Unwitting Alliances - Hunter Blake Series by Peggy Lea Baker
Chapter Six
Monday morning arrived sunny and pleasant. It had been several weeks since dinner with the Wesleys. Hunter was grateful he’d not been pestered with any more strange calls or further incidents of anyone trespassing on his property. Aside from the typically cool April temperatures, the weather was nearly perfect for the time of year.
He was up early, lounging around in his pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt. Feeling content, he mulled over the house project which was well underway and would eventually include a few added improvements. According to Jim, Samantha seemed happy to be living in the Resort for the time being, especially now that her good friend, Betty, had flown in for a visit. Another couple from her church agreed to take care of Isaac for her as well.
What he hadn’t expected to find out was that Samantha had lost her job unexpectedly. Her boss, he discovered, decided to close her real estate business, due to the poor housing market, and move to the southern part of the state to join a larger real estate firm in the Boise area. The result meant Samantha was suddenly unemployed. He provided Jim with a prepaid credit card and told him to tell her it was from the same organization helping with her home repair expenses.
Checking the time, Hunter figured he might as well get dressed and went back upstairs to shower. Half an hour later, he was back downstairs and ready for the day. Pulling on his jacket, he stepped outside, leaving the door wide open as he stood gazing at the hills and trees. Some snow still lingered in the higher elevations, but elsewhere there was evidence that spring was on its way. Buster joined him and sniffed the fresh morning air.
“So what do we want to do today?” he asked glancing down at his dog. “Or rather, what would you like to do?”
Buster trotted down the steps and ran out toward the helicopter to sniff around.
“Yeah, okay. You go do that. I think I’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet.” That, however, was short-lived when his phone rang in the kitchen. He hurried inside to answer and noted the caller ID with some surprise. “Hey, Gerry, you’re up early. Heck, it’s not even seven-thirty. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you’d... uh... do me a favor,” Gerry said sounding anxious.
“It depends,” Hunter replied. “It had better not involve Tiffany.”
“No... it’s not about her. I have an urgent request.”
“Urgent? What’s so urgent that you have to call me this early?”
“I have some documents that need to be delivered to Arizona today... to... to meet a deadline.”
“Arizona? Why didn’t you just ship it overnight?
“I wasn’t aware of the deadline until just a short while ago.”
“So how am I supposed to be able to help you? I’m in Idaho, you know.”
“Yes, I know and that’s why I called so early… so you’d have time to fly in to L.A. and then on to Arizona... with me,” Gerry said.
Hunter hesitated before responding. “Why not use some other air service. There are all kinds of companies down there who’d be more than happy to help you out. You wouldn’t have to wait for me to show up.”
“I know, but this is sensitive information and you’re the only one I can trust.”
“Trust,” Hunter repeated. “That’s a two-way street, you know.”
“I realize that. I’ve been meaning to call and apologize for the antics that went on at my house the night of the CAMEOs... if that’s what you’re referring to. But I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me. Now, though, I really need your help. It’s practically a matter of life and death.”
“Life and death? What the hell are you mixed up in?”
“It’s not like that... it’s more of a business type of life or death... you know like with negotiations and such. I’ll make it worth your while, you can be sure of that.”
“I’m not concerned about any compensation,” Hunter said. “I just don’t want to get mixed up in something shady, that’s all. I’ll be honest... after that night, I’m not sure how I feel about you and Carolyn… and especially Tiffany.”
“I understand and I don’t blame you. Tiffany had suddenly decided she wanted you back in her life, and well, you know how she is... and then Carolyn got involved and...”
“Yeah... okay...” Hunter started to respond.
Gerry interrupted. “Please... will you do this for me, Hunter? Tiffany’s not involved. I promise. She won’t be anywhere around.”
“I don’t know.”
“Please. It’ll just be a quick in and out and you can be back home in no time.”
“It’s not that simple, Gerry. I’ll have to stay the night at my place down there.”
Gerry coughed. “Still, it’ll just be a quick in and out, like I said.”
Hunter hesitated before replying. “You’re going too?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Yeah, okay then, I guess I could do that, besides, it’ll give us time to talk and maybe clear the air a little. So, where in Arizona and what time?”
“I’ll have all that information for you when you get here,” Gerry replied. “So, you’ll be here later this morning?”
“I guess so. But no tricks.”
“No tricks.”
“Okay, I’ll call when I land.” They hung up and Hunter glanced at his watch again. “So much for peace and quiet,” he mumbled walking back outside. Buster was still running around exploring his usual favorite places.
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” he said to himself. “I can do a little detective work of my own. Maybe find out what Gerry’s little secret rendezvous is all about, although it’s probably some movie deal. He gets so damned paranoid.” Hunter decided to let Frank know but the call went straight to voice mail.
“Frank, this is Hunter. I’m flying to L.A. this morning. I’m going to meet up with Gerry. He needs help with something that’s a matter of life or death as he put it. It’s just some business deal, I’m sure. Anyway, I’ll stay down there tonight and should be back up here tomorrow afternoon or evening. Call me if you need to. Oh, and I’m taking Buster.”
Hanging up, he began making a mental note of what he should take when Buster started to bark and ran after a squirrel. “If nothing else, it’ll give the squirrels a break.” He had to laugh.
Twenty minutes later, he was ready. Placing an overnight bag and a few other things on the porch, he whistled to Buster. “Hey! Let’s get going!”
Buster ran at top speed to his master. If there was anything he understood it was the phrase, ‘Let’s get going.’ That always meant going for a ride and he loved going places.
They took the helicopter to the Coeur d’Alene airport then transferred to Hunter’s private jet before taking off for Southern California. He hadn’t flown the jet since he’d been back in Idaho and actually looked forward to the trip.
It was about eleven in the morning when he finally touched down in Santa Monica. After arranging for fuel, he placed a call to Gerry but had to leave a message.
Sitting in the cabin of his plane, Hunter ate a hastily made sandwich, washing it down with a soft drink while Buster munched on kibble and slurped water from his dish.
Growing bored, Hunter performed another pre-flight, going over the checklist one more time both inside and out. The fuel truck finally pulled away and Hunter checked his watch again. It was almost twelve-thirty. “What’s taking him?” he said aloud. Ten minutes later, he decided to give Gerry another call when he noticed a limousine approaching on the apron. “It’s about time.” Although annoyed Gerry hadn’t called him back, he was glad they’d finally be able to going.
