So, the guys met Buz in person and talked away with him as
they walked up the aisle of the cabin, greeting passengers on the
way. The orphanage kids were in the first row seats, and Jess
stopped to hug and kiss them, and Kit saluted them, then all their
passengers, before our two and Buz headed on into the glanpit.
        Savanna, Buz's beautiful partner in life and business, got out
of the right pilot seat for Kit after Jessy took the captain's chair,
Jess and Kit hugging and kissing "Savvy" as they met, Gena and
Flee already in the bulkhead seats; and Buz took the engineer's seat
after Will scooted out of it to the seat just behind.
        "Vanna" moved into the jump seat behind the center console
and took Jess and Kit through starting the outboard engines as they
buckled on. Flece had dialed up BR and heard his hello on the other
end. He was in D.C. O yea. They were quite the item, both of them
angry that the other hadn't called while he had been in Europe before
they got over that and into all the present excitement. The other
cellphone was on Pute, in Flee's lap, and the P-ster and Cyby were
making love. It was almost insane.
        Jess was near giddy from starting up those huge outboards,
with Savannah's and Buz's tutoring, then released the brakes after
Savvy told her where that handle was and they started getting the
heck out of there. Um, there was a lot of conversation; uh, everyone
having something to say. What a crew. Jessy was talking about what
the hell to do next and asking where all the controls were, Kit was
saying a with-the-wind takeoff might be the safest, Flece was talking
with BR about getting together real soon, Genavieve, oh, was
praying outloud to her patron saint of French flyers, Will was talking
with Buz about the engineer's panel, and Savvy was giving
instructions to Jess and Kit as they taxied out, every one of them
agreeing on that downwind takeoff to edge the goddam potential fire.
Yeahup, they were go.
        Then Will showed Kit the flak jacket that had taken a bullet
back in the 3 as he passed the jackets, helmets and goggles up.
        "Who's was it?!" more than a little shock perceivable in Code's
voice.
        "The one Sage put under your seat," Will said, almost in
reverence.
        "What the...fuh..." Kit answered, immediately relieved that it
had been his jacket and neither of the girls' while taking the surprise
that Sage had done that and no one had told him until then; "...you
think...my butt...would have deflected it?" he breathed out in total
thankfulness as he and Will shared heavy looks.
        Jess released her belt and leaned over to hug and kiss Kit,
softly saying, "you're hard, Cody. But you're not that hard."
        Kit gave Savvy and Buz the really quick version of the
deflective butt story as he kissed and held Jess before he took
exception to his hardness being impugned in front of everyone.
        Well, that was all mirthfully jovialed as Jess passed the speed
and water around while suggesting that they all sit on their leg
jackets since they didn't have extras. So they all did that while
Vanny and Buz proceeded to take them through runup, Jessy just
loving learning her old new DC 7.
        "A by-God DC and 7!" she cheered.
        "Hoo hoo, bovine girl!" Flece was right there with her.
        Of course, the Cheyenne was taxiing out, very hard to tell by
just the lights, though Kit and Jess guessed it. But there was nothing
they could do about it until Bari.
        They got all good to go, then Kit leaned over and kissed Jess,
whispering, "let's be like the wind, Heaven..." and she smiled
heavenly, Savvy and Buz kissed, Gena, Flee and Will took each
others' hands, Jessy hoped out loud that no one was calling their
departure direction to the Serbs, they donned the gogs, Sav putting
on the extra pair, then Kit affirmed it was the Cheyenne and
apprised the other guys and called Tower to make sure the runway
was clear. It was. Jess poured some fuel into the coals and rolled
them out to the numbers as Serbs were scrambling a Stinger unit to
the other end of the runway, unbeknownst to anyone except Serbs.

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