CHAPTER 1
The recruitment team interviewing applicants to train as co-pilots with Capella Aviation left the youngest guy to last, expecting to ridicule Danny Mortimer (24) who'd just scraped in at the minimum age and yet was claiming 5320 hours as a pilot.
"Are you twenty-four or more like thirty, claiming these amount of flying hours as a licensed pilot?" asked the panel convener.
The curly-haired blond smiled and said he was twenty-four as verified in submitted copies of his birth certificate and passport.
"Ah-ha. Tell me, is this claim of 5320 flying hours the truth?"
"Ah no sir."
"Well that's it, off you go."
"As my submitted log book shows they are my hours flown as a commercial pilot. It occurred to me you'd not be interested in the 2839 hours recorded from the time I first qualified to hold a license to the time I gained my commercial license. Further it ignores the approximate 1700 hours I flew under my father's supervision from the time I was fifteen."
"Good god man, that's incredible."
"Thank you sir. I'm the fourth generation in my Mortimer family to have been a pilot."
The interview proceeded smoothly from that point, Applicant Mortimer describing his experience as a crop-dusting pilot. The submitted papers established that he was qualified in advance aerial navigation and for night flying, was qualified to engage in search and rescue missions and held a basic light aircraft preliminary maintenance certificate.
On that day, applicant Mortimer was one of the eight of twenty-one applicants selected to advance to the next step to demonstrate their flying skills and then proceed on to aptitude testing.
After the applicants were briefed, with heavy emphasis on safety, they were then given the choice of flying a Cessna Skycatcher or a Cessna Skyhawk to demonstrate their basic ability in performing a set of routine procedures. All chose the Skyhawk and all distinguished themselves as good aviators.
They were then invited to display any special qualities they had and none volunteered.
Selection panel convener Roach Jeffries flicked through some of the sheets on his clipboard.
"Charles is your Pitts S-2A available for Applicant Mortimer to fly? He's rated to fly aerobatic aircraft."
"Yes providing you will guarantee a rebuild or a replacement if anything goes wrong."
"Of course and you'll have that in writing by the time you have briefed Mr Mortimer thoroughly. I don't want him doing anything extreme or flying beyond the airport."
Charlie said that wouldn't allow much scope but Danny said he would just perform two basic moves to display skill including acute concentration.
"You are not to put anyone or any property into jeopardy and that includes yourself young man."
"Understood sir," Danny said to Mr Jeffries.
The others had coffee while Danny received his briefing.
Charlie Tonks satisfied himself Danny was familiar with the controls and Danny said what he planned to do. He taxied out and waited until receiving clearance. Charlie had phoned the tower and asked for a 15-minute window clear of all other traffic and consent was given.
Danny took off and circled and did a lazy roll and came back 30-feet above the main runway inverted (upside down) for much of the length of the runway and then gained altitude and flew a 'lazy eight" and then landed and taxied into the hangar.
When he returned to where his fellow applicants were gathered he was applauded and Roach Jeffries shook his hand and said, "Well done. Your restraint counts heavily in your favor. You resisted any urge to show off and did exactly when Charlie told me you said you would do."
"On day you really must show me what you can do with my little airplane," said Charlie, also shaking Danny's hand.
As everyone was leaving, an extremely attractive blonde around forty approached Danny and said, "You obviously have soft hands."
Danny looked at her breasts and thought they might react very favorable to soft hands.
She stared at him and said, "Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?"
"Yeah but I also thing you might be a pilot."
"Well you only just escaped being labeled an asshole. Yes I do fly. I familiarize trainees with our company's aircraft. You will be aware they are all turbo-prop short-haul aircraft we fly on our mail and freight routes and for passenger charters. I'm Ronni Mitchell."
"Hi Ronni, I'm Danny Mortimer."
"I know who you are. The assessment team has watched you fly and we have scrutinized your documented record of experience and it is our unanimous decision that you join our senior recruits as from tomorrow and it's your responsibility to fill in any gaps left by your rapid advancement if you wish to graduate with your new class."
"Thanks ma'am."
"Ronni is sufficient. Would you like to invite me to dinner tonight?"
"Will I be flying tomorrow?"
"No."
"Then it would be my pleasure to take you to dinner."
"Fine. I know which hotel you are in. I'll pick you up at 1830 hours. Dress smart casual."
"Yes ma'am. I mean Ronni."
