FIRE ON HIGH
“Fire On High” is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. All characters and settings © Tigermark 2003-2006 unless otherwise noted. Request permission before using them, please.
The characters of Anatol Altaisokova and Melinda Altaisokova are my names for characters © Max Blackrabbit. They appear in this story with his permission. The characters of Brandy, Maxwell, Tonya and Zig Zag are also © Max Blackrabbit and appear here with his permission. Events and information relating to Tonya, Anatol, and their family are presented here, but are not to be considered canon to those characters or any other story but this one. ZZ Studios, and all characters associated with ZZ Studios, James Sheppard, and Marvin Badger © James Bruner and appear here with his permission. Although characters from and events referring to Zig Zag the Story appear here, this story is not canon to that one, and the author will disavow any knowledge of this story. Wanda Vixen © Chris Yost and appears here with his permission. Sabrina Mustidalae © Eric W. Schwartz and appears here with his permission. This story is not canon to Sabrina Online the comic, or Sabrina Online the Story, either. Matt Barstock and Intermountain Charter, The Bitch, and her crew © Silver Coyote. See their story HERE. Gail Rutherford © me and is not canon to any other story involving ZZ Studios.
Chapter 38
Photo Op, Pt. 2
Alex opened the canopy and took his helmet off. The ramp furs rolled a set of boarding steps into place, and he stood and deftly stepped out of the cockpit and onto the top step. He placed his helmet in the seat, and then backed down the steep steps to the hangar floor. Once there he looked around at the crew of furs busily preparing the setting for the photo shoot. He saw a tall stand with a tripod camera mount on it toward the other side of the hanger, but no one was up on it yet. There also seemed to be several furs with video cameras on their shoulder or in front of them. Alex assumed Zig Zag was also going to make a “making of” video for distribution, as well.
Just as Alex was wondering what to do next, he saw a familiar striped convertible pull up just outside the hangar doors. Close behind were several passenger vans. In a second, Zig Zag stood gracefully up out of the sports car and started walking his direction. The young skunk femme he’d seen at the studio Monday got out of the other side and followed her tiger-striped boss. As they got closer, he could hear the younger skunk’s protests, even with his ear plugs still in.
“But Zig, I still don’t see why I have to be here!”
“I’ve already told you a dozen times, Sabrina. This poster will have everyone, and I mean everyone, from the studio on it. Some of the camera furs and other crew are going to wear dark glasses and hats, but I want you right in there with Marvin and me.”
“Aww, but I — hey, you’re the tiger who was at the studio Monday.”
The pair of femmes had stopped right in front of Alex. He had discreetly removed his earplugs, and the younger femme’s reaction to seeing him caused him to chuckle.
“Nice to see you again, too, young lady.”
Sabrina smiled demurely. “Thank you.” She turned to Zig Zag. “Who is this, Zig Zag?”
Zig Zag smiled broadly. “I think he can speak and answer questions, Sabrina, but allow me to introduce him. This polite gentlefur is my second cousin, Alex O’Whitt. Alex, this is Sabrina Mustidalae, our resident computer geek.”
Sabrina’s eyes got huge behind her glasses as Alex extended a paw to shake. “He’s related to you? Wow! I’ve never met any of your family. I thought they all disowned you or something. Nice to meet you, Alex.”
“Likewise, Sabrina. Zig Zag and I have been out of touch for a long time, but I don’t disown family. I’m quite proud of her.” Alex gently shook the femme’s paw.
Zig Zag smiled, looking as though caught between uncertainty and possibly blushing. She was unused to anyone but James saying they were proud of her, and even with him she was still a little taken aback when he said it. Then the look and the moment were gone. Zig Zag the studio owner looked over her shoulder at the vans. Marvin was attempting to gather the furs as they got out and keep them in some semblance of order. Alex’s eyesight was as sharp as ever, and he arched an eyebrow at what many of the furs were wearing. Some were dressed in t-shirts and jeans, and Alex assumed they were likely part of the production crew. The actors were unmistakable, though, as their costumes gave them away.
The femmes were wearing some of the skimpiest, most barely-there outfits Alex had ever seen. Everything from bikinis to negligees, and some very racy fantasy costumes, as well. Likewise several of the males were dressed in costumes straight off a romance novel cover, designed to accentuate their build. Alex noted that Zig Zag herself was wearing a long coat, and he didn’t care to speculate what she was wearing under it. It did indeed seem as though Zig Zag had emptied the studio, including all the sound stage crew, editors, and probably even the janitorial staff. Alex even spotted Gail Rutherford climbing out of the third van.
