They spent their last days up there clearing the trail to the
homesite. O yeah, plus a little flying around, including filling in
again one more day on the crew for a run into Russia in the
Caribou, stopping in once more to see Rachel and Rob and the
happy kids and folks in Provideniya. So their money was doing
good, and they felt as pleased with their mission as with all their
money going to the funds. Money's just relative when it comes to
happiness, they were saying. They finished the homesite trail the
day before they were planning to head South, and threw a party
at the site.
        Amelia flew up from Anchorage in her DeHavilland and
offered our two a glacier landing lesson - on skis - up on Denali,
so Jess made that landing and takeoff with 'Melia's tutoring. Kit
was happier seeing her do it than doing it himself. And they had
some sex with "Meal" up on that glacier, testing the boundaries
of orgasms in cold, being the mighty test pilots that they are.
        The party in camp that night was intensely immensely
emotional, everyone knowing about the four's imminent departure
plans. There were some tears and sad spirits, but they were
stomped flat by all the happiness. They ate the fish that everyone
had caught out of the Susitna during those days - Salmon, Trout,
Red, White, Bass and all. Quite the feast. Kit and Jess started
cooking honors, then passed them on to Wiley and Orv's comedy
routine, though Elaine, with Tom's and staff's help, did most of
the actual cooking.
       Well, duh, the evening's singing and playing award went to
Jessica. But Estrella was a close runner-up. And Felecia had been
ahead after her songs. Even Wiley's was applauded handsomely.
Kit did good with his version of James' "How Sweet It Is To Be
Loved By You", followed by an original about a certain young
woman which was pretty darn heart-tugging. It was a great night
out under those stars, and the full moon was illuminating the
Denali and the entire valley after the sun finally went down. Over
four hundred souls they had there, with all the customers. It was
a big dang bonfire and loo-ow.
        Jess was going by several names by then. And most
everyone was calling Kit something else anyway, thanks to Wiley
and Orv, mostly, people asking "Buffalo" a lot what show that
was that he used to have on TV and such. So their "cover" was
fairly effective. Maybe there were some old ex-agents amongst all
the guests. But, then, whom there was going to tell anything on
anyone?
        There were more tears at goodnight, but of happiness. The
four would be back. Chrissakes. And it had been one hell of a run.
The fire party kept going all night but, finally, back in the camper,
Jess and Kit checked Pute and got the same old news from
Sundance - nothing from the White House. And the agents were
still quiet. The market had been down again, but Pute was starting
to buy. Elaine and Tom came by for nightcaps. O yeah, they
capped that night all righty. And Flece and Essy were camping
with their lovers.
        First thing in the morning, Jess and Kit sent another quarter
million to Rachel over in Provideniya, then cut a check for another
half million for the payrolls and supplies, handing Aileen and John
that check at breakfast in the B'ar, the guys having come down
from Fairbanks to see them off.
        Wiley and some boys had draped toilet paper all over
"Smokey" sometime during the night "to make him a polar bear",
they admitted. But that was about as wild as things had progressed.
Well, except for the night barnstorming. But no damage had been
done, though no one would have been sober enough to know
whom to charge it to anyway.
        The regular cookies were still sleeping their drunks off, so it
was pretty much what everyone wanted to cook for themselves,
the last of the fish going fast. But then the girls got in there and
started cooking away for everybody. And Kit, with his Jenny's
kitchen experience, pretty much handled the prep all on his own.
The B'ar was business, for sure.
        Wiley and Orv went to wake up the cook boys, wrapping
toilet paper all over their tents, then them. From the Stearman at
15 feet. "Yee HAW!" they all could hear the old flyers yelling
down from the cockpit on each pass. And the steaks were on the
grill by then.
        Well, if they had daytime fireworks, they would have been
launched for our girls. Heck, everyone was wondering when they
would be hearing Jess on the radio, or seeing her on Buffalo's
new TV show. Essy called Truchas to let the folks know that
they were on their way and would be at the fiesta. And the girls
called Kentucky. Yep, still slaving away at the concert
preparations, they were, cooking breakfast for everyone, in fact.
