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 2003-2007 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, Angie, Intermountain Charter, The Bitch, and her crew, and Jerry Kitt © Silver Coyote. See their story HERE. Gail Rutherford © me and is not canon to any other story involving ZZ Studios. Gabrielle Ryder © Aslaug, from her stories Transitions and Transitions II. See them at her site, The Axe Shed, available from the links page.
Author’s Note: Lewiston, Maine’s airport, identifier KLEW, is actually uncontrolled. That is, it has no control tower. Poetic license was used for this story, so Alex and company talk with a control tower whilst aviating there.
Chapter 50
Interludes
Corrie forced herself to relax. She had two-litre bottles of soda and a huge pitcher of iced tea chilling in the refrigerator. She had plenty of ice in the ice bucket, and tall glasses set out on the table. It was going to be an exciting, and noisy, afternoon. She’d awakened at her normal time of 0600, and since it was Sunday, she’d gone out to her quiet spot in a small stand of woods near her apartment. She wasn’t much on organized religion. It hadn’t been much help to her in the rough times in her life. Still, she had decided a long time ago that the world and its wonders couldn’t have happened by chance, so she sought out places in nature to reflect on whoever had created it all. She wasn’t sure if the God everyone talked about was that one or not. The one everyone talked about ended up too many times just being an excuse for them to hate anyone different than themselves. To her experience, it didn’t matter what they called that Supreme Being, they all ended up sounding the same. Alex seemed a lot different than that, and one day soon she’d have to broach that subject with him. For now she was content to just acknowledge the Creator, and ponder the creation.
That morning, though, instead of her usual time of peaceful reflection, she’d had a nasty flashback to a time she constantly worked to forget. Such occurrences usually meant The Nightmare would return when she slept again. For now, she was doing her best to ignore it. Her friends were coming over, and she was looking forward to spending some time with them. She was also looking forward to introducing them to Alex.
As they’d dried out by a small campfire after their impromptu dip in the lake the previous day, she’d told him about her Sunday plans. He’d offered to stop by and meet them all, and then promptly excuse himself so she and her friends could spend their afternoon talking. Corrie had to admit, not many guys understood about a femme’s need to be with her friends, and not just with their guy.
Looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, she again tried to relax. It was almost noon, and Patti, Terri, and Joanne should be there any time. Alex said he’d be there about that time, too. It had surprised her a little when he said he’d be there as soon as he got out of church. She found herself wondering what faith he was, and if there might be some hidden attitude from that she hadn’t seen yet.
Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs leading up to her door. She stood and walked over to look out the peephole. She was met with a close-up view of a brown eye. With a start, she leaned back from the door. Then she laughed. The eye most certainly belonged to Patti DeLancey. She opened the door to find the Dalmatian still standing in a pose as though looking in the peephole with her paw up to the door.
“Very funny, Patti,” Corrie giggled. “Next time I’ll put shoe polish around it and add a nice spot around your eye to match the rest of you. How are you?”
“I’m great, gal!” the Dalmatian exclaimed as she grabbed the lioness in a hug. “And you! I go away for a trip and you go and get a boyfriend!”
“Uh-huh. Is that a hot-sleeve for delivering pizza I see in your other paw?” Corrie couldn’t help but put a teasing note in her voice. Patti was notorious for dating guys that would give her special treatment.
“Yeah. I’ve been dating the rabbit who manages Furoni’s. I picked up several pizzas, so he let me have a delivery pack to keep them warm. Oh! The others are on their way, by the way.”
“Great! Come on in, I have drinks chilled and plates ready.”
“Kewl!”
Patti usually talked and acted much younger than her actual physical age. This kept her in a steady supply of males, and was a constant source of amusement for Corrie. The two went about setting the pizza and drinks out, and shortly they heard more footsteps on the stairs. In a moment the doorbell rang and Corrie walked over to answer it. After her usual peek through the peephole, she opened the door to usher in her other friends.