“Excuse me, I have to go help Marvin herd everyone this way,” Zig Zag said as she turned to go help her studio manager. With a slight flip of her tail she headed across the hangar.
Alex arched his back and stretched his tail out. Sabrina was being so quiet he’d nearly forgotten she was there. Deciding he’d be there a while, Alex took off his parachute and harness, and then unzipped and removed his G-suit. He then reached back, unzipped, and removed the tail sheath on his suit. He deposited all that gear underneath the wing and turned to find Sabrina staring at him with wide eyes. He gave a slight chuckle.
“Relax, Sabrina. That’s all that’s coming off.”
The skunk blushed furiously. “Oh! I’m sorry. It’s just that, well, with any of Zig Zag’s crew, you never know. Ahh, does the plane belong to you, or Zig Zag? She has a car with stripes like that.”
Alex grinned. “I know, I saw you two drive up in it. I also saw it at Zig’s house once. To answer your question, no, Stripes One belongs to me. I had her rebuilt and customized as a sort of retirement present to myself.”
“You’re retired? Gee, you don’t, ah, that is . . . where did you retire from?”
Sabrina looked about to blush again, but Alex let the unintended comment on his age go by. He did have a slight smirk on his muzzle, though. “I retired from the Air Force. You can do that after twenty year’s service, so I’m not quite as ancient as that sounds. I still fly in the Reserves.”
Sabrina looked duly impressed. “Oh neat! So that’s why Gabby said you were driving a military vehicle. So, you just get to fly around in, what did you call it, Stripes something, all day?”
Alex shook his head with a chuckle. “Not hardly. The Reserves are only part time. I’m co-owner of an air charter business based down in Lexington. That keeps me pretty busy. If you keep hanging around with Zig Zag, you’ll probably get to fly on one of our aircraft.”
Sabrina looked dubiously at the sleek two seat jet behind Alex. “Uh, well, we’ll see.”
Alex grinned again. He liked this young femme who seemed so out of place amongst Zig Zag and the studio furs. “It’s okay. You’d be flying in a regular business jet. I’ll give you a ride in Stripes One sometime if you want, but on a business flight you might need just a tad more room.”
“Oh, yeah,” she replied, and smiled a little sheepishly. Then, before there could be anything like an uncomfortable silence, Zig Zag returned with Marvin and the rest of the studio furs in tow. They gathered around as she stepped up beside Alex. Sabrina took the opportunity to slip into the crowd. Zig Zag smiled broadly and addressed the group.
“Alright everyone, let me introduce the owner and pilot of the airplane we’re using for a prop today. This is Alex O’Whitt. Many of you saw him when he visited the studio a while back. I’m sure the rumor mill has said many things about that visit. Let me put the record straight. First, James Sheppard and I are still quite together. Alex is not trying to come between us or steal me away.”
Alex suppressed a grin at the look of surprise on several faces. Apparently some forgot that the rumor mill still reached their boss’s ear. Zig Zag continued as though she hadn’t seen.
“Second, yes, Alex is a relative of mine. He’s my second cousin, and you haven’t seen him around before now because we were out of touch for quite a while.”
That got a lot of raised eyebrows. Very few of the studio furs had ever met any of Zig Zag’s family. Again she continued as though there were no reaction.
“Third. Yes, he’s single, no, you can’t have him.”
Zig Zag glanced sideways at Alex and gave him a wink. “Unless he makes the first move, anyway. Now, everyone come by and introduce yourselves as we do the shoot. Okay Mark, take it away.”
The group started milling about and discussing the introduction as the studio photographer climbed up on the stand where the camera was. Once there, the lemur began calling different groups to different locations for closer shots, planning out how to do the big group shot. The video camerafurs moved in and about the group, catching candid scenes and funny moments, as well as individuals mugging for them. Alex and Zig Zag stepped off to the side, and in small groups, the cast members began to step up and introduce themselves.
The first group to come up was widely mixed in species. The males and femmes were all chatting and joking with each other until they stopped in front of Alex and Zig Zag. A well-muscled Siberian Husky male wearing leather pants and a leather vest stepped forward, paw extended.
“Hello Alex, heh, my name is Alexi. Pleased to meet you.”
“Alexi, same here,” Alex replied as he shook paws. Alexi stepped back so the next in line could shake paws. This fur was a male fisher with dark brown hair and eyes, wearing a pirate-style outfit.
“I’m Jon, it’s a pleasure to meet a relative of Zig Zag’s.”
