Dark as Daylight Ch. 12

"When I was 4, I was a very frightened little girl. Bad things were happening around me, that I could not change, and I could not control. What you are asking me is totally different. You have a loving family that cares very much about you. I didn't.

If something happened to you, your family would mourn your loss for a very long time.

The people I was with would not care. All I was to them was a source of money. If I wasn't there, they would get another child to replace me. They were very bad people, and what they did to the other children in their custody, was terrible. It is one of the reasons I left them.

You were missing 45 minutes, and your mother noticed you were gone.

I could have been gone for one month, and they would never have noticed.

So if you are asking me if what you did today was bad, the answer is yes. If you want to know if I would have done the same thing when I was four, the answer probably is yes. However, it was for a different reason. You knew your family would miss you. They would look for you, and they would worry about you, when they couldn't find you.

I knew the people I was staying with would not worry about me. They didn't care about me, and if anything happened to me, it wouldn't matter to them at all. Do you see the difference?"

"Yes Lisbeth, thank you for talking to me. I go my room now. I being punished."

"Are your parents right or wrong?"

"They right, I wrong."

"Teddy, you are only four years old. You are supposed to get things wrong at your age. I get things wrong at my age. Do you want to feel my belly, the baby's moving?"

"Yes please."

Elizabeth put Teddy's hand on her little baby bump. Teddy could feel the tiny child inside changing positions. She glowed.

"She alive in there."

"How do you know it's a girl?"

"God say so. She meet our new friends when she gets older."

"Teddy, there are other people on this planet?"

"Yes. They stuck on cold side. Spaceship broken; must land or crash."

"Did you tell the Senior Captain about this?"

"Long time ago."

"I think I'll tell her again."

"I go my room now. I not want mommy get angry with me."

"Go ahead, I'll talk to you later."

"By Lisbeth."

"Goodbye Teddy."

***********************

"Hello Lucius, do you realize how much trouble I'm in with Jemma because of you?"

"I had a helicopter to catch, William, and I thought it was appropriate to give her the phone."

"Appropriate my ass, you just wanted me to get hot water, boiling hot water."

"That too. I have a message for you from Marcus. I don't know what it means, but he said you would tell me. 'You won the bet.' Does that mean anything to you?"

William Senior yelled, "William, we won the bet. Laura is getting married."

"Already! Dad, you gave her 90 days; it hasn't even been a full week, since you made that prediction. Who's the lucky man?"

"I forgot to ask. Hold on one moment and I will."

"Lucius, who is the lucky man?"

"I didn't ask, I thought Marcus was pulling my leg."

"Ask him."

"That's kind of difficult right now. We are at 31,000 feet, circling someplace over Charleston, avoiding thunderstorms, waiting to land, and Marcus is at the facility. Why don't you ask him?"

"I have one more question for you my friend. I am worried I know the answer already. Who is flying that airplane?"

"You hit the nail right on the head, William. However, I must say the pilot is doing a very creditable job of keeping us clear of these thunderstorms."

"I'm going to kill that person anyhow. It is going to be the death of me one day."

"We all have to go one way or another. The pilot might be your reason to leave."

"Jemma would find me, bring me back, and kill me again for leaving her. Then those two would go at it, for very obvious reasons.

I've seen the bruises your pilot inflicts. I know the bruises Jemma leaves on me. If it was a pay-per-view fight on HBO, it would be worth billions."

"Just from a purely pecuniary point of view, it could be arranged."

"Thank you very much Lucius, that's another nail in your coffin."

Kelly grabbed Lucius by his shoulder.

"Go back to your seat and buckle up tight. They are going to try to get us down for an approach to Charleston."

"William, I have to go now. We are going to try to land. This should be very interesting."

"With that person at the controls, it should be a piece of cake."

"Do you believe in miracles?"

"No I don't."

"Neither do I. I will either be on the ground soon, or all over it."

"$100 says you are going to be on the ground."

"I am not going to take that bet, because that's the result I'm hoping for. Goodbye my friend, I will call you in 40 minutes."

Patty came on the intercom.