“Terri, Joanne, come on in. Patti’s already here.”
Terri nodded in her usual aloof manner, but her smile was warm and friendly. Joanne stepped up to embrace the lioness.
“Corrie, good to see you. Patti said you have news to tell us. Nothing bad I hope? Patti, I’m also looking forward to your travelogue,” Terri said as she passed, giving a tilt of her head Corrie’s way.
“Yes Corrie, what’s up? Patti, you always try to be so mysterious,” Joanne added as she released her hug. Corrie just smiled at them as she pointed to the pizza and drinks.
“I’ll explain after we get settled, for now, grab some pizza and your favorite drink, and let’s sit down.”
The two looked at Patti, who just grinned. She was gearing up for a run of questions, but Joanne looked down her nose at her and pointed to the table.
“Uh-uh, Patti. If you get started now, we’ll have to wait for another hour, and I’m hungry as well as curious. We’ll settle in, and then you can tell us about your trip after Corrie tells us her news.”
Patti blinked, and then closed her muzzle, which had been hanging open in the midst of forming her first question. Corrie shook her head and rolled her eyes. The four friends gathered their food and drinks and seated themselves into chairs or on the sofa. Once they were set, Corrie looked at each in turn and then nodded.
“Guys, the news is that I have a new boyfriend, and you’ll get to meet him shortly. He’s stopping by to say hello, and he’s usually very punctual, so he should be here any minute.”
There was a murmur of excited chatter from the two who’d just arrived. Patti looked about to explode with questions, even though she already knew about the new guy. Again, it was Joanne who intercepted her.
“Patti, if you get started now you’ll ruin our first impression of the guy. Why don’t we eat, and you can tell us about your trip while we wait for the mystery date to arrive?”
Patti looked disappointed, but then pulled out a stack of pictures and began to pass them around while she told of her travels. The pizza went, along with another round of soda and tea, but as the clock wound past twelve thirty, Corrie became concerned. Finally she got up to get her phone. Patti was instantly on the alert.
“What’s up, Corrie? You look worried.”
“Alex isn’t here yet, and as I said he’s usually very punctual. I’m going to ring him up and see what’s keeping him.”
Joanne and Patti tried to speak at the same time, with Joanne winning out. “Oh no, Corrie, don’t do that! He’ll think you’re too eager, or that he already has you on the string. He should call if something is delaying him.”
Patti nodded fervently. “What she said.”
Corrie looked uncertainly between the two for a moment, and then Terri spoke. “Corrie, don’t listen to these two. I can see that you’re worried about him. Tell you what, wait a few minutes more, and then call him if he doesn’t show up.”
Corrie nodded, glad for the calm advice, but her tail still twitched just as nervously. Just then her phone rang. She made a grab for the cordless pawset, but then seeing the expression on her friend’s faces, she forced herself to slow down and take a deep breath before answering. As she clicked on the receiver, Patti mouthed, “Ooh, she’s got it bad!”
Corrie took a second to stick her tongue out at the Dalmatian before answering. “Patterson’s, May I help you?”
The lioness cocked her head to the side, listening intently for several moments. A frown grew upon her face, and a low growl came from her throat as her tail switched from nervous to agitated.
“That’s terrible! Are you sure everything’s okay?” Corrie visibly shuddered, and then seemed to force herself to relax. After a moment she replied.
“Alright then, Luv. See you soon. Bye.”
Patti, Joanne, and Terri looked like giant bundles of curiosity as Corrie clicked the phone off.
“That was Alex. He’s late because he got a call concerning his family in Kentucky.”
There was a collective gasp, and Joanne found her voice first. “Corrie, are you…that is, is he going home? Is he married or something?”
“Ah, no, Joanne. He’s single. He’s on his way now. He called as soon as he got off the phone with his sister-in-law.”
