Jasper was the tallest of the team, standing several inches over six feet. If that wasn’t enough of a difference, he only had to open his mouth and say a few words for his thick southern drawl to give him away.
Firefly was the shortest man at just over five feet, five inches but far from being any less intimidating. His stocky, muscular frame made it easy to believe his claim of being able to bench press over four hundred pounds, even though his own weight tipped the scale under two-fifty. He also wore a small firefly emblem on the crest of his helmet, his homage to the short-lived television show by the same name.
It was a little harder to tell Shark from Firefly since he was only a couple inches taller. Also, his claim to fame and the reason for his nickname was a face that most people who met him thought resembled a Great White. He perpetuated this trait with a similar predatory attitude.
Python, on the other hand, was the slimmest of the team, weighing in at just under one-hundred and seventy-five pounds and six feet in height. He'd acquired his nickname after he dropped out of high school. He'd invested a good bit of his drug business money into a collection of snakeskin boots; a practice he stopped years later when he learned how many hundreds of thousands of snakes were killed each year to make boots, handbags, and wallets. After all, Python was an animal lover at heart.
But Todd didn't worry about mistaking his team members' identities, or anyone else's for that matter. He had an uncanny talent he'd discovered in childhood that allowed him to identify virtually anyone he'd ever met. He thought of it like psychic fingerprinting. Over the years he'd discovered that not only did everyone have a unique psychic pattern, but they also had their own distinct smell. At first, he'd taken his keen sense of smell for granted, figuring everyone else had the same ability. It wasn't until later he learned that he shared this gift, not with humans, but with canines. In short, Todd's ability to detect odors was at least ten thousand times greater than humans. These two gifts made it possible for him to ID someone even in a pitch black room without them needing to say or do anything. It was just one of many traits that often came in handy in his line of work.
After Todd finished checking Python's equipment with a slap on the parachute and a thumbs up, he stepped back and placed his hands on top of his helmet while Python ran a similar check on his equipment, receiving a slap and thumbs up a minute later. Todd glanced at his watch. Less than ten minutes before they would reach the drop area. He confirmed with James by radio that they were still on schedule before turning back to his team.
"Com-check. Sound off; Jasper, loud and clear, Firefly, five by five, Shark, got you lickin chicken, Python, clear as a bell. Ok, now listen up, I'm going over this one more time. Once you exit the plane, we'll stay in communication via our headsets, but keep the chatter down to a minimum. Just to review; we'll be exiting the plane at 37,000 feet. We'll free fall fifteen to twenty-seconds. During this time, make sure you have visual contact with each other. Look for the glow-dots on your fellow jumpers. If you can make out the two separate dots, you're too close. Back off a bit.
"We'll open at 25,000 feet and stack for the glide over Dubai, but keep your distance; at least a couple hundred feet from each other to cut down on any chances of being picked up on the radar. Once you're under your chute, switch over to your night goggles. Clear?"
Each man nodded affirmatively.
"Once we have a visual on Falconcity, I'll signal each of you to peel off to your assigned landing area. You each have your assignments; I needn't remind you that if any part of the mission isn't completed, it greatly increases the odds that the mission will fail. Any last minute questions?"
He waited until he received a shake of the head from each team member before continuing. “Okay, if everything goes as planned, we’ll meet back up at the Stars and Bars in Abu Dhabi. Drinks will be on me. Now, standby; someone will open the ramp momentarily.” He pointed towards the rear of the plane.
Todd recognized the familiar scent the moment the door to the cockpit opened and realized he’d been smelling it all along but denying it. It was just too impossible to believe. Now, as the woman climbed down the ladder, he couldn’t deny it any longer. A woman who smelled just like his stepmother was on her way to open the rear door for the team’s exit.
That’s so odd, he thought. Okay, I know I’ve met a few people who’d shared similar smells, but they’ve always been easy to differentiate, but... His inner chattering stopped in mid-sentence as the woman turned around. No, not a woman who smelled like his step-mother, but the real deal. Even after all these years, there was no mistaking the woman who’d given him so much grief, who’d said countless times how much she loved him while acting like he was some alien from another planet. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of bickering and more than a few no-holds-barred fights, she’d driven such a wedge between him and his father that he’d had no other choice but to run away from home, never to return.
Todd held his breath; waiting for the woman that had made his life a living hell for all those years to recognize him, but she continued walking past him with no more than a quick smile. He realized that all his gear gave him a perfect cover as she passed less than a foot from him. Shaking himself from the shocked stupor at seeing the woman who'd hammered a wedge between him and his father, Todd turned around to his men. Stay focused, he told himself.
"Jump run!" He shouted into the com system as he waved his men towards the rear of the plane. His teammates stood up and started walking in that direction. That's what they'd always shouted in the "olden days" when Todd had first learned to skydive.