Oo, they hated the lying though. But Ginny knew better than to
check out the facts.
        Then Puter had some news when they made a "lu" trip to
the camper. They had had a quick double on a stock that they had
put five million into. Ed called and Kit celebrated with him on that.
Eddo was real happy with his new million, and going out to fly his
kit plane. The other news was that a couple of agents would be
coming up from Seattle to check out a "Jessy" at Denali.
        Their business was in full bloom. Forty-four new customers
pulled into the Air Park that morning. The Curtiss Jenny project
arrrived from L.A. And the Grobs were due in that afternoon, so
they bought a Super Cub and Cessna 195 for tow planes before
breakfast was officially all et.
        Jess wanted one more flight in the DC3, though, and the
scheduled flyers stepped aside for her. She, Kit, the girls, Wi, Orv,
Elaine, Tom, 'Leen and John all flew down to Anchorage and
brought some more customers and cargo back. Beer, mainly. Tree
Frog, mostly. So the party continued when they got back, but Jess
and Kit sipped on their teas so they could fly out of there,
eventually. Everyone tried to keep them drinking, though, so they
couldn't go. It was a battle. But it was time for graduation and they
had a fiesta in New Mexico to make, they told everyone. There
was one more snowball fight and the girls were declared the
winners, even though they had cheated by hoarding the last of the
snow, though no one used any from the snow bank behind the
B'ar with all the Frog stuck in it.
        "Well, everyone, this sure has been one ole thing," Jess said
to their crowd of close friends gathered around the 310, after they
had packed their bags.
        Wiley was first to grab onto their beautifullnesses for hugs
and kisses. "Hey, rockhead," he said to Jess when he got to her,
"you watch out for Buffalo, now. I think he's growing backwards."
        She guessed that that was his way of saying Kit was looking
younger those days, unless he had meant financially backwards.
Of course, with Wiley, it could have been just plain backwards
too. Anyway, she answered with a loving smile, "I'll keep an eye
out, Wi. You just stay out of those plane crashes with our
important customers for me, OK?"
        "Yeah, Dub'ya," Orv poked in, "you can crash all ya want
with yourself."
        "Yup, and I guess it's just fine that she can steal my plane
anytime she feels like it too," Wiley winked with a grin back to
Jess.
        "Kept you from wreckin' it that night, di'n she?" Orv came
right back.
       Well, it was like "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" was playing in
the air, their eyes getting misty from the happiness and all. And
Wile got another little kiss from Jess along with one more big hug.
He reluctantly moved on toward Kit, and Orv took over for him
on Jessy.
        "One hell of an imagination, son...one hell an imagination..."
Wi said to Kit as they shook, meaning what he thought it took to
have Jess and Flece and Es and everything else going on, plus the
stuff he didn't know about, able to see, of course, that there was
more going on.
        "Take good care, you ole pudknocker," Kit teared up with a
smile as they shook, "we'll be back soon..."
        "You better watch that water now, Cody. It can freeze up
up here, y' know," the old white-haired tall man winked back his
own tear in his left eye while Kit, of course, also got the double
meaning of advice to watch engine and wing icing. Then Wiley
added, "hell, what am I doin' holdin' your hand when there're
these angels here..." and moved on to kiss and hug with Flee and
Essy one more time.
        Orville followed with more comments about the girls which
progressed into a general stand-up love-in there at the plane,
everyone gathered around as our four loaded up Romeo. It wasn't
easy to say goodby. But they weren't rushing. And our guys
weren't leaving too late or taking too long. It had been one heck
of almost a month that they would never forget. And they would
be back and they would be in close touch.
        Felecia and 'Strella had a few tears with their lovers, and
then it was time to board. Jess and Kit followed them into the
cockpit after final hugs and kisses with Elaine, Tom, 'Leen and
John, and waved to and saluted them all as she and Cody started
into the checklist. Of course, there was plenty more said. It's just
hard to recollect, is all, they say. Hard to cull it all. "You know
how brains have only so much storage space," Kitto says.
