Authors: Francis Joseph Smith
Jim’s steady hand operated the aircraft controls, gliding the aircraft through the brilliant blue sky. “I can’t believe an aircraft of this size is so easy to control,” he said to Eian, still seated beside him. “When I was in the Navy, I would always stand mystified behind the pilots as they flew the aircraft. It always looked so hard, or at least they gave the impression that it was.”
Eian laughed aloud at Jim’s flying analogy, still monitoring the instruments as Jim was having his fun, having begged to take over the controls since leaving Irish airspace.
“To tell you the truth, Mr. Dieter,” Eian said, “it’s pretty easy to fly the plane. Due to basic aerodynamics, the plane actually wants to stay aloft. The trick is on landing and take-off. It gets a bit sticky then, especially with the harsh elements thrown in like snow or heavy rain. Other than that, a monkey could fly it.”
“Oh
, I’m sure there’s more to it. You’re just being modest. I saw how you handled the situation with that French fighter. You were actually going to shut down that engine to simulate an emergency, weren’t you?” Jim said, looking over at Eian, searching the man’s expression for the half-truth.
Eian enjoyed the captive audience of one, reminding him of his flight instructor days of past. “Your hair would stand on end if I told you what I intended on doing with our fine aircraft here. I have performed many a stunt that most aircraft engineers would deem not possible.”
“Please, don’t tell me until we get down on the deck. I don’t want to lose that fine breakfast you cooked us earlier.” Jim’s hands tightened on the aircraft’s controls as he shot a nervous glance over toward Eian for support. “Any idea on how long we have left? I’m starting to tire from holding the controls.”
“No problem,” Eian said, eyeing his watch. “Looks like one hour and fifteen minutes to our destination. As a matter of fact, I think now would be an excellent time to contact Long Island Air Traffic Control. We have to keep up our rus
e: that and to check our conditions over the target area.”
Eian leaned over the center console, casually disengaging the autopilot system that
had been flying the aircraft the whole time Jim was in the seat totally unaware.
Jim shook his head in frustration. “You mean to tell me that I wasn’t flying the plane at all? The damn computer was doing all of the work? I feel like a total fool.”
Eian laughed aloud before turning around to view a red-faced Jim. “Mr. Dieter, do you actually think I would let you fly this aircraft over the ocean, possibly taking us off course? I don’t think so. I just humored you all along. After all, you are the boss.”
Jim joined in on the laughter at his own expense. “Wait until I have a c
hance to get even, little man. Your time will come.”
Dan slowly made his way forward, rising from a two-hour nap in the rear of the aircraft, arriving in the cockpit as the laughter was subsiding. ”Don’t tell me, Eian, you pulled the old autopilot joke on young Dieter here?” He handed Jim a cup of coffee. “Don’t worry
, Jim. He pulls that crap on everyone. He did the same thing to me over 20 years ago.” He turns to Eian. “Do we have an estimated time of arrival?”
“Sure do
, Dan,” Eian shot back confidently, “as long as the autopilot stays off,” looking back at Dan and Jim, a smirk still resident upon his face. “We have a little over one hour till we get this baby on the deck and start unloading your mysterious cargo.”
Dan removed his Nokia satellite phone from his pocket, keying up two prerecorded phone numbers. “One hour you say? This would make it an excellent time to call our ground transport personnel and make sure they are in position at
Millville.”
Nimrod aircraft were utilized extensively by the British Navy for anti-subma
rine warfare missions in the 80s and early 90s. Since the demise of the Cold War, it was primarily regulated to VIP transport or electronic eavesdropping for the British Foreign Services.
The Nimrod following the Boeing 7
77 happened to be an extended series model four with the latest in avionic eavesdropping equipment. The crew consisted of eight flight officers whose primary mission was to detect and decode electronic signals. In this particular case, they were trying to detect signals emanating from the Boeing aircraft, hoping to eavesdrop on both sides of any conversation.
The boring
eight-hour flight was suddenly interrupted when a signal, the first in as many hours, was detected.
