THE FIN Page 3

  While frenzy and tenseness filled the cockpit, unaware passengers gazed gleefully out the windows at schools of dolphins porpoising in and out of the sheeny, deep blue saltwater. Without interference, Sharon checked on the nuclear physicist, who looked undisturbed. Jane continually oversaw the marathon-like activities of attendants rendering world-class service in the back of the aircraft. They maintained a flurry of activity to keep the passengers diverted.

  Back on the flight deck, Stan used his calmest voice, “Dusty, you could either have experienced something like this before in Vietnam — or not. … I’m betting you did. When that happened — everything in the Huey was going to hell. Nothing was working … You might have smelled something that was distinctive to Vietnam — perhaps a unique musty, tropical scent. You now recall that vividly. You definitely heard the ever-presented wop-wop-wop of helicopter blades slapping the air. You remember every detail. There was a tenseness in the moment, but you cut through the chaos of the emergency …”

  Both of Dusty’s eyes went up and to the right as he tried to recall something like this situation in Vietnam. “Bingo! Stan, I think I’ve got it. Unexplained multiple system failures. Let’s check the circuit breakers!”

  “Unless I miss my guess, Dusty, I think that is Santa Maria coming up on our right. … I’ll check the circuit breakers.”

  Dusty spoke to his copilot, “Stan, good with you checking the breakers. I’ll hit the clock when we’re abeam the runway. If we have to dead reckon our way back, we’ll know the elapsed time, and therefore the distance. Write down our current heading … We’ll maintain 200 knots.”

  Stan tried the radio again, “Reggie, can you read us? Reggie, Reggie, come in!” There was silence on the radio for an uncomfortable amount of time.

  “Dusty, this is Reggie. I read you loud and clear, chap. What happened there, mate?” Dusty gave him a brief rehash. Resetting circuit breakers was working.

  As lost systems came back on line, Reggie could see their cockpit switch configurations as Dusty and Stan could see those in the flight simulator. Reggie set up a wide pattern for the aircraft to fly on autopilot and helped Dusty select proper inputs for the autopilot. The routing entailed a box pattern to align the turbojet with Santa Maria’s runway.

  Reggie had made the pattern long enough on each leg to allow plenty of time for discussion. Dusty looked at Stan, “You mentioned Apollo 13 earlier. That’s what that felt like to me. So many things have gone wrong on this flight. … You clever dog, getting me to remember old tricks of flying! I’d hate to be interrogated by you.”

  Stan chuckled, “Something I like to call reverse water boarding. Instructors did teach us a few tricks on how the brain operates. The power of suggestion is immense. Might put me in good stead selling used cars in my next career.”

  *****

  Dusty used reverse thrust on touchdown like a pro. The aircraft rolled out uneventfully at Santa Maria and stopped straight ahead on the runway. Egress on emergency slides from four exits on the left-hand side occurred at a leisurely pace to avoid injuries. Stan watched Sharon’s package all the way into the terminal. Still on board the aircraft with only the right engine running, Sharon talked with Mother to ensure the passengers would receive the same story the press would receive about the happenings on the flight. She also learned that several terrorist cells had been rolled up in Iceland. And one of the dead terrorists on board was not homegrown; he was a Guantanamo releasee.

  Still rising to the occasion, unsinkable Jane had volunteered to brief all the passengers about the events of the day, from Sharon’s notes. The assembly for the briefing was in the lobby of the terminal. Following that, attendants let passengers claim their cell phones. In minutes, the world would know of the horrific terrorist attacks on the flight.

  Sharon ended her secure SATCOM call to Mother, “Have you arranged security here for the package?”

  “That won’t be necessary, Sharon. He’s a decoy — a look-alike we pulled up with our facial recognition program. Sorry, advance need to know only. … Mum is still the word on that. … You can be very proud of what you have accomplished today. It’s a great day for the Commonwealth!”

  Protocol be damned, Sharon vowed to share the decoy information with Stan. She had a simmering anger over being kept in the dark. She needed to share that with someone she trusted. Of course, The Fin would probably just consider it just par for the course. She greeted him in a debriefing room Portuguese authorities arranged for them.

  Stan gave her, her due — in a backhanded sort of way, “You weren’t too bad back there!”

  Sharon gave it right back to him, “As you British-rejects say, you ‘didn’t suck either.’”

  “So, Sharon, are you going to buy me that drink, or what?”

  “No! …” she crisply delivered and paused.