Terri’s expression was unreadable, but both Patti and Joanne looked suspicious. They had seen Corrie have spectacular breakups before. Even a couple where she discovered the guy she was dating was married. None of them wanted to see her get hurt again, so they were very cautious when she introduced them to a new beau. Upon seeing their expression, Corrie narrowed her eyes and looked pointedly from one to the other, her tail continuing to flip in agitation.
“Don’t give me those looks! Ben checked him out completely when he took him on as a student. Alex is quite single!”
Patti put her paws up in front of her as Joanne crossed her arms.
“Okay, no argument from me,” Patti stated. Joanne remained silent, but her look said she was unconvinced. With her past experience with a cheating spouse, she tended to be the most suspicious of the group. Noting Corrie’s stubborn look, she decided to let the matter drop.
After a moment’s silence, Corrie put the phone pawset back in its base and then sat back down. Patti picked up where she’d left off in her travel stories, and before too long both Corrie and Terri’s ears swiveled toward the parking area in front of the garage apartment. Corrie got up and went to the window. She moved the curtain and looked out for a second before her tail went up and a smile lit her face.
“He’s here,” she stated.
“That’s pretty obvious from that smile,” Patti teased with a smile of her own. Joanne nodded, but her eyes said she was still suspicious. Terri’s arched eyebrow and straight tail, with its tip twitching slightly, said her curiosity was in high gear despite her calm demeanor. In a moment they heard footsteps on the stairs. Corrie walked to the door and waited. The doorbell chimed and she peeked through the peephole. She then took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Hi Alex! C’mon in Luv, everyone’s been waiting for you.”
Instead of a white tiger, only a large white paw appeared around the door, with an arm showing the beginnings of a stripe pattern attached to it. Corrie grinned, with a slightly feral gleam in her eye. The paw held a round container. All three of the other femmes were looking curiously at that when Patti suddenly shouted in a voice near to a scream.
“THAT’S HÄAGEN-DAZ!!!”
A strong baritone voice answered from behind the partially open door. “Yes ladies, it is. A peace offering to apologize for keeping you waiting.”
Corrie was laughing to the point of giggles as she grabbed Alex’s wrist and pulled him on into the apartment.
“Chocolate fudge brownie. How did you know chocolate fudge is my favorite?” she managed around her laughter. Alex grinned and then kissed her lightly on the side of the muzzle.
“I saw you with a pint of it at lunchtime week before last, so I took a shot.”
Patti had launched herself in the direction of the quart tub of ice cream just as Corrie had pulled Alex in the door. She had stopped short as the tiger seemed to go up and up. At 5’5”, his 6’2” frame seemed to tower over her. She blinked several times as he fixed a cool, blue-eyed gaze upon her and gave a nod.
“Hello.”
“Oh…my,” Patti breathed, reminding herself that she could do so. She then seemed to shake off her surprise and murmur a welcome. Corrie got the last giggle of her laughter out and then made introductions.
“Fellow Sheilas of the North, this is Alex O’Whitt, student in the way of the rotorwing, Air Force jet jockey, and the darndest tigah I’ve evah met. Alex, the Dalmatian in front of you who can’t decide whether to run or melt into the floor is Patti DeLancey. The stilt-fox with the dark hair there with her arms crossed is Joanne Ritter. The kitty with the grey eyes is Terri Moggy.”
“Hello Patti, Joanne, Terri. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Alex gave a nod to each femme as he said their name.
“Hi Alex,” Patti managed to say as she began to ease back toward her seat. Alex smiled at her and she blushed.
“Hello Alex, Corrie speaks highly of you.” Joanne’s response was neutral, but Alex could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she evaluated his entrance and introduction.
“Yes Alex, it’s a pleasure. I can see why Corrie is so enthusiastic about you.” Terri was responding in typical feline fashion, with a cool stare and reserved manner. Alex returned the expression without a blink, but then he added the hint of a smile and a just-so cool flip of the tip of his tail. Terri blinked. She hadn’t noticed his unusual tail, and she found herself staring at it for just a second. She managed to refocus on his face, and then gave a slight nod and smile in return.