"If you have anything in the overhead bin where your sitting, change seats. This is going to be a very bumpy ride. We will be descending at over 5000 feet per minute, and making some very radical turns to avoid thunderstorms as we approach Charleston. We are going to be sliding in behind one as it passes the airport. The runway is going to be slick, and we will use every inch of it to stop. Hang onto your hats folks, this is going to be a very interesting ride."

"9130 Victor India descend and maintain 4000 feet. All courses and quadrants within 20 miles of the Charleston Vortac are free of traffic. Turns may be made at your discretion, approach will be to runway 15."

Patty repeated her clearance and then reported, "9130 Victor India leaving flight level 310, request approach runway 33."

"9130 Victor India, we will pass that request along to Charleston approach control. Continue your descent to 4000 feet."

Patty turned the aircraft out over the ocean, where nature's display of lightning lit up the early evening sky. Watching the aircraft's radar, and the flashes of lightning that showed the different cells, and their locations, she pushed the aircrafts' nose down hard.

"9130 Victor India contact Charleston approach control 133.25."

"133.25, 9130 Victor India out.

"Charleston approach control 9130 Victor India, leaving 15,000 feet, requesting approach runway 33."

"9130 Victor India, the active runway is 15."

"Do you have anyone on approach to runway 15?"

"Negative."

"Do you have anyone holding to go to runway 15?"

"Negative."

"9130 Victor India requesting approach runway 33."

"9130 Victor India is cleared ILS approach runway 33 descend and maintain 2500 feet."

"9130 Victor India, ILS approach runway 33, 2500 feet, leaving 10,000."

"Victor India, you do realize your 14 miles east of centerline."

"Charleston approach control, you do realize there is a thunderstorm 8 miles southeast of the airport on the centerline, don't you?"

"Yes, we have it on radar."

"Victor India has it on radar, and we can see it. We don't want to go into it, so we are going around it. We will get to the centerline of the ILS when time permits."

"Victor India, we suggest you keep your speed up and land, or proceed to your alternate. There is another cell 4 miles from the end of runway 33. Ground speed is 18 mph. moving directly towards the airport. National Weather Service advises this could go on for the next 18 to 24 hours."

"Isn't that wonderful news; I think I better get this puppy on the ground; soon."

She had the aircraft at 250 knots, which is what was required of all aircraft below 10,000 feet. They were not in her position today, so she pushed the throttles forward, and increased her 757's speed to 400 knots. She made a radical turn to the south, and stopped her descent at 3000 feet. She entered heavy rains, from an overhanging anvil from the monstrous thunderstorm heading towards the airport from the southwest. She could no longer see anything in front of her, so she relied totally on her also instruments.

"Kelly, you look for the runway, when you see it holler."

"Yes Captain."

Patty watched the ILS Centerline locator twitch, and turned the big aircraft hard to the right. She still overshot it and turned the aircraft hard to the right. She waited 15 seconds, and started a slow turn to the left because she knew she was getting close to the centerline. She had 3 miles to go before she reached the end of the runway, when the centerline indicator began to move and she turned perfectly onto it.

She pulled back on the power, dropped the flaps to 60°, lowered the landing gear and set up the spoilers. The aircraft shuddered as it slowed down, and began falling out of the sky from 3000 feet. Alarms were ringing, bells were going off, the stick shaker was warning her of an impending stall.

As they passed 600 feet, at ^1/4 mile from the end of runway, Patty said, "I am aborting the landing. If I don't we are going to be eating concrete"

She pushed the throttles forward in an attempt to gain speed, when Kelly yelled, "We are over the RUNWAY!"

"FUCK!" She raised the nose of the aircraft up 35^o, in an attempt to get some aerodynamic breaking; threw the engines into reverse, and put the flaps down to 100 percent. This all would have been fine if the aircraft was on the ground, but she was still 100 feet above it. When the wheels finally touched down, the aircraft bounced twice, before it settled down. She had 7800 feet of runway remaining, and she was going far too to stop fast. She had to depend on the airplane to stop itself, on this slick surface.

Kelly pick up the microphone and tell the tower to get emergency crews ready. I think we are going to run out of runway.

Kelly did as she was told, but said to Patty, "You'll think of something, you always do."