        Jess and Kit took one more look all around at their new
place, their mountain and homesite, and the Susitna meandering
East toward the Alaska Range, looked back at everyone around
their plane saying goodby and all, looked at each other, then
smiled heartily and kissed to the pleasure of everyone there.
        Then Wiley yelled out, "you guys are clear to go anytime
...or, hale, you're clea-erred to come if you want..." and, like
clockwork, got that poke from Elaine, though also good laughs,
especially from Kit, Jess, Orv, Elaine and Tom.
        Kit tried to think of some response, but gave up. So Wile
took the opportunity to let loose with his litany of World War II
flying corps sayings that Orv and others there tuned into which
they kept up until Jess got the engines started.
        Then Kit finally turned to his pards outside and yelled, "I
can't believe YOU guys are in charge!" putting his hands to his
head and laughing with the ones who heard over the engines.
        "Hay," Orv yelled back, "somebody's got to straighten out
this mess you've all made!"
        Jess, laughing with the others, nodded and saluted, then
released the brakes, getting away without a comeback, Orville
mentioned to Wiley.
        "Hale, O-dub'ya...she can get away with whatever she
wants," Wile commented back, adding, "even stealing my plane,"
as they all watched their partners taxi away.
        Our guys buzzed everybody there after takeoff, waving
down as everyone waved up, then headed South for Anchorage
and goodbys with Amelia and Hank, Frank and Trevor and their
other pilots and crew in the North Air office at the airport, and
cut everyone a nice bonus check for Memorial Day, what the
heck. They had a very fond farewell with "Meal" after everyone
else got back to work, with Hank's lead, and gave her an extra
bonus for she and Hank, then got in the air again.
        They pressed on through the cloudy sky to Juneau for
dinner with AD (Allison), and tied up loose ends. She invited
them to stay the night at her house, and they got plenty intimate
in her hot tub, Ally a woman's lover just like them. Kit was still
the luckiest man on the face of the globe. They wrote Ally
another retainer check and took off in the morning after sleeping
all together. Mm-mm.
        They hit bad weather on the way to Olympia and got too
low on fuel before landing all right. That was a little disconcerting
to the girls, so they talked about getting more plane for their return
trip. But Kit told them they could have gone into Bellingham,
which would have been closer, besides easier weather. Jess asked
him why the "fark" hadn't he said so.
        He laughed, "because you chose Olympia....Don't worry,
we had enough fuel. I've had much closer calls than this...." He
was just trying to teach them to think for themselves - pilot
lesson number one.
        "Well, I guess we have to do all the thinking around here,
cowgirls," Jess answered, getting his drift.
        So they were on the road again, Jess singing that Willy song
and "Back In Romeo Again" to "Back In The Saddle Again". And
they were back in hotel rooms - long hot showers and baths, big
beds and the rest. And the girls wanted to see the rest of the West.
So they flew on to see western Washington, the Cascades and
Oregon before flying into Arcata before dark.
        They called Truchas and, after Es and the girls finished, and
they talked with Evan and Stef, Kit and Julian had some time. And
Jul mentioned how well his daughter was sounding, adding, "I don't
know what you're doing, 'migo, but it's doing her muy bueno." Of
course, they had other things to talk about, so Kit never had to
really answer, and breathed easier when they hung up.
        After their - ahem - orgy and sleep, they flew over the
Redwoods, then all over California that next day, and backtracked
into Douglas County, Nevada, to say "hey" to Kit's old friends at
the airport bar before getting a big wagon and going up to Lake
Tahoe for some gambling, taking some of those friends along -
Paul, Mark, RC, Andy and Jay.
        The girls still had the luck, Jessy mostly, craps again, together
winning over a quarter million. Kit's old buds couldn't believe it,
especially when the girls yelled loudly enough for everyone in the
place to hear that the gorillas had come to escort them upstairs,
which they had. But the apes got lost when all the guys got between
them and the ladies. So they got out of there and stayed the night at
Mark's house back in Carson Valley.