“Alex, let me put that in the freezer until we’re ready for it,” Corrie stated as she took the tub and headed for the kitchen area. “Would you like some pizza? We have plenty left.”
“I could eat a slice or two, but only if I’m not intruding,” Alex replied, looking from femme to femme to see if anything in their faces or mannerisms said he would be.
“Oh please do join us, Alex,” Patti piped in enthusiastically. “We can’t get a feel of you…that is…ah, can’t learn much about you if you run off.”
The other three stifled a laugh at Patti’s faux pas as the Dalmatian‘s cheek fur fluffed and she turned bright red through it. Corrie called out from the kitchen in a teasing voice, “Hey watch it, that’s My Tigah!”
Alex took the hint that there was no jealousy, and that Corrie was teasing her now-wretchedly embarrassed friend. He smiled and looked pointedly at the femme.
“Okay, but I won’t stay long. I’m sure Corrie wants to spend some time with her friends without me being a distraction.”
Patti’s blush got, if anything, even deeper as Corrie returned from the kitchen and grabbed Alex’s paw. She steered him to a chair and settled him in with a plate of pizza and a glass of tea. She then took a seat beside him and settled in for a round of questions and answers between her beau and her friends. They talked mostly on basics, where he was from, what family he had, what he did for a living.
While they talked, Alex was keenly aware that he was being evaluated by the three. He was returning the favor to them, as well. These were, by her account, Corrie’s closest friends in the world. As he watched the group dynamic unfold, he mentally tagged each femme’s role. Corrie was definitely the leader, although unlike some groups he’d seen, the others would have still been friends if she wasn’t there. While her love interest was the object of the discussion, they each in their own way looked to her responses while forming their opinions.
Patti was definitely the live-wire of the group. Her energy and somewhat ribald attitude kept things from getting too serious. A bit of a free spirit, she was the party waiting to happen. Terri was the calm, reasoning voice, balancing Patti’s frenetic impulses. As with all felines, she was being intentionally hard to read, but Alex could see a deep affection for the other femmes. These were her true friends. He could also see a strong curiosity, but she tempered it well. Joanne was the cautious one, balancing Corrie and Patti’s adventurous bent, and Terri’s curiosity, against her own hard experiences. Alex could see a hint of old pain in her eyes, and a desperate need to both protect the others from anything like that, and to let go of it and move on.
Alex had to admit, they made a very formidable group. Could he really expect Corrie, at some point in the future, to leave friends like this? He’d have to think about it for a while. He was sure Corrie would do so as well, before making any decision in that direction. He looked down and realized both his plate and his glass were empty, so he took that as a good time to take his leave.
“Ladies, I’ve enjoyed meeting you all. Corrie has excellent taste in friends. I do feel, though, that it’s time I let y’all visit without me disturbing you. Have a great afternoon. Corrie, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Alex stood up, and Corrie made to stand up also. He waved her back down, and then went to the kitchen and rinsed his plate and glass in the sink and put them in the dishwasher before returning to where Corrie sat.
“Bye Love. Have a good afternoon.”
“Bye y’self, Luv. See you in the morning.”
Alex bent down and kissed Corrie long enough to garner a snicker from Patti, but not long enough to cause any embarrassment. He then nodded to the others and headed for the door. With a final wave, he walked out and shut the door behind him.
For a moment the only sound was Alex’s footsteps on the stairs outside, but then Patti let out a low whistle.
“My GOD Corrie! How did he fall in your lap? I didn’t think males like that existed anymore! I…”
“Down, Patti!” Terri interjected. “Yes, he was polite. Yes, he is handsome. Yes, he seems sincere and honest.” Turning to Corrie, she continued, “And yes, I can see you both care for each other, but he is several years older.”
