maintenance room,” I stood, leaving my drink
unfinished. “Don’t need a pump?”
“Nope.
Going to disconnect one of the fuel lines from its engine, connect it to the
hose and use the Pave Hawk’s fuel booster pump to move gas to the Huey. It
won’t be fast, but it will get the job done.” She said.
Nodding, I
took a moment to return to the suite Katie and I had slept in, retrieving my
boots and vest. I’d also found clean socks and was very happy to have them
when I pulled the boots onto my feet. Martinez dressed in clothes Katie had
found for her while I was getting ready then we went scavenging.
We easily
found what we needed, lugging it through the casino and up the stairs to the
roof. Crawford was still on the phone but I couldn’t tell if he was talking to
Steve or had managed to reach someone at Pearl Harbor.
“Steve got
him through to Pearl,” Katie said when she walked up. “I think he’s still
trying to get through the maze and talk to some Admiral. And Steve’s going to
try to get access into the satellite in case we need his help again.”
I nodded, keeping
my mouth shut when it came to Steve. Dropping the long, coiled hose next to
the Pave Hawk I bent and removed the ties that were keeping it neatly rolled.
Martinez already had the aircraft opened up and was pulling maintenance panels
off to access the fuel lines. While she worked I grabbed an end of the hose
and started stretching it across the roof towards the Huey.
“I’m kind of
surprised Steve is willing to help you,” I said to Katie who had fallen in next
to me as I dragged the hose. OK, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut forever.
“I feel bad
every time I talk to him,” she said. “He’s not over me. That’s obvious, and I
feel like I’m playing with his emotions to get him to help.”
“You know
you’re doing what you have to,” I said. “His feelings don’t stack up against
peoples’ lives. You feel bad because you’re a good person.”
I had
reached the Huey by now and stuck the hose deep into the fuel port. Looking
back across I could see Martinez still working on her end.
“Yeah, well,
that doesn’t make me feel any better.” Katie said.
Reaching out
I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. There really wasn’t
anything else I could say.
“Found
them!”
I looked up
to see Crawford waving at me. Removing my arm from Katie’s shoulders I took
her hand and led her across the roof. The Colonel was just wrapping up his
conversation when we walked up.
“Where?” I
asked.
“They’re
about fifty miles east-southeast from here. Heading towards some canyons.” He
said.
“They’re
still looking for me,” I said. “How did they find them so fast?”
“They’re in
the only Bradley that’s moving in all of North America,” Crawford replied. “It
wasn’t hard, at least according to the Petty Officer I just spoke with. How
long before we’re ready to go?”
I shrugged
and stepped over to the Pave Hawk where Martinez was just climbing in to the
cockpit.
“How long,
Captain?” I asked.
“I can’t
remember the flow rate of the booster pump so I’m guessing an hour. Could be
more, could be less. Sorry, sir. Best I can tell you at the moment.”
Crawford had
walked over with us and nodded his head when she spoke.
“We’ve got
another problem,” he said. “The plane Rachel was in was shot down.”
At first I
wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. I stood staring at him with my mouth hanging
open. Martinez had frozen with her hand hovering over the switch to activate
the pump.
“She and the
pilot ejected,” he continued. “They made it down but they’re in the Sawtooth Wilderness
in Idaho. Damn rugged country and they’ve got weather coming in.”
“SAR on the
way?” I asked, hoping a Search And Rescue flight was in the air.
“No go,
Major,” Crawford said. “The Russians have surged.
unfinished. “Don’t need a pump?”
“Nope.
Going to disconnect one of the fuel lines from its engine, connect it to the
hose and use the Pave Hawk’s fuel booster pump to move gas to the Huey. It
won’t be fast, but it will get the job done.” She said.
Nodding, I
took a moment to return to the suite Katie and I had slept in, retrieving my
boots and vest. I’d also found clean socks and was very happy to have them
when I pulled the boots onto my feet. Martinez dressed in clothes Katie had
found for her while I was getting ready then we went scavenging.
We easily
found what we needed, lugging it through the casino and up the stairs to the
roof. Crawford was still on the phone but I couldn’t tell if he was talking to
Steve or had managed to reach someone at Pearl Harbor.
“Steve got
him through to Pearl,” Katie said when she walked up. “I think he’s still
trying to get through the maze and talk to some Admiral. And Steve’s going to
try to get access into the satellite in case we need his help again.”
I nodded, keeping
my mouth shut when it came to Steve. Dropping the long, coiled hose next to
the Pave Hawk I bent and removed the ties that were keeping it neatly rolled.
Martinez already had the aircraft opened up and was pulling maintenance panels
off to access the fuel lines. While she worked I grabbed an end of the hose
and started stretching it across the roof towards the Huey.
“I’m kind of
surprised Steve is willing to help you,” I said to Katie who had fallen in next
to me as I dragged the hose. OK, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut forever.
“I feel bad
every time I talk to him,” she said. “He’s not over me. That’s obvious, and I
feel like I’m playing with his emotions to get him to help.”
“You know
you’re doing what you have to,” I said. “His feelings don’t stack up against
peoples’ lives. You feel bad because you’re a good person.”
I had
reached the Huey by now and stuck the hose deep into the fuel port. Looking
back across I could see Martinez still working on her end.
“Yeah, well,
that doesn’t make me feel any better.” Katie said.
Reaching out
I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. There really wasn’t
anything else I could say.
“Found
them!”
I looked up
to see Crawford waving at me. Removing my arm from Katie’s shoulders I took
her hand and led her across the roof. The Colonel was just wrapping up his
conversation when we walked up.
“Where?” I
asked.
“They’re
about fifty miles east-southeast from here. Heading towards some canyons.” He
said.
“They’re
still looking for me,” I said. “How did they find them so fast?”
“They’re in
the only Bradley that’s moving in all of North America,” Crawford replied. “It
wasn’t hard, at least according to the Petty Officer I just spoke with. How
long before we’re ready to go?”
I shrugged
and stepped over to the Pave Hawk where Martinez was just climbing in to the
cockpit.
“How long,
Captain?” I asked.
“I can’t
remember the flow rate of the booster pump so I’m guessing an hour. Could be
more, could be less. Sorry, sir. Best I can tell you at the moment.”
Crawford had
walked over with us and nodded his head when she spoke.
“We’ve got
another problem,” he said. “The plane Rachel was in was shot down.”
At first I
wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. I stood staring at him with my mouth hanging
open. Martinez had frozen with her hand hovering over the switch to activate
the pump.
“She and the
pilot ejected,” he continued. “They made it down but they’re in the Sawtooth Wilderness
in Idaho. Damn rugged country and they’ve got weather coming in.”
“SAR on the
way?” I asked, hoping a Search And Rescue flight was in the air.
“No go,
Major,” Crawford said. “The Russians have surged.
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