        In the morning, Puter informed them that they were all bought
up in the market, which was on the raging bull. They were up over
$5M in new money, near $11M including that recent double. Kit
and Mark traded stock tips and found out they owned a lot of the
same stuff. It was another good morning.
        They sent another borrowed $5 million right off to the funds
and kept the rest in reserve for the WPG. They were going to have
one hefty interest payment in early June, but they would have the
money from somewhere, they figured. Kit thought a little more
ahead and called the lawyer whom they had dealt with over in Cody,
Wyoming when they had bought that ranch, and asked her to buy
them a Jeep wagon and get it parked in the barn, keys left under the
back seat. And wired her 25 grand.
        They flew out over Virginia City, then Tahoe, then followed
the Sierras to Yosemite, Sequoia and the Mohave, then went over
to the coast, landed at Santa Barbara and took in the beach after
getting two rooms and rental car.
        The girls were figured as new starlets in town, and Kit as
probably one real rich farker. Anyway, the Pacific hit the spot,
then later they drove to Malibu for dinner and music at a road
house. Kit discretely asked Jessy at a point if Es was still a virgin,
still thinking about Jul's words, and the answer was "yes", and he
breathed a sigh of relief, telling Jess why. And got her laugh.
        On the drive back to Santa Barby, they learned from Pute
that the Seattle agents had found out that they were flying the
310, but that was about it on true information that the suits, thus
"DC" and "Cincy", had discovered. So far. One of the Air Park
customers had let it out, not knowing not to. Wiley and Orv had
confused things as best they could for the agents, like the numbers
and colors on Romeo. They didn't know what their pards were
actually involved in, but sure wanted to protect them. Then Elaine
called to let them know. They had told her a little more than they
had the old dudes, but not too much. Anyway, Kit announced to
the girls that the tour was over and they got into the air and into
Santa Fe by morning.
        They caught a look at Juliet-Papa on the ramp, looking just
fine, and took Kit's truck to a little restaurant out East of town, to
see if they were being followed, which it seemed they were not,
and already had called ahead to Ev and Stef for them to pick them
up there.
        They left the pickup there in case there was a planted
monitoring device and walked under trees to the Jeep in case they
were being watched from space, Evan getting their guitars and
bags out of the truck for them. If they were being watched
through binoculars, well, then they might have had a problem.
        All of them were happy as hummingbirds in nectar to see
each other again, and layed into one another even more when they
got inside their two rooms in the "La Fonda" Hotel downtown to
wait until dark to return to the hacienda. They could get in before
the quarter moon even rose, Kit mentioned, which got the girls
telling Stef and Ev what the sun staying up so late is like, which
started them on the Alaskan stories.
        The others went out for some shopping and drinks while Kit
and Jess stayed in to, uh, rest. Well, they did contract a local pilot
to ferry the 310 to Lunken in Cincinnati, anonymously using a
credit card from one of the bogus corporations to wire the money
to the FBO for him, telling the pilot that the keys would be at the
FBO office. Kit asked Evan, when they all came back, to use
another name, if asked, and run the keys to the airport pronto,
which Ev did without hesitation and was back in twenty minutes.
        So far, Puter had no word of them being found anywhere
but, before they got going to the ranch, they learned that the
Albuquerque agent had been requested to check out the 310s at
Santa. Kit called the pilot back. And he was already on his way to
the airport and said he would have Romeo in the air right away.
Kit told him he would send him another grand for his hurry and
that was just fine with that pilot. Our guys doubted that he would
be in any trouble if the agents caught up to him. But they would
help him out if he had more trouble than he could handle, feeling
a little badly about using him. And Kit and Pute wired that extra
payment to the FBO.
        They had made another $4M in the market that day, and
sent another borrowed $2M to the funds as they got on their way
to Truchas. After pulling into the lake campground up the Pecos
Valley, Ev drove the last part of the way with the lights off and
the gogs on and then they were home!
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