Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 14:26:46 -0800 (PST) From: eagle 42 Subject: Tanner & Robert, chapter 11 Disclaimer: This story is a fantasy of my own creation. The characters are not real; they were born of my imagination. If a consensual relationship between two of-age males bothers you, then do not read further. If you are under the legal age in your area, stop reading now. Any similarities between a character and a real person, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any actions the reader takes as a result of reading this story are not the responsibility of the author. You may not reproduce, post, or distribute this story in any way without the author's expressed written permission. You may print out one copy or save one copy of this story for your own viewing and entertainment. By reading further, you implicitly are agreeing to the above guidelines. Many thanks go to Hal, Jason & Cody for volunteering their time and expertise to edit this story. Comments from readers are encouraged. I appreciate your constructive criticism and remarks. Enjoy -- Deja vu Jason I walked in the door of the condo and was greeted by gales of bawdy laughter. All three boys were in the living room. Kyle was lying on the sofa while Tanner and Robert were sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. My well-trained ear told me they were in the middle of telling dirty jokes when I walked in. "Well, guys, Bob's on his way and I'm hungry; how about you? We had just parked ourselves in front of a huge order-out pizza when the phone rang. I answered it. The boys looked up and saw that I had turned pale and was stuttering. "When?". . . How long ago? . . . I'll be right down." I hung up the phone, turned to them and said with a shaking voice. "Boys, that was the office. The airport and FAA just called. Our plane was lost from radar about 45 minutes ago and it seems to have gone down. Right now that's all we know." Tanner and Robert - Chapter 11 Aboard the aircraft Dr. Worthington The aircraft was waiting for our arrival as Jason and I walked out on the tarmac. The crew and passengers were already on board. Our flight attendant took my carry-on luggage and showed me to my seat next to a gentleman whom, I assumed, was a company employee, most likely one of Jason's junior associate attorneys. Taking my seat, I fastened my seat belt and, with a smile, acknowledged my seat companion. As I started to comment, my efforts were interrupted by an official sounding intercom voice. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Chief Pilot Ron Gilbert. We've been cleared for takeoff by the tower and should be airborne in less than 10 minutes. Per the usual routine, please fasten your seatbelts and remain seated during our takeoff and ascent to cruising altitude. Our local meteorologists inform us that we'll be passing through a rather severe weather front about forty-five minutes into the flight. The bad news is that the front stretches from above the Canadian border to past the Mexican border so there's no way to fly around it. The good news is that we should be able to fly through it in about a 15-minute period. For your safety, it'll be a good idea, therefore, to keep the seatbelts fastened until we have cleared the front. Should you need anything during the flight, please asked Shane, your attendant. Now sit back and enjoy your flight, courtesy of 'Uncle Jason and his birdmen'. Thank you." It wasn't long after we were airborne when the gentleman seated next to me turned and introduced himself. "Hello there, I'm Milton, Milton Abbott. Sounds as if we're in for a rough ride for a while." "Bob Worthington," I responded and shook his outstretched hand. "Yes, it does. Let's just hope we get through it quickly. As much as I fly, I still get nervous flying in turbulent weather. I know these planes are built to withstand such stress, but I'm really uneasy when they starts to bounce around, especially these smaller ones." I continued, "Are you with Jason's company, if you don't mind my asking?" "No, but we do a lot of contract work for his firm," Milton said. "We're in the security and investigations business, Dr. Worthington. He saw the look of confusion on my face and continued. "Yes, I know who you are. You see, my firm was hired to search for you on behalf of Tanner. Jason's a good friend of mine, and he asked me personally to do the investigation." Milton chuckled and remarked, "I guess you could say that I know a whole lot more about you than you do about me." He handed me his business card which told me he was with Abbott Investigations out of Los Angles. Our conversation continued for while when we both noticed that the aircraft was being pitched about a bit as we were now entering the storm front. Heavy rain had begun to pound the