This is a work of fiction any similarities between the characters, events, or locations in this story and actual locations, events, or people are purely coincidental.
© 2004 Warlord
(A story in the Sea Cruise Universe)
Pointing to the outside door at the bottom of the stairs, I said, “Block that open, please. We can move the people easily.”
Honor handled it! She reloaded her shotgun, followed up by blowing the door loose from its hinges and lock, then shouldered the ruined door out of the way.
I pulled off my goggles and earmuffs as I stepped out of the now wide-open doorway, to observe our air cover at HOTEL. ‘Hotel’ status, by positively identifying the hostage location, allowed our air assets to attack any remaining bad guys – hopefully preventing them from firing on our helicopter-loading operation.
I looked around, saying, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning!” Honor elevated an eyebrow as she shook her head. We ducked back inside, as another exploding building collapsed.
Nikki had an elegant solution to the problem of kidnappers hiding in the buildings to snipe at us. She painted the front door of the farthest building with her marking laser. The F-14 Bombcat, with its LANTIRN guidance targeting system, slammed a 750-pound laser guided bomb through the door, collapsing the building. Then she used the F-14s to collapse the next two buildings, in order.
Kidnappers came running out of building four and five, as they realized her next likely targets. Out in the open, they were easy meat for her fifty as well as Sally Ann and Mavis in the two Cobras.
I said (over the sound of the firing outside), “Mindy and Cynthia, you have the door. Toss a white smoke out into the commons. We need a wind direction. Honor is with me.”
Mindy grabbed a CTS 5210 white smoke grenade. Pulling the pin, she gave it a heave far out into the square. The smoke gave a clear indication of wind direction, and some idea of force. More luck! The dawn air was fairly calm.
I trotted up the steps, with Honor behind me. I was pulling off my Nomex Balaclava. I threw my goggles and earmuffs into the Balaclava when I reached the second floor.
‘Tex,’ whose name was actually Destiny (from Idaho), had the school’s administration ready to greet me. She introduced the Dean of the School, Cerise Nguyen. Cerise, dressed in a thin chemise with her shapely figure, almond eyes and long black hair far down her back, was the very epitome of the best possible blend of her French and Vietnamese heritage. The Dean’s secretary Sydne Ainsworth, a tall, slender, elegant and quite lovely Englishwomen was wearing a thin silk robe barely covering her butt.
Tex then introduced the school’s two lead teachers, Karin and Carina Lennartsson, twin Swedish blondes with long white blonde hair. They were tall, thin, with even longer legs and massive breasts. They were both naked, having been rousted from a bed where they slept in the nude.
Cerise, Sydne, Karin, Carina, and Tex gathered around me when Tex suddenly exclaimed, “You’re Americans. God Damn, welcome to Ekwueme.”
I replied quietly, shaking my head. “No we’re not. In fact when you talk to the authorities you are going to be pretty sure that we talked with heavy Russian accents.”
Sydne asked in puzzlement, “Russian?”
I nodded. “Many Russian Spetsnaz special forces veterans are in the mercenary job market for operations just like this one.”
Cerise nodded in understanding as she said, “We will inform the students. Your secret is safe with us.”
I said quietly, “Thank you. I’m sorry as hell for the damage to your school. We’ve made a fucking mess of your campus and destroyed personal property. I’d like to believe it couldn’t be helped. Anyway it’s my plan being executed out there, any blame falls to me.”
Cerise was shaking her head as she responded emphatically, “Non, non, you are my hero. All of you are our heroes. Saving us from Gods knows what they had planned for us today and the days after. We are alive; we can buy other ‘things’. They will rebuild or not! If not, I go elsewhere. Perhaps I should go anyway; they did not protect us very well, after all. What do you need from us now?”
I replied, “Now, it’s time to load up for the trip to Mireille. I want a manifest with the names of your people as we load. Do you have a list?”
Sydne perked up as she showed me several folded up pieces of paper covered with minute neat script, saying, “This is everyone.”
I said, “Excellent work. Then will you please mark off as we load them out?”
Cerise nodded. “A good idea. We must leave no one behind to be subjected to reprisal.” Sydne nodded in agreement.
I said calmly, “Please get them lined up at the top of the stairway, ready to move on our signal. We’re looking at more than thirty bodies per chopper, so it’s not going to be comfortable.”
Karin suddenly spoke up. “Just so we’re off this bloody island. I can stand any kind of uncomfortable trip.”