The lead intercept officer was busy scribbling something on a piece of paper before turning to his mates. “Flight Lt. Hawkins, please radio General Parker in the trailing aircraft
, and inform him that we just intercepted an air-phone conversation originating from our suspects. Inform him that the Boeing 777 pilot will fake an in-flight emergency and land at an airport called Millville in the state of New Jersey.”
In the cockpit
, the pilot, copilot, and navigator kept up the vigilance, trailing the lead Nimrod by only eight kilometers. The cockpit crew could clearly view the red and white anti-collision lights of the forward aircraft, close enough to almost reach out and replace the bulbs.
The
navigator suddenly hunched over his radio, busily scribing a message, before turning to the general. “Pardon me, sir, but we have a message from our forward aircraft. They’ve intercepted a cell phone transmission from our suspects.”
General Parker quickly read the message before handing it to the SAS team leader, him stretching in the chair beside the general. “What do you make of this?”
The commander read the message before returning it to the general. “I never heard of this Millville, sir.”
“That makes two of us. If our Irish lad deviates from landing at Newark International, how are we to declare the same emergency in order to land behind him at
Millville?”
The commander shook his head.
“No sir, we would lose the element of surprise, wouldn’t we?” The commander turned his attention to a map of New Jersey that now lay before them, tracing its coastline in an attempt to locate Millville. “I have a radical plan of attack for our two friends, that is, if you are willing to think out of the box, sir.”
“Commander, I am willing to listen to just about anything,” General Parker said. He turned in time to see
his navigator had finally located Millville.
“We took the liberty of bringing on board all of our gear because we had no idea what type of operation was going down
,” replied the commander. “Translation: we also have our parachutes. So if you will indulge me,” he said, pointing to the Millville location, “We can land via parachute over the airport runways here,” pointing to two intersecting black lines indicating the main runways at Millville. “We can jump from our aircraft at around 1,500 meters and glide down virtually on top of the suspect’s aircraft. With it being dusk, they won’t see us coming. If you read the map’s legend in the corner here, it speaks of the particulars for this spot. This airport has everything going for it. It is secluded. It has a regular jump area adjacent to it that the U.S. Military from Fort Dix use as a nighttime jump spot. In my discussions with our pilot, this aircraft is about six minutes behind the suspect’s aircraft, so we should be able to ambush the bastards on the ground and in a location where they would never expect it. In doing so, this allows our aircraft to continue on its route to Newark airport as scheduled, uninterrupted. No one will know the difference. When our ground mission is complete, we can steal transport from around Millville and proceed to the Newark airport in a matter of a few hours.” He searched the general’s face for any sign of concurrence.
The general poured over the map in deep thought, allowing his finger to trace the route the Nimrod aircraft would have to traverse. “Let me get this straight. You are going to para-jump onto a
United States civilian airport and overtake these hoodlums on the ground?”
The comma
nder casually glanced from side to side, wondering what he was getting himself into, especially after the debacle in France. “Sir, I know it sounds a little unorthodox, but this would be a chance to redeem ourselves.”
“How do you think the Americans will react to us parachuting over an active civilian airport?” General Parker said.
The Commander looked him straight in the eyes before responding. “Obviously, we don’t want the Americans to know, sir,” looking at his watch and then referring to the digital clock on the aircraft’s bulkhead. “Right now, figuring the time difference between our aircraft and American Daylight Savings Time, the operation will commence at or around dusk. No one will see our aircraft nor hopefully will they observe our people parachuting into the airport. For peak efficiency, we will be utilizing our black camouflage outfits with matching parachutes.”
The General nodded. “I still don’t like the idea of operating in such a brazen, untried fashion in an allied country. That little operation in
France was nothing compared to this. The Americans will not just sweep it under the carpet, especially if anyone from their press corps gets wind of this.”
“If their press gets wind of this, General Parker, it’s because we’re all dead and on CNN.”
Eian occupied the pi
lot’s seat, Jim in the copilot’s seta, and Dan in the flight engineer’s seat, each feeling the effects of the long transatlantic flight. Eian was on his sixth cup of coffee in as many hours, wishing he had brought along another pilot to relieve him at the controls for a spell. At least Jim and Dan had been able to take naps in the rear of the aircraft.