aircraft as sheets of lightning lit up the sky just outside our porthole windows. To be perfectly honest, I suffer a bit of the "white knuckle syndrome" when I fly anyway, but storms like the one outside made me very uncomfortable. I was afraid my discomfort was plainly evident to Milton as our conversation ceased for a while. I stared out the round window watching Mother Nature remind us frail humans who really is in control. Suddenly the aircraft lurched and seem to freefall for a long few seconds as we hit a downdraft. Then with a loud clap of thunder and a blinding streak of white light striking a wing, the lights in the cabin went out. Only the flashing bolts of lighting outside lit the aircraft interior and our anxious faces for a few terrifying moments -- until the emergency lighting system switched on. As the aircraft regained some semblance of normal flight, we were struck again by lighting. Very shortly thereafter, I could tell from the sound of the engines that one had been shut down and that we were flying only on one. About that time the co-pilot appeared in the cabin area. "Folks, this is very rare but that first lighting strike knocked out our avionics and electrical power system. We have no way to radio air traffic controllers but our transponders are still operating. And, we're not exactly sure what caused our starboard engine to shut down. However, let me reassure you that this aircraft is designed to fly quite safely on one; but as a precaution, we're going down on the deck right now. Captain Gilbert asks that you check to make sure that your seatbelts are fastened securely and that all hand baggage is stored properly under your seats. It's going to get a little rougher so just hang on. We'll talk to you again on the ground." With that comment the co-pilot disappeared behind the crew door and momentarily the aircraft nosed over into a fast decent. We were continually pitched about as the turbulence continued to increase. I must admit that my previous level of anxiety had turned now to moments of sheer terror as we continued our rapid approach to Mother Earth. Then within a few minutes we cleared through the storm front and could see that we were not more than a few thousand feet above a flat desert below. The co-pilot appeared again and told us that we were landing momentarily. They had spotted a desolate state highway that was free of traffic and that we would set down there. In less than a minute or two we felt the aircraft shutter a bit as its landing gear came in contact with the road. When the aircraft slowed to a standstill, the pilot shut down our one remaining engine and the three crewmembers opened the side door and folded down a set of steps to the ground. We all exited the aircraft, thankful to have our feet, once again, on solid ground and relieved that everyone was safe. The crew had done a professional job and we thanked them profusely for getting us down in one piece. Our flight attendant, Shane, was attempting to place a call using his cell phone but commented that evidentially we were too far away from any cell tower. Milton then joked that he hoped that some Good Samaritan would come along soon and offer assistance. At Jason's Condo Robert The morgue-like atmosphere hung in the living room like macabre veil since the phone call. Words of encouragement sounded shallow and meaningless once said so we remained silent. Tanner and Jason, however, joined me on the large sofa as we hugged as stared at the floor. Kyle remained in his recliner but the look of distress on his face spoke volumes. Suddenly Tanner piped up, "Robert, let's go for a run. When we were going through the stress and stuff when mom and dad were killed in the accident, Kyle and I found that running was very therapeutic. Whoa, wrong way to say this -- I don't mean to imply that your dad, uh, our dad, is dead. It's just that standing around here like this gets to be so morbid. I just can't sit here and do nothing!" Jason chimed in, "That's a good idea, Tanner. Here, take my cell phone. If I hear anything at all, I'll immediately call you." Turning to Kyle, Jason continued, "Kyle, obviously, you can't go jogging. Let's think positive, anyway; you need to make a list of your stuff that you want to ship to Virginia and what you want to dispose of here. That'll keep you mind occupied." Kyle agreed, but you can tell he wished that he could accompany us running. Tanner and I changed into some jogging shorts and headed to the nearby park that's a popular and safe place to congregate and jog or run. After completing the rounds twice, we slowed down a bit to catch our breath. The both of us not having run in a while had lessened our endurance; we were winded and already soaked with sweat. Turning to me, Tanner spoke, "Robert, I know we've got to think positive, as