The emphatic nods of agreement needed no amplification. I whistled with a hand gesture. Akira, Miriam, and Dixie quickly joined Honor and me with the school administrators. I announced, “We’re ready for INDIA. Honor has top of stairs, with Mindy and Cynthia supervising stair bottom and door. Akira, Mir, and Dix, you’re with me, loading. “
I pointed at the school folks, saying, “You are with me counting people into their rides. That means you are last out. OK? ”
They nodded again. I keyed my microphone as I said, “Audra flight, we are at INDIA, repeat INDIA. Execute now, please.”
We hit the bottom of the stairs as Cyn floated over the top of our building dropping into the commons with all her guns blazing. She settled into a blocking position with her door gunners continuing to ‘power fire’ into the school buildings and any other likely cover. Adrian was next landing in another blocking position, oblique to Cyn, with her door gunners firing as well. When they were both down, and with Sally Ann and Mavis continuing to fire their weapons, I keyed my microphone, saying, “We are at JULIET. Juliet One now, please. Repeat, Juliet One!”
The first ‘transport’ Blackhawk landed in front of our building. The rhythm picked up markedly. A single file of women started out of the building. We started handing naked and near naked women into the cargo door. I handed my Nomex Balaclava to Tex, swinging my MP5SD2 into ready position, standing exposed in the grassy campus center. Akira was counting, and at her signal, we held them up at the doorway.
Akira stepped back as I pointed to Amanda the pilot. I gave her thumbs up. She immediately lifted straight up, then turned on the exit path, back to the coastline. I requested our next ride. “Juliet Two, to the dance floor please. Juliet Two. “
The next helicopter settled smoothly in front of the building, with Akira immediately loading women in the wide-open cargo door. She stepped back, and again I pointed at Janine with thumbs up. The helicopter followed Amanda out to sea.
I glanced over, to see Miriam and Dixie fixedly staring at the windows overlooking our loading operation. They would shoot into window openings showing any movement, perfectly willing to waste rounds on blowing drapery, rather than ignore a possible sniper. Comforted that they had my back, I continued with my radio call. “Juliet Three, please. Juliet Three.”
The Blackhawk eased down onto the grass, just as close as Melissa dared to the building. Akira was back on station, helping women into the cargo door. When Akira stepped away from Melissa’s chopper there were still half clad women milling around.
I pointed at Melissa and gave her the thumbs up. She smoothly elevated, turning out to sea as soon as she was above the nearest school building. Akira rounded up women still on the commons, leading them to Cyn’s Blackhawk. Honor, Mindy and Cynthia were swiftly scooping the remaining teachers and administrators into our Blackhawk.
Sydne paused in the cargo door to look over at me. Pointing to her list, she yelled, “That’s everybody. All accounted for.”
She clambered aboard. Mir and Dix were herding me to the cargo door, for all the world like two worried sheep dogs moving an errant part of their flock. Akira stood at the cargo door, waving me forward. I keyed my microphone announcing, “KILO. Green smoke. Current status is Kilo, please.”
I stopped reaching into my pouch I retrieved a CTS 6210 green smoke grenade. I armed it as I tossed it at the entry on the hostage building followed with two more ‘greens.’
Cyn’s copter was up ten feet, with all her guns blazing, as I reached my ride. Akira, Mir, and Dix climbed in at my gesture. I pointed at Adrian then stood in the door as Adrian elevated us, moving us out of the open commons and above the trees surrounding the campus.
As Adrian held us above the tree line Kim taking my MP5SD2 handed me my headphones and Rayban aviator sunglasses. Nikki continued to direct traffic. The green smoke was our marker that hostage extraction was complete and we were LEAVING.
I contacted my girl Neon four five. “Neon four five, be advised: good guys extracted, only bad guys on the ground. Going to LIMA on my mark. Fast movers to the deck please.”
I paused then announced on our flights frequency, “LIMA, status is Lima. Audra flight RTB immediately. We are LEAVING. LIMA, LIMA, LIMA.”
Our two Cobras broke off, heading out to sea, with Cyn’s Blackhawk accelerating to take lead of our flight back to Mireille.
The fast movers were down to tree top height in pairs with their 20 mil Gatling guns firing as they dumped the last of their ordnance on the school grounds. First the two pair of F-14 Bombcats followed by their escort flight a pair of F/A18E Super Hornets.