Kelly go on the intercom and tell everyone to brace three times.

At the 2000-foot marker, Patty moved the aircraft as far right of the centerline as she could. She had an idea, but no idea if it would work.

The aircraft was at 700 feet from the end of the runway, and still moving more than 100 miles per hour.

Patty turned the aircraft's nose wheel as far to the left as it would go. She was hoping this would make the aircraft do something it was not designed to do. She let go of the brakes giving them a few seconds to get wet, and cool down, before she hit them hard again. The brakes screamed. They locked, and the tail began to slide around behind them. They came to a perfect stop.

When it was all over, the 757 looked like it was number one for departure on runway 15. Everyone in the tower was incredulous. They thought for sure this aircraft was going to wipe out the ILS system for runway 33.

The fire brigade chief looked over the main landing gear for signs of fire, but found none. He walked under the nose of the aircraft, and gave Patty a thumbs up. The aircraft could now safely taxi to the Schneider industries parking area."

Kelly asked snidely, "When does the scary part start?"

"After you change your pants, and clean the cushion underneath you."

"Oh, that's nothing, I've always had a bladder problem."

"I'm not talking about your bladder problem. I'm talking about the other part."

"Please don't tell anyone. I'll never hear the end of it."

"It will be our secret, until you piss me off."

"I swear Patty that will never happen."

As she taxied the aircraft to the Schneider Industries terminal, the storm moved in from the west with all its fury. The winds were moving everything that was not lashed down. As the rain moved forward, until nothing was visible; not even the control tower.

She followed the blinking lights into her parking space, which happily was underneath an overhang.

Patty went on to intercom. "Colonel, when they open the front door, you and your men take your belongings and leave the aircraft. Kelly and I have to stay here, until the aircraft is lashed down. We will join you in 10 or 15 minutes."

As they were leaving the aircraft, Lucius popped his head into the flight deck.

"You did one hell of a job getting us down Patty. Thank you; I'll tell your dad you one hell of a pilot."

"You can tell my dad whatever you want Lucius, he's never going to believe you."

"Well, he'll hear it from me anyhow. What is that smell?"

"That is metal burning against metal from me trying to get this big bird to stop. We ran out of abrasion material before the end of the runway. We were very lucky we didn't go on fire. Kelly was a great help, she did not lose her cool as she was communicating with the tower, and with the fire department for me."

"Good job Kelly, maybe I'll let you go up on the roof again and play."

"Thanks for reminding me Colonel. It was embarrassing the first time."

"It's just sex, but you have to do it at the right time, not when you're on duty."

"Yes sir. I'll sit on that thought."

"I better catch up with that group, before they get in trouble."

"I'll let her go, as soon as this aircraft is tied down."

"Don't rush, I'm just glad we are all safe, and we can do our job properly."

As soon as Patty was sure the Colonel was out of hearing range she laughed.

"That was very funny Kelly. You can't have sex while you are on duty... I'll sit on that thought. I nearly laughed, and he would have known your secret. I think you should get cleaned up, and change into your uniform."

"Thanks Patty, I'll do it, before anymore temptation comes your way."

****************

As they entered the huge facility, Abe asked, "Where are the rest of our men Colonel?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll ask."

"Excuse me, did a group of 40 or 50 men arrived here about 12 to 14 hours ago?"

"Are you responsible for those dimwits?"

"They sound like my men, but there is not one dimwit among them."

"Let's get this out of the way, who are you, and why do you want that group of ruffians?"

"I am Colonel Lucius C. Canyon United States Army (Retired). We are here on a mission to relieve the people who are under attack at the "Deep Space Science Project" about 60 miles west of here."

"Pleased to meet you Colonel. I'm Vice Admiral Richard Coughlan, US 6^th Fleet (Retired), out of Naples, Italy."

"Pleasure to meet you, Admiral."

"I'm going to tell you what I told your friends. You are not going to get to the Science Center; not by air or ground. Somehow you just landed, I don't know how, so you know that's out of the question. The ground is saturated. The roads are flooded, there is debris everywhere including trees, cars, trucks and live electrical lines. Police are not letting anyone onto the roads, and the governor has declared a state of emergency for the entire state."