Uncle Jason puts it; they've got to be ok; I mean, -- O God, what do I mean? So many thoughts are going through my head right now. When we first started jogging that image of Jason telling Kyle and me about the accident, that mom and dad were dead returned. SHIT, that played over and over and over for several months. I'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat reliving that scene. Recently, it hasn't been the main feature in the theater of my emotions but, damn, it's doing a rerun now! We stopped jogging as I walked over to Tanner and held him closely. We both opened our emotional damns as the tears flowed. "He'll be ok, big brother; he's just got to be!" I managed to stammer in between sobs. I thought, "Damn, if he isn't, losing my dad would be terrible -- but for Tanner, he would be losing a dad a second time. Fuck, this just can't be real!" As we rounded the park for the 6th time I heard the cell phone ring; we froze in our tracks as I quickly answered. Tanner immediately placed his head close to the receiver trying to hear also. I turned to him after a few moments, smiled and shouted, "Dad's ok; Uncle Jason said he just called from some ranch out in Arizona. We're to come right home as Dad will be calling back in about 10 minutes to talk to us. Thank God, Tanner. Our dad is fine, according to Jason." We hugged each other as tears of joy trickled down our cheeks. Tanner said in an emotionally-filled voice, "Damn, this has been the longest hour of my fucking life. But they're ok, right? We're better hurry back; don't want to miss this conversation, do we!" Upon our return to the condo we found that Jason had opened a bottle of his best champagne to celebrate the welcomed news. He refused to tell us anything regarding the conversation except that everyone was ok -- so was the aircraft, relatively speaking. To allow all of us to listen and participate in the conversation with dad, Jason said we should go into the library/office where there was a speakerphone. We readily agreed. We had no sooner taken a sip or two when the phone rang. Picking up the receiver and placing it to his ear, Jason immediately smiled broadly, nodded his head to indicate that it was dad and said, "Bob, there are some mighty happy folks here who want to talk to you. I'm going to put us on the speakerphone now. Hold on, thanks. Dr. Worthington I heard everyone trying to talk at once so I interrupted, "Hello, fellows. It's mighty good to hear your voices. For a while there we weren't sure if we'd make it to the ground safely." Robert excitedly blurted, "You too, dad! What happened? Are you sure you're ok? "Uncle Jason wouldn't give us any details, that we would have to wait for you to fill us in," Tanner interrupted. I related the chain of events aboard the aircraft that led to our aborting the trip and landing in the middle of nowhere, Arizona and then continued, "We had been on the ground about 10 minutes when two modern-day cowboys rode up on horses saying that they had seen us land. They wanted to know if everyone was ok and what exactly happened." "Jess, the older of the two, then used his FM walkie-talkie to contact March Harmon, the gentleman who owns the ranch near where we landed. Jesse was instructed to offer us the hospitality of March's home while we decided what to do. That's where I am now." "We are too far away from any cell towers to use our mobile phones; that's why I haven't called sooner. I'm using his landline right now to talk with you. The HBH ranch is at least 20 miles from the nearest town. In fact, we're in the middle of the flatlands ^Ö looks as flat as a board; the mountains are way off in the distance." Jason interrupted, "Bob, now that we know that everyone is ok, what's the status of the aircraft? "Jason, the aircrew is still out there with the bird; we expect them here shortly so we'll know more then. I do know that the avionics were totally knocked out and that one engine had to be shut down. Otherwise, there's no damage to the skin that I could tell. I'll make sure that Ron calls you as soon as he gets here." "Thanks, Bob," Jason responded. "By the way, have you found out what "HBH" stands for? "I have in fact, Jason. It stands for Harmon's Beefalow Herd; he has the largest such herd in the country. Guys, these beasts are half buffalo and half beef cow, and BIG, too. Quite an amazing site, actually." Robert broke in, "Dad, have you called mom yet? She'll be worried sick when the aircraft doesn't get to the airport on schedule." "Yes, son; I talked with her prior to calling you guys. Of course, she had no idea that we had cut short the trip, so to speak, like you did. There was no reason for her to be worrying ^Ö that is, until I told her what happened. She's ok, though." Jason spoke up, "Bob, what's the game plan from your