He climbed down to greet his friend but was surprised instead to see Gerry’s twenty-six year old assistant, Janet Feldman, step out of the car. She hesitated briefly before heading toward the jet with an attaché in one hand and a smaller handbag slung over her opposite shoulder.
“Good morning, Mr. Blake,” Janet greeted him
. She was dressed in a soft peach-colored blouse, casual light beige slacks, matching jacket, sandals and sunglasses. Her long brown hair framed a lovely face. She looked every bit a southern California girl.
“Janet,” Hunter said somewhat confused. “What are you doing here? Where’s Gerry?”
“Mr. Allensby called a little while ago and said he wasn’t feeling well. He asked me to bring this to you.” She held up the attaché.
“Not feeling well?” Hunter said in surprise. “He should have called me. I could have turned around and gone back home.”
“Yes, well, he said he needed to get this to someone in Arizona today, and that you’d be coming to get it... but...”
“He’s suddenly not feeling well. Sure.” Hunter was disgusted.
“I can accompany you, if that’s okay. I mean…”
“Yeah… no, that’s fine, but don’t you need to get back to work?” he asked.
“No. Actually, Mr. Allensby gave me the rest of the day off. So I’d be happy to assist you.” She glanced at the jet.
“Okay. Go ahead and get onboard. I just finished the pre-flight, again, but I don’t want to take all day. I’ve got things to do.” Hunter was obviously annoyed and Janet knew it.
Hunter started to step away when the limousine driver got out of the car and called to him.
Hunter was surprised to see Charlie and walked over to shake his hand. “I’m a little surprised to see you here,” he said.
“I’ve been making myself more available to Mr. Allensby lately. Hey, keep your eyes open and watch your back.”
“Okay,” Hunter said with a frown. “You think something’s up?”
“All I know is he’s been acting pretty nervous lately. When I found out you were coming down here, I offered to drive him here to meet you. But instead he sent Janet saying he wasn’t feeling all that great. She’ll be okay to have along, but something doesn’t feel right about this trip. Just be careful.”
Hunter looked at his jet then back at Charlie. “Okay. Thanks. I don’t suppose you have any idea what this is all about? I mean, Gerry sounded really concerned about some deadline he didn’t want to miss.”
“I don’t know about that but what I do know is something has changed, both at his office and at home. Something’s going on. And if you want my opinion, I’d say don’t go, but it’s up to you.”
Hunter looked at Charlie. “You seem to know quite a bit about Gerry and what’s going on in his life.”
“It’s the life of a chauffeur. Part driver. Part therapist.”
Hunter grinned. “I guess you’re right. Well, if I do go, maybe I can find out something. Maybe Janet knows something.”
“Maybe.” Charlie said. “If you do run into any trouble, call me.”
“Call you? What good would that do?”
“You never know,” Charlie said smiling. “Let me know when you get back. Just so I know you’re okay.”
“I can do that,” he said then added, “Hey. Maybe you’d like to tag along.”
“Not a good idea,” Charlie said. “Just keep your eyes open.”
Charlie drove off while Hunter boarded his jet. He whistled for Buster and closed and secured the cabin door. Janet was already strapped in then turned to look, surprised to see a dog. Hunter gave his pet and pat on the head and made the introductions.
“Buster, this is Janet. Janet… Buster. “Hope you don’t mind,” he said. He won’t bite. He’s more apt to lick you to death than anything else.
“No, that’s fine. I like dogs. I just didn’t expect to see one on the plane. I didn’t know you had a dog.”
“I got Buster soon after I returned to Idaho from some ditzy old woman. She was weird.” He started to climb into the pilot seat. “You sure you want to come with me?” he asked. “You don’t have to, you know.”
“I don’t mind,” Janet said. “Besides, it’ll be a nice change of pace... unless you don’t want me to.”
“No… having you along isn’t a problem. In fact you’ll probably be better company anyway. So when did Gerry call you?”
“About an hour ago. He didn’t come into the office this morning. Said he wasn’t feeling well and that I needed to bring this attaché to you. He seemed… I don’t know, a little off somehow.”
“Off?” Hunter asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “His voice... it didn’t sound right.” She frowned. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“No. I was going to ask you the same thing. All I know is he wanted me to fly him to Arizona to make some kind of delivery.” He took a deep breath. “So... we’re going to Arizona.”
“Yes,” Janet said as she reached out to pet Buster. “I’m glad you have him,” she said. “It suits you to have a dog I think.”
“Yeah... so where did you put that attaché?”
“It's right here,” she said holding it up.
“Okay. So, if Gerry didn’t come in today, how did you get it?”
“It was in his office, sitting on his desk. So I retrieved it and came here as soon as possible. He said you’d be waiting.”
“Did he,” Hunter said with disgust. “So, where exactly in Arizona? Phoenix? Tucson? It would be nice to know.”
“All I have is a sealed envelope,” she said.
“A sealed envelope?”
“Yes. It was with the attaché. It has your name printed on it.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow, “What’s in it?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t opened it yet. It wasn’t addressed to me.”
“Sealed,” Hunter mumbled sarcastically. “What’s so damned secret about this trip anyway? And I don’t get why he didn’t come along, like he said he was.”
“He said he wasn’t...”
“Feeling well. Yeah, I know.” Hunter got seated debating whether or not he really wanted to do this, especially after Charlie’s concerns and warning. Then anger set in and he set his jaw and got ready to contact the tower. “This had better not be something stupid because if it is, the next time I see that guy I’ll deck him! Where’s that envelope.”
She held it up.
“Why don't you come sit up here with me?” Hunter said as he started the engines in sequence.
Janet got up and carefully eased into the co-pilot seat. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Janet tried to soften the evident edge to their conversation. “You know Mr. Allensby.”
“I thought I did,” he mumbled. “All this secrecy just for some briefcase with who-knows-what’s in it. And who are we meeting, anyway?”
“I don’t know about that, but I would imagine it’s just papers of some kind,” she said, “but I don’t know for sure since the case is locked.”
Hunter watched his avionics display as the engines reached operational temperatures. “Open the envelope. Let’s see what’s so secret about this trip that a private courier service wouldn’t have worked just as well.”