Danny ran to catch up with his colleagues but they had gone. He walked back to the hotel knowing it would take less than an hour, giving him plenty of time to be ready for Ronni. God her tits looked really juicy.
Danny wondered why laidback Ronni had picked him out. It didn't appear to be a whim. He recalled how smooth she'd been, as if it had been rehearsed. Jesus this could be sort of set-up. She wasn't intending to have sex with him at all. Oh no.
No his imagination was running away on him. She was probably practiced enough in whatever she did to be smooth and her focus was setting herself up to have sex with him. She probably did this to a guy from every intake and cut a notch on her bra for every success.
Yeah that was it.
Danny sighed and wondered why he was allowing his mind to run away on him like this. It was a total waste of time. Yeah why him? He sighed, well he only had to wait to find out.
* * *
Danny went out of the hotel at 6:30 and a few seconds later a cab arrived and the rear door opened and Ronni called, "Hi, jump in."
She kissed him as the cab moved off and said she was wearing a suit instead of an evening dress because it was a business dinner. She would brief him in the bar.
As they chatted she reached for his hand and held it but displayed no emotion and didn't squeeze it. "You have to trust me. This is a business meeting and we are to dine with my father who is chairman of the airline and Dave Mitchell who is head of airline security. You will know we have twenty-eight aircraft. Associated with that is an infrastructure to support an airline larger than that size.
She squeezed his hand, "Would you like sex tonight?"
"With you or your father?"
She laughed and said he was funny.
"We are going to be asking a lot from you and because I'm reasonably attractive and you are away from home I thought you might like to um, be with me. Tomorrow you'll meet your new associate, Lori Reeves and after that meeting I expect you will have no need for me and that's why I wish to thank you tonight."
"This is very strange."
"I agree Danny but by the time we finish dinner all will be revealed and every piece will fall into place. Oh I'm married."
"I had wondered about that when I felt the two rings on your ring finger."
"Well our security report on you suggests you are a smart cookie. But at the end of the day all this might be a bit of a bore for you so don't think you are being recruited to become an international spy."
"Right I won't. Are you good at sex?"
"Excuse me?"
"I was thinking if I'm to commit adultery it ought to be worth it."
"Oh yes Asshole, I'll not disappoint you."
Ronni then began the briefing. Danny had been identified as a possible recruit to fly special flights carrying high value cargo such as banknotes between banks and gold and diamonds between clients. Naturally everyone involved in such flights had to be trustworthy and receive security clearances.
"Your clearance came through when you were in the air on your first demonstration flight. I immediately swung into action and advised you at the first opportunity your advance in training would be accelerated. The other special recruit in Lori's intake is unlikely to graduate because his latest health examination indicates a deteriorating eye condition. Therefore it was decided to accelerate you to take his place alongside Lori.
A lean, tanned guy in a white suit approached their booth. Ronni jumped up and introduced the guy to Danny and said she would see them at dinner.
"So our young hotshot who's already flown more hours and many amateur pilots fly in a lifetime eh?"
"Yes Mr Capella," Danny said motioning him to sit and then he waved to a waitress. "Even as a kid I was bored sitting around. I feel I'm at my best when flying."
Lucca ordered ice water and Danny asked for another wine.
"Do you drink much?"
"Not a great deal but I will have a few because I'm not flying tomorrow."
"Who says you're not?"
"Ronni."
Lucca grinned. "Some advice young man...make sure her husband doesn't see you alone with her. He packs a mean punch and also carries a .38."
Danny swallowed but not obviously.
"That sounds good advice to me Mr Capella."
"So you're not denying outright that Ronni and you have plans for after dinner?"
"No. I see no reason to be forthcoming about it but when challenged by her father I have no reason to be evasive. She's a mature woman, not a child and if she's high up working for you it's obvious you two must maintain a close relationship."
"But she didn't kiss me when I came in, so how close is close?"
"That's when I figured this whole thing was a setup or some sort of test, possibly about trust."
Lucca beamed. "She told me you were one smart cookie and probably fearless."
"And trustworthy?"
"Ronni is also smart. She hasn't known you long enough to feel she's reached any conclusion about that. Are you trustworthy?"
"Pretty well 100% I'd say providing I'm not asked to doing anything illegal."
Lucca frowned. "That's a good answer."
He invited Danny to dine with him, Ronni and her husband. "You are a smart kid Danny. Never entirely expect people to be what you think they are, not even your own mother."
