Well, there were things to do and the sun was burning.
They kept Pute on the cell and jumped into their clothes. Kit
told her there was a chore to do outside, but that she could go
on over to see everyone at the other cabin if she wanted. She
wanted to help, though, or at least watch and learn. They hit
the big outdoors, got a pump and hose out of the barn, went
around back behind their cabin to the stream - one of the
Mora's headwaters - and he stuck one end of hose into the
water, the other into the pump, took the other hose coming
out of the pump with him up the ladder against the water tank
next to the cabin and threw it over the tank's wall, came back
down and started up the pump.
        "Cool!" Jess registered her impressment, "but how'd you
know it needed water?"
        "I guess."
        "O...well, that's a little reassuring that you're kind of a
regular mortal," she laughed.
        Estrella came around the side of the cabin, "bueno
diosed" with them, told them that Maria had breakfast almost
ready and that the men were putting stulls up in the mine. They
talked a little more about the Gold and all until the water spilled
over the tank. Kit shut off the pump and they carried things
back to the barn, took quick looks at Juliet, then Jess and Es
went on to see Ria, and Kit went up to the mine to get the guys.
        The women had one of those beautiful woman talks that
few men in this world are priveleged to know anything about
while Kit helped the guys with the last beam before they headed
down, talking about beastly men-type things.
        Kit said, "sorry I didn't get up to help you guys sooner...."
        "The chingall you are," Julian laughed with his son and
Kit.
        Breakfast was a mother of feasts. The works. And they
talked over the day plans and further out. They would get
Wallace working on the plane right away and Jul said he would
work with him. They would make more boxes for the Gold.
Mari and Juli would go into Mora for food, supplies and dogs
and would look at other animals. Kit, Jess and Es would work
the mine until the guys had to go get Felecia. They called
Wallace, and he was "out the door" as soon as they asked, and
he would pick up needed stuff on the way.
        They all cleaned up the kitchen, made some boxes and
stashed them and the full ones in the barn inside their shed; then
they prepared Juliet - covering all the holes, windows and places
with tape and paper. Maria called Sonia to tell her the news and
Sone and Emilio said they would love to come up. Then Ri and
Juli got going to Mora and met Wallace at the "gate", Wally
having perfectly understood Julian's instructions of "you know
where that big stand of Ponderosa is, right before the pass."
        It was a few tokes and beers after Wallo drove into the
yard. Kit had met him before, one day in Mora at the cantina,
but ole Wal sure had not met Jessica.
        "Ay yi yi yi yi!" Wallace responded more than once,
between, "ho chee mama!" and other accolades.
        "That's what I said too," Julian kidded.
        "You hombres," Jess chided, "Strella and Maria are more
bella than me."
        "Si, Jessy!" Es cheered her, "you go, mi nina!"
        "Eeeee, Hulo, listen to your little squirt, a la vay," Wally
laughed and razzed some more as they sat out on the porch
before going to the barn and to work on taking Juliet's paint off
with stripper, Kit giving Wallo the details on what he needed and
the $2,ooo cash down payment. Then Kit and the girls left to go
up to the mine, despite Wall's kidding protests, after Kit ducked
into his cabin for his beeper so Pute could call if there was any
important news.
        They got right to the picking, the Gold inspiring the hell all
out of them, the girls impressively doing the hard labor as well
as they could right along with Kit. Back in the barn, Wally asked
Jul where Kit the heck was going with the young beauties and
the prearranged answer was "on a hike". Wallace razzed Julian
all day about that, and Jul played along with it. "Yeah, Kit gets
the bellas and we get the work, carnal."
        Ria and Juli got back by lunchtime with vittles, plus a
Shepherd, a Collie and a couple of hound dogs, some young,
some grown, male and female. Kit and the girls came down the
mountain and they all had lunch out on Ri and Jul's veranda,
feeding the dogs, too, as they all got to know them and vice
versa.
        Wallo, at a point, asked, "hey, Kit, where'd you and the
lovely bellas get all that dirt on ya?" smiling his pleasure
toward Jess and Essy.
        "Uh..." Kit took it, "we found a small cave, Ace. You
know, looking for El Dorado," and laughed like how silly that
was and the others laughed and Wallace seemed to buy it.
Lunch was a lot of fun with the dogs and more smoke and beer,
though Kit and Jess layed off for the drive to Santa and, after
our two checked the progress on Juliet, they got Pute before
leaving. And when Mari and the kids went up to the mine, Jul
answered Wally, back in the barn, that Ri and the kids were
working on the fence. The guys were good.
        Driving into Santa, Jessy and Kit heard the Window Rock
announcement on the radio news. There were some sound bites
from Joni and Julio and a Navajo Chief that sounded just great.
And Jess was all excited again.
        When they got to the airport she asked, "why didn't we
just fly Juliet here and put her in a hangar?"
        "Uh, I figured they might check on new hangar rentals in
the area."
        "Aw yeah. You're good, Cody."
        "I hope good enough."
        "You're good enough...for an ole man," she jousted.
        "Owee," he frowned and looked hurt. But she kissed him
for forgiveness. They were early for Felecia's plane, so checked
out planes for sale, found a Cessna 310 they liked and arranged
a test flight for later.
        The commuter flight from Albuquerque taxied in to the
ramp right on time and Flece came down the steps and the girls
excitedly hugged and talked and Kit got a big hug and kiss. They
walked back to the truck, put her bags in the cab, locked it and
went to fly the 310. Talking in the office with the sales guys, Kit
showed them his license, which included his old multi-engine
instructor rating, and gave an account of his experience and
financial responsibility. One of the salesmen called BR for
reference, at Kit's suggestion, then cleared them to rent the
Cessna for a short flight.
        Felecia jumped in back, Jess into the captain's seat and Kit
got in beside her, the girls still talking away. Jess started to
explain things to her best friend, Kit and Jessy having decided on
the way to town to let Flee in on everything. And they had
apprised her of the risk and danger and got her OK before filling
her in. She wanted to be right there in the thick of it with her best
friend, though. That was their history. She was just as much a
rebel as Jess, they both informed Kit.
        Well, "cowgirl 2" was just as mightily amazed at Jessy's
flying as she was at the story. And Jess just loved the twin-
engined ship, which had the extra stuff that Kit felt they needed.
It was in great shape and flew well, so they went through the
paperwork when they got back and Kit called his bank VP buddy
at home, and Octavio asked, "what are you doing, Kit, starting an
airline?" But the loan was OK'd and they bought the plane in one
of Kit's cover corporations, getting it for $1o7,ooo. A real deal.
Then they bought a sunscreen for the windshield, put that in,
closed the curtains, locked it up and drove to BR's office for a
meeting they had arranged over the cell earlier on their drive into
Santa.
 
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