Cerise was standing next to me holding my arm as she peered out the cargo door, watching the destruction of the school she administered. Despite her brave words she was crying unreservedly at the ruin. I put my arm around her holding her tight as she cried herself out.
Nikki finally wheeled, heading out to sea past us, as the jets pummeled the school grounds. There would be no revenge anti-aircraft fire from the kidnappers. Right about now, any surviving kidnapper had his nose buried in the dirt, praying to his preferred deity for protection from the best of Northrop Grumman Aviation and the USN.
We were last helicopter on station; it was past time to go. I pointed at Adrian. She gave me a big smile and thumbs up. I looked back at the school being ravaged by our air power. Switching to intercom I said, “Get us the fuck outta here, love.”
I was still standing in the cargo door as she took us away from school grounds. Sydne gently pulled Cerise down into a group hug with Karin and Carina while I contacted Neon four five again. “Neon four five. Please go to MIKE repeat Mike. Thank our fast friends for their help.”
There was no acknowledgment; instead, I heard, “Audra six, stand by for message.”
Then silence. I stood quietly if not calmly waiting. I flipped the AWACS frequency to the internal system intercom and speakers. Neon four five came back with, “Audra six, be advised that a strong seaquake in excess of eight on the Richter scale has struck Indonesia. The quake is generating intense wave action. Mireille will be subject to harbor wave. Satellite data indicates harbor wave height five meters or more at shoreline. Sunrise has evacuated Mireille, putting to sea under emergency power. Over.”
There was dead silence aboard the chopper as I looked around. I asked Neon a question. “Neon four five thank you for the information. Do you have an ETA for wave hitting Mireille? Over.”
While she was off the air I switched to flight frequency and brought everybody up to date. Neon four five was back. “Audra six, we make best guess first impact approximately twelve hundred hours. Over.”
I exclaimed, “Shit.” Then I realized I had an open mic. I said, “Four five, Audra flight ETA Mireille is noon. Over.”
Neon came back with, “Six, we agree. Maintaining current course speed Audra flight will be over Mireille runway at twelve hundred hours. Over.”
I was still standing in the door watching the blue water go by as Adrian put miles between us and the kidnappers on Ekwueme. I keyed my mike distractedly, “Four five, standby for further traffic, out.”
I grabbed the upper doorframe in both hands leaning out letting the wind buffet me while I looked at the rest of Audra Flight ahead of us. Audra meant storm in Lithuanian. Altogether too prophetic for my taste.
Adrian’s soft calm voice in my headphones asked, “You with us, lover? We still need you.”
Pulling back in I smiled and gave her a thumbs up as I said over the intercom, “Yeah, I’m back. Thanks, love. We can do this.”
I got on the radio to Audra flight, leaving the people in our bird listening on intercom, but asked only Cyn and Nikki to respond, saying, “Audra flight, Cyn and Nikki only please. Ladies, I need you to change power settings to slow us down. Nikki, calculate for arrival over Mireille runway after thirteen hundred repeat thirteen hundred. Cyn, Audra two will be new flight leader and pacesetter. Audra one will leave formation to scout runway, observe tsunami arrival and assess damage. Six, out.“
I flipped the radio to our AWACS frequency, saying, “Four five did you copy that last transmission? Over.”
Neon responded quickly, “Affirmative, six, over.”
I asked, “Four five, in event Mireille runway unusable, you have room at the inn or even in the stable?”
Neon came back quickly, “Negative six. Carrier group already moving at flank speed to support rescue and relief efforts. I have gas station available after fast movers.”
I just exploded, “God damn it Neon. Only half my fucking flight is set up to refuel on the move and nobody repeat nobody is certified for mid air refuel. I need an alternate. NOW! Over.”
I was seething as the silence on my radio lengthened. I was trying to remember if the airport at Victoria, Seychelles capitol on Mahe Island was at sea level. That would blow our cover all to hell for sure when Seychelles customs and immigrations came wandering out to check passports on the Audra girls!
Nikki called on flight frequency saving my sanity again, “Firebird one, this is your fire goddess. Over.”
I responded, smiling, “Goddess, tell me good news, love. Over.”
Nikki said, “Ted, We used less fuel during operation than I planned. I had loiter time on each end of the flight that we did not use. Throttling back saves us fuel. We have room to maneuver, big guy. Over.”
I asked, “Goddess, Do we have enough fuel to divert to Victoria? over”
Before she could answer Neon four five barked, “Audra six negative on Audra flight Victoria diversion. That is not a secure location. Repeat negative on diversion.”