“Hey, he may be a little older, but he’s hawt! I don’t see the age difference at all!” Patti said defensively. Terri just looked at her neutrally for a moment, and then Patti’s ears lowered, indicating she was done interrupting.
“Still,” Terri continued, “I didn’t see any problems with him. I bet he’s a stubborn one, though.”
Corrie nodded, taking a neutral tone. “Yes, he can be. He had a fit with himself over learning choppah’s at first. It’s in a positive way though, y’know? Determined, but not arbitrarily bull-headed.”
Terri nodded as Joanne began her assessment. “You know, I didn’t think I would like him. You said Air Force and I just thought walking military male ego. I like this one, though. He does seem sincere, and I for one noticed something. Look at us. We’re all dressed pretty casually, and fairly revealingly. We have a lot more fur showing than if we, say, had all met for dinner. I’m wearing shorts and a fairly snug t-shirt. Terri, your top is off the shoulder pretty far on one side. Patti, you always dress to distract. Corrie, you’re probably the most dressed of us all, yet he only had eyes for you. Yes, he met each of us eye to eye when he spoke to us, but he didn’t linger, and he didn’t drop his gaze to anywhere else. He was constantly looking Corrie’s way, unless he was talking to one of us.”
The others nodded in agreement, looking thoughtful. Finally Corrie asked, “So, what does that mean?”
“It means,” replied Patti, a large grin spreading across her muzzle, “That he’s got it bad, too.”
Each grinning, the other two chimed in, “For you!”
Corrie smiled happily, at the same time rolling her eyes at the corny antics, feeling that another milestone had been passed. Patti returned to her travelogue, beginning another story about
# # #
“So Jenna,” Jack began as he snuggled her closer in his arms. They were relaxing on the sofa in her living room. Tia and Andrew were in their rooms preparing for school the next morning.
“I think things have settled enough for us to talk about it now. Are you doing okay? With yesterday, I mean.” Jack had spent the night on that same sofa, not willing to let the O’Whitts stay alone after the encounter the day before.
Jenna turned slightly to look up at him, her muzzle close to his. “Yes, I think I am. I’m still a little jumpy though. I keep seeing that creep pointing a gun at Tia. I…nearly just went ahead and fired as soon as she backed away, because she was in danger.”
Jack gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you didn’t. Not for his sake, or even for the legal problems it might have caused. I’m glad because…doing something like that, it changes a person. Dealing with killing a fur, even in self-defense, is a tough thing to do. Not all those who have done so come out as nice folks.”
Jenna nodded, still looking up at the wolf. “I know, but I will choose to defend myself and mine. Jason knew he’d be gone a lot, so he bought the shotgun shortly after we were married. He insisted I know how to handle it safely, shoot it accurately, and clean it properly. He taught me some, and sent me to classes on using it to defend my home.”
Jack smiled, an appreciative look on his face. “Again I find myself owing a debt of thanks to Jason. He taught you well.” Now his expression turned serious. “Would you have fired after Tia was out of danger?”
Jenna didn’t hesitate. She had long ago thought the matter through and made her decision. “If he hadn’t dropped his pistol, or if he’d made to move toward Tia, yes, I would have. The guy did have one thing right, though. After he was disarmed, if he’d walked away, I wouldn’t have fired. That would have been…wrong.”
She was silent a moment, and then sought the wolf’s eyes. “What about you, my big strong protector? I’ve never seen you even look like you’d punch somebody, but you lifted him clean off the ground.”
Jack smirked. “Hon, I’m a contractor. I’ve worked around construction furs all my life. They can be a rough bunch. I’ve had to defend myself against irate furs more than once. I’m no martial artist like Tia, but I did box a bit in high school and college. When I heard that young canid’s story, and realized that you and the cubs were in serious danger, well, I knew I had to stop the guy. When I saw you two had him disarmed, I decided he was going to wait for the police, one way or another. You don’t need to be looking over your shoulder for such as him.”
