Chapter 19 #3
She shrugged. “The remainder of our ride will be in blackout. We have a while before we get there. We talked about places to eat in San Antonio. What was the worst meal you’ve ever eaten?
Mine was in the Middle East. We had just eliminated a high-value target that was known for—I’ll just say that the women in the town were thrilled that he was gone.
They went out and killed the goat, cooked it over an open pit—head and all.
I’ll be honest, I like goat, especially seasoned the way they do in that area.
I was not thrilled at all, though, when they handed me the eyeball.
Nope. Nada. Even now, the thought of that squishy white ball.
” She shook her head and shivered. Most of the men laughed.
Several agreed about goat, and a lively conversation carried them all the way until the limousine stopped.
“Get your gear and walk straight into the building,” Ashlin instructed before the doors opened. “Do not speak to any of the guards. Do not speak to our drivers. Do not look around. Leave your phones in your pockets. I’ll meet you inside.” She looked at Clint and again, didn’t have to say a word.
Ashlin exited the limousine, walked straight to the van, and picked up her two bags. In less than a minute, she had disappeared inside the ugly green building.
Clint waited until every man had collected their bags, then nodded to Boomer to lead the way. Clint was pleased the men had listened. No one had spoken a word, nor had their eyes wandered. That all changed as soon as they entered the bright hangar.
“Holy shit.”
“Fuckin’ a.”
Piper broke their amazement. “Gentlemen, welcome to our beautiful bird. Black Swan will be your transportation in the sky for the next couple of days.”
“Van is going to drool when he sees this sleek black jet,” Clint noted. “What’s it got for engines?”
Piper smiled. “Two Rolls-Royce turbofans with fifteen thousand pounds of thrust. It’s been tweaked a little to better meet our needs.
By the way, we heard from Van a few minutes ago.
He’s in the air on the way to Kelly Field.
It’ll take him a lot longer to get there than it does us.
I’m glad he’s going to be on this mission with us.
I’m really glad he’s bringing our little bird.
I prefer flying it over anything the military owns. ”
Clint grinned. “It’s quite a helicopter.”
She pointed toward the back of the plane, beyond the wing, where Mia popped her head out of the door. “Gear goes in the rear hold. Once yours is loaded, please go ahead and board. Find a seat quickly. You will be briefed while Ashlin and Kayla complete the final precheck.”
Once again, Clint was pleased as his men did precisely as directed.
He was the last to board. Grinning, he listened to his men act as though they had never been on an airplane before, but he understood their awe.
They had probably never flown in a private luxury jet.
Growing up with a mother who was an African diplomat, his family had often flown from the US to northern Africa with sheiks, princes, and even kings on occasion.
This jet rivaled many of those. Clint sat in the front row next to an empty seat.
Kira pressed a button, and the stairs automatically lifted, and the door sealed closed.
She stood just inside the cabin with her back to the cockpit.
“Welcome to Black Swan. No, the US government does not own this plane. It is specifically owned by the Black Swan teams. Several years ago, a cartel capo gave it to us. Kind of. He and all his buddies were dead and didn’t have any use for it anymore.
It has every modern luxury and then a few.
The chairs spin, and tables are in the wall, should you decide to have a meeting or just play games.
You will find keyboards and monitors also in the walls.
” Clint grinned because his men instantly had to find everything.
“The galley is well stocked and in the back. Yes, there’s beer and a fully stocked bar with your personal favorites.
We remember everything.” Kira paused and stared at the men.
“None of us are flight attendants, so be sure to rinse your dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Head, shower, and bedroom are in the far back. Your chairs lie completely flat. Pillows and blankets are underneath each chair. It’s late, and we expect you to sleep. ”
I hope we don’t need it on this mission, but this airplane can be turned into a mobile hospital within minutes.
Plastic draping comes out of the walls,” she pointed to their location, “and covers the floor.” Coyote, their medic, stood up and carefully inspected the system.
Kira smiled. “Everything we need is in panels above your head. Go ahead, touch that button that looks like a panel screw cover.” When he did, the ceiling panel mechanically dropped to two inches and slid backward, revealing drop-down surgical-style lights and connections for everything from oxygen to electrical.
“I hope we don’t have to use it, but it’s fucking awesome.” He pressed the button again, and everything disappeared.
Kira continued, “Anytime we are under ten thousand feet, we’re in combat mode; the windows remain in blackout, and we don’t use the external lights. It’s for our safety and yours.”
Clint heard hydraulics open the hangar doors. From his front-row seat, he could see the hangar go dark through the cockpit windshield.
“Is this where you show us how to buckle our nineteen-fifties-style seat belts and instruct us on how to put on the oxygen mask?” Mick teased.
Kira laughed out loud. “No. If this plane starts to go down, you can follow me to the back of the plane, where I’ll start throwing out parachutes from under the bed. Buckle up, big boy, you’re going to fly solo.”