I answered calmly, “Get the fuck off my frequency, four five. Out.”
I called Nikki again. “How about it, goddess. Can we make Victoria?”
Nikki came back with, “Ted, are you in as much trouble as it sounds like?”
I laughed. “Yes, my love they’re gonna draft me just for a proper courts martial. Answer my question. OVER!”
Nikki said, “Yes we can make Mahe island and land somewhere well above water line. I would have to make the course change about twelve hundred hours. Over.”
Once more I lost it. “Son of a BITCH! “
Then just like that I was calm my mind going a mile a minute as I said, “Nikki. Slow everybody down. Cyn is leader. We are out in front scouting. Lay in diversion course, do not execute. Inform me when flight reaches the divert point. We may need to use up some loiter time at divert. Over.”
Nikki said simply, “Copy that, Ted. Luck, love. Nikki out.”
Cyn came on with, “Copy that, Ted. Good luck, lover. Cyn out.”
Every Audra pilot responded acknowledging the new plan. I turned to crew and passengers of our UH-60, saying over the intercom:
“We may have a problem with the diversion if it comes to that. We’re burning fuel; nobody else is. I’m sorry -- somebody has to do this, and you happen to be along for what may be a bumpy ride.”
Nancy suddenly spoke up from her spot second seat. “Quit whining Ted. We’re all volunteers. I’m sure one of the nice ladies from the school will be happy to suck you off if it makes you feel better.”
This ignited a raucous veritable free-for-all of offers of sexual service from everyone on the intercom, involving techniques and positions that rapidly became anatomically difficult followed quickly by impossible.
While this was going on Adrian had pulled out of line, forging ahead as Cyn slowed Audra flight per Nikki’s instructions. I decided I might as well try to kiss and make up with my girl Neon.
I called on the AWACS frequency, “Neon four five, Audra six, over”
Neon came back just a pleasant as before, “Go ahead Six, over.”
I responded, “Four Five, sorry I yelled at you. Can I get a relay to Sunrise please? Over.”
Neon replied, “Understandable Six, you’re worried about your people. Stand by for Sunrise, over.”
In seconds I was talking to Tawny on Sunrise. I assume Captain Dale, standing on the bridge, was torn between observing our progress and the big waves. So figuring what the hell?, I said, “Tawny, is Dale around? Over.”
Poor Tawny sounded like she was choking. The next voice I heard was Dale’s, and he was laughing heartily. “Audra six, Yes I’m around. Congratulations on a well executed operation, over.”
I replied, “Not done yet. Still need to get down. Please, tell me everything I need to know about the incoming harbor wave and Mireille. I’m putting you on the speaker, over.”
Dale came back calm and reflective just like always. “Six, go ahead. I have some first hand experience but each tsunami is a unique event. We are in the path of it, outside the one hundred fathom line. Sunrise is safe. The wave is only destructive as it ramps up shallow sea bottom. We will be able to provide a warning when it passes us. The fault was on a north and south line generating a wave along this axis, moving almost straight east and west, over.”
I replied, “I understand so far, but what happens when it hits the shallows surrounding Mireille? Over.”
Dale came back, “I have been studying the charts. I believe the harbor is safe given its orientation, narrow entrance and very deep water surrounding the breakwater. I estimate a surge appreciably above high tide but no wave action in harbor, over.”
I was nodding, then realized he couldn’t see that. I said, “Copy that, over.”
Dale went on. “Windward side by your hangars is less predictable. The bottom drops away sharply relatively close to shore minimizing ‘harbor wave’ but a very shallow line of reefs runs to the northeast far out into current. This gives it spawning ground, over.”
I was puzzled. “Reef, what reef?”
Dale was laughing, “You were probably distracted by something or somebody; likely, several somebodies. The lighthouse. That reef. Over.”
Now I got it, exclaiming, “Shit. The lighthouse. Copy that. Stand by.”
The rest of the chopper was cracking up at Dale’s comment about distraction. I was remembering the lighthouse. On the windward side, where we gather driftwood on the beach, far out to sea is a tall brick masonry lighthouse completely surrounded by water. The lighthouse at the end of the submerged underwater reef Dale mentioned. The lighthouse is no longer used, but it’s a spectacular sight when the water crashes far up the sides in a tropical storm.
I keyed my mic again. “Any estimate of damage on windward side. Over.”
