it up any time." He took a sip of coffee and said, "You want to go to Hawaii for a few days, which at a minimum is a day going and a day returning. I can get...
Steve Amazing, one night the little ones don't wake you up, and the next they wake up a couple of times. It wasn't bad either time, as Mickey and Giovanna were quickly up to take care of them. I can't imagine what Chuck is doing with ten of them in his big suite. Chuck has made some very nice plans for us, considering I thought the resort was sold out to other customers. Chuck is sneaky that way. He'll have had this planned for months now, and was able to coordinate holding the Costa...
Chuck It seemed like just a few minutes ago I was totaled, dead tired, completely exhausted. So what the heck, what's the matter? I never have trouble sleeping. I can even sleep soundly on the hot sand snuggled up against a track, like an APC or an Abrams tank. The shade is always good unless it's too close to mid-day. What's in my head now that I'm having trouble sleeping? I looked at the clock to see it was only two o'clock, and I was wide awake, tired but definitely wide awake. Oh...
Chuck I heard a baby cry and the bed shifted a little. There was activity over by the small table that I was told was a changing table. I raised my head to see who was up and saw Nancy changing a diaper. Her little one was making noises, but not crying. I suppose since she was getting attention that was what she wanted. Wanting to watch what the process was, I turned on my back and propped my head up on a folded pillow. After she changed the diaper, she put the infant back into the...
Steve We had eaten a great supper and were all relaxing on the patio when Wanda came to get me. She asked if we could go somewhere to talk. Not knowing what was up, I took her to Sue's offices in the other end of the trailer from the bedrooms. Wanda and I sat down and she said, "Steve, I don't know what to do. I talked to Chuck this morning and he's been shot. Lisa, Nightfox, and him, were all shot. He says they're not too serious, but I'm not sure about that. When I called our base...
Steve I had just kissed Sue goodbye when she left the airpark to go to work and Chuck was inside the hangar going over evidence. This was going to be a busy day. Turning back to the charter office, I found a new person at the desk. "Hi, Charlotte, I thought Star was working this morning." "No Sir, Star is right seat on the G5 out there leaving in a few minutes. If you need to talk to her, she's probably on the aircraft now." "That's okay, I'm sure she's fine. Do we have the other...
Steve, Sunday mornings are always fun around home. Chuck showed up with his crew, dressed to stimulate as much as my ladies did. As breakfast was eaten, Chuck said, "I want play with the new boat. What do you think, Steve, could we take it out for a while?" People heard Chuck's request and were speaking up, "Yeah, take us out on the new boat." "Let's see if Chuck can captain his new boat." "Come on Steve and Mercy; let's help Chuck check out his boat." Sue rolled her eyes and...
Steve Now that Chuck was back from hiding out in the Gulf, life around home seemed to be getting back to normal. He was busy with a bunch of federal people and his prisoners were all transported to DC where they would be held or given an option to be bailed out. I told Chuck that I didn't care what happened, as long as they left me and my company alone. Tiny told me that a major military supplier was negotiating to have us produce bodies for their equipment. That is what we wanted in the...
Steve Three weeks later Wes was sitting on an overturned bucket, staring at the right wing of the parts that Jeff's team had molded before he had been hired. He had been determined to have this bunch of parts flying within a week or two. No such luck. He kept finding flaws in how the pieces fit together. He kept checking the blueprints that were downloaded from the internet with the finished product, and found the pre-made parts to be exact to the print. The problem was they didn't fit,...
Chuck This party is an amazing testament to all of the girls' ability to organize, plan, and carry through to their objective. There were many people who showed up that I would not have expected. John, the Marshal, and their families came followed shortly by Dewey and his family. I was honored to have him here, as that man has some "cool." I had to ask John and the Marshal, "I thought you two were staying down in Costa Rica?" John answered, "I wanted to surprise you. You know we had...
Chuck I was on my way to Cut Bank, Montana. Way up in northern Montana. My Aunt Etta-Mae had called saying she was in trouble. Lisa had just asked me to tell her what was really happening. The cabin satellite phone was ringing. Julie went to answer it and looked up at me. I told her I could transfer the call to my headset. "Johnson." "Is this Charles Johnson?" I told the voice, "It is. Most call me Chuck." "Chuck, you have an aunt named Etta-Mae Johnson, right?" Being wary I...
Chuck Waking up in a strange bed, or in this case, on a strange couch is disconcerting. I had to look around to find my leg before going to the bathroom. As I traversed to the toilet, I thought I smelled coffee brewing. When I left the bathroom, I went straight to the kitchen and found Julie and Missy sitting at the big kitchen table with fresh cups in front of them. In a chair across from them was a steaming cup of coffee. Julie smiled, pointed to it, and said, "Good morning,...
Steve Last night had been strange. Chuck was in a fight, no that wasn't right. He really didn't have a fight. That monster guy attacked him, and Chuck just tossed him. He did whack the guy in the nose, but it could have been the heel of the hand into the nose, a killing blow. We all learned that one. That wrist thing Chuck did was so quick that it was just something that happened as the big guy went over the top of him. I was sitting drinking that first cup of coffee contemplating what...
As soon as we all made it back to Mac's after the kidnapping, Sue, Mercy, and Kathy cornered me. Sue said, "You shouldn't have been involved in that. You are the father to a bunch of kids with another on the way. What in the world were you thinking?" Before I could answer, Mercy said, "I know you felt you had to help Chuck, and we all love him, but you have to be careful, Steve. We need you, we don't need you hurt." Kathy actually defended me, "Steve is a man. He has to defend his...