Jenna gave his muzzle a lick and turned back, snuggling deeper into his chest. “I’m just thankful it’s over, and that no one got hurt.”
Jack nuzzled her hair as he gave her another squeeze. “Me too Hon, me too.”
# # #
Barry Whitlock gave a sigh and sat down at his desk. Monday mornings were always a slog for him. He had actions taken by the FAA officials under him to review, and he felt a bit mentally foggy after the weekend. Since aviation was by and large a 24/7 operation, the Monday morning review meant everything from minor infractions by private pilots on up to major problems with airline operators. Most Mondays brought several cases to review because of the size of his area, covering Cincinnati to Knoxville and over to Nashville. That included several very large airports as well as a multitude of smaller ones.
Looking at the set of files in his inbox, Barry decided to start with an easy one. “Summons for hearing on charges. Subject: Alex O’Whitt.”
The Boston terrier opened the folder and began to read the faxed pages. Billy Panelli had assured him the charges were false, and with the record of Jeff Mastifson so far, he could well believe it. That didn’t alter his job of looking at the facts of the case, though.
After fifteen minutes, he closed the folder, frowning. While it was true the package was incomplete, the statements did paint a picture of some pretty reckless flying. The missing pieces were statements from the ATC furs on duty at the time at each location. Barry also noted that Mastifson hadn’t recorded a check for waivers. The aircraft involved was by design a military trainer, and as such certain waivers could be granted allowing speeds and maneuvers otherwise restricted. He warmed up his computer to see if such waivers were on file for the aircraft in question. After a few moments, he growled softly to himself. The system, as usual, was jammed up with requests.
After reading that he was queued inline with a forty-five minute wait, he picked up his telephone and consulted the old Rolodex that sat upon his desk. He was just old school enough to acquire and maintain actual phone numbers for key offices and contacts within the agency, allowing him to do his job even if the computers acted up. It was one of the reasons he’d been promoted to Area Manager ahead of several more senior furs.
After a few seconds, he heard the connection click. A male voice that Barry recognized answered, so he went right into his request.
“Jackie, it’s Barry over in Area Twelve. The computers are stacked up again, and I need a check on something.”
He listened for a moment and then replied, “Okay, here it is. I need a check for waivers and authorizations for this aircraft. A civilian Tee Thirty Eight, registration number November Charlie Four Niner Niner Sierra Tango…sure, I’ll hold.”
Barry waited through several rounds of musak, all the while contemplating what to do with the case while he awaited the ATC statements he was going to request. Then his contact came back on the line. He listened intently, jotting notes on the legal pad in front of him.
“Okay Jackie, thanks. Is that all of them? Good, thanks again. Good luck clearing up that jam on the computers. Bye.”
Barry clicked off that call and made one to the District ATC Manager and requested statements from the controllers on duty at the places and times in the summons package. Then he went back and reviewed his findings on the waivers. The aircraft had a waiver for speed up to three hundred knots below eighteen thousand feet, and one to allow for a roll maneuver on climbout to adjust pitch attitude. There was even one to allow for an ancillary numeral to be displayed on the vertical tail and the end of the registration number for use as an airshow marking. Here Barry chuckled. Almost anything, it seemed, could be waivered.
“So, waivers are in place for everything in the charges. Figures. Jeff made a rookie error and didn’t check that. Still, I can’t let this drop until I hear from the ATC folks to make sure he wasn’t going against their specific instructions." He was also considering asking the pilot in question to refrain from any unlimited takeoffs or aerobatics until the matter was resolved.
“Well, guess it’s time to call Billy Panelli.”
The Boston terrier shrugged as he consulted the Rolodex and then dialed another number. After a moment the connection began to ring. On the second ring, a professional-sounding female voice answered.
“Kentiger Executive Air, may I help you?