end?" "Well, Jason, March has offered to put us all up for the night ^Ö he has a dormitory here for the ranch hands ^Ö two to a room ^Ö and plenty of space available. Our two female passengers will stay in the main house here and us guys will bunk in the dorm." "March said that he could provide transportation into the nearest town in the morning. There we'll rent two cars and head to the nearest airport hub and fly commercial the rest of the way. There's no way your plane will be flying in the next day or two," I continued. "Sorry, Guys, got to cut this conversation short. Our flyboys just came in and need to talk with us. Tanner, Robert, I love you! Hold on a minute. (pause) Jason, Ron wants to have a word with you." "Jason," Ron began, "we're going back out to the aircraft in just a few minutes. The county law enforcement officers have set up bypass around the aircraft just in case someone comes along. From what they tell me, however, that road has very little traffic except early in the morning and in the late afternoon and that time has already passed." "Here's what we've arranged to do. We're about 25 miles from the local airport. Now picture this. I'm going to taxi the plane with our one operating engine over to their terminal with a patrol car in front and one a safe distance behind us. The sheriff is already clearing a way for us even as we speak -- should be able to move safely at about 40 mph. There's a way to get to the airport without going through town; shouldn't be a problem." "What? "No problem! Even thought the lightning knocked out the avionics, we can still battery-start the engine -- Yea, I gave it a quick test just before we left the bird." "From what the sheriff told me, this is most excitement this town has had this year. It seems that we'll have lots of onlookers once we get closer to town -- Say again? No, it'll be completely safe to do it this way. If we tried to use an auto tow truck there's the possibility that the front landing gear could be damaged." "Listen, gotta go; I'll call you as soon as the bird is at the facility. Ok, thanks. Bye" Ron handed the phone back to me. I picked up the conversation where we left off, "Jason, this plan sounds to interesting, I think I'm going back to watch this rescue. Yes, we'll call when it's over. Bye." I turned to March and thanked him for the use of the phone. At that moment two young teenagers entered the room. March said, "Fellows, let me introduce my twin sons, Alan and Chase. Boys, this is Dr. Robert Worthington. He has two sons just about your age." I shook hands with the boys and commented, "Very nice to meet you, guys; your dad has been mighty generous with his hospitality. I'm sure our dropping out of the sky this afternoon was not something that had been on his agenda of things to do today. March laughed dutifully, turned to his sons and said, "Dr. Worthington is on the faculty at the university in Virginia that you guys have expressed some interest in. " I broke in faking a Texas accent, "You fellows are interested in our fair institution of higher learning? Been there yet? " Chase responded, "No, sir; we're planning a visit there during our Spring break. Alan and I are interested in the swim team there." March interrupted, "My boys are both excellent students but they are also very competitive swimmers. If you don't mind my bragging, they're ranked nationally at the high school level in their events." "We hope to receive both an academic scholarship and perhaps an additional "grant-in-aid" money to swim there," Alan added. I thought a minute and responded, "March, I've got an idea -- of course I need to check it out with the boss, my wife (I grinned at my bit of small humor) -- but we'd love to put the boys up at our place when they come for their visit. At least that's something you guys can think about. My sons would love to have you there for a while." I continued, "Fellows, I must be honest with you up front so you don't get your hopes built up too much but the reality is pretty harsh. The University takes very few out-of-state students and even then offers very few academic or athletic scholarships. They can be had, but the odds are really tough." March said, "Thanks for letting us know that; we need to keep our options grounded in reality. Sure, the university is a great school, and I think the boys would do well there -- both academically and in swimming -- but there are other fine schools elsewhere in case it doesn't work out. I've told them not to put all their eggs in one basket, if you know what I mean." "I agree." About that time the phone rang. It was Dorothy and from the sound and tone of her voice, I could tell something had happened. "Bob, when are you getting in tomorrow? There's been a development here at home. I need you here badly -- and quickly, " Dorothy said.