Janet stared out the window. “You know, even though he said he was sick, he seemed nervous when he called this morning,” she said opening the envelope and pulling out a piece of paper.
“Nervous.” Hunter looked at her as he maneuvered his jet forward to the taxiway. “Nervous,” he repeated. “That’s interesting. He didn’t sound all that nervous when he talked to me. A little edgy, maybe, but then that’s Gerry most of the time.” He lined up at the end of the runway waiting for permission to take off. “So read what it says,” he said.
Janet looked at it. “It’s just some numbers and couple of letters.” Hunter took it and smirked. “Coordinates,” he said and quickly plugged them into his flight management system. Receiving clearance, he acknowledged with the tower then sent the jet racing down the runway lifting off and banking away.
“This is probably some new movie deal Gerry’s cooked up and he doesn’t want anyone else to catch wind of it yet. That alone would explain him bei
ng nervous and edgy. That might even explain this mysterious destination... at least I hope that’s all it is.” He gained altitude and came around to a new heading, anxious to clear the otherwise busy airspace.
Janet agreed. “He is a little quirky about things sometimes.”
“Yeah. Gerry always seems to be exceptionally paranoid about his film projects.” Hunter managed a laugh. “He’s just eccentric. I think it’s probably another one of his little secret deals. You know... a new movie contract or some investor, maybe, with a few bucks to invest in another one of his film projects and they don’t want anyone else to catch wind of it.”
“But don’t you think he would have told me if he was working on a new film?” Janet asked. “I am his assistant, after all.”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Hunter agreed, “except he tends to keep new deals to himself as long as possible. He’s always worried someone will say something and leak the deal to the press before he’s ready to make a grand announcement.”
Hunter continued to guide his aircraft higher until they reached cruising altitude before leveling off high above southern California. The Pacific Ocean shimmered in the bright midday sunlight to the west. “It’s a great day to fly,” he said. “I love it up here.”
With the sun high in the sky everything below was dazzling, the quintessence of a typical southern California afternoon.
Janet admired the view as well. “Everything always looks so beautiful from up here.”
Hunter glanced at her and grinned.
“Mr. Blake? Aren’t you supposed to file a flight plan?” she asked suddenly.
“It’s kind of hard to do that when you don’t know where you’re going ahead of time,” Hunter said, still annoyed. “But, actually flying during the day, and especially a short hop like this, we don’t need one. If we were flying at night, that would be a different story... or if the weather was bad, I would. This is more like making a trip to the grocery store. We’ll fly in, give that thing to whomever, and come back.”
“Okay.” She continued to gaze out the windows, watching as they passed over populated areas. “This is nice,” she said.
“Yeah, I like being up here and out of road traffic,” Hunter agreed.
“So where are we going?” she asked.
Hunter glanced at his navigation screen and frowned.
“What it is?”
“Southern Arizona. Not all that far from the Mexican border.”
They continued on, flying south for a while, following the Pacific coastline nearly to San Diego before heading inland. “We’ll be flying south of the Salton Sea in a few minutes,” Hunter said, “but north of the Mexican border then over Yuma. If we’re lucky we might catch a glimpse of the Gulf of California. Depends on how much haze there is.”
“Gulf of California?” she asked.
“Yeah. It separates Baja from mainland Mexico,” he said. “Didn’t you ever take geography classes in school?” he teased.
She made a face.
“From this altitude you can’t see the border all that well, except here and there when the fences are. Sometimes it looks like there’s a line drawn in the sand, so to speak. Besides, the jackrabbits and rattlesnakes don’t seem to care whether they’re in Mexico or the U.S.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “Just a whole lot of desert down there, except for farmland.” She was surprised. “I didn’t expect to see so much green in the desert,” she remarked as they flew over the Imperial Valley with its miles and miles of irrigated farmland.
“It’s amazing what a little water can do,” he agreed.
A short while later, they were gazing down at Yuma. It didn’t look much different than anything else they had been flying over. It was bounded on all sides by farmland. The Colorado River separated Arizona from Mexico on the west and from California on the north edge of town. Beyond that were miles and miles of dry desert made up of bleak hills, gullies, and sand both to the east, and south on into Mexico.
They flew in silence, both of them playing with their thoughts and curious about the increasingly mysterious assignment from Gerry. Eventually, Hunter began his descent. Evidence of a small town appeared ahead, with its streets appearing as rectangular scars etched into the desert floor.
“I see the airfield,” Hunter announced. “I just hope the landing strip is in good condition.”
Soon they were circling a shallow area surrounded by low hills
Hunter came in, performing a low fly-by, making a visual check of the airstrip. Janet could see a very faded and nearly motionless wind sock mounted at the top of what appeared to be a flagpole. There were no other buildings of significance other than a couple of sun bleached metal hangars well off to one side of the landing strip.
Hunter circled around once more and carefully set down. Rolling to a stop, he carefully came about to set up for their eventual departure. With some trepidation about their location, he left the engines in idle and removed his headset. They both sat peering out at their surroundings.
“Welcome to Henrico Carlos Community Airport,” he said with a measure of disgust. “So, now what?”
“I don’t know,” Janet replied wide-eyed. “I thought someone was going to be here to meet us. Mr. Allensby didn’t tell you anything?”
“No. But then, like I said, I thought he’d be coming.”
“Well… I guess someone will come,” Janet said uneasily. “But I didn’t see any cars on the road headed this way.”
“Yeah. Well, my guess is someone will fly in, just like we did since this is way out in the middle of nowhere.” He unbuckled his seat restraint. “I’m going to leave the engines idling while we wait, but we can get out and walk around a little. Stretch our legs. I’m sure Buster will like to run around.”
Hunter retrieved the attaché, opened the cabin door and secured the stairs before climbing down. He set the case on the ground then chocked the nose wheel as a safety precaution as the engines continued to run. The heat of the afternoon sun was in stark contrast to the milder climate they’d left a short time earlier, which was tempered by an onshore ocean breeze. A baseball cap and sunshades did little to ward off the heat and glare coming off the runway paving. Buster trotted around stopping here and there to sniff the air.
“Don’t wander off,” Hunter called out to him
Janet emerged at the top of the stairs minus her jacket, but wearing sunglasses. She gazed out at the bleak landscape of low scrub plants and an occasional tall cactus-looking plant here and there. “It sure is hot,” she said shading her eyes.
