Kit knocked off all the outside lights as Jess took them off, up
and onward, leveling them out just half a wing length above the
treetops. Pute and Cy were trying to jam the suits' computers and
giving destinations of anywhere but Bari for the 7 as they took to the
last of July 8th's baby-butt-smooth dark morning air, praying for no
groundfire. And DAM, they saw tracers streak by, but heard no hits,
and Will, Flece and Gena rushed back to the cabin to check the kids,
everyone else and the engines and wings as well as they could in the
dark.
        Lightning was crackling all around the sky up North, so they
turned South for fire avoidance, not wanting the lightning to
silhouette their craft. The Stinger unit lost their shot with that turn,
but the guys did not know that.
        The 3 came back from the cabin and reported all OK as Jess
watched and told the others that the Cheyenne had made a turn to
the South as soon as it had become airborne halfway down the
runway, their lights all off too.
        They kept Pute on Cy for whatever the Chippys could do and
turned toward Dubrovnik, staying low until they reached the coast,
then climbed on up and relaxed a little as they took off all their fine
war wardrobe and turned the lights back on, since the suits, still
behind them, obviously had gogs too. And the 7 of them in the 7
planned out Bari as they enjoyed the time over the beautiful moonlit
Adriatic, very happy they were seeing it once again. Of course, that
speed they had taken back in Sara's Jeep was not hurting anybody
any, the girls checking in with Kit on his heart, though. They almost
felt sorry for the suits, but..."naaahhh".
        Kit gave his seat to Flee as they climbed, Jess gave hers to
Gena, Buz gave Will the panel and our free 3 went back to the cabin
and visited with everyone, helping any they could with comfort or
information, then brought the kids up to the loinpit and got them into
the pilot seats until it was time for descent.
        Gen and Flece took back over for the approach and landing,
tickling Felecia's fancy to full tickle. Jess and Kit "made out" while
they worked with Pute in the back seats. They called Mona, herself
on her other line with Sara, who was prematurely asking if the guys
had arrived all right. They asked Mo for back-up security.
        After landing, Jess pulled the puro out of her left breast pocket
and gave Buz lighting honors, the big guy taking it in his lips like it
was Jessy's left nipple itself. Mm-mm. A lot of folks were out on the
tarmac to welcome them back and to help the passengers to the
buses, cars or ambulances, and the guys stayed up in the cockpit
after saluting and waving one more time to everyone out in the
cabin, hugging and kissing the kids again, having asked Mona to find
a private home to take care of them, which she had - hers; and the
Cheyenne taxied in and shut down close by.
        Buz, Will and Kit deplaned after the last of the passengers.
The girls were staying up in the nookypit, back on the phone with
Mona, and the two suited agents were at the bottom of the stairs.
        Kit told them he was giving himself up and turned around for
them to cuff him and they started to. Well, Buz is an ex-Marine who
knows 27 ways to kill and Will, of course, had served in Vietnam.
They copped those suits' guns before the first cuff was closed on
Kit's wrist and marched the agents up the stairs into the 7, sat them
down and cuffed them to their seats after taking their keys. Then Kit
and Jess had Pute and Cy byte into the intelnets that "Deepheart"
had been captured. Cincy didn't believe it, though, back in Cincinnati,
on line with DC in D.C.
        Sophia popped the cork on the champagne and it just about
hit Kit in the head as all the guys deplaned and everyone embraced
out on the ramp, that party comfuckingmencing as the light of day
peered over the horizon. Pute and Cy were impersonating the suits
who were supposedly in possession of Jess, the old dude and the
other girl, and were picking up on all kinds of intel, and paths of.
        They downed the champagne in the office and talked over
what to do with the agents. When the drinks were all drunk, Buz
and Will got the suits out of the 7 and into the wagon as Kit and
Jess talked with and paid the crew to take the seats out of the
Douglas and load the cargo by evening. No hurry, though. Then
they all drove to the villa, trying to get any information they could
out of the agents, employing the hostage affinity strategy (besides
just being the nice guys they are) - treating them like friends, trying
to get them to drink some beer or smoke some of the herb before
cuffing them to the easy chairs in the living room of the villa, with
the TV tuned into the concert, leaving good food and Margaritas for
their free hands.
        The guys were then back on Pute and learned that there were
more agents on the way to Bari, some coming to help transport Jess
and the other two, others dispatched by black ops center itself after
getting a report that the agents had been abducted. So Kit asked Mo
if she wouldn't mind ordering up a small security "army" for the villa
and the plane, and put up a half-million for that.
        They commed Sundance, and the Execs gave them their
opinion that the momentum around the world was reaching critical
mass. It was time to go for it! So together they came up with
agreeing to announce a signing ceremony on the 14th in Paris. At
the Arch of Triumph. The French Fourth of July. Whoever comes
comes. And the WPG would wait there for as long as it would take
for everyone to come.
        Then they discussed the billionaires' meeting. The big money
had voted for the WPG! And they would be pressing it with all of
business and government starting immediately! The Redman then
told them that even warriors of fortune and warrior mongers were
turning in favor, though in a perverse way, seeing the potential for
a big war if the WPG went ahead with things, and were secretly
planning how to make such a war happen. So, practically all
opposition to the PG was gone. Publicly.
        Sunny also mentioned that the President was asking about
someone called "Deepheart", who was possibly over in Sarajevo,
and wondered if the guys knew anything about it. Jess puted back
that, gosh, they sure didn't, but would certainly try to find out.
Then Sundance had to go.
        The girls called home. Well, Ginny got serious with Kit about
keeping the daughters out of trouble, besides still beating him up
some more over them being with him. He pleaded that he was
doing all he could about their safety, mentioning that their
preciouses were not always cooperating. She told him about some
news reports that she had heard of some young American beauties
flying medical supplies into Sarajevo and warned him that if that was
them that he could kiss his genitalia goodby, among other parts. He
lied: denied it. Jess got back on and backed up his denial before
saying "chow", Ginny just pleading with her to be safe, and Jess
promising, then finding out that the folks had cashed the check.