Over the years, skydiving suits had evolved to what they wore today. They made jumpers look like a bat or a bird with webbing between their legs and from their arms to their legs. Such suits made it possible to glide through the air like Superman, changing your airspeed by controlling the amount of resistance you produced. They also made it easier to hook up with your fellow jumpers while falling to earth at rates upward of a hundred and twenty miles per hour.
Tonight they'd be jumping from the C-130 transporter from close to three times the altitude of those earlier training jumps. These altitudes required more equipment, including oxygen. Also, they needed the much higher height so they could use the glide power of their special chutes to travel approximately thirty miles over the city of Dubai. The landing had to be close to the objectives but did not have to be pin-point.
Todd liked to maintain the old transition of yelling, "Jump Run," as a way of alerting his team.
“Ready when you are,” Todd said into his comm-link to James.
“Just a minute or two longer,” James replied. “Almost to jump airspeed.”
True to his word, less than two minutes later, Todd heard, “Okay, signal Pat to open the door,” and after a second of hesitation, “Good luck Todd. See you at the Stars and Bars.”
"Sure thing," Todd replied, trying hard not to stare at Pat as he gave her the signal to open the door. As the doors slowly opened Todd watched as the rear deck split, the upper half moving to the ceiling while the lower half glided down to a five or ten-degree slope. The sky was clear, and the stars had never seemed so bright. Man, he loved night jumps. He could see lights below defining the coastline of Abu Dhabi. But enough stargazing; time to go. He looked around and reminded himself to keep his attention where it needed to be; on the mission. "All right men. On my signal—go, go, go."
The line of men walked to the open end of the plane, paused for a second at the black abyss, then jumped head-first into it. The night quickly engulfed the men. Despite having jumped hundreds of times, Todd still felt the adrenaline rush as he approached the rear of the plane. After all, wasn't that part of the reason people jumped out of perfectly good airplanes? We're adrenaline junkies, Todd thought with a smile. As he started to leap out of the plane, he turned his body towards Pat, waving at her with his middle finger before disappearing into the black abyss.
Well, that was strange, Pat thought, a startle
d look still on her face. She couldn't remember the last time someone had the gall to give her the finger; not since her early training days for her job at B.I.U.F.O. There'd been that one smart aleck who'd tried and had come away with a broken digit which resulted in his flunking out of the program. As she returned to the cockpit, she couldn't get the image out of her mind.
“You may need to talk to your team leader when we finish this job,” she said to James as she buckled herself back into the co-pilot seat.
“Todd?” James asked. “Talk to him about what?”
Pat filled him in on what happened.
"That's odd," James replied, glancing over at Pat, a puzzled look on his face. "He's never done anything like that before. He's always been nothing but respectful. Are you sure he wasn't just waving at you? You are quite an attractive woman."
"Waving yes...with his middle finger," Pat replied. "Besides, if what you say about him is true, I'm almost old enough to be his mom, for Christ's sake. Never mind. Don't sweat it. People often act strange while under stress. Let's stay focused on what matters; the mission at hand." But despite her attempt to move on, she could still feel something just under the surface troubling her.
Reunion
IT HAD BEEN A TOPSY-turvy sort of night for Tabitha. Even though it felt good to be back with her sisters, the strange surroundings, coupled with the thin mat that was supposed to serve as her bed, made it hard to fall asleep or stay that way. The Kindred had been relegated to a spare room off the central living area of the harem where a row of pallets lay on the floor. Mia and Heather had both suggested to her that she borrow some of the cushions from the other room to supplement her bedding, but she'd ignored them and was now regretting it.
She sat up and looked around her, just barely making out the sleeping forms of her sisters lying on either side. Apparently, they'd been able to adjust to their surroundings, but how come Kristin was also able to sleep so soundly? Kristin was just as new to the harem as she was. Noticing one of the pillows from the other room lying between her and the other sleeping form to her right, Tabitha claimed it for herself and placed it under her head.
There, that was better, she thought, as she closed her eyes to fall back to sleep. She'd just about drifted off again when she felt the tug on her consciousness, followed moments later with a familiar sensation. Someone was trying to reach her, but who could it be? All her sisters were asleep here with her.
Help me. The psychic voice was clear though weak. Help me... Tabitha, are you there?
It's Mel! It had to be, Tabitha thought as her heart raced.
Yes, I’m here...Mel, is that you?
Oh, thank God, came Mel’s faint voice. Finally; I was about to give up hope.
Where are you? You sound so weak.
I’m not sure where I am. Locked up; been drugged until a few hours ago. I need help.
Okay, okay, I’ll help you, Tabitha sent back, even though she didn't have a clue how she'd be able to fulfill the promise. She'd find a way. We've been kidnapped by someone who calls himself the Sheik. I'm upstairs with his harem along with our sisters. They must have you locked up somewhere else but probably in the same building. Hang in there, and find out what you can. We're on the second floor of the Sheik's house. They're keeping a close eye on us, but we'll figure out something.