“Yeah, especially on this asphalt,” Hunter agreed.
Joining Hunter on the hot weathered pavement of the airstrip, she fanned her face. “You’re right. I can feel the heat through the bottom of my sandals and why here, of all places?” she asked looking around.
“I have no idea.” Hunter answered uneasily then cautioned, “Don’t wander off... and be ready to move fast if we have to.”
“Okay,” she replied. “You know, this feels really uncomfortable, and I’m not talking about the heat.”
“I know,” he agreed. “Did you see that open pit mine as we came in? They’re so damn ugly.”
“Yes, but in a place like this does it matter?”
“I guess not,” he replied looking for his dog. “Buster! Where’d you go?”
Buster romped up to Hunter then sniffed some more. All any of them could hear was the buzzing and clicking of insects. Nothing else. A very slight but hot breeze tossed Janet’s long hair around her neck and face as the intense sunlight bore down.
“It’s too hot out here for me,” she finally said. “Okay if I get back on the plane?”
“Sure,” Hunter replied. “Yeah, and take Buster with you. I don’t want him to run off. Give him some water too, please.”
Janet rounded up Buster and the two of them climbed back onboard. Moments later, Hunter stiffened and listened.
A faint but very familiar sound echoed off the nearby hills. His suspicion was confirmed as a black helicopter suddenly crested the low hills to the east, swooping in toward the airfield.
It circled twice then hovered for a moment before setting down a short distance away, facing Hunter and his jet. Hunter’s stomach was in a knot as he nervously watched the aircraft, its rotors still fully engaged. He was particularly concerned about the mounted rocket launchers on each side. A door opened and a man wearing a gray jumpsuit, baseball cap, and sunshades climbed out. No one said anything.
Hunter retrieved the attaché then hesitated. The man motioned for him to approach. Cautiously, Hunter headed toward the helicopter, with every nerve on edge. He could see the silhouette of the pilot at the controls but couldn’t make out any distinctive features.
The man on the ground suddenly held up his hand for Hunter to stop, then signaled him to set the attaché down and head back to his plane. Hunter did as instructed but walked backwards, keeping an eye on the helicopter and the men.
The man picked up the case, then headed for the helicopter. As he handed it to a pair of waiting hands the case slipped and hit the airstrip. The jolt popped the case open and a sudden wisp of wind swept some of the contents into the air. Hunter immediately realized the attaché was filled with money. He stopped, uncertain what to do then spun around to run as someone onboard leaned out with a gun and took a shot. Hunter went down lying motionless on the ground.
Janet watched as the first man scrambled to pick up the paper fluttering around on the ground, while another man jumped out to retrieve the attaché. Then in horror she watched the second man pull a gun and shoot the first one. The gunman jumped onboard with the attaché as the helicopter lifted off and headed west, disappearing over the top of another group of low hills.
Stunned at what she had just witnessed and fearing the worst, Janet climbed out of the plane, with Buster at her heels. She ran to Hunter’s side, terrified he was dead. “Mr. Blake! Mr. Blake!” she screamed frantically, kneeling next to his body.
“Are they gone?” he asked looking up at her.
“You’re alive!”
“Get back on the plane! Now!” he ordered as he scrambled to his feet.
“But...”
Hunter grabbed her arm, “Come on!”
Buster had already jumped onboard. Hunter hustled Janet to the stairs, barking more orders. “Sit down, belt up, and hold on!” he shouted as he grabbed the nose wheel chock. Tossing it inside, he jumped onboard pulling up the stairs.
“I thought you were dead,” she said again, now sitting in the cabin with Buster at her feet.
“Sometimes clumsiness can be a good thing,” he muttered reaching for the door. Suddenly a bloody hand grabbed the doorframe. Without hesitating, Hunter shoved down the stairs and pulled the wounded man onboard. “Belt up!” he ordered as he secured the door and climbed into the pilot seat. “We’re outta time!”
Hunter pushed the throttle forward as they began to pick up speed. Pulling back on the yoke as soon as he dared they began to climb. At seven hundred fifty feet he cleared the nearby barren hills.
Janet stared at their unexpected guest, sitting across from her, whose chest was covered in blood.
“I’m okay,” he said. “Nothing serious.” Moments later, he unbelted and headed to the cockpit. “Head due east,” he said.
Hunter reacted with a start. “Who the hell are you and why aren’t you belted up back there!”
“You want to stay alive?” the young stranger asked. “Due east until I tell you otherwise.”
“Get back there!” Hunter bellowed.
“You need me if you don’t want to get shot down!” the stranger yelled back. Without an invitation, he eased into the co-pilot seat. “Transponder off?”
“Yes,” Hunter said obviously not pleased with the situation.
“Turn it on,” the stranger ordered.
“What!”
“Turn it on,” he said and did it himself.
“Right! So they can find us. Who are you? And with that much blood, why aren’t you dead yet?”
“Wearing a vest. Fake blood, but the impact can still stun. Knocked the wind out of me temporarily,” he explained quickly. “We want them to track us for a short while because we’re gonna try to let them think we crashed.”
“Are you crazy? We may be faster than they are, but those missiles they’re carrying have a range sufficient to take us out.”
“I know.”
“Who the hell are you!” Hunter demanded.
“Right now, your best friend. There should be a canyon coming up,” he pointed ahead. “Those hills.” He watched out the front window intently. “There!”
“What if it’s a dead end?” Hunter asked.
“It isn’t. Trust me. You think I’d go to this much trouble just to crash in a box canyon?”
The landscape below was no less bleak, with its assortment of sagebrush, mesquite, and saguaro cactus struggling to exist amid the treeless hills and valleys as they raced toward a rocky and formidable mountain range.
Hunter was still furious. “That was some kind of a damned handoff! What do you know about it?” he asked.
“All I can tell you is that gun ship is hot on our tail, and I can assure you there’s at least one other out here somewhere.” the stranger said. “All the more reason for us to attempt to fake a crash. Just keep a steady hand going through the canyon. I’ll take care of the transponder.”
“You have a name?” Hunter asked.
“Brian.”