They shook paws as Alex nodded and simply said, “Jon.”
Next a shapely grey wolf femme with warm yellow eyes and wearing a skimpy black teddy stepped up. She smiled broadly, but didn’t offer a paw to shake. She gave a slight forward bow, which was a bit distracting, and introduced herself.
“Alex, I’m Cassandra. Any relative that Zig Zag would introduce to us is family to us, too.”
“Thank you, Cassandra,” Alex replied with a slight bow in return, thinking that the thoughts the femme was threatening to bring up in his mind were far from familial. He took his own advice and though of Stripes One’s takeoff speed profile for a few seconds. It was a good thing he did, because the next femme stepped boldly up close to him and took his paw in hers. Alex recognized this lioness in a black bikini as the one who’d sidled past him so close in the studio lobby the day he’d had lunch with Zig Zag.
“Hello handsome tiger. I’m Cherri. Cherri McCool. It’s a pleasure.”
Alex arched an eyebrow and shook the paw Cherri had wrapped around his. Her words had dripped sensuality, and she showed no sign of letting his paw go. The bold look in her golden eyes left no doubt about her unspoken offer. Alex looked in those eyes a long moment, gauging her motives and deciding how to react. Zig Zag shifted her weight, preparing to come to his rescue, but she didn’t get the chance. Alex suddenly reached out with his free paw and pulled the lioness up close to him by her waist. Cherri’s eyes went wide with surprise at finding herself muzzle to muzzle with the tiger. Alex’s eyes were cool as he spoke.
“Ms. McCool, you are very beautiful, and your offer is very flattering, but I get the feeling you’re only interested in a quick romp. I’m interested in a for-life relationship, or nothing.”
With that, he released the lioness and she quickly stepped back, chagrinned. “Uh, yes. Nice to meet you.”
There was a chorus of laughs and giggles as the lioness retreated. Zig Zag relaxed, privately impressed at how Alex had handled the situation. She had worried that the boldness and rather free-spirited attitudes of her employees might put him off, but apparently he needed no defending.
Next a pair of vixens introduced themselves.
“Hello Alex, I’m Kama.” The red vixen in a green bikini extended a paw to shake.
“And I’m Sutra,” added the grey vixen in the red bikini as she did likewise. Alex arched an eyebrow, but otherwise just smiled as he shook paws with the pair.
“Ladies.”
The two vixens giggled to each other as they stepped away. Last of the group was a skunk femme with standard markings, but with quite striking lavender eyes. She wore a bra, panties, and garter set that matched her eye color.
“Alex, nice to meet you. I’m Michelle. Cool plane.” She smiled as she put her paw out.
Alex smiled in return as he shook paws. “Michelle. Thank you.”
The photographer called for them, so with a wave of a paw or a smile, the group headed in the general direction of Stripes One. Zig Zag started to say something, but another group of furs approached them before she could. Again, each in turn stepped forward to introduce themselves. The first was a very beautiful red fox vixen.
“Hello, I’m Wanda, welcome to ZZ Studios. Thanks for letting us use your plane, this’ll make a really cool poster.”
“You’re welcome, Wanda, Nice to meet you,” Alex replied as he shook the paw she offered. Inwardly he chuckled at the nearly see-through genie costume she wore.
Next a coyote femme with brown hair and eyes, wearing a nearly transparent tan negligee, took his paw. “Cousin Alex. Should’ve known someone as lovely as Zig Zag would have handsome relatives. My name is Gypsy.”
Alex gave a slight bow of his head as he shook paws. “And I knew she would have beautiful employees. Nice to meet you, Gypsy.”
The femme stepped away, the black tip of her tail marking the pleasure she felt at the compliment.
The next femme was a golden jackal, the shape and set of her yellow-gold eyes telling Alex of her Egyptian ancestry. Her jet-black bikini matched her jet-black hair and showed off her build and markings very nicely.
“Hello, I’m Sapporo, Saps for short.”
“Saps, nice to meet you.” Alex shook paws with the femme, and she turned to go as two males stepped in to meet him.
The first was a grey wolf as tall as Alex was. “Alex, I’m Rafe. Pleased to meet you.”
“Rafe,” Alex replied as he exchanged a firm pawshake with the canid. Inwardly he wondered where Zig found so many furs with gold or yellow eyes. The wolf’s eyes nearly matched the gold lamé science fiction outfit he wore.
The second male was a black-footed ferret wearing a sort of Zorro-esque costume, only more revealing than the traditional outfit associated with that character.