Dale replied, “The runways are well above sea level, that’s good news. Buck found bunkers and other concrete structures between beach and hangars. There will slow and soften wave action. He moved equipment we did not take into hangars farthest from beach, those protected by concrete blast revetments. Buck estimates waves will not reach those hangars with ability to cause structural damage. Buck is an optimist by nature. Over.”
I replied, “Thank you. Call us when the wave passes, Audra six out.”
I was quite heartened by the conversation with Captain Dale. Maybe my chickens would have a place to roost, after all.
*****
Our UH-60 orbited between the lighthouse and the harbor waiting. Dale gave us a shout when the waves passed under Sunrise without incident. He informed us that we had a ‘three wave’ set. Dale offered further analysis that the close deep water with the 100 Fathom line so near Mireille would further diminish wave force.
With Captain Dale’s information to refine the wave ETA, we were hovering above the lighthouse. I was hanging out of the cargo door, with my Swarovski Habicht 10 x 40W rubber-armored binoculars, when the first of three tsunami waves encountered the windward reef. The whirlpool swirl next to the reef with a ‘suck back’ exposing the reef was the precursor just before the wave towering five meters swamped forward. This was closely followed by a second wave about the same height.
When the first two waves exposed the reef we discovered that the previous occupants had used the reef as a convenient dump for their largest ‘trash.’ We saw hulks of tanks, landing craft, planes, and trucks, intermixed with massive chunks of concrete. All this ‘junk’, overlaid with more than sixty years of coral accumulations.
This massive underwater trash pile littering the long line of the reef seemed to act like a snow fence on the waves, undercutting them as they ran up the swallows and reducing the effect to a ‘storm surge’ on the beach, stirring up sand and driving driftwood further inland.
Adrian swung us to the harbor where Dale’s prediction was accurate. The waves passing the entrance pushed a pair of waves up the beach barely past the high tide line, with little added force.
Honor spoke into the intercom, saying, “That wasn’t so bad. Was it?”
I replied, “No it wasn’t, but Dale said three so let’s go back to the lighthouse and wait.’
Adrian floated us back over the lighthouse as I again looked out to sea. I saw another wave line and I alerted the crew. This time the swirls were huge, with the ‘suck back’ exposing sea floor far down the reef. The wave built and just kept building as Honor stood in the door exclaiming, “Holy fuck Ted. What’s going on?”
I kept waiting for the wave to ‘break’ but it didn’t as it reached fifteen or more meters climbing the reef. Then this monster hit the coral entrusted hulks and slowed appreciably losing wave height as it passed through the underwater junkyard.
The wave drove through the shallows and began climbing the shore like a water bulldozer climbing up the sand dunes far above any high water mark. We again kept waiting for the massive wave to ‘break’ under its weight but kept it pushing ashore. Finally as it washed over the end of the runway the wave collapsed, leaving a colossal pile of timber, logs, trees and unidentifiable materials mounded in astounding piles.
The wave washed backward sweeping up the logs that had been at waters edge since we arrived. Timbers too big to move with our tractor as if they were tiny matchsticks were taken away without a trace.
Gone was our clear blue water, replaced be the inky black of oxygen-depleted water from the depths of the ocean, displaced upwards by the underwater quake.
As the wave receded, Adrian had us back over the harbor in time to watch the wave form pass the cut in the breakwater. This time the surge was palpable, as it drove up the beach until the water spilled into the open sided verandas, despite their far up beach location and several feet of elevation off the beach.
The surge did not have the tsunami wave’s destructive force, and lost most of its velocity before it reached our beach structures. It sagged, and the next wave was back at the surf line. As it retreated, this wave also left behind trash, with logs and branches littering the beach and floating in the surf.
The silence inside the UH-60 was profound as we watched the wave pass Mireille and out to sea.
*****
I spoke into the intercom, trying to emulate Captain Dale’s calm delivery. “C’mon kids, we have work to do to get the rest of the flight down safely.”
They all snapped out of it almost together as thoughts of their friends still out over the ocean woke them.
I asked Adrian to get us some height for the radio as I called Neon. “Neon Four Five, Audra six over.”
She was back immediately. “Six, Four Five, over.”
I reported with my bird listening, “Four five, wave has passed Mireille. Harbor and physical plant appear undamaged with some obstruction of runway and debris in harbor. We will land to mark usable runway and assess damage. Please give me a relay to Sunrise. Over.”
Lovely Neon responded, sounding pleased. “Thank you for the report, six. Good news about lack of damage to your base. Please hold for Sunrise. Over.”
