One Month of Chuck Steve an Alternative ScenarioChapter 19
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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 out to the Junction.
"I have to return to Tampa this morning," I warned everyone.
"I'm going to remain here in town," Ben told us, "I've got to get the motel deal sorted out, and I should probably call in to see the Farmer's bank as well. After that, I'll catch a scheduled flight back to Tampa – I've got a business to run, even if you folks have forgotten that..."
While we were in the air, Bill Bates called Steve's cell to say that he too was on the way to Mojave (he was told it was now called the Junction... ) and that he had both Terrell and Fran with him.
We all got together in the conference room, where everyone started doing their own thing – most of us seemed to be on our phones.
Steve first checked in with Debbie, and then he called Carol, the HR lady at the S&S Vegas distributorship and told her to come out to the Junction prepared to sign up another 70 plus employees. The flying school people, including part-timers, numbered about 60...
I phoned Wanda, just to let her know what was happening. She said there was nothing I needed to know about.
Mercy talked to the manager at the Holiday Inn, who cheerfully agreed to have his best assistant, Jodie, all packed and ready to catch the next plane to Vegas.
I spoke to Tiny next.
"I think you need to get out here to the Junction and sort out all the financial issues," I told him
Tiny chuckled.
"I was just waiting for an invitation," he replied. "However, I think you don't need both Ben and me there at the same time."
"Ben is returning to Tampa later today," I said. "Can you please bring either Bart Moleson or one of your assistant accountants to check the books, pricing, etc? We also need the computer expert to get all the special CS&S systems installed. Both of them need to go on to Spring Field, and from there to Halcyon in LA..."
My next call was to Kurt.
"I want you to immediately come out to our new Vegas field – we're calling it 'The Junction', by the way. There will be a number of others coming too. We've appointed John Truant as President, but he's far too busy to run this place, so I need you to hold the fort as the acting General Manager until we can get someone here permanently. You can do the Golf Tours job from here – that won't be a problem."
I hardly had time to speak to anyone when my cell sounded again.
"Hi,. good morning, Lover,." Lisa greeted me. "Just thought I'd better let you know that I'm coming out to join you - Wanda has suggested it."
There wasn't any point arguing with that, so I told her I loved her too, and turned back to see what was happening in the room.
Juanita was fussing over Steve, leaving Mercy to help Cindy talk to all the people who were phoning after hearing about the change in ownership.
Steve said that he wanted to talk to someone about a "quick shuttle" service into the City center. Cindy suggested a man named Pete Williams who operated a very popular hourly helicopter shuttle service from the LA Skyport direct to the roof of one of the major resorts in the city. Steve called the number she gave him and spoke to Pete, who volunteered that the news of the CS&S takeover was all over. He, too, wanted to talk to Steve, so he'd catch the next shuttle, divert it to Mojave and be there within the hour, if that was convenient. Steve liked the man's attitude and said he would be expecting him.
While Steve was speaking to Pete, an amber light started flashing on my new cell. Realising that this must be a secure call, I pressed the button and heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Eyes ... How do you like working there in Vegas?"
"How did you hear about it so quickly?"
It was my Secret Service contact, and I couldn't help smiling.
"That's a question you should know not to ask,." the man joked. "Before you go back to Tampa today, please call in at 'you know where' at about 1400."
I agreed, wondering what was happening – nothing urgent, I hoped. Now I knew why Lisa was coming out...
I had been thinking about what the two Station Chiefs had said the night before, and knew we have to take the warning seriously, so I phoned Metarie White at the Tampa Federal Employment Agency next. I explained our problem, telling her that we would probably need security teams for at least two of our new locations. I'd prefer ex-Marines who should be led by, let's say, a senior USAF Air Police NCO. She promised to immediately start a search.
When I finished that call, Bill and Terrell had arrived and were talking to Steve and John at the other end of the table. Fran was with them, listening intently and typing a lot of notes directly into her laptop.
I went over to join them in time to hear Bill say that Star had made an excellent start at Spring Field.
That really pleased me.
Terrell handed out copies of the list of work he said was needed there. This excluded the list of additional items that Steve wanted done, like the new passenger handling facilities. He added that there already was nowhere to put all the aircraft, and after carefully looking at all the options, Star had concluded that they needed another six hangars. Steve joked that he'd thought she only needed four...
Bill said that he had already gone through the figures and he agreed that the total cost should be deducted from the appraisal, which he said was higher than he had expected. He produced a list of the book values for the aircraft. The combined total was well within the bracket that Steve and I had already agreed was reasonable, so after John had quickly run through the list, we had no trouble with signing the agreement that Bill's lawyer had prepared. Since Bill had no way to accept debit cards, we managed to catch Ben on his cell and he promised to transfer the funds to Bill's account.
Ben then told us that he had been able to negotiate a good price for the purchase of the motel. He'd already paid the full amount into an escrow account, so we were cleared to go ahead and do whatever we wanted to the place. The realtor was on his way out to us with the keys...
"I'd better go with the guy and see what work is needed there," Terrell decided. "I propose putting together a mixed twenty-five man team from S&S Construction. They'll be ready to fly out this afternoon if a 737 is available."
"Fine,. I'll arrange that," I told him. "Can you also arrange for a comprehensive check to be made of the physical security aspects of the airfield? That needs to be a number one priority..."
I then phoned Betty to get the aircraft ready, and asked her to warn all the other people who needed to come, but she said that they had already left,.