“Okay... Brian. What do you know about this... this handoff? And why did Gerry place us in such a risky and potentially deadly situation! Why is he trying to get us killed! That was a damned gunship! What the hell is he up to!”
“Straight ahead,” Brian said instead. “You want me to take the controls?”
“Oh, hell no!” Hunter said making a slight adjustment to their heading. Moments later they rocketed into the narrow canyon.
Monday morning arrived sunny and pleasant. It had been several weeks since dinner with the Wesleys. Hunter was grateful he’d not been pestered with any more strange calls or further incidents of anyone trespassing on his property. Aside from the typically cool April temperatures, the weather was nearly perfect for the time of year.
He was up early, lounging around in his pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt. Feeling content, he mulled over the house project which was well underway and would eventually include a few added improvements. According to Jim, Samantha seemed happy to be living in the Resort for the time being, especially now that her good friend, Betty, had flown in for a visit. Another couple from her church agreed to take care of Isaac for her as well.
What he hadn’t expected to find out was that Samantha had lost her job unexpectedly. Her boss, he discovered, decided to close her real estate business, due to the poor housing market, and move to the southern part of the state to join a larger real estate firm in the Boise area. The result meant Samantha was suddenly unemployed. He provided Jim with a prepaid credit card and told him to tell her it was from the same organization helping with her home repair expenses.
Checking the time, Hunter figured he might as well get dressed and went back upstairs to shower. Half an hour later, he was back downstairs and ready for the day. Pulling on his jacket, he stepped outside, leaving the door wide open as he stood gazing at the hills and trees. Some snow still lingered in the higher elevations, but elsewhere there was evidence that spring was on its way. Buster joined him and sniffed the fresh morning air.
“So what do we want to do today?” he asked glancing down at his dog. “Or rather, what would you like to do?”
Buster trotted down the steps and ran out toward the helicopter to sniff around.
“Yeah, okay. You go do that. I think I’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet.” That, however, was short-lived when his phone rang in the kitchen. He hurried inside to answer and noted the caller ID with some surprise. “Hey, Gerry, you’re up early. Heck, it’s not even seven-thirty. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you’d... uh... do me a favor,” Gerry said sounding anxious.
“It depends,” Hunter replied. “It had better not involve Tiffany.”
“No... it’s not about her. I have an urgent request.”
“Urgent? What’s so urgent that you have to call me this early?”
“I have some documents that need to be delivered to Arizona today... to... to meet a deadline.”
“Arizona? Why didn’t you just ship it overnight?
“I wasn’t aware of the deadline until just a short while ago.”
“So how am I supposed to be able to help you? I’m in Idaho, you know.”
“Yes, I know and that’s why I called so early… so you’d have time to fly in to L.A. and then on to Arizona... with me,” Gerry said.
Hunter hesitated before responding. “Why not use some other air service. There are all kinds of companies down there who’d be more than happy to help you out. You wouldn’t have to wait for me to show up.”
“I know, but this is sensitive information and you’re the only one I can trust.”
“Trust,” Hunter repeated. “That’s a two-way street, you know.”
“I realize that. I’ve been meaning to call and apologize for the antics that went on at my house the night of the CAMEOs... if that’s what you’re referring to. But I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me. Now, though, I really need your help. It’s practically a matter of life and death.”
“Life and death? What the hell are you mixed up in?”
“It’s not like that... it’s more of a business type of life or death... you know like with negotiations and such. I’ll make it worth your while, you can be sure of that.”
“I’m not concerned about any compensation,” Hunter said. “I just don’t want to get mixed up in something shady, that’s all. I’ll be honest... after that night, I’m not sure how I feel about you and Carolyn… and especially Tiffany.”
“I understand and I don’t blame you. Tiffany had suddenly decided she wanted you back in her life, and well, you know how she is... and then Carolyn got involved and...”
“Yeah... okay...” Hunter started to respond.
Gerry interrupted. “Please... will you do this for me, Hunter? Tiffany’s not involved. I promise. She won’t be anywhere around.”
“I don’t know.”
“Please. It’ll just be a quick in and out and you can be back home in no time.”
“It’s not that simple, Gerry. I’ll have to stay the night at my place down there.”
Gerry coughed. “Still, it’ll just be a quick in and out, like I said.”
Hunter hesitated before replying. “You’re going too?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Yeah, okay then, I guess I could do that, besides, it’ll give us time to talk and maybe clear the air a little. So, where in Arizona and what time?”
“I’ll have all that information for you when you get here,” Gerry replied. “So, you’ll be here later this morning?”
“I guess so. But no tricks.”
“No tricks.”
“Okay, I’ll call when I land.” They hung up and Hunter glanced at his watch again. “So much for peace and quiet,” he mumbled walking back outside. Buster was still running around exploring his usual favorite places.
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” he said to himself. “I can do a little detective work of my own. Maybe find out what Gerry’s little secret rendezvous is all about, although it’s probably some movie deal. He gets so damned paranoid.” Hunter decided to let Frank know but the call went straight to voice mail.
“Frank, this is Hunter. I’m flying to L.A. this morning. I’m going to meet up with Gerry. He needs help with something that’s a matter of life or death as he put it. It’s just some business deal, I’m sure. Anyway, I’ll stay down there tonight and should be back up here tomorrow afternoon or evening. Call me if you need to. Oh, and I’m taking Buster.”
Hanging up, he began making a mental note of what he should take when Buster started to bark and ran after a squirrel. “If nothing else, it’ll give the squirrels a break.” He had to laugh.
Twenty minutes later, he was ready. Placing an overnight bag and a few other things on the porch, he whistled to Buster. “Hey! Let’s get going!”
Buster ran at top speed to his master. If there was anything he understood it was the phrase, ‘Let’s get going.’ That always meant going for a ride and he loved going places.
They took the helicopter to the Coeur d’Alene airport then transferred to Hunter’s private jet before taking off for Southern California. He hadn’t flown the jet since he’d been back in Idaho and actually looked forward to the trip.
It was about eleven in the morning when he finally touched down in Santa Monica. After arranging for fuel, he placed a call to Gerry but had to leave a message.
Sitting in the cabin of his plane, Hunter ate a hastily made sandwich, washing it down with a soft drink while Buster munched on kibble and slurped water from his dish.
