by Finian Blake
“Smooth as usual. We just need some fuel and we will be on our way. The name is Noah.”
“Mine is Roy. I’ll just have a quick look at your docs and we can start your service.” Roy scanned the docs quickly and glanced at Noah.
“Do you have anything hazardous?”
“No, we have nothing like that.” Noah smiled.
“Right, then all you need is fuel.”
“That’s all,” Noah gave Roy thumbs up.
“I will just wait in the van until you are ready to leave.” Roy indicated the customs van.
“I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Would you care to wait on board?” Noah indicated the pot in the warmer, “The cups and fixings are on the counter.”
“Thank you, I think I’ll take you up on your offer. It’s been a slow night.” Roy walked over to the pot helping himself to a cup peered around looking for a seat. “This is a nice little crew cabin. You don’t usually find this on a cargo aircraft.”
“We frequently have field stops, and we occasionally need to take some help with us. If you’re going to carry people, you need to do it safely.” The four Franks finished shutting down the cockpit. The Four men came down into the crew area. Noah cracked a smile.
“Roy, meet the flight crew. I would like to introduce Frank. Frank this is Roy.”
“Hello, how are you Roy?” The answer from the quartet was in perfect unison.
“You’re kidding me.”
Noah laughed, “This is for real. We have the four Franks in the cockpit. It’s easy for me. All I have to do is say hey Frank.”
“Yes?” The quartet answered. Noah held up the fuel sheet.
“If you will excuse me I need to give this to the fueler, I will be right back.” He was back in five minutes glancing over at the engineer as he walked in. “The fueler needs somebody to switch the tanks. I’ll get the panel. You can stretch your legs.”
“Thanks Noah, I could use a stretch. I think I’ll go out and do my checks.” Frank took a flashlight out of the rack, and went out the door. Roy was seated drinking his coffee.
“We normally don’t get any fuel stops here. They usually stop at Halifax. That is the real international airport. This is the civilian side of a military base. I am a lieutenant in the Canadian Air force and do the customs duty when necessary. We have four C 130s. They are E’s and J’s. Do you mind if I have a peek?” Frank went up to the cockpit.
“Noah, Roy hasn’t seen a civilian C 130. Do you want to give him the tour?” Noah switched to another tank.
“Why don’t you show him the cockpit and I’ll cover the bay.”
Roy and Frank came up to the cockpit. Frank indicated the right seat to Roy and climbed into the left seat.
“This bird is pretty much up to date. It only has a thousand hours on it.” Frank reviewed the systems with Roy for about thirty minutes, as the engineer finished the walk around. Frank tapped Noah on the shoulder.
“Looks like you’re about done. I’ll take it.” Noah stood up and Frank sat down.
“Roy, are you ready for a look at the bay?” Roy looked over his shoulder.
“It looks like you’re just about finished fueling. I am more interested in the front anyway. I can’t believe that you have dual phase Doppler radar, your systems are as good as anything we have on our military birds and your fuel management system is state of the art. This bird is as up to date as it gets. You don’t normally find this on cargo planes.” He climbed out of the left seat and made his way to the door. “You gentlemen have a good flight. My driver will guide you off the spot.”
Roy walked from the plane to the van. He looked at his driver.
“Something is not right, this bird is way too good to be a ‘cargo truck’, but I don’t think I want to find out what it is. They should have used Halifax for the fuel stop, and that is a whole lot of aircraft for that cargo, but they did not mind showing me everything. The Major wanted me to have a look, and I did. When the tanker pulls off, wave them out.”
After ten minutes, the fueler drove off in the tanker. Noah walked over to the van.
“Well I am sorry, but we don’t have more time. Maybe we’ll finish the tour on another trip.”
Roy squinted against the back light.
“Maybe so, have a good flight.” He indicated for the driver to leave.
“Roger here will wave you out.” Noah motioned toward the aircraft.
“No need to plug-in just point one, two, three and four and give us thumbs up when you are ready for the next engine.
“Gentlemen it has been a pleasure. Have a good evening.” He walked back to the aircraft. Noah sealed the door and went up to the flight deck.
“Roger will wave us out. He is going to start us up one two three four. Here he is now.” Roger started the engines as requested and guided them out of the spot.
In five minutes, they were airborne heading for Manchester. After they reached cruising altitude, Frank put the plane on autopilot. Frank looked over his shoulder.
“Roy wasn’t as casual as he appeared, was he?” Noah was relieved that he had noticed.
“No, he was fishing. Whoever selected Gander as a fuel stop made a major screw-up. We should stay with the usual civilian international airports. When you go outside of the norms, you call attention to yourself. Somebody has just become interested in our activities, so in the future we need to make sure that any curiosity stays casual and not hard-core interest. I am glad that you didn’t hesitate when he asked to look around. When any official wants to have a look just say, yes. They will look more carefully if you hesitate.” He reached foreword and patted the co-pilot on the shoulder.
“You had some good instincts going to the cockpit first. You did not lock up, and you caught his interest in the cockpit systems. There is no way that we can bull our way through this that is why it has to be finesse, all of the way.”