“Hello Alex, I’m Michael.”
Alex shook paws and then the two males made a beeline towards where a cooler full of drinks had suddenly appeared. Next to meet him was a very exotic-looking Siamese femme in a very brief body suit and cape costume. It reminded Alex of one of the characters in a movie he’d seen about mutant furs with superpowers, except this outfit showed a whole lot more fur. Her blue eyes fixed him with a feline stare.
“Hello Alex, My name is Danni.”
Alex returned the stare eye-to-eye, smiling. “Danni. Great costume.”
“Thank you. Yours looks pretty authentic too,” she replied as they shook paws. She then turned and followed the two males as a red panda femme with dark, black hair extended her paw. Dressed in a gauzy jade top and panties, with matching bows counterpointing the stripes in her tail, her dark eyes watched Alex’s for several seconds, waiting for the display to draw his attention downward. When it didn’t, she gave a slight nod and smiled. Alex couldn’t quite read if it was disappointment or satisfaction.
“Alex, nice to meet you. Any friend of Zig’s is welcome. I’m Mia.”
“Thank you, Mia.”
She smiled again and turned to go, flipping her tail in his general direction. “See you around.”
There was a lull in furs coming to meet him as the photographer switched the groups around. Alex took the chance to compliment his cousin.
“They’re quite a group, Zig. How long did it take you to put this many beautiful femmes and males together?”
She smirked at him. “Getting them together isn’t usually the hard part. To answer your question, though, several years, but it’s been worth it. They’re all top-notch performers, in every aspect of the word. Really the cream of the crop. You should come by and watch them work sometime.”
Alex looked closely to see if Zig Zag was teasing him, especially after a comment like “cream of the crop” about adult film stars, but she was intently watching the photographer set the next shot up. He smiled at her concentration, seeing how much care she put into even a poster still shoot. Perhaps he would watch her direct a scene sometime. Then something clicked in the back of his mind. He grinned as he recalled her reaction to possibly flying in Stripes One.
“I’ll do that when you fly in Stripes One with me.”
Zig Zag’s head snapped around so fast it made Alex’s neck hurt. “What?”
“I said I’ll come watch your actors work when you take a flight in Stripes One with me.”
Zig Zag blinked, looking a bit apprehensive. She seemed about to answer when the next group arrived to meet Alex. She turned her attention to the furs walking up. Marvin himself led this group, with a beautiful badger femme on his arm.
“Alex, good to see you. This is my wife, Rhonda.”
Alex nodded and extended a paw toward the femme. “Rhonda, a pleasure. You work at the studio, too?”
There was the slightest hint of trepidation in Alex’s voice as he asked. If Marvin’s wife also acted, he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know.
Rhonda gave a dazzling smile. “Yes, I do. I recently started posing for the website, but I haven’t acted since Marvin and I got married.”
“Really?” Alex glanced at Marvin, who simply beamed proudly. He squelched any negative reaction and returned his attention to Rhonda. “I wouldn’t think the demand for still pictures would be that great at a site that provides more, ah, action?” Alex asked, still attempting to recover from her answer. Rhonda and the whole group laughed at the half-uncomfortable, half-curious look on Alex’s face. Zig Zag managed not to double over laughing, but just barely. When the laughter subsided, Rhonda slipped the robe she was wearing off, revealing a very brief bikini.
“Possibly Alex, but you see, it’s like this.”
The badger femme, with no other warning, bent over backward until her paws were on the hangar floor. She then effortlessly walked-over and stood up facing Alex again in exactly the same spot she started in. Alex’s eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline.
“Uh, yeah, okay,” he managed as Rhonda recovered her robe and stepped back. Everyone had another laugh at his reaction, and then a familiar equine stepped up.
“Hello Alex. Nice to put a name with a handsome face. I’m Gabrielle.”
Alex, still recovering from Rhonda’s gymnastic display, blinked a second before focusing on her and extending his paw.
“Oh, hello Gabrielle. Nice to meet you, too. Heh, you had quite an effect on the cadet who was with me Monday.”
The equine, clad in a tight black micro-miniskirt and bustier, arched her back a bit to show off. “Glad I achieved the effect I was going for.”
Alex shook his head slightly as he released the pawshake, looking over at Zig Zag. “How do you handle all this attitude, cousin?”
“Give it right back. Down, Gabby,” Zig Zag replied, grinning wickedly.
The tall bronco pulled a pout as she stepped back, but still managed to bat her eyelashes at Alex and comment, “That’s the general idea, isn’t it?”