Growing bored, Hunter performed another pre-flight, going over the checklist one more time both inside and out. The fuel truck finally pulled away and Hunter checked his watch again. It was almost twelve-thirty. “What’s taking him?” he said aloud. Ten minutes later, he decided to give Gerry another call when he noticed a limousine approaching on the apron. “It’s about time.” Although annoyed Gerry hadn’t called him back, he was glad they’d finally be able to going.
He climbed down to greet his friend but was surprised instead to see Gerry’s twenty-six year old assistant, Janet Feldman, step out of the car. She hesitated briefly before heading toward the jet with an attaché in one hand and a smaller handbag slung over her opposite shoulder.
“Good morning, Mr. Blake,” Janet greeted him
“Janet,” Hunter said somewhat confused. “What are you doing here? Where’s Gerry?”
“Mr. Allensby called a little while ago and said he wasn’t feeling well. He asked me to bring this to you.” She held up the attaché.
“Not feeling well?” Hunter said in surprise. “He should have called me. I could have turned around and gone back home.”
“Yes, well, he said he needed to get this to someone in Arizona today, and that you’d be coming to get it... but...”
“He’s suddenly not feeling well. Sure.” Hunter was disgusted.
“I can accompany you, if that’s okay. I mean…”
“Yeah… no, that’s fine, but don’t you need to get back to work?” he asked.
“No. Actually, Mr. Allensby gave me the rest of the day off. So I’d be happy to assist you.” She glanced at the jet.
“Okay. Go ahead and get onboard. I just finished the pre-flight, again, but I don’t want to take all day. I’ve got things to do.” Hunter was obviously annoyed and Janet knew it.
Hunter started to step away when the limousine driver got out of the car and called to him.
Hunter was surprised to see Charlie and walked over to shake his hand. “I’m a little surprised to see you here,” he said.
“I’ve been making myself more available to Mr. Allensby lately. Hey, keep your eyes open and watch your back.”
“Okay,” Hunter said with a frown. “You think something’s up?”
“All I know is he’s been acting pretty nervous lately. When I found out you were coming down here, I offered to drive him here to meet you. But instead he sent Janet saying he wasn’t feeling all that great. She’ll be okay to have along, but something doesn’t feel right about this trip. Just be careful.”
Hunter looked at his jet then back at Charlie. “Okay. Thanks. I don’t suppose you have any idea what this is all about? I mean, Gerry sounded really concerned about some deadline he didn’t want to miss.”
“I don’t know about that but what I do know is something has changed, both at his office and at home. Something’s going on. And if you want my opinion, I’d say don’t go, but it’s up to you.”
Hunter looked at Charlie. “You seem to know quite a bit about Gerry and what’s going on in his life.”
“It’s the life of a chauffeur. Part driver. Part therapist.”
Hunter grinned. “I guess you’re right. Well, if I do go, maybe I can find out something. Maybe Janet knows something.”
“Maybe.” Charlie said. “If you do run into any trouble, call me.”
“Call you? What good would that do?”
“You never know,” Charlie said smiling. “Let me know when you get back. Just so I know you’re okay.”
“I can do that,” he said then added, “Hey. Maybe you’d like to tag along.”
“Not a good idea,” Charlie said. “Just keep your eyes open.”
Charlie drove off while Hunter boarded his jet. He whistled for Buster and closed and secured the cabin door. Janet was already strapped in then turned to look, surprised to see a dog. Hunter gave his pet and pat on the head and made the introductions.
“Buster, this is Janet. Janet… Buster. “Hope you don’t mind,” he said. He won’t bite. He’s more apt to lick you to death than anything else.
“No, that’s fine. I like dogs. I just didn’t expect to see one on the plane. I didn’t know you had a dog.”
“I got Buster soon after I returned to Idaho from some ditzy old woman. She was weird.” He started to climb into the pilot seat. “You sure you want to come with me?” he asked. “You don’t have to, you know.”
“I don’t mind,” Janet said. “Besides, it’ll be a nice change of pace... unless you don’t want me to.”
“No… having you along isn’t a problem. In fact you’ll probably be better company anyway. So when did Gerry call you?”
“About an hour ago. He didn’t come into the office this morning. Said he wasn’t feeling well and that I needed to bring this attaché to you. He seemed… I don’t know, a little off somehow.”
“Off?” Hunter asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “His voice... it didn’t sound right.” She frowned. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“No. I was going to ask you the same thing. All I know is he wanted me to fly him to Arizona to make some kind of delivery.” He took a deep breath. “So... we’re going to Arizona.”
“Yes,” Janet said as she reached out to pet Buster. “I’m glad you have him,” she said. “It suits you to have a dog I think.”
“Yeah... so where did you put that attaché?”
“It's right here,” she said holding it up.
“Okay. So, if Gerry didn’t come in today, how did you get it?”
“It was in his office, sitting on his desk. So I retrieved it and came here as soon as possible. He said you’d be waiting.”
“Did he,” Hunter said with disgust. “So, where exactly in Arizona? Phoenix? Tucson? It would be nice to know.”
“All I have is a sealed envelope,” she said.
“A sealed envelope?”
“Yes. It was with the attaché. It has your name printed on it.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow, “What’s in it?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t opened it yet. It wasn’t addressed to me.”
“Sealed,” Hunter mumbled sarcastically. “What’s so damned secret about this trip anyway? And I don’t get why he didn’t come along, like he said he was.”
“He said he wasn’t...”
“Feeling well. Yeah, I know.” Hunter got seated debating whether or not he really wanted to do this, especially after Charlie’s concerns and warning. Then anger set in and he set his jaw and got ready to contact the tower. “This had better not be something stupid because if it is, the next time I see that guy I’ll deck him! Where’s that envelope.”
She held it up.
“Why don't you come sit up here with me?” Hunter said as he started the engines in sequence.
Janet got up and carefully eased into the co-pilot seat. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Janet tried to soften the evident edge to their conversation. “You know Mr. Allensby.”
“I thought I did,” he mumbled. “All this secrecy just for some briefcase with who-knows-what’s in it. And who are we meeting, anyway?”
“I don’t know about that, but I would imagine it’s just papers of some kind,” she said, “but I don’t know for sure since the case is locked.”
Hunter watched his avionics display as the engines reached operational temperatures. “Open the envelope. Let’s see what’s so secret about this trip that a private courier service wouldn’t have worked just as well.”
