Jessie James
Ninety miles south… Mexico
Jessie’s shift was half over and she took her break. She found Theo walking through the kitchen as she headed to the breakroom. “Theo?”
“Hi, Jessie.” Theo smiled.
She liked the way he tried to get his tongue around the letter ‘j’ in her name. It was difficult for most Greeks.
“No Simo tonight?”
“He did not talk to you?”
“Um, no?”
“Ari make him take vacation. They go together, fishing.”
“Oh? For how long is Simo gone?”
Chen stepped out of the storeroom and Jessie cocked her head at how odd that seemed. Theo smiled at her and gestured Chen over.
“Jessie, I was just coming to see you.”
Theo turned to Chen. “I tell Jessie, Simo is on vacation. You finish for me here?”
“Yes, Theo. I will, thank you.”
“Yasou, Jessie!” Theo smiled and waved.
Chen pulled up a chair and sat down close to Jessie in the empty breakroom. “Ari wants your transition here to be easier… and easier for Simo as well.”
Jessie hung her head and sighed. “Chen? Can I be candid with you?”
Chen smiled. “Of course.”
“I hate causing Simo trouble… but part of me is screaming to speak with him. My… my heart feels like it’s split into two. Finally, after all this time I get to see him and talk to him, yet it kills me to know I am causing him grief. What am I supposed to do?”
“Time. You must give him time. I know it’s hard for passionate people like yourself to have patience in these matters. Simo has been torn in many directions lately and is under a great deal of stress. I knew he was close to his breaking point. And as you saw, it happened.”
Jessie felt her eyes fill with tears and she looked away sniffing. “What can you tell me?”
“Not much, Jessie. I’m sorry. Simo’s orders to everyone. He wants to speak with you on his own when he’s ready. I can tell you this: He knows you have feelings for him, but for both of you there has been a great deal of time away from each other. You both had lives…”
“Not really…” Jessie sighed. “Spent all my time training, completing my degree, and setting up my OP. Then more training for that silly graduation… which I think was actually fake just to get Simo close to me.”
“I understand… my compliments go out to you on your well formulated plan. It went nearly flawlessly, correct?”
“Yeah, except for the bullet, and me sitting here, rather than in prison or my coffin…” Jessie shrugged.
Chen sighed. “I don’t understand this death wish you both have…”
“Hope for the best, expect the worst? I guess. Russian way of living perhaps.”
“Perhaps that makes more sense.”
“I… I will try to give Simo as much time as I can. At some point I will pull the trigger and speak with him. So… how long will he be gone?”
“Most likely a month… or more.” Jessie winced, and he felt bad for her. “Patience, Jessie, patience. In the meantime, I am supposed to be your shadow. If I give you leeway, can I trust that you won’t push the boundaries set forth in your agreement?”
Jessie nodded. She cleared the lump in her throat. “Of course, Chen. Is there a firing range around here or gym?”
Chen grinned. “Oh yes. We have a canyon close to Ari’s home where we have exclusive use as a firing range. Also, when you are cleared by our Doc, Ari’s new home has underground training facilities as well as a full gym. I will set you up with a clearance to gain entrance to that part of the home.”
“Thank you, Chen. I’m so used to training… I feel off.”
“Totally understandable.” Chen grinned at Jessie. “Speaking of training… have you had any flight training?”
“No… never had time and it wasn’t part of my... occupational specialty. Why?”
“Ari has been spending money of late… I think, well never mind that. We are all qualified and rated to fly helos. Ari recently purchased a new light duty helicopter. He is tired of driving or renting aircraft, so he says. The helo is a Eurocopter EC145. Great to fly and relatively easy. Seats five. At my request Ari is having it fitted with FLIR optical system.” Chen’s grin got bigger.
Jessie wondered if Simo would be impressed if she learned to fly. “So! When do we start?” Jessie grinned back.
“On your next day off. In the meantime I will send over training literature. Gunnar is our instructor. So study your ground school materials, understood?”
“You know it.” Jessie replied happily.
Chen enjoyed seeing Jessie immerse herself into pilot training.
It seemed that Ari’s plan for Jessie was spot on.
For nearly every waking moment she was not working, Jessie pored over anything she could get her hands on concerning flying a helo.
She had to wait two weeks to pass her flight medical certification due to her injury, but after that Gunnar had her up as much as their schedules would allow.
Three weeks into Jessie’s pilot training, Gunnar and Jessie were seated together at a table in a private room at the Santa Monica airport. Jessie was nervously fidgeting while glancing at Gunnar’s cell phone on the table. Gunnar sat motionless as he waited for his phone to ring.
Jessie watched Gunanr; it was as if he were taking his time and simply relaxing. Watching him, it was as if a bell rang and suddenly woke her up. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and began silently doing some deep breathing and controlling her heart rate.
Gunnar turned to her with a smile, “She breathes finally.”
Jessie let out a snort and the anxiety of waiting for Mike Booker to give her the ok to leave LA on her solo flight module began to dissipate.
Soon all her anxiety melted away. She was able to see things more clearly.
In the long run, it really didn’t matter if she got the ok or not.
She knew she could fly and fly very well.
If she got her license or not really didn’t make a difference.
Perhaps Simo would be proud, regardless.
Gunnar's phone lit up and Jessie glanced at it before looking up at him. “Thank you, Gunnar... for everything.”
He gave her a nod. “You are welcome. Shall we see?”
“Yes, please.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Booker,” Gunnar greeted him. “I understand.” He listened for a moment, then nodded. “I will tell her. Very well, thank you.”
He lowered the phone and looked at Jessie.
“Mr. Booker reminds me that on your last approach you trimmed three hedges. He asks that you leave the landscaping intact this time.”
Jessie grinned. “Well, those hedges should've ducked.”
Gunnar considered that for a moment. “I shall warn them before you depart… on your solo flight.”
Jessie blinked. “Really?”
“Affirmative... to really.”
She burst out laughing. “Awesome!”
Before he could react, Jessie wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug.
Gunnar chuckled, patting her awkwardly on the back. “Jessie, this was not in the mission briefing!”
She was flying steady at three thousand feet heading east toward Palm Springs.
Looking south she knew the Mexican border was only about 90 miles away.
The thought of simply dropping altitude, turning south and disappearing into Mexico entered her mind, but for only a moment.
She had given her word to Simo and if anything, she would keep her word to the dying end, even if it killed her.
With a nod to herself, she radioed the next transition area to get clearance to the next zone.