Both Zig Zag and Alex rolled their eyes, and the matching expressions drew more laughter from the group. As that died down, the maned wolf Alex had seen in the lobby when he’d first met his cousin stepped up.
“Hola Aleex. Welcome, mi amigo. My name ees Esteban.”
Alex smirked a bit, suppressing a grin. “Hola Esteban. Nice pants.”
Esteban looked down at the tight black vinyl pants that covered him from his waist to just below his knees. He looked back up with a low whine.
“Hey, geeve the lobo a break, no?”
The two shook paws amid more laughter, and then Esteban stepped back, muttering, “What’s wrong weeth my pants?”
A grey squirrel femme wearing an evening dress, sort of, stepped up to take the wolf’s place. The white dress had slits from the waist down either side to the floor, showing the femme’s shapely legs, as well as a neckline that plunged to just below her navel. She gave a teasing look and introduced herself.
“Hello Alex, I’m Sindee. That’s S-I-N-D-E-E. Nice to meet you.”
Alex grinned at her spelling out her name in spite of himself, and at the smoldering look on the femme’s face as she breathed out each letter.
“Sindee, great dress. Nice to meet you, too.”
The squirrel giggled as she and Alex shook paws, then she smiled broadly and stepped back with the other’s who’d had their turn. There was one lone femme still waiting to meet Alex. The lapine doe seemed almost shy as she extended her paw.
“Uh, Alex, I’m Tamara.”
Alex gently shook her paw. The femme seemed nervous, as though ready to bolt away. Her ears laid down and angled out like she was waiting for an entire herd of tigers to show up next. Alex was puzzled for a second until he caught a scent from her. It would have caused an attack reaction in a feral tiger, an instinct he’d learned to curb as a young cub, from his ancestors several thousand years back. Now he knew what was happening. The lapine was not only sending out sexual pheremones, but also the instinctual ones. In some fur species, the jump to sentience hadn’t disconnected all the instinctual reactions. To this femme’s instincts, Alex was still just a large predator with sharp teeth and claws. He smiled, careful not to show any teeth.
“Tamara, it’s a pleasure. Relax, I don’t bite.”
The femme took a deep breath and nodded, which looked amazing in the negligee she was wearing. “I know, I’m okay. Pleased to meet you, too.”
Alex gave a nod of his head, and Tamara rejoined the others. Zig Zag looked over the group a second and then stated, “That looks like all the cast members . . . no, wait. Where’s Yohni?
Just then a slim figure came running across the hangar. The fur got to within earshot and called out without stopping.
“Zig Zag! Sorry I’m late. When I got to the Studio, everyone had already gone. What have I missed?”
The mongoose femme skidded to a halt right in front of Alex and Zig Zag, and now put a paw to her heaving bosom as she tried to catch her breath. She was clad in a classic yellow polka-dot bikini, which matched her fur coloring close enough to cause a double take to insure that she was in fact clothed. What caught Alex’s attention most though, was Gabrielle’s reaction to the new arrival. He’d happened to be looking the filly’s direction when the mongoose ran up. The look on her face showed a more than casual interest in her co-worker. Concern, relief, and something more. Alex chose not to comment on it, since it was really none of his business, and turned to greet the late arrival as Zig Zag introduces them.
“Yohni, this is my cousin, Alex O’Whitt. That’s his plane you’ll be posing on today.”
“The hubba-hubba guy?” Yohni blurted out before she could stop herself. Alex gave a short laugh and looked inquiringly as Zig Zag, while every other eye turned toward Gabrielle. The bronco tried to give an innocent “Who, me?” look, but failed miserably.
“Well, he is,” she finally mumbled.
Alex got some arched eyebrows, and even more curious looks, each one there anticipating his reaction to what they’d heard Gabrielle call him ever since their chance encounter in the hallway. Even Zig Zag was watching him with a bemused expression. Alex, even though blushing slightly, replied with a teasing tone.
“Thank you, Gabrielle, nice to hear I still have it. You’re pretty hubba-hubba yourself.”
Gabrielle opened her mouth to answer back, but Zig Zag took control of the situation, cutting off any further comment. “All right, back to work, all of you. I think Mark is ready for you again.”
Alex watched the group move off, with Zig Zag herding them along. Left alone for the moment, he silently watched his cousin and the photographer maneuver everyone into position for the actual full-cast photo. Platforms were in place that would allow some of them to pose laying down or kneeling as though on the aircraft without actually touching it. When everyone was in place, the lemur on the stand called out, “Get ready!”