Janet stared out the window. “You know, even though he said he was sick, he seemed nervous when he called this morning,” she said opening the envelope and pulling out a piece of paper.
“Nervous.” Hunter looked at her as he maneuvered his jet forward to the taxiway. “Nervous,” he repeated. “That’s interesting. He didn’t sound all that nervous when he talked to me. A little edgy, maybe, but then that’s Gerry most of the time.” He lined up at the end of the runway waiting for permission to take off. “So read what it says,” he said.
Janet looked at it. “It’s just some numbers and couple of letters.” Hunter took it and smirked. “Coordinates,” he said and quickly plugged them into his flight management system. Receiving clearance, he acknowledged with the tower then sent the jet racing down the runway lifting off and banking away.
“This is probably some new movie deal Gerry’s cooked up and he doesn’t want anyone else to catch wind of it yet. That alone would explain him bei
Janet agreed. “He is a little quirky about things sometimes.”
“Yeah. Gerry always seems to be exceptionally paranoid about his film projects.” Hunter managed a laugh. “He’s just eccentric. I think it’s probably another one of his little secret deals. You know... a new movie contract or some investor, maybe, with a few bucks to invest in another one of his film projects and they don’t want anyone else to catch wind of it.”
“But don’t you think he would have told me if he was working on a new film?” Janet asked. “I am his assistant, after all.”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Hunter agreed, “except he tends to keep new deals to himself as long as possible. He’s always worried someone will say something and leak the deal to the press before he’s ready to make a grand announcement.”
Hunter continued to guide his aircraft higher until they reached cruising altitude before leveling off high above southern California. The Pacific Ocean shimmered in the bright midday sunlight to the west. “It’s a great day to fly,” he said. “I love it up here.”
With the sun high in the sky everything below was dazzling, the quintessence of a typical southern California afternoon.
Janet admired the view as well. “Everything always looks so beautiful from up here.”
Hunter glanced at her and grinned.
“Mr. Blake? Aren’t you supposed to file a flight plan?” she asked suddenly.
“It’s kind of hard to do that when you don’t know where you’re going ahead of time,” Hunter said, still annoyed. “But, actually flying during the day, and especially a short hop like this, we don’t need one. If we were flying at night, that would be a different story... or if the weather was bad, I would. This is more like making a trip to the grocery store. We’ll fly in, give that thing to whomever, and come back.”
“Okay.” She continued to gaze out the windows, watching as they passed over populated areas. “This is nice,” she said.
“Yeah, I like being up here and out of road traffic,” Hunter agreed.
“So where are we going?” she asked.
Hunter glanced at his navigation screen and frowned.
“What it is?”
“Southern Arizona. Not all that far from the Mexican border.”
They continued on, flying south for a while, following the Pacific coastline nearly to San Diego before heading inland. “We’ll be flying south of the Salton Sea in a few minutes,” Hunter said, “but north of the Mexican border then over Yuma. If we’re lucky we might catch a glimpse of the Gulf of California. Depends on how much haze there is.”
“Gulf of California?” she asked.
“Yeah. It separates Baja from mainland Mexico,” he said. “Didn’t you ever take geography classes in school?” he teased.
She made a face.
“From this altitude you can’t see the border all that well, except here and there when the fences are. Sometimes it looks like there’s a line drawn in the sand, so to speak. Besides, the jackrabbits and rattlesnakes don’t seem to care whether they’re in Mexico or the U.S.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “Just a whole lot of desert down there, except for farmland.” She was surprised. “I didn’t expect to see so much green in the desert,” she remarked as they flew over the Imperial Valley with its miles and miles of irrigated farmland.
“It’s amazing what a little water can do,” he agreed.
A short while later, they were gazing down at Yuma. It didn’t look much different than anything else they had been flying over. It was bounded on all sides by farmland. The Colorado River separated Arizona from Mexico on the west and from California on the north edge of town. Beyond that were miles and miles of dry desert made up of bleak hills, gullies, and sand both to the east, and south on into Mexico.
They flew in silence, both of them playing with their thoughts and curious about the increasingly mysterious assignment from Gerry. Eventually, Hunter began his descent. Evidence of a small town appeared ahead, with its streets appearing as rectangular scars etched into the desert floor.
“I see the airfield,” Hunter announced. “I just hope the landing strip is in good condition.”
Soon they were circling a shallow area surrounded by low hills
Hunter came in, performing a low fly-by, making a visual check of the airstrip. Janet could see a very faded and nearly motionless wind sock mounted at the top of what appeared to be a flagpole. There were no other buildings of significance other than a couple of sun bleached metal hangars well off to one side of the landing strip.
Hunter circled around once more and carefully set down. Rolling to a stop, he carefully came about to set up for their eventual departure. With some trepidation about their location, he left the engines in idle and removed his headset. They both sat peering out at their surroundings.
“Welcome to Henrico Carlos Community Airport,” he said with a measure of disgust. “So, now what?”
“I don’t know,” Janet replied wide-eyed. “I thought someone was going to be here to meet us. Mr. Allensby didn’t tell you anything?”
“No. But then, like I said, I thought he’d be coming.”
“Well… I guess someone will come,” Janet said uneasily. “But I didn’t see any cars on the road headed this way.”
“Yeah. Well, my guess is someone will fly in, just like we did since this is way out in the middle of nowhere.” He unbuckled his seat restraint. “I’m going to leave the engines idling while we wait, but we can get out and walk around a little. Stretch our legs. I’m sure Buster will like to run around.”
Hunter retrieved the attaché, opened the cabin door and secured the stairs before climbing down. He set the case on the ground then chocked the nose wheel as a safety precaution as the engines continued to run. The heat of the afternoon sun was in stark contrast to the milder climate they’d left a short time earlier, which was tempered by an onshore ocean breeze. A baseball cap and sunshades did little to ward off the heat and glare coming off the runway paving. Buster trotted around stopping here and there to sniff the air.
“Don’t wander off,” Hunter called out to him
Janet emerged at the top of the stairs minus her jacket, but wearing sunglasses. She gazed out at the bleak landscape of low scrub plants and an occasional tall cactus-looking plant here and there. “It sure is hot,” she said shading her eyes.