I was quickly talking to Dale, who informed me that Sunrise was already returning to Mireille full speed. Dale was cheered about the condition of the anchorage for his ship. I asked, “Dale, I need to mark the runway for the following flight, any suggestions? Over.”
He responded readily, “Ted, Buck knew the generator would likely be down when you returned, he left several cases of fusee flares, smoke, dye markers, lightwands and light sticks in the control tower above the main hangar. Look also for a bag labeled FlightSite LZ kit. He assumed water would never reach that high. Over.”
I was nodding again. I finally said, “Copy that, Dale, thank you. Ted out.”
Next up I contacted my gaggle of girls, “Audra flight this is Audra leader. Good news ladies, RTB, Return to Mireille. Repeat Mireille. Be advised parts of runway obstructed by debris we are in process of marking with flares and light sticks. Maintain formation, course, and speed. Cyn, please acknowledge and then verify that everybody copied this message. Over.”
Cyn was happy. “Great news, Ted, thank you. Over.”
I replied, “Cyn, call at ten minutes out for final landing instructions. Marking should be complete by then. Ted out.”
I was back on the intercom. “Adrian, can you put us down next to the hangar and control tower? We got lots of work to do. I’m going to have to put the school teachers to work, too.”
*****
Adrian had a nice feel, taking us down, then floating on ground effect until she flared, She landed us with a feather touch between hangars, right next to the stairs up to the control tower.
In the silence after she shut off the big fan I jumped down then just stood with my forehead pressed to the fuselage. I felt soft fingers rubbing my neck. I turned, to find Cerise with her school’s contingent standing behind her. She asked, “My hero, what can we do to help? My students and teachers, your comrades are still in the air.”
I replied, “We have to mark the runway, ladies, and not incidentally, we need to get you dressed.”
Miriam, Dixie, Akira, and Honor were standing together having dropped part of their equipment in the copter. I whistled as they looked up I said loudly, “Crack open the hangar, please, ladies. Let’s see what we have to work with.”
Turning, I spotted Mindy and Cynthia I called them over, saying, “Please take Kimberly and Leticia and bring down everything you find in the control tower.”
Feeling a light touch on my shoulder I turned into a soft pair of lips as Adrian greeted me, followed by Nancy greeting me in the same pleasant fashion. Adrian whispered, “Feeling better, lover?”
I nodded, saying, “Yeah, we’ll get ‘em down now.”
Nancy asked, “What do you need, Ted?”
I answered quickly, “How about finding some clothes for our guests, so I can put them to work?”
Tex led the response as she posed, saying, “You want to cover us up?”
She was amazing sight in her cowboy hat and panties. Adrian answered before I could, “Trust me girls, the last thing Ted wants is to do is dress you. He’s mostly about undressing you!”
Nancy was laughing as she said, “Come along. We’ll see what Buck left in the hangar when they saddled up.”
I walked out in front to find the big doors already open, with Honor lining up the Polaris and John Deere ATVs on the taxiway. The boxes from the tower were stacked next to them. Honor wheeled out a small cart, filled with cases of liter water bottles.
It was a distracting few minutes after the ladies discovered the long rack of gray BDU and jumpsuits that Buck left on the hangar’s mezzanine. They brought the clothes out on the taxiway changing from their flight suits or tiger stripes into the gray clothes, along with the ladies from the nursing school. The dumping water on each other before they dressed was the ‘worst’ of it!
Adrian yelled from inside the hangar, “Ted, we found your tractor. It’s got a single flat bed wagon hooked up.”
Firing up the tractor and pulling it out next to the stack of boxes, Mindy and Cynthia were quickly throwing the boxes from the control tower on the twenty foot flat bed wagon, where Mir and Dix were tearing them open sorting contents.
Adrian pulled up next to the Farmall M with a HMMWV M707 Knight. Nancy was already busy tuning one of the Knight’s radios to our Audra flight frequency, and another to pick up the radio on my vest.
Tex quickly jumped on one of the M-Gators, heading toward the end of the runway, followed by Honor riding a Harley ElectraGlide FLHTPI (with police trim and sidecar, note). Tex and Honor stopped at the point where the wave had pushed trash on the runway. Honor dropped orange smoke marking this new end of the landing strip. They backed up a hundred meters and dropped a row of lit fusee flares and LW1000 light wands standing up in their LWS 1000 B bases to mark a sort of last chance line.