When she didn’t hear anything back after several seconds, she was afraid she’d lost the connection. Mel, are you still there?
Yes...he finally answered although he sounded weaker than before. At least Alp is still free. She’ll come for us. I know she will.
Tabitha started to correct the error and tell him that Alp had also been captured and was on her way to Falcon Lair; but at the last minute thought better of it, realizing how deflating the news had been for her and her sisters. Who knows; maybe the report wasn't accurate. Perhaps it was just a cruel joke Zillah was playing on them, but she doubted it.
James had waited to hear from Pat that all jumpers had exited the plane before veering off to the south and alerting air traffic control that he was conducting a VFR descent and landing at the Sheik's airfield a few miles from Falcon Lair. Releasing the jump team over the Indian Ocean reduced the chances they would be detected by radar. Their specially designed jumpsuits that made detection even less likely.
Even so, James took a moment for a silent prayer that everything would go according to plan. While Pat and he had done everything they could to keep the mission as simple as possible, there were still several different “moving parts” that had to work together smoothly, meaning there were places that something could go wrong. But that was the nature of this kind of work; which was why it was important to have team members who could follow instructions, while at the same time know how to deal with unexpected contingencies. This combination was one of the reasons James had hired Todd and placed him in command of the escape team.
It was James’ job to get Alp, Pat, and himself into Falcon Lair. It was Todd’s responsibility to get them back out and to safety along with the rest of the Kindred.
He turned in his seat and tapped Alp on the knee. “Wake up, Alp. We’ll be arriving at the Sheik’s airfield in a few minutes.”
He gave her a few minutes to get her bearings before going over the plan one last time. “Remember, Alp, you’re our prisoner, and you’re not happy about it. I’ve brought Pat along to keep an eye on you. Treat her with the same disdain you would a prison guard.”
He turned to Pat. “Go ahead and tie her hands together, but not too tight, just in case something goes wrong. I want her to be able to get herself untied if she needs to.”
“Right on,” Pat replied. “I’ll find that perfect middle-of-the-road tie. I’ll call it the Goldilocks tie. Not too tight, not too loose, but just right.”
“And I’ll be angry and disdainful but not too much,” Alp replied. “It will be good to see my sisters again.”
"Yes, I'm sure that's true," James said as he continued to fly a slow arc of descent to approach the airfield into the wind. "But it's important you not let your sisters in on our plans until the time is right. The less they know, the less chance anyone has of spilling the beans. Everyone must think you've really been captured. Once you are alone and get the okay, you can let them in on the plan. Got it?"
Alp nodded."Sure thing, boss," Alp replied as she held out her two hands so Pat could tie them together. "I know I've said this before, but I'm going to repeat it. I really do thank you and Pat for helping my sisters and me in this way. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."
James felt himself blush by the acknowledgment. "Well, luckily your dear, sweet, wealthy dad is taking care of that. That is if we get everyone out alive and well. Okay, fasten your seatbelts. We're coming in on our final approach, and the tower has cleared us for landing."
The glide across the Indian Ocean went smoothly and peacefully with each jumper staying relatively close by stacking one on top of the other while still keeping a safe distance. As the team glided over the city of Dubai, the unique configuration of the lights of Falconcity of Wonders showed in the distance. Even though most of the area was in darkness, the outline of the falcon crest of the United Arab Emirates flag showed in white. They'd also been kind enough to outline the bodies of water with blue lights, Todd thought. How nice of them.
He checked his altimeter. There was still plenty of altitude before each team member needed to fan off to their particular landing location. His landing site was perhaps the easiest of all of them; a large, more-or-less cleared area, which was a reproduction of Central Park, located in the City District. Not only were the tall skyscrapers of the Big Apple well represented, so too was Hollywood, London, Venice, Rome, Beirut, Old Dubai, and Paris complete with a replica of the Eiffel Tower piercing the sky like a 1,100-foot needle. Leave it to the Arabs to make their Eiffel Tower taller than the original. Also located in the City District was India. Although not a city per se, that small detail didn't seem to bother the designers of
this City of Wonders who had come up with the tagline, "A world within a city."
Jasper and Firefly had probably the most challenging landing, just north of the V.I.P. Villas where a large propane tank was located. They’d be the only ones landing on water, hopefully only a few yards from shore, but they were also the most experienced jumpers of the team. Shark and Python were the first to peel off from the stack, heading toward the far northwest corner of the city. The utilities main substation was located just north of the three replicas of the Pyramids of Egypt.
The team had close to two hours to complete their portion of the mission, then hide out before dawn broke. They'd keep under cover the rest of the day until shortly before the evening prayer time at five pm when all hell would break loose.
That is, if everything goes as plan, Todd thought. But when did any such mission go precisely as planned? Maybe, just maybe, they'd be lucky this time, and everything would progress as James and Pat had outlined. Yeah, right.
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