  Stan was taken aback, “Something I said, or didn’t say?”

  “Bollocks! I’m thinking, not a drink … but several of them, Stan. We have some catching up to do. The passengers have a head start. Some of them are still bladdered, or drunk as you say in America.”

  “Shouldn’t we get Dusty to come along? You know, we were quite a team up there.” Stan waited for her response.

  “Stan, you and I must stay out of the the limelight. Let him have his well-deserved moment of fame, as it were. I think he will be basking in the joyful eyes of hundreds of admirers tonight. He won’t miss us.”

  “So, drinks for two.” Stan stated. “And afterward?” Stan delivered with pretended indifference.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “I was thinking you could demo that takedown you did on Big Mouth. Of course, I’d prefer to remain conscious.” He smiled with his eyes.

  “Should we set up some ground rules?”

  “One rule: no ground rules! I hate rules!” Stan answered.

  “So I heard. Mother gave me a little bit more on you, Fin. You’re no cheeky duffer. You’re ace. The last face a terrorist would ever see. The people who ran you, called you The Finisher. When things were all mucked up, you were the one they could always count on to fix the situation. The ultimate closer. That’s why they call you The Fin.”

  “And I thought it was my sunny disposition,” Stan said with an indifferent sigh. He noticed he no longer had that ugly sense of doom hanging over him. He was beginning to feel good. Perhaps this was going to be the happiest day of his life. “As The Fin, I’m telling you this is only the beginning, kid.”

  *****

  The couple decided to avoid unwanted attention in the airport bar. Stan popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Perignon in Sharon’s room.

  “Stan, I was so taken aback at finding out my nuclear scientist was a decoy. I feel so betrayed, by my own people no less. I would have taken a bullet for him — for an actor! Have you ever …

  “Sharon, always remember that it could be worse. I know it’s frustrating, but the life of an agent is never easy. Don’t deny your feelings. … Just don’t let them rule you …

  “Stan, I apologize for all the rubbish I gave you over being The Fin. You really have been a shoulder to cry on for me — and a motivator for Jane, Dusty, and me. I am so impressed.”

  “Sharon, I try to be appropriate for the occasion.”

  “You really are quite a people-person, Fin!”

  “That was humor, wasn’t it. I hate people. They get in the way of the mission,” Stan said with a wry smile. “My base personality is that of a Fin, but I can fake it.”

  “You do that very well, Mr. Bond!”

  Stan handed Sharon a flute of champagne and picked up his own, “A toast to new beginnings!”

  “Stan, a toast to your next career! … I hope you make a killing.” She blushed and tried not to lose it. She realized how inadvertently funny she had been. “Can I have an A-men (sic)?”

  Stan adopted a mock-British accent, “That would be proper, wouldn’t it, Miss Pennymoney? (sic)” He felt a cold shiver run up his back at her unint
ended meaning. “I’ll give you an O-men (sic).”

  “It’s Moneypenny, Mr. Bond.”

  “Not since the euro, my dear! Speaking of turnabout. … How would you feel about being a double agent? A few extra pounds at the end of the month in a Cayman Islands account. Help an ally. No harm done to the Commonwealth. Everybody wins.”

  Sharon put her flute down on a table and put her arms akimbo. “Is that what this whole op has been about? Were you sent here to recruit me?”

  “That would be daring and dastardly — something only The Fin would try …” He remained expressionless, charged Sharon’s flute with Dom, and returned the flute to her right hand.

  “Shall we sleep on it, Fin?” She smiled warmly and clanked her flute against his.

  END

  For those wanting to know more about Stanley Bricker, please read Custos: Enemies Domestic and “Custos: Stalker,” both by Jake Aaron. “Custos: Stalk the Stalker” is a midquel that occurs during Custos: Enemies Domestic. “Custos: The Fin” is a prequel that occurs prior to Custos: Enemies Domestic. All are available on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, and other leading ebook platforms.

  About the Author

  The author is an award-winning essayist in competitions at college, the Freedoms Foundation, and a major command of the United States Air Force. He is a distinguished graduate of a United States service academy and was first in his MBA and MS engineering classes. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as an aircraft commander in combat. Later, he was the first pilot to land his series jet on McMurdo Sound’s ice runway in Antarctica. He served as an instructor pilot, flight examiner, acquisitions program manager, engineer, senior command-and-control director, and squadron commander. In a subsequent career, he was a top territory manager for several leading international medical companies.