“Okay, ladies,” Eian said, “according to my trusty cockpit instruments, which would never lie to me, I would put us at about 90 miles east of the
Millville airport. So in about five minutes, we are going to put my little aircraft deviation plan into action. Jim, I want you to proceed down into the cargo hold and start preparing our cargo by loosening the straps for when we hit the deck. Now, as soon as you feel the landing gear hit the runway, you will start maneuvering the cargo toward the side-entry door. We will then taxi over to an isolated portion of the airport where a truck will be waiting to off-load the cargo. Then two of my friends will board the aircraft and take your place. Remember, the manifest states three passengers, and you gentlemen will be exiting stage left. At the same time, we will take aboard a dummy load of cargo, some old furniture that is labeled antique and such. We will only have a few minutes before this aircraft will have to take off and continue on our flight path to Newark. The vehicle you have for your escape is all yours. Think of it as an early Christmas gift. At that time, gentlemen, we will be parting company, at least for the time being.”
Eian finished the remainder of his coffee. He then dial
ed the frequency to Newark’s setting. “Dan, when we hit the deck, I will need you to watch the airport tower and ramp for any movement directed toward us.” He reached behind his seat for a green flight bag, extracting a 9mm pistol with accompanying silencer. “Only use this if you feel threatened. We don’t need a mass of dead bodies strewn about. As for myself, no worries. I still have my trusty Uzi,” patting under the pilot’s seat. “Last but not least, my friends, I will be requiring some good old American hard cash up front for my little flying gig, first to pay for the services of the two gentlemen who will be coming aboard, and secondly there is the matter of the truck and the aircraft lease. Now, will that be cash or credit, Danny?”
“Eian, as always, it has been a pleasure doing business with a man of your qualities and scruples.
“Enough with the build-up for my ego, Danny,” Eian said. “Cash is the acceptable form of payment.”
“All right, Eian, I must agree,” Dan said. “Without your first-rate services we would have been two ducks stuck in a puddle of mud. If you could take the time to look under the blanket located directly behind you, you’ll find a small flight bag.
In it, you’ll find a generous amount of gold to buy yourself something nice. It should be close to $150,000 thousand dollars worth. Now remember, that money is also for your two cohorts, plane rental, plus payment for the truck. I also threw in some extra cash for pocket change. But remember, Eian, sit on the friggin gold for a few weeks and use Nick in New York for the resale. He’ll give you a good price with no questions asked. Did you hear me? Sit on the damn gold.”
“Understood, Danny,” Eian said, eyeing the bag. “You don’t want the gold floating
around too early after the take, but, Jesus, that’s a tidy sum. Eian reached back to pick up one of the gold bars.
Dan nodded to him.
“Now, let’s get down to more serious matters. As planned, we will meet in the Florida Keys on my new boat.” Dan handed Eian a piece of paper with an address and telephone number for a boating marina. “I don’t have the boat picked out yet, but this will be its berth number when I do. If you have an emergency and find it necessary to telephone, you will ask for a Mr. Pepper. That will be the name I have arranged to get you through. If everything goes smoothly, you are to meet with us on the 30th
of next month. But remember, that beautiful stuff you have in your bag cannot be peddled around for a few weeks, so lay low.”
Eian slipp
ed the paper safely into his shirt pocket, wondering what the hell type of cargo he was flying for them to be so generous.
It was Jim’s turn to speak. “Eian, we may also have some additional flying work for you. Can you provide Dan a phone number where we can contact you in case we r
equire your services earlier than the thirtieth?”
Dan shot Jim a puzzled glance. “What’s the deal with the additional flying work? You want to share the details with me, Jim? I thought it was agreed that I would be doing the planning for this operation.”
Jim raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just wait until we arrive in the Keys. I will provide you with the rest of the details.
“So the apprentice takes over from the master
, eh?”
“Something along those lines,” Jim replied, enjoying the lead for a change.
“Cousin Dan knows exactly where to find me, Mr. Dieter. Believe me, with the salary you gentlemen pay, it will be a pleasure to work for you again. Now, if I may be so bold, gentlemen, it’s time to assume our positions.”