“Is that why you turned down the pistols? Buck told us that you turned down the extra hardware.” The relief pilot had a pained look on his face. Noah shrugged.
“Look we will be meeting ten to thirty armed men at a time. All of them will be armed with semi-automatic weapons. Having a pistol will just get you shot full of holes and nothing we are after is worth dying for. We need to use our heads all the way. As far as we are concerned, we are carrying exactly what is on the manifest. If the situation jumps in the toilet, I signed for everything on board and any discrepancies are my fault. You guys are just the drivers taking my word for what’s in back.”
The pilot glanced over his shoulder. “I suppose that we should leave you and boogie on.”
Noah’s face took on a serious look. “That is exactly right. Say you were setup, get loud and nasty, dump the cargo and do not look back and just blame me, getting the hell out of ‘Dodge’. If I tell you to leave me behind, please don’t forget to tell Buck where I’m at.”
“It seems unconscionable to just bail out on you. How do you figure that we would just leave you cold?” Frank was somewhat dumbfounded.
“Look, it is no reflection on your integrity. If we are all busted, there is nobody left to locate the others. If just one of us gets out, that gives the rest of us a chance. You can vanish forever in a foreign jail, but if I am the only one left behind, there will be only one person to negotiate for.”
“I know it’s practical, but it seems really cold.” The relief pilot shook his head, “You are about thirty to 32 years old. Why would you take the hit?”
Noah held up a hand. “I started my apprenticeship just after my sixteenth birthday. I am 32 years old now. I managed to work under the direction of some very talented people. My first government assignment was when I was twenty-four. My first security clearance came shortly after that. I have been working at this level for the past eight years. They do not want to know how I get their business done, but they do not want to leave me behind to talk. If things turn sour, I think that I am the best equipped to handle the problem. You will need to remember,
if I tell you to bail out on me, do it and don’t look back.”
“There is an apprenticeship for this sort of thing? How do you apply?” Frank gave Noah an incredulous look.
“Well, you don’t apply. It’s a cross between being invited and being drafted.” Noah could see the confused look forming on all four faces. “Let’s just say I have been around the block more than once. When things get nasty, it is up to me to work solo. When we do the delivery don’t be offended if I ask you to stay in the crew cabin. I don’t want them to see any more of you than necessary. I can disappear much easier than you can, and with a whole lot less consequence.”
The quartet did not seem to get Noah’s line of thought.
“Oh, you will let us know when you need us.”
“You don’t understand. When this is over we need to be able to go home and enjoy our profits. What we don’t need is somebody looking us up later. If I need to disappear, I have all the papers. You guys do not. I am trying to set something up for your protection. I am personally prepared for the fall out,” things were sitting a little better now. “We have to make at least two trips possibly three. Each repetition increases the possibility of something going wrong. We must avoid doing things exactly the same way every time. It would also be a mistake to change things too much. We have a big payday coming, and I would like all of us to be around on payday to collect. I will keep you filled in on the details, so if you think that things are not right let me know.”
“When will payday be?” The copilot asked.
“Payday will be a few days after each segment. Having a nice even flow of cash keeps everyone happy. The bonus is paid out after the last trip. That will be ten percent of the gross, paid beyond the promised payments. Long risks deserve long payment.” Everybody in the quartet looked a lot brighter with the last bit of news.
“What about Creed and Buck? Aren’t they going to object to the bonus?”
Noah waved his hands. “Buck gets a share with Creed picking up the main load of cash. He can vote himself whatever bonus he feels like, since we don’t keep ledgers. I will do the accounting and act as paymaster. There are ten shares with six of us that will leave four shares unclaimed. I have not talked to the Russians or the Nicaraguans yet. If there any unclaimed shares, we split them equally, but we take ours off the top. There will be enough cash crossing the finish line to keep our employers happy.”
“Why are you being so generous? Most people in your position would go for the lions share.”
“Dealing with pissed off people is something that I try to avoid. I prefer to have everyone fully involved with a mutual interest in all aspects. There are many things that can go wrong, and if one loses, we all lose. We are on our own and out gunned. I want all of us to be interested all the time. If you see anything that looks important, speak up.”
Frank the engineer, held up his hand. Between his fingers was a small electrical fuse.
“You mean like shutting down the cockpit recorder.” He gave the others a big grin. Noah clapped his hands together and pointed.
“Exactly right, we need to watch those little details. Let’s finish this conversation a little later.” He motioned Frank to replace the recorder’s fuse. I’m going down to the galley. Does anybody want anything, before I take a little snooze?”
“Why don’t you take it for a few hours?” Frank looked at the relief pilot, “I need a stretch.”
“I thought you’d never ask. I was starting to feel like a hitch hiker.”
Frank switched out with Frank, and followed Noah down to the galley.
“Let me know if you want to hit the stop button. I want you to know that there will be several points at which you can call a stop. Just make the call and we will figure it out. I don’t want anybody to feel that they are locked in.”
“Thank you! I will pass that on to the boys. Do you really plan on an equal split on the bonus?”