Steve I woke up several times during the night, hearing things that were normal sounds. Sure wish Chuck had stayed, I would have felt a lot more secure. Funny how a guy like that can make you feel safe. He's just a guy, a one- legged guy with a crooked smile, who is as friendly as a kitten. He can be vicious when he's on the job though. Drinking coffee at 5:55 in the morning is a good way to enjoy the day. I called down to the gate guard to see how everything was going and he said that...
Steve (Tuesday) Mercy and I were in the restaurant early, having coffee, when a couple of salt and pepper guys came in. I stood and both came toward me with their hands stuck out to shake. They sat with us and were brought coffee. Bud Anderson, said, "I've been working on this case for a year and thought we had most of it put to bed. There must be more to it, as you've turned up a significant group here in Nevada." Jim said, "Chuck split me off as his backup a while back to work with...
Chuck A few days later, we were passing Gibraltar. Everyone on board was out on deck to view the sight that was so familiar from the kids' geography books, the thick yellow National Geographic magazine pictorials, and advertising. The iconic view we all remember from the Prudential Insurance ads, though, is visible only from one angle, on the Mediterranean side of the Rock. Fortunately, our course kept that view in sight for quite a while. Gibraltar looks unrecognizably different from...
Steve As I passed through the galley, I was confronted by Glenda, still in her robe. I asked, "Are you going to stay in today?" Glenda said, "I think Martin and I have been overdoing it. The scooter thing we did yesterday helped, but we were both so tired last night that we thought we should stay home and rest a little. I can spend the day doing some dusting, and I need to wash some clothes for my man. The two of us could use the rest. I thought I might give home a call this afternoon to...
Chuck The last baby had been fed her middle of the night feeding, and I was really deep asleep. Lisa was shaking me. When I came out of my fog, I heard her say, "Your cell phone is ringing. Hope that isn't a problem." I got up from bed and hopped into my closet/dressing area to retrieve my phone from the tray I put pocket junk in. "Johnson," "You son of a gun, we did just like you've been doing and let it ride, all of it, we kept letting it ride. Brother Chuck, Tiny and I have hit...
Chuck I woke being hugged between Julie and Brandy. The two were really hanging on, but I needed to offload pretty soon. Sliding from the grasp of the two women, I saw that Lisa was sleeping with her head on Gina's cushions. I was going to go back to bed after using the head, but saw it was five fifty already and we were going to shove off early this morning. Instead of going back to bed, I hopped back to the head, showered, shaved, and quickly dressed to go see if anyone else was up. The...
Steve On Monday and Tuesday, Sue and I went through our local plants, visiting with the managers and workers, assuring them of what a great job they were doing. A highlight of the visits was my time spent in the recently expanded R&D building. The new guy, Sandy Flowers, had become an integral part of the team there. After setting up software to track testing and modifications, Sandy had begun helping Gerry on one of her quests to create a special polymer composite that would resist...
Chuck Life was settling down all around. I was just doing the usual office work with no flying everywhere on an almost daily basis for a change. John Scott seemed to have settled down in DC and was enjoying his job again. I had the flying lessons and was checked out in the new Citation X but had no reason to go anywhere. The charter company used it once for a quick trip to San Diego and back, but Lisa took that one. She said it was great to have an aircraft that could fly that far, that...
Steve Oh, what a night! My lovely ladies must have thought I needed the attention as they were absolutely on fire. I think they were trying to help me set a record as they all had some of my loving and started over again. The surprise among the players was a sneaky person, as all of a sudden, when Mercy fell to the side, two large bazooms were in my face and they did not belong to Sue. Sue's mother was sitting on my pride and joy, smiling down at me. She said, "Oh, Steve, this feels so...
Chuck How can that be? My cell phone is ringing. I don't remember leaving it on. Jesus, who could be calling at, I lifted my head to see it was six thirty? I was on the outside of the pile of female flesh, so I was able to get up and hop to the table where my pocket stuff and cell phone was. "Hello." A sort of familiar voice said, "Hey, Chuck, how're you and that sweet Lisa doing?" Trying to figure out who this was I said, "We're all fine, ah, who is this?" "Hey man, this is...
Chuck Sunday mornings are fun out at the park. The women wear near nothing, driving us men crazy. I anticipated a good time. When I woke and began my exercises, John joined me on a treadmill, followed by some weights. He said, "It sure would be nice to have you close by. We could workout together. It's a lot more fun to do this stuff when you have a buddy." About that time, Lisa, Brandy, and Tiani came in and began using the other treadmill and the stationary bikes. Little Tiani said,...
Chuck Sunday Waking up in a strange place is always weird, but this is too much. I'm hugging someone different, my hand is around a soft full breast, and if what I feel is real, I'm balls deep in a very juicy unfamiliar pussy that is sliding slowly back and forth. I can feel breath on my shoulder and hear Lisa breathing. She has a little catch to her breathing when she is sleeping and when she's excited. But her hand is holding and squeezing my balls so she is probably not...
Steve We picked up a nice wind the first day out. There was a low pressure area stalled to the northeast of us, providing us with an almost direct stiff wind from the south-southeast. If we can keep this up, we'll be home in four days easy. Chuck had the helm this morning and seemed to be contemplative about going home. I went up and handed him a fresh mug of coffee. "What's on your mind, Guy, anything to worry about?" Chuck smiled and said, "I love being out on the water, but I...