Free Wings of Steele - Destination Unknown (Book 1) by Jeffrey Burger Page B

entered together.
    Smiley
was surprised to see eight other pilots already there, each one a
combat veteran. In fact, the only one without combat was his wingman
Mike Warren. This could be... hmmm, hell, he didn't know what to
think. He sat down as they all did, when the Air Boss entered the
room.
    "Ok
gentlemen, find a seat and button up your faces..." he waited
until everyone was seated and continued, "We have a situation
which dictates we must search for, locate and escort a possible
hostile aircraft, so listen up. Does everybody know what a World War
Two, B25 Mitchell Bomber, looks like..?" he watched the
nodding heads. "Ok fine, it seems late last night or early this
morning, the details aren't clear on this, an armed B25 called the
Sweet Susie, landed at the San Juan airport and logged some time in
at an abandoned hangar. Responding to an anonymous tip, the San Juan
Police went out to investigate. They were fired upon and in the
ensuing gun battle more than twenty officers were either killed or
wounded."
    A
low chorus of whispers erupted from the pilots. The Commander never
looked up from his report, "Shut up ladies, and listen... In
their escape, they dynamited the hangar, destroying thousands of
dollars of equipment being stored there. Not to mention all the
criminal laws, they also violated numerous civil air traffic laws,
endangering countless lives." He paused before going on. "It
is also suspected that they have abducted a local woman. These are
dangerous, vicious, people. It is reported that they have a load of
drugs and guns in a plane capable of defending itself. Our job is to
find it and escort it back to the San Juan airport where there are
police and military units waiting for it. These people are
desperate, and hostage or no, if you locate them and are fired upon,
splash 'em... I don't want anyone returning with holes in their
aircraft. Understood?"
    " Aye
aye, sir... "
was the sombre response that rippled through the group.
    “ Dismissed...”
The pilots rose and were issued their search pattern orders as they
exited two by two, heading for the elevator that would carry them to
the hangar level, two floors below the flight deck.
    Walking
through the hangar level, the pilots joked and jousted verbally,
exchanging good-natured insults and challenges. Pausing only
momentarily to be serious, the aviators wished one another luck
before dispersing to do pre-flight inspections of their aircraft.
    As
Smiley and Warren strolled across the hangar deck, the senior
officer pointed out his wingman's plane sitting on the aircraft
lift. The engineer standing next to the F18 waved the two airmen to
the lift. The pilots stepped onto the platform and it moved smoothly
upwards. "Your bird's already topside Pappy. You guys'll launch
first."
    Smiley
guessed the grizzled engineer's age over fifty. "Chief, what're
you still doin' way out here?"
    The
engineer smiled a crooked smile. "Well, I got seven kids, n'it
seems like every time I go home, another one pops out! This's the
only place I git any peace 'n quiet!" He guffawed at his own
joke, slapping the pilot on the shoulder. Smiley laughed too, the
thought of seven kids all in one house seemed simply unbelievable.
The Chief climbed onto the tow truck as the lift squeaked to a stop.
"Your bird's over there." He said, pointing the way, as he
started the motor on the truck. The pilot waved.
    Warren
waved back as he followed his aircraft. They would be on their own
now until they were in the air.
    Paul
Smiley examined his Hornet inch by inch. He handed the line
assistant his helmet to climb the ladder to the cockpit and paused
to run his hand gently across the Desert Storm logo, just below the
cockpit. He was proud of that logo and what it stood for, along with
the four kill badges to the right.
    The
line assistant buckled him in and handed the pilot his flight
helmet. After
switching on all systems, Paul spun up the engines. While they
warmed, he proceeded through his lengthy