On the 17th Jenny and I went to another doctor’s appointment to check on her progress. Another sonogram, more blood tests and other tests; it looked like my first estimate was right that she had been 10 weeks at the first appointment. That would make her 14 weeks now.

Dr. Peterson said we should expect Jenny’s belly to start popping out any day. Exercise and a fitness routine could only hold off the affects of Mother Nature so long, especially when carrying twins.

If Dr. Peterson saw the sex of the babies she did not say anything. Jenny and I had several discussions on if we wanted to know, but we still could not decide. She did say that everything looked great.

The airport construction was going full blast. The federal EPA approval was back in less than a week. The county tried to stop the construction, but then suddenly withdrew all objections. Jones & Jones crew had arrived in style and some in simplicity.

There were a dozen or more very fancy motor homes and another dozen or so old school busses that had been converted into mobile bunk houses. With the well hooked up and a new tank installed there was water for all. Some of the motor homes had wives and kids that went somewhere every day – to the ocean I would bet.

There were all kinds of working arrangements. Some work 5 eights others 5 10 hour days. Some worked 8 days straight and took 4 days off. Some of the men worked 16 that ran the gravel separator. I wondered how the time keeper dealt with all the differences.

There were several concrete holding tanks connected to the bunk busses and the gray water was discharged on the ground. A sewage contractor came and pumped out the holding tanks once a week.

There was a growing mountain of stone and sand on the west end of the property and a huge pile of topsoil in another place. Several tractor trailers arrived daily with big black pipe for the drainage system. There was a big pile and growing.

The blueprints for the JBG hanger had been approved. It was more than the estimated million but the sale of the P51 engines more than made up for the difference – but it was one hell of a hanger. Both of the big jets and one G5 and one smaller plane could fit in the main bay. Then there was a bay on each side that could hold three planes each. The good thing was it was certified for class 4 hurricane and up to 5 feet of snow.

The worst thing about it, it only came in earth tone color as standard. I hated earth tone, but anything else was one heck of an extra charge. Earth tone it was. The contract was signed with installation to begin September 1 and be completed by October 1. Their engineer was to supervise the floor pour two weeks prior.

I asked how in the devil you heat something that big. I was told radiant heat in the floor and it was in the price for the main bay.

The insurance company had ideas of their own that we were going to end up paying for. They demanded a water tower and sprinkler systems or else.

Elizabeth Morton terminal was in the blueprint drawing stage and another week or so out.

There was still no end to the airport funding investigation. We had received no more subpoenas.

Lorrie sent two pilots to crop dusting school to get certified to apply ag chemicals. By all indications, they were to start spraying next week.

Lorrie, Crash and sometimes Sabrina went out every day to see all the customers on Crash’s list, just to make sure that they knew the crop dusting business was still going. Then they visited all of the farmers that weren’t on the list. Of course Marcy had done credit checks. There were some who were no-go period.

Sabrina was a new hire – a local farm girl just out of college, from a big farming family. Her brothers were to get the farm and she was just expected to get married and move on. It was one of those unfortunate scenarios.

She knew farming and had been in the local 4H and FFA programs and knew all the local farm boys. She fell in love with the gym and the tanning room, and fell right in place with Crash and crop dusting.

Of course a farm girl needs a 4×4 diesel pickup to carry spray supplies. Jake’s truck was finally getting the workout the diesel needed. A new ‘JBG Aerial Spraying Division’ black and gold logo was put on the sides.

Crash’s method of putting water in the spray tanks was no more. Temporarily, Jones & Jones onsite water truck would supply the water from one of the ponds.

We were in the last four days of the agency training. They had been through Jamie’s gun course. This time all the emphasis was on how to be in a gun fight and survive. They were taught things that were never whispered – even under your breath – in our normal classes.

I taught that part and sent Jamie outside when I did it. I trained in how and where to shoot so they would live long enough to be interrogated and where to shoot so they could not signal an alarm. Then there were demonstrations on how to sever motor nerves if it came to that.

The knife training went the same route in the final days – very aggressive and how to defend and kill if necessary and survive.

Any trainer that trains people to face life and death situations always has the same questions when they are finished, ‘Have I missed something, could I have done more?”

The final question I always had, “I have taught them how but can they pull the trigger or slit the throat to live?” Only time would tell and even then I would never find out with these guys going on an ops mission.

I was taking a break at one of the tables with Marcy. We were watching as Ching Lee, Vicky and Lorrie were running the group through a refresher.

A voice came from behind me in German.

“You have made amazing progress with my people. There may be hope for you yet.” And then there was a hand on each of my shoulders.

“But alas I am disappointed. I hear there have been secrets, my friend,” he said.

“A lady is entitled to have a few secrets for without those men would show no interest,” I responded with a laugh in my best German.

“This may be true but we need to go discuss your secret,” Rodney said.

“Eric and Frank will be here in a few minutes,” Rodney added.

Edit by Alfmeister