Alex was amazed to see each fur go through the same transformation he’d seen Zig Zag do at the airport after their first meeting. Each one seemed to exude raw sex appeal. Now he noticed Zig Zag herself standing in the middle of the group. The long coat was gone, replaced by a black version of the same dress the squirrel femme Sindee was wearing. A strand of pearls around her throat set the outfit off. She too had turned on the sex appeal.
“Okay, perfect, everybody hold just like that for a sec.” The lemur fired off the flash equipment several times, making sure he had a good take. Then he let them all start moving and reposing as he took several more shots. Finally he looked up from the camera and grinned.
“Looking great. Next, goof shot, GO!”
Alex found himself laughing out loud. Every fur, including Zig Zag, had gone from sexy to silly. Two femmes were mock-strangling each other while cheesy grinning at the camera. Rafe and Michael were doing absurd he-male poses, while Esteban tilted his head over and lolled out his tongue in a classic canid gesture. Alexi and Jon were mock-swordfighting. Rhonda Badger wrapped herself around her husband’s shoulders, with her back to him, doing a buxom imitation of a stole.
Zig Zag turned her back to the camera and lifted her tail as though to spray. Her dress covered her actual posterior, but at least half the width of her legs showed on either side. She then looked over her left shoulder, winking and sticking her tongue out while holding her nose. It took Alex a couple more seconds to realize that three quarters of the femmes had at least one breast exposed. Even with that, the comedy of the poses kept him laughing, especially at Tamara. The lapine had the top of her negligee completely open, but at the same time she had loped one ear down near her cheek, crossed her eyes, and pulled her lips back to exaggerate her buck teeth.
The flash equipment went off, and then Alex politely looked elsewhere as everyone re-composed themselves. Then Mark called out to everyone. “Whole crew shot. Everybody in.”
“That includes you, Sabrina and Alex,” Zig Zag called out.
Alex looked surprised, but found himself walking over to where Zig Zag stood. She looked at him speculatively for a moment.
“Alex, if you’d rather keep your identity a secret, like some of my production crew who don’t want it known that they work for me, you can disguise yourself. They mostly use hats and sunglasses, but it’d fit in if you want to put your helmet on and pull that dark visor down.”
Alex smiled, aware of several sets of eyes on him. If he were to hide his identity, it could be taken as him being ashamed of his cousin. While he didn’t agree with all of what the studio made, he still supported and was proud of Zig Zag, so now was the time for the thought to become action. He said his next words loud enough for all there to hear.
“Zig, why would I do that? I’m quite proud of you. If anyone cares to comment to me about it, I’ll be glad to tell them that.”
Zig Zag blinked. It was one thing for Alex to say that in private, or even when it was just her and Sabrina within earshot, but to say so in such a public way? She knew he seemed to like her as a fur and accept her as family, but this was the second time in a short while he’d said that he was proud of her. She broke into a wide smile.
“Thank you, cousin. Okay Mark, arrange us as you like.”
After a bit of jostling around, Mark had everyone in place. Alex stood on Zig’s left, while Marvin stood with his wife on her right, and Sabrina stood beside Alex. The rest of the crew was intermingled with the cast. The lemur gave a warning, and then the flash equipment went off several times. They all waited then, and after a few seconds, Mark nodded.
“Looks good, Zig.”
Zig Zag raised her voice so that everyone could hear her. “Okay everyone, that’s a wrap! Start heading for the vans.”
The command had an immediate effect, as everyone en mass began heading toward the vehicles. Most turned to wave or call out their goodbyes to Alex. He waved and called back. Then Zig Zag walked up to him, and this time she initiated the hug.
“Thanks so much, Alex. These will make great promos, and the making of video will probably be a big seller. Oh, I’ll have Gail fax you a release form, and of course the studio will pay for the use of Stripes One.”
Alex started to protest, but Zig Zag wouldn’t hear of it, so finally he nodded. “All right, Zig. You’re welcome. It’s been . . . very interesting. I look forward to seeing the cast and crew when I drop by on visits.”
Zig Zag winked as she released the embrace. “And I’m looking forward to watching you blush furiously as you watch some of them work. We won’t have seen that much red under black and white since the last time Sabrina walked in on a scene in progress. Yes, I’ll take that ride in Stripes One sometime. You’ll find out, my cousin, that I do like a challenge.”
Alex grinned. “Runs in the family. You got it then. I promise I won’t intentionally make you throw up.”