Noah looked him square in the eye. “It’s the best way. Nobody has to worry about being trapped into something that they can’t quit. A command performance is not the way to go. We need volunteers all the way. You will get paid for your efforts straight down the line.” Noah took a bite from his sub giving Frank a chance to work on the next question. He had time for a few bites.
Finally, Frank asked, “Can I quit now?” Noah was in mid swallow.
“Yes you can,” he choked and spit the offending morsel into his hand. “There are only a few times that it would be a bad point to quit, but this is a good time. We will just work things out with the other Franks. I am assuming that you want to land before you walk off.” It was Frank’s turn to be surprised.
“Just like that, with no attempt to talk me out of it?”
“That’s all you have to do.” Noah’s color was returning after choking on his sandwich. “Is this a test or do you really want out?”
“It’s a check, and you check out ok.”
Just then the engineer walked into the galley. “Noah I’m glad that you’re true to your word, but I do have to admit that I would be pissed if we pull this off and miss our pay day.”
“That is why there will be three paydays.” Noah suddenly felt tired, “We have four hours before we land. I think a little snooze is in order. You guys do whatever you need to. I am going to get some rest. Do me a favor and give me a shout about an hour before we land.” Noah sat down in one of the two recliners not wanting to take up a crew berth, and in five minutes he was snoring.
Frank gave Noah a shout when they were just about an hour out. He awoke quickly washing up. Walking over to his map case Noah removed a test tube sized vial of liquid pouring the contents on the bottom of the frame of the door and then in other strategic spots throughout the cabin. Frank was standing by the galley section, with a strange look on his face.
“We need just a little insurance,” Noah looked at him with a smile on his face. “I will explain later. You have to see what happens first.”
“If you say so, but it’s going to drive me crazy. Noah, why are you always smiling?”
“When I stop smiling it’s time to hide.” Noah laughed. “It’s pushing zero four thirty. When we land you guys go on to the hotel. I am going to stay with the aircraft. I will see you up top in a few minutes.” He turned to the galley securing all of the loose items that had been used during flight. Noah came up to the flight deck just as Frank was talking to the British Air Traffic Control. He just grabbed the jump seat and buckled up.
“The crew cabin is secured and ready for landing,” Noah said to the engineer. Frank gave him thumbs up without saying a word.
The approach and landing were normal with the Ark making its way to the assigned parking pad at the North West end of the airport. The guide man waved the aircraft on to the spot and crossed his hands over his head to signal a stop. The mechanic then gave the cutthroat signal to shut down the engines. Frank shut down the engines and the mechanic plugged in his headset.
“Good morning gentlemen welcome to Manchester England. The customs van is waiting over on your left. Please leave the boarding door closed until she knocks on the door.”
“Good morning and thank you for the advice. The breaks are set, and we require ground power.” Frank started shutting off the systems.
“Noah, I hear that you are going to stay with the Ark. Is that for sure this time?”
“That is for sure, my friend while we are loaded, I will stay with the bird. Tell me why are we calling this the Ark?”
Frank smiled. “If you are Noah this is the Ark. We just felt that it sounded right. Are you ok with that?”
“Why not one name is as good as another.” Noah stood up heading for the crew area. “I’ll go down and wait for customs. You guys might as well dig out your papers. I will get the DOCS ready.” He moved down to the boarding door to wait for the knock.
British Customs did not look intimidating, but they were very good. They were deceptively cordial however if you failed to follow directions they wo
uld quickly lose their sense of humor. The Brits were very well trained and they could make things extremely unpleasant, should you give them a reason. Noah only had to wait a few minutes for the knock. He opened the door and lowered the stairs. There were two Customs Officers waiting at the door. Noah motioned them in.
“Everywhere Air has arrived please step aboard. We are in transit to Iran and will just be making a rest stop here in Manchester. What are your requirements?” Noah knew what the requirements were, but he did not want to offend them by telling them what their job was.
“You are in transit, so we do not need to inspect your cargo however we would like to examine your papers. We also should like to see your personal papers, and any items that you shall be removing from the aircraft.” The Customs officer introduced himself.
“My name is William and this is our dog trainer Lynn. We have a dog in training and would like to use your aircraft for a training exercise.”
“You most certainly can. When would you like to do this?” Noah did not even blink.
“Right, we have the dog in the van. Would ten minutes be inconvenient?” William looked over his shoulder at Lynn. “We are on. Why don’t you prepare the dog? I’ll check their documents and finish up the necessaries.”
He turned to Noah, “Shall we proceed?”
“The flight crew will be going to a hotel. I would like to remain with the aircraft if it is not inconvenient. We have some restricted technology on board that needs to be monitored,” Noah explained.
“I need to review the regulations for a request of that nature, but I think that we can manage that. Now let us have a look at your papers.” Checking the papers took only a few minutes. William looked out the door at Lynn.
“I see that our dog trainer is almost ready. She is quite good you know. Lynn has trained a number of our drug dogs.”
Noah watched as Lynn finished preparing the dog. She wore a wool uniform coat and skirt which came just below the knee. Her shoes were squared off with a low thick heel. Her light brown hair was cut short and combed back. She came up to the doorway with the dog at her side. It was a well-defined German shepherd. She urged the dog up the steps. Lynn had the dog sit.