"Admiral, you still haven't told me where my men are?"

"We put them in secure storage."

"You put my men in jail, without getting an argument out of them?"

"We didn't actually tell them we will going to put them in jail."

"This should be interesting. What did you tell them?"

"I told them the truth. I told them I was taking them to their weapons."

"Naturally you gave them the bill of lading to make sure everything was there."

"Naturally, and then I walked out of the cage, closed and locked the door behind me. It took them almost 40 minutes to realize I was not with them any longer."

"Like any good military man, when it comes to his weapon, he will check it down to the firing pin. What did they do when they finally realized they were locked in?"

"They threatened to blow this place up, but we made sure they had no explosives on their bill of lading, before deciding on this plan of action."

"Are there any military grade explosives downstairs, Admiral?"

"I'm sure there are a few tons of it down there. Oh shit!"

"I'm amazed this place is still standing. You better get me down there, before there's a big hole in the ground, where this place used to be."

"The elevators, this way."

"The stairs would be faster."

"That's why, I'll meet you downstairs."

*******************

"Here we go guys; Fire in the..."

"Cease Fire."

"Which one of you dimwits told me not to pull the plunger on this thing?"

"I did you asshole. The guy that saved you from having 60 tons of concrete, and another 80 tons of stored goods drop on your heads. You would have had one hell of a headache in the morning."

"What the hell took you so long to get here Colonel?"

"I have a better question for you. How did you let a squid lock you up for the past dozen hours, before you dreamed up a plan to get yourself out?"

"We had the plan for a long time ago Colonel. The only part we didn't like was the concrete. It took us a while to work around that one."

"You guys are useless without Kelly, and Dave."

"We were just out of position for this operation, Colonel."

"That is the story of my life, Ted. However, you have to work around it, or through it to accomplish your task. Trust me, I know it only too well. Would you guys' like to get out of there now?"

"Is the squid going to give you his key?"

"Stand at attention; this is Vice Admiral Richard Coughlan you are talking to."

"As one, each man in secure storage, stood, straight and tall, in perfect military bearing."

"At ease men, thank you very much. Those days are over for all of us, but it is still very kind of you to remember how we all served our nation. Here's the key Colonel."

"Why would I need a key to open that lock, Admiral?"

"That's an industrial grade secure lock. I'll bet you $100, you can't open it."

"I'll open that lock in less than three minutes, and I'll do it from inside."

"It's not possible Lucius."

"Would you like to put a side bet on that?"

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"How big is your boat, and do you store it here?"

"My boat is an 84 footer, and yes it is stored here, while I'm having some repairs done on her. For your final answer, no you can't have her."

"Are you afraid I'm going to open that lock?"

"You are not going to open that lock. There is no way on this earth you going to do it."

"So what's a little side bet between friends?"

"What do I get if you win?"

Lucius thought for a moment.

"The use of a Boeing 757 for 1 weekend."

He turned and saw Patty, with Kelly, standing by the bars to the 'Secure storage' unit.

"Well Admiral, if I don't open that lock, you get to fly around in a 757 for a weekend. What do you say?"

"Who's going to drive my boat?"

"The same person that's going to fly your airplane."

"Why do I have feeling I am in trouble?"

"Admiral, you just met the woman 'Trouble' was named after."

"That little girl Lucius?"

Lucius screamed, "Someone grab her!"

Kelly jumped, and was lucky to grab Patty's ankles to bring her down to the floor.

Lucius walked over and sat on her back.

"Mrs. Valentino, you can kill him after we take care of business today. I don't know where his boat is."

"If you don't get off my back now, I'm going to kill you Lucius."

"You certainly tried Patty. We had half an inch of runway left, and we landed 2 seconds before the next storm came through."

"In other words I landed perfectly, both in length, and in timing, Colonel. So stop complaining."

Admiral Coughlan said, "You have three minutes to open that door. Get inside, and tell us when you are ready to start."

"Patty would you hold my jacket please; it's a little wet."

"If you don't open that door on time, I'm going to put it on the floor and step on it."

"If you step on my jacket, I'm going to spank you in front of your father."

"He would get a real kick out of it, wouldn't he?"