“Yes, this is Barry Whitlock with the FAA, I need to speak with Billy Panelli.”
“Just a moment and I’ll connect you, sir.”
“Thank you.” Barry framed his opening statement while he waited on hold. At Kentiger, Billy Panelli looked up from a maintenance schedule as the intercom buzzed.
“Yes Loni?”
“Billy, Barry Whitlock, FAA, line two.”
“Thanks Loni,” Billy replied before picking up the pawset and pushing the button to open the line. He felt his tail twitch and his ears perk, expecting the call to clear Alex of the false charges.
“Hi, Barry. How’s it going?”
“Okay for a Monday, Billy. I reviewed the summons and charges package first thing, and did a little further checking. You were right, on the face of it the charges are unfounded. Seems Jeff didn’t check for waivers for the aircraft involved. I still want to hear from ATC, but if they check out, I’ll send a letter of clearance as soon as I can.” The Boston terrier prepared to end the call, but Billy had more to say.
“That would be fine, Barry, except Alex wants the hearing. I think he wants to look Mastifson in the eyes as you clear him of the charges.”
There was silence for a moment as Barry considered that. Then, with a sigh, he responded. “Okay Billy, if that’s what he wants. Just be sure to tell him no showboating between now and then. No unlimited takeoffs and no aerobatics. The least hint of trouble while this summons is pending would look bad for Mr. O’Whitt, and possibly might kick this up past me a level or two.”
“Understood Barry. I’ll pass that along to Alex. Just keep Mastifson on his leash, I don’t want him sniffing around here disrupting our operations.”
Barry nodded, smirking to himself. Billy definitely knew how to express his feeling in canid slang. “I’ll do my best to keep him busy. See you in about three weeks, Billy.”
“Bye Barry. Thanks.”
Barry put the phone down and thought a moment. Then he picked it back up and called the Lexington office. When he got the greeting message, he punched in Mastifson’s extension. After a moment, the rotweiller answered.
“Jefferson Mastifson the Third, Airline Operations Liaison.”
“Jeff, Barry Whitlock. Got your summons and charges package. I got word from the subject that he’ll be here for the hearing.”
Mastifson gave a nasty smile. “Good. Thank you, Barry.”
He had found in his short time there that he detested the Boston terrier, especially his overly-familiar way of speaking. Barry went on with his side of the conversation.
“No thanks needed, just doing the job. Now, two things. One, your job is airline operations, not charter ops or private aircraft. In the future, if you see something flagrant, fine. Otherwise stay out of other fur’s ponds. To that end, I want you to schedule and perform a full maintenance records review of the carrier operations there at Bluegrass. I want the report with you when you come up here for the summons hearing.”
“Ah, yes sir, I’ll get right on that.” Mastifson made an ugly face as he jotted the instruction down on his notepad.
“Good. Two, when you do an investigation and submit a summons or citation package, I want it complete. You had no ATC confirmation or statements on the O’Whitt case.”
Mastifson startled, but then remembered his supervisor had said the hearing was still on. He relaxed. O’Whitt would be there. Even if some ATC statements of a favorable nature were made, he could talk around them or dismiss them as biased. Things were on track, and not even two weeks of slogging through maintenance files could stop his plan now.
“Yes sir, I shall. I simply hadn’t received a reply from ATC, and I thought O’Whitt too dangerous a menace to allow any delay.”
“Alright then. Let me know if you receive a reply before the hearing. Talk to you Friday on the weekly conference call. Bye Jeff.” Barry remembered Billy Panelli’s words on the past between Mastifson and O’Whitt, so he decided not to inform the rotweiller of his own inquiry to the ATC furs.
Mastifson hung the phone up, a smug look returning to his face. Things were going well, and O’Whitt would soon see what it meant to cross a Mastifson. With another nasty grin, the rotweiller began to assemble the paperwork he would need for the records review the Area Manager had asked for.
End of Chapter 50
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