“Yeah, especially on this asphalt,” Hunter agreed.
Joining Hunter on the hot weathered pavement of the airstrip, she fanned her face. “You’re right. I can feel the heat through the bottom of my sandals and why here, of all places?” she asked looking around.
“I have no idea.” Hunter answered uneasily then cautioned, “Don’t wander off... and be ready to move fast if we have to.”
“Okay,” she replied. “You know, this feels really uncomfortable, and I’m not talking about the heat.”
“I know,” he agreed. “Did you see that open pit mine as we came in? They’re so damn ugly.”
“Yes, but in a place like this does it matter?”
“I guess not,” he replied looking for his dog. “Buster! Where’d you go?”
Buster romped up to Hunter then sniffed some more. All any of them could hear was the buzzing and clicking of insects. Nothing else. A very slight but hot breeze tossed Janet’s long hair around her neck and face as the intense sunlight bore down.
“It’s too hot out here for me,” she finally said. “Okay if I get back on the plane?”
“Sure,” Hunter replied. “Yeah, and take Buster with you. I don’t want him to run off. Give him some water too, please.”
Janet rounded up Buster and the two of them climbed back onboard. Moments later, Hunter stiffened and listened.
It circled twice then hovered for a moment before setting down a short distance away, facing Hunter and his jet. Hunter’s stomach was in a knot as he nervously watched the aircraft, its rotors still fully engaged. He was particularly concerned about the mounted rocket launchers on each side. A door opened and a man wearing a gray jumpsuit, baseball cap, and sunshades climbed out. No one said anything.
Hunter retrieved the attaché then hesitated. The man motioned for him to approach. Cautiously, Hunter headed toward the helicopter, with every nerve on edge. He could see the silhouette of the pilot at the controls but couldn’t make out any distinctive features.
The man on the ground suddenly held up his hand for Hunter to stop, then signaled him to set the attaché down and head back to his plane. Hunter did as instructed but walked backwards, keeping an eye on the helicopter and the men.
The man picked up the case, then headed for the helicopter. As he handed it to a pair of waiting hands the case slipped and hit the airstrip. The jolt popped the case open and a sudden wisp of wind swept some of the contents into the air. Hunter immediately realized the attaché was filled with money. He stopped, uncertain what to do then spun around to run as someone onboard leaned out with a gun and took a shot. Hunter went down lying motionless on the ground.
Janet watched as the first man scrambled to pick up the paper fluttering around on the ground, while another man jumped out to retrieve the attaché. Then in horror she watched the second man pull a gun and shoot the first one. The gunman jumped onboard with the attaché as the helicopter lifted off and headed west, disappearing over the top of another group of low hills.
Stunned at what she had just witnessed and fearing the worst, Janet climbed out of the plane, with Buster at her heels. She ran to Hunter’s side, terrified he was dead. “Mr. Blake! Mr. Blake!” she screamed frantically, kneeling next to his body.
“Are they gone?” he asked looking up at her.
“You’re alive!”
“Get back on the plane! Now!” he ordered as he scrambled to his feet.
“But...”
Hunter grabbed her arm, “Come on!”
Buster had already jumped onboard. Hunter hustled Janet to the stairs, barking more orders. “Sit down, belt up, and hold on!” he shouted as he grabbed the nose wheel chock. Tossing it inside, he jumped onboard pulling up the stairs.
“I thought you were dead,” she said again, now sitting in the cabin with Buster at her feet.
“Sometimes clumsiness can be a good thing,” he muttered reaching for the door. Suddenly a bloody hand grabbed the doorframe. Without hesitating, Hunter shoved down the stairs and pulled the wounded man onboard. “Belt up!” he ordered as he secured the door and climbed into the pilot seat. “We’re outta time!”
Hunter pushed the throttle forward as they began to pick up speed. Pulling back on the yoke as soon as he dared they began to climb. At seven hundred fifty feet he cleared the nearby barren hills.
Janet stared at their unexpected guest, sitting across from her, whose chest was covered in blood.
“I’m okay,” he said. “Nothing serious.” Moments later, he unbelted and headed to the cockpit. “Head due east,” he said.
Hunter reacted with a start. “Who the hell are you and why aren’t you belted up back there!”
“You want to stay alive?” the young stranger asked. “Due east until I tell you otherwise.”
“Get back there!” Hunter bellowed.
“You need me if you don’t want to get shot down!” the stranger yelled back. Without an invitation, he eased into the co-pilot seat. “Transponder off?”
“Yes,” Hunter said obviously not pleased with the situation.
“Turn it on,” the stranger ordered.
“What!”
“Turn it on,” he said and did it himself.
“Right! So they can find us. Who are you? And with that much blood, why aren’t you dead yet?”
“Wearing a vest. Fake blood, but the impact can still stun. Knocked the wind out of me temporarily,” he explained quickly. “We want them to track us for a short while because we’re gonna try to let them think we crashed.”
“Are you crazy? We may be faster than they are, but those missiles they’re carrying have a range sufficient to take us out.”
“I know.”
“Who the hell are you!” Hunter demanded.
“Right now, your best friend. There should be a canyon coming up,” he pointed ahead. “Those hills.” He watched out the front window intently. “There!”
“What if it’s a dead end?” Hunter asked.
“It isn’t. Trust me. You think I’d go to this much trouble just to crash in a box canyon?”
The landscape below was no less bleak, with its assortment of sagebrush, mesquite, and saguaro cactus struggling to exist amid the treeless hills and valleys as they raced toward a rocky and formidable mountain range.
Hunter was still furious. “That was some kind of a damned handoff! What do you know about it?” he asked.
“All I can tell you is that gun ship is hot on our tail, and I can assure you there’s at least one other out here somewhere.” the stranger said. “All the more reason for us to attempt to fake a crash. Just keep a steady hand going through the canyon. I’ll take care of the transponder.”
“You have a name?” Hunter asked.
“Brian.”
“Okay... Brian. What do you know about this... this handoff? And why did Gerry place us in such a risky and potentially deadly situation! Why is he trying to get us killed! That was a damned gunship! What the hell is he up to!”
“Straight ahead,” Brian said instead. “You want me to take the controls?”
“Oh, hell no!” Hunter said making a slight adjustment to their heading. Moments later they rocketed into the narrow canyon.