Steve told me about his conversation with Pete Williams and his impending visit. I told him about my change of plans. I didn't know what my other employer wanted – it was either a job or something along the lines of the problem the two Federal people had been talking about the night before.
Pete William's big Sikorsky S-76 was soon landing on the apron outside the control tower. We needed to place some helicopter landing pads there, I thought.
The three of us walked out to greet him and watched as the pilot, after waiting for Pete to disembark, promptly took off again to deliver his other passengers to the gaming tables on the Strip.
After we had introduced ourselves and sat down with a welcome cup of coffee, Pete immediately began briefing us on his operation – almost as if he was giving us a sales pitch.
"I've got the licenses and contracts," he told us, "To operate an hourly helicopter shuttle service between the LA Skyport and a helipad on the roof of one of the largest Vegas resorts. I own four Sikorsky S-76s, like the one you just saw, which I use to run the shuttle. They each carry eight passengers; I think that's the best compromise between comfort and profit.
"I've found that it's a real money-maker, so much so that I've been approached by the owners of another resort wanting me to duplicate the service. My existing licenses are worded in such a way that they will allow me to do this without needing to re-apply to the FAA.
"I can raise the capital to do this myself," he continued, "But a couple of days ago, my wife and I received a major bombshell. Our oldest child needs hospitalisation and a very expensive operation. When I heard that CS&S had arrived at Mojave (Steve explained that it was now called 'The Junction') I decided to come to you and see if you would manage the shuttle operation for me while my family and I are away. It could be weeks, or it could be days – I just don't know."
Steve took the lead.
"I am extremely sorry to hear of your problems, and I know that my two colleagues here join me in wishing your child a speedy recovery," he said, "But I have an alternative suggestion that might interest and benefit you more."
Steve first asked some questions about the costs of running such a service from an LA base, and was told that they were high.
"Would you be interested in moving your operating base here to The Junction?" Steve next enquired. "The basic costs would be far lower."
Before Pete could reply, Steve went on.
"I asked to see you because I want to run shuttles from The Junction here into the center of Vegas. Would you be interested in running a joint operation, or maybe even letting us finance and run your expanded service?
"Better still, maybe CS&S could buy your whole operation and make you and all your people CS&S employees. One of the benefits for you yourself would be that we can immediately activate the sickness benefit provisions which not only apply to employees' families, but cover existing conditions as well. I'm prepared to personally sign you up this very minute..."
The look on Pete's face said it all, and Steve summoned the HR lady to make it all official.
"You might like to start transferring your operation to The Junction, Pete," I suggested. "John, here, can then supervise everything in case you have to leave suddenly. We'll use an appraiser of your choice, and you can start negotiations with the second hotel when you have more time after you return. In the meantime, we'll take options on another four S-76s and transfer a spare Bell 412 from Spring Field as a reserve or backup aircraft."
It might be useful to have a couple of Bell 214STs here too, I thought to myself? They could form the basis for the mini-shuttle Steve is considering, but we'll probably need something more luxurious.
Lisa and Jimmy walked into the room just then. I haven't seen Jimmy so excited for years ... After a quick introduction to Pete, Jimmy explained why.
"I only had the time to talk to two of the mechanics from the flight school," he began. "When my cell rang, it was my fellow graduate and roommate from the Boeing Advanced Maintenance Management Course you had me attend last year. He'd heard about developments at CS&S over the grapevine, and said that our latest successes are all over the industry, as well as the fact that all the military pilots and techs currently leaving the Services are being 'directed' to apply to CS&S for jobs – something that I hadn't heard about, so I checked whether or not it was true. He assured me that it was...
"My friend is a middle-grade engineering manager at United Airways, and he said that with all the extra work they had taken on with the acquisition of Continental, the airline was having trouble meeting maintenance deadlines and had been considering subcontracting some of the annuals, and even some 100 hour servicing. He needed to pick my brains, and he asked if we could meet, as he had to write a report on this and he could really use any ideas I might have?
"Well, I quickly explained that I wasn't in Tampa, but near Vegas at the airfield previously known as Mojave, which our company had just purchased yesterday. My friend wanted to know if that was the old bomber base that had been used until very recently as a USAF emergency field?"
He'd then gone straight on to his second piece of gossip, Jimmy explained, and saving him from confessing his ignorance...
"Did I remember during the last week of the course," Jimmy continued, "When all of us were taken to visit the Air Mobility Command's Maintenance Planning Section at their at Scott AFB, Illinois, HQ? Well, the man who'd shown us around, the second-in-command, in fact, Captain (now Major) Jack Smith, has just been retired. Although he's one of the top aircraft engineering executives anywhere, nobody in the industry seems to want to employ him...
"After I promised to think about his questions, we agreed to meet soon.
"Well, I went to the cafeteria and had a coffee while I thought about the immense possibilities that are involved here," Jimmy continued. "Just as I finished, the plane from Lutz landed and I saw Lisa climb out. I thought that she'd be just the person to talk to, – and she needed to hear what I'd just been told about the surplus vet pilots anyway.
"I quickly went over and persuaded her to come to the cafeteria where we sat in a corner and bounced ideas off each other. The Junction would be a perfect place for a big subcontract aircraft maintenance operation – you could put anything from six to sixty jumbo-size hangars on the other side of the near runway. Wouldn't it be neat if we could get this Major Smith to run it, we decided? It would be even neater if we could get a Federal contract to run an emergency landing facility here too..."
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 - 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 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...
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...