        They called the guys in D.C., and Kenja and Elaine had gotten
them a turbine Aero Commander for just over $9oo,ooo, but they
were all still in the Capitol with the demonstrations and working
more with the WPG leaders. Kit talked with Josh, then Flee and
Julio had the phone until hangup, the others going out for a nudy
swim in the sea. O yes.
        Flece joined them in a while, then a couple planes - Cheyennes
- showed up and circled low around them. "The agents, I bet," Jess
said.
        "I bet they're enjoying the view," Flee added, the girls all
standing in thigh-high water. Luckily, Mo's "army" was already
showing up around the villa, discouraging the suits from any beach
or other close-in landing. The guys waved up as they exited the
water in their finest and strolled back to the cottage happy to notice,
at least, that the agents were not shooting, other than their cameras.
        Back on the porch, they called Truchas. Jul and Ria were in
bed, but muy happy to hear from their 'meegs. There had been a
little fire at the ranch earlier, they reported, deliberately set, they
knew from the dogs, just outside the fenceline. But a storm had
come in right away and drenched out the fire before it had spread
very far, no person or animal hurt, nor any of the ranch. Jessy and
Kit figured it to be suits on the fire and Spirits on the storm, in awe
again. Jul continued that the new vein was growing and they had
over $7 million out and in the shed, with Wallace, Junior and Pedro
helping Julian, and they decided to get a Treasury pickup at $25M.
        Kit apologized that they weren't there to help and Jul laughed,
then Kit said that he would pay for all the security they felt they
wanted, but Julian said no problemo, he and Wally had already
added enough hombres to their "village" force. The girls filled Maria
in on the whole Sarajevo story and the rest, then it was most fond
"adioses".
        So they called Rockhead. Wiley and Orv gave them a funny
lashing when they heard about the DC 3 getting all shot up. They
were handling the FAA all right, but Kit came up with taking North
Air public - a big stock offering - to put some light of day on the
FAA's motivations and to get the 3 WPO'ers names disconnected
(not telling their partners that they were the WPO, of course),
besides to raise money to take North to a higher level. They were
pressing service further into central Asia then.
        The old dudes liked Kit's idea, and Wile said he would ask
Elaine, Aileen and AD to get it lit. Elaine then got on and told them
how great the village was doing and mentioned the new purchases -
a P-38, the twin-boomed, twin-engined WWII fighter, and a Spad.
Where the "ole coots" were finding them, only they knew, she said.
Of course, that's where the recent profit had gone, including the
Aero Commander, but that was the plan. Tom said howdy, and it
was soon "miss ya's" all around and time to go, Wiley yelling to be
more careful with the DC 7 and the gorgeous angels, goddammit.
        Well, the Earth was still spinning nearly 1,ooo MPH into that
"Spirit" that Jess had attributed to the World Court decision. So
Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and some southeast
Asian countries already had or were declaring for the WPG. But no
China or North Korea or others like that. Japan, Germany and Italy
had decided to announce their support together as a statement about
World War Two. India was debating it, and so was Pakistan, each
waiting for the other, apparently. Russia was kind of with the United
States on it, waiting to hear from China, they were saying. It still was
a big step. Mighty big.
        Flece brought Jessy's Gibson out to the porch - practically the
only baggage they had with them besides Pute and the flight case -
and Flee picked out some notes, then the chords to "Girls And
Periods" and our 3 laughed as she passed Gibby over and Jess
played and sang that ole tune, blowing their new friends' socks every
which way, though no one was wearing any. In fact, they were all
still nudes.
        Buz went into the living room and, with Will, brought the suits
out to the porch, telling them to at least take their dam black suit
coats and ties off, which they did, so the guys forewent their
wrist-a-cuffs and tried to get the agents loosened up some more.
And Mo's "army" was close by - close enough to hear, see and
admire the amazing beauties.
        Yay, verily, through the last of the morning she did play and
sing. She could have been on stage at Monument, they all knew. In
the movies, even. But she was there. And plenty happy, which was,
of course, all that really mattered to Cody.
        She paused after about an "our" and Buz asked for the guitar
and played some of his songs. All they needed were a bunch more
instruments. But, uncharacteristically, they were without something.
        Kit got his old Gib passed to him and started with his Italian-
sounding ditty, then Jess asked for his Spanish-sounding tune, then
whatever he could think of, and he did Young's, "Been A Miner
For A Heart Of Gold...."
        Flee got it back next and did some of theirs, and the guitar
floated around as they got drunker and stoneder and tireder and Kit
started the passing-out-exhaustedness, keeling over into Jessy's
bareskin lap, smiling and kissing on his way to sleep.
        The others talked and played on some as Jess stroked her old
man's hair, then they started joining the Coder's condition, mostly
involuntarily. Buz took watch, though, working it out with Will to
follow up if the Buzzer couldn't find anyone else before he conked.
Jess and Flee stayed up as much as they could with "The Red" after
he moved the suits back inside the cottage, and they had one very
pleasant talk, Savvy even staying awake for some of it.
        Mona showed up right at the limit of their endurance, having
gotten the kids to nap, and a sitter, and told them about the agents
who had flown in - eight of them - and all the questions they had
asked about the two agents that had flown in ahead of them, plus
more about Jess and her companions. Mona said she had pretty
much stonewalled the questions, claiming no understanding of
English or very little of their Italian. Then Jess and Flee were
dozing off, so they took Kit for more sleep in a bedroom, Buz and
Savan retired to another and Mo took watch with some guys from
their security force.

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