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“Maintain present heading and flight level. Washington Center turns Lear Seven-Five over to Atlanta Center at this time.”
“Roger, Washington. Thank you—
“Atlanta Center. Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five at flight level three-one-zero, on a heading of two-zero-nine true, airspeed five hundred. Estimate Pope in three-zero minutes. Pope special approach and landing permission, USAF six, this date. Request approach and landing.”
“Lear Seven-Five, Atlanta Center. I don’t have you on radar. Is your transponder operating?”
“Oh, fuck!” Castillo said, and turned to Fernando. “Where do they hide the transponder indicator on this thing?”
Fernando pointed to the lower right of Castillo’s control panel as he pressed his microphone button.
“Atlanta Center, Lear Seven-Five, our transponder is operating. ”
“Oh, there you are. Okay. Atlanta Center clears Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five to descend, and maintain 10,000 feet, and contact Pope approach control on 123.5.”
“Lear Seven-Five descending from flight level three-one-zero to 10,000 feet. Thank you.”
Castillo changed the radio frequency to 123.5, depressed the PUSH TO TALK key.
“Pope approach control, Lear Five-Zero-Seven-Five.”
“Seven-Five, Pope.”
“Please contact Captain Brewster at Seventeenth Airborne Corps, advise him of our ETA, and inform him we will require ground transportation.”
“Sure thing, Seven-Five.”
“Thank you, Pope.”
“So tell me about you and the lady cop, Gringo,” Fernando said. “Very nice!”
There was no response.
“Hey, Gringo, I thought you were going to tell me everything. ”
He looked over at Castillo. In the glow of the panel lights, he could see Castillo’s head was slumped forward. Charley was sound asleep.
Fernando reached toward him to shake his shoulder, but changed his mind.
[TWO]
Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina 0455 10 June 2005
Fernando Lopez reached over in the cockpit and pushed Charley’s shoulder.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty! Wake up!”
Castillo almost snapped his head back, then looked out the windshield. They were moving down a taxiway, past a long line of Air Force C-130s.
“We’re down,” Castillo said, sounding surprised.
“With no help from you.”
“Sorry, Fernando.”
“Come on, Gringo, when was the last time you had any sleep?”
“I dunno,” Castillo said after a moment. Then, “Where we going?”