Zig Zag’s nose wrinkled up involuntarily, but before she could reply Marvin called out to her. “Hey Zig! Help me herd these prima-donnas into the vans.”
Alex saw that the badger was having difficulty sorting out which furs went where, as everyone seemed determined to sit somewhere other than where they’d been on the ride over. As Zig Zag looked back toward him, Alex gave a quick wink and motioned with his paw for her to go take care of her furs.
“Bye Zig. See you soon.”
Zig Zag smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “No rest for the boss. Bye Alex. I’ll send some posters your way in a week or so. Our normal production supplier was booked, so we’re trying a new one that Marvin says promised very fast turnaround and delivery.”
With that, she turned and walked away, arriving at the vans just in time to stop Sabrina from getting in one and steering the skunk over to the convertible. Alex watched the activity there for a moment, and then went to check Stripes One over. The support crew had already lowered the backdrop and rolled the stands everyone had posed on away. He was doubly careful in his inspection, just in case any stray paw had accidentally dented something.
Almost twenty minutes later, Alex gave the fur who’d guided him into the hangar a satisfied nod. Stripes One was clean of any damage. He finished his preflight, and then donned his tail sheath, G-suit, and parachute. He climbed up the boarding ladder and retrieved his helmet before stepping down into the forward cockpit. Donning his helmet, he got everything connected and the straps adjusted, and then began his cockpit checks. Before long he had the engines running. The same fur guided him out of the hangar, and he contacted ground control.
A few short minutes later saw the tiger-striped aircraft lifting up off the runway. Alex glanced along the roadways around the airport, but apparently the ZZ Studios crew was long gone.
“Well, I’m in for quite a ride with my cousin and her crew,” Alex mused to himself with a chuckle. “Who’d have ever thought of me hanging around with porn stars? Still, they all seemed like good folks.”
The rest of the world, especially the one who called themselves religious, might frown on them, and him for associating with them. Alex recalled his father’s words about how Jesus treated the sinners he met. Alex knew who he was, and what he believed. His conscience was clear. Perhaps he might end up being at the right place at the right time to be able to help one of them.
“Until next time, cousin,” he thought as he leveled off at his cruise altitude and headed south.
# # #
Billy sat at his desk, a bored expression on his face. Alex was gone in his T-38 to Columbus, hobnobbing with his cousin and the whole of ZZ Studios. Billy for once had all his paperwork caught up, and he found himself at loose ends. Duncan and Loni had proved to be an even more formidable management team after their marriage, and everything now was running quite smoothly. More and more Billy felt as though he showed up to just sign things and go on sales calls. They had recently purchased two used Kingairs, and another Citation. Those were in with Allaster McCrory, getting basically rebuilt to Kentiger’s exacting maintenance standards. They were shopping around for another Gulfstream, too, but so far all they’d found were either too early a model or more than they wanted to spend. Brand new was most likely out of the question, price-wise. Still, the Gulfstream website had a tantalizing GIV-SP with sixteen passenger seating that would suit their needs. Billy would do some research and consult with Alex on a bid for it. The only price given on the website for it said “make an offer.”
All in all, Billy was pleased with how the business was growing, and new available airframes meant some of their FO’s could upgrade to Captain status. It also meant perhaps he and Alex would get some seat time while new crews were hired and their training and ability verified. His thoughts now wandered to the future. They would need some more hangar space. As all the space across the ramp was in use, they would probably need to build one. A part of the ramp right behind them ended with enough room between the pavement and the runway clearance limit. He’d have Loni start checking on who owned the property and how they could acquire it. Another future plan had been nagging at him, and he’d done some research into it. He’d found that the local Lexington area had a market for a helicopter service. He grinned to himself. The idea had now firmly taken root, and he knew just how to get started on it.
“This’ll be good for Alex,” he mumbled as he thought the idea over a bit more. It would be best to do what he had in mind away from the area. That would prevent anyone from stealing the idea from them before they could fully investigate it. He thought a bit more and remembered an old acquaintance he’d met before he’d retired from the Air Force. He turned on his computer and waited while it booted up. He then typed in the name of the business he remembered.
“Lessee, Old North Helicopters.”
In a few seconds, the results flashed onto the screen. There, sixth down on the list, was the one he was looking for. Billy clicked on the link that went to the business’ home page.
“Old North Helicopters, Lewiston, Maine.”
There was a number listed, so Billy activated the speakerphone and dialed it. After three rings a low tenor voice that Billy recognized, even after all this time, answered.