Cerise, Sydne, Karin and Carina jumped on the wagon bed with Miriam and Dixie. I idled the M along the runway at a slow walk while the ladies jumped on and off the wagon dropping fusee flares, light sticks and more LW1000 markers standing in their LWS 1000 B bases along both sides of the runway. When we had marked runway more than double the length of the Audra flight I deployed the Flight Site Kit.
The kit consisted of five Lightman Xenon Strobes powered by double A batteries. Those five strobes, distributed in a square on the runway would be Cyn’s landing zone. There was ample room for the rest of the flight to land behind her, maintaining their formation.
We parked the tractor next to Cyn’s LZ, with a row of light wands on bases crossing the runway a hundreds meters beyond. Adrian pulled the HMMWV M707 Knight next to the parked tractor closer to the LZ. Nancy had been on the radio steadily with Cyn and the Audra flight, describing our preparations. Cyn and Neon had been providing updated ETA for the flight.
As the flight closed on Mireille, I stepped out on the runway just past the strobe markers with a twenty five millimeter flare gun. I fired a red parachute flare, then a second as it dropped, then another. As Audra Flight acknowledged sighting them, then turned toward the parachute flares, I followed with red meteor rounds one after another until Cyn announced she had a visual. Then I ignited my hand-held orange smoke marker.
The flight straightened as all the pilots acquired my billowing orange visual and oriented to the runway. Cyn brought the flight down to scant feet off the concrete as she slowed toward the LZ. She lowered carefully, now floating mere inches from the concrete, then she flared, making a pinpoint touch as the rest of the flight landed behind her, one after the other, with uncanny precision.
When the last bird landed safely. I threw the smoke wand far in to the sand dunes. Falling to my knees I leaned far forward kissing the runway then as I came upright settling back on my haunches I caught a hurtling body as Sally Ann tackled me.
I was lying on my back on the concrete runway, while my Sally angel tried to devour me with kisses. In this huge crowd, we were all alone!
Adrian’s voice startled us as she laughingly said, “If you fuck him, Sally, make him get on the bottom, this concrete will bruise the shit out of you.”
Adrian’s presence calmed us as Sally Ann stretched on top of me, saying, “We knew you’d get us down. You did good today, Ted.”
Adrian, kneeling next to Sally Ann, agreed, adding, “You better take some extra vitamins, Ted. These teachers are all intent on rewarding you!”
Nikki joined with kisses for the three of us then, saying, “Good job today, Ted. You brought us home safe. So what do you need next? Your wish is my command, lover, and not just out here.”
Adrian and Sally Ann were laughing delightedly at my ‘reaction’ to Nikki’s words. Nikki helped us to our feet. I looked at the crowd of people we rescued, milling around the runway. It was time for me to get to work…
*****
Sunrise was back. While Captain Dale returned to his anchorage in a neat display of seamanship, a steady stream of small craft ran shuttle service to the beach. Buck came ashore to restore lights and water.
The return of hot water meant the gang showers in back of the hangar were in continual use. I received several invitations, but before I could act on them, 2nd Officer Bridget arrived with my to-do list from Captain Dale.
The other members of Sunrise were hard at work. Dr Helen with Nurse Grace set up an impromptu clinic in the hangar. Chef Shannon began setting up a buffet, while Clarice installed several computers and worked with Sydne to generate a list of the students and faculty rescued from Ekwueme.
Kenny met Karin and Carina. Kenny was entranced. Even dressed in their plain gray jumpsuits, they were an astonishing sight. Kenny and the twins, along with Vickie, Kylie, and Shana, drove a couple of M-Gator ATVs to the beach and began gathering up the scattered driftwood, dumping it into the fire ring as the basis for another of his patented conflagrations.
*****
Nikki was doing maintenance on one of our UH-60 helicopters. She must have been hot, since her flight suit was unzipped and pulled down around her hips. I did not interrupt her; instead, I just enjoyed the view! Sally Ann was helping her, adding another excellent reason to watch quietly.
Sally Ann noticed my scrutiny. Stopping work, she stepped into my arms, kissing me with her tongue deep in my mouth. She pulled back to look at me, then turning to Nikki, she said, “Uh oh, Nikki, it’s his ‘can’t play, work to do’ kiss.”
Nikki was giggling as she asked, “What do you need, lover?”
Looking at Sally Ann I asked, “My what?”
Sally was laughing delightedly, saying, “Never mind. Tell us about it.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “Captain wants us to take Cerise to Victoria with a list of her people for emergency visas. He has it arranged, but we have to make an appearance for Seychelles immigration.”
Nikki was businesslike as she asked, “We have a 430 executive with seating for six and a tricked up plush Huey II with seating for twelve. Which one would you like?”
I was laughing. “The Huey, of course. Make sure you stock the wet bar.”
Nikki snorted. “Wet bar, indeed. When are we leaving?”
I answered, “Morning. Sunrise has reserved the top floor suite at The Verandah if we need an overnight.”
Sally Ann perked up immediately. “That suite is the hotel’s entire top floor and they have a four star restaurant. When are WE leaving?”
Nikki was laughing uproariously while Sally Ann showed me her ‘lolita’ pout, twirling her hair over her finger and looking over the tops of her sunglasses.
I raised my hands in defeat, saying, “Yes, dear. What ever you say, dearest.”
Sally Ann gave me a soft hip check with a smirking expression, saying, “Don’t you forget it, lover.”
Nikki nodded. She was back to business. “Adrian second seat, Sally Ann flight engineer, with Honor and Akira for your security back up. Who do you need?”
I answered slowly, “So far I’ve got, Cerise and likely Sydne from school, with Bridget representing Sunrise. I’ll know more after I chat with our Capitan.”
Nikki said simply, “We’ll be ready.”
*****
I was standing on the taxiway observing the bustle, when an H1, driven by luscious Rhiannon pulled up next to me. Captain Dale Buckley climbed out of the passenger seat, quickly capturing my hand in his. “Ted, thank you for bringing my people home safely. I have Clarice setting up a screen – there is something you and the school folks need to see. Come along please.”
With that, Dale led me into the corner of the building where Clarice had reconnected the big plasma monitor. Rhiannon was collecting people, pointing them to the captain. Cerise arrived, and he invited her to the front of the crowd next to me. Clarice signaled her readiness. Dale smoothly captured our attention and quieted the group just by starting to talk as he said, “Welcome to Mireille. On behalf of Sunrise and Hedonist it is my pleasure to offer you the hospitality of my ship and this lovely island. Please join us for our buffet tonight and our celebration bonfire on the beach. Kenny, our resident pyromaniac, seems intent on bettering his personal best! Before we celebrate, I wanted you to see images from a robot aircraft that stayed above the school after your evacuation.”
Dale pointed at Clarice, and the screen came alive, showing the smoldering wreckage of the school buildings. Figures could be seen wandering the grounds, digging through the rubble. Cerise reached for my wrist; looping my arm over her shoulder, she pressed tightly to my side with her right arm around my waist.
Suddenly the audience gasped my eyes were back on the screen in time to see the now familiar whirlpool and suck back on the Ekwueme beach bordering the school grounds. The first two ‘five meter’ waves drove ashore reaching into the school grounds slapping buildings before sagging back out to sea. I heard Honor’s voice, “Oh, shit. The big one!”
I don’t know if Dale edited out the interval between the waves but it seemed like just seconds and we saw a huge whirlpool swirling just offshore with another deep suck back then the massive wave building to an unbelievable height washing through the stand of trees into the school grounds.
The wave was taller than the standing buildings it encountered bludgeoning its way ashore. We saw it push the first building off its foundation into the second, continuing its destruction without slowing, until it was well past the small creek bordering the commons.
Finally the wave broke, swirling. It ran strongly back to the shore; as it exposed more and more of the school grounds, the destruction was complete. Finishing what we had started!
Some buildings were simply gone, the wreckage pulled out to sea. Others pushed far into the surrounding jungle. The building the hostages were held in was pushed off its foundation, broken into several pieces with some left in the creek and the rest missing.
The tsunami wave finally returned to the sea, leaving a broad trail of felled trees, encircled by scattered wreckage, mostly kindling sized pieces and covered with thick mud.
The silence was broken by screams, with several teachers and students simply fainting as the import of what we had just seen registered. A jabber of Swedish let me know the twins had seen it. A sudden movement made me turn, and I was ‘wearing’ Sydne Ainsworth who was hugging and kissing me ardently with no ‘English reserve’ at all.
Captain Dale commented softly, “Ted, if you had refused the mission or delayed even a day, there would have been a far different outcome. Thank you for making this work.”
Dale projected his command voice toward the crowd. “I hope you join us tonight to celebrate. I also want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Ted for leading this mission and making it succeed. I know I can count on all of you to show Ted our thanks. That is all.”