“Ayah, Old North helicoptahs.”
“Ben Stevens, you old dog, how are you? This is Billy Panelli, that tiger from the Air Force you nearly killed.”
There was a short silence, and then the wire-haired terrier on the other end answered. “Sounds like you recovahed nicely. We missed that tree by at least a foot. How are you, Billy? To what do I owe this call?”
“I’m doing fine. I’m retired from the Air Force, and now I’m co-owner of a charter service down here in Lexington, Kentucky. Hey, my partner and I have been thinking of adding helicopters to our mix of services. Do you have a good, top-notch instructor who could teach an old Air Force fighter jock how to, ah, let’s see, how did you always put it?”
“Aviate the wild rotah. You coming ouah way then, Billy?”
“No, not me. My partner, Alex O’Whitt.”
“Oh okay then.” Ben sounded a little disappointed, but no too much so. Business was business, after all. “Let me look at the schedule. Ah, got an opening with my best instructah in just ovah two weeks.”
“All right! I’ll make sure he gets up there. Put him down for that. Start on a Monday?”
“Ayah. Have him come heah to the hangah. It’s on the west side of the ayahfield. Tell him to meet up with Corray Patterson. Fax me up a credit lettah or whateveah to pay for his lessons and such, and tell him to book a room for about fouah weeks. I’ll fax you down a list of materials he’ll need to study up on to be ready.”
Billy grinned widely. “Okay, Cory Patterson, got it. Great Ben. He’ll be there. I’ll have my admin fur Loni send the paperwork and payments setup to the fax number on your website.”
“That’ll be fine. Nice talkin’ with you, Billy, and doin’ business with you, too.”
“You too, Ben. Talk to you soon.”
“Ayah. Bye.” *click*
Billy hung up the phone still grinning. The irascible old canid was a typical Mainer. Not long on words. Alex should enjoy the time in Maine. It was beautiful up there this time of year, as he remembered.
Seeing it was almost lunchtime, Billy decided to check his email before leaving. He opened the business account and scrolled through the myriad of messages there. Most were Spam, and the rest Loni would take care of in her afternoon email scan. He and Alex’s airshow routine was about ready, and they’d been discussing putting music together to play through the loudspeakers for the audience. They’d chosen two songs, and Billy had sent out emails inquiring about permissions and fees. So far, there had been no response, and this round was no different. He switched over to his private email and found a message from his son Rusty.
Hi Dad,
Looks like we’ll be heading your way in about two weeks. Can’t wait for you to see Carrie. She’s gotten so big! Talk to you soon, but for now here’s a picture.
Love, Rusty
Billy excitedly clicked on the attachment to download and look at the picture. His son’s second daughter Caroline, or Carrie for short, was just over three months old. Billy and Penny had gone to Iowa when she was born, but they hadn’t seen his son’s family since. Rusty had talked about coming to Kentucky to visit, but nothing had been settled until now.
The picture finished loading, and Billy opened the file. The picture showed their older granddaughter Felicity being the proud older sister, helping her sibling sit up. Carrie was a dark-furred, gold-eyed bundle. The official name for the color pattern of her fur turned out to be called tortoise-shell. Her base color was black, with russet and orange hues brindled in. The less-informed would call her a black calico.
Billy smiled at the image. It would be great to see them all. When he’d last held the little kitten, her eyes hadn’t been open yet. He typed a quick response and sent it on its way, expressing eagerness for their visit. He then shut down the computer and picked up the telephone. A long lunch with Penny sounded good. He punched in her cell phone number and waited for her to answer. It only took two rings.
“Hey Cowboy, what’s up?”
“Wanna go to lunch, Princess? We need to talk about preparations. Got an email from Rusty. They’re coming our way in two weeks.”
He could hear Penny’s smile across the line. “Fantastic! Wow, two weeks? We’ve got to get busy and make sure we have a room ready for Carrie. There’s . . . “
“I know Penny, I know. We’ll talk all about it at lunch. Rusty sent a picture of Carrie too. It’s on our private account if you want to see it.”
“Thanks Cowboy. You coming to pick me up, or do you want to meet somewhere?’
“I’ll pick you up in about fifteen minutes. See ya then, Princess. Love you.”
“Love you too, Cowboy. Bye.”
Billy put the pawset in its cradle and sat back, grinning broadly. He’d have to make sure his camera was ready to go. The visit would be a perfect photo op. Feeling very content with how the day was going, he whistled happily as he stood up and left his office to go have lunch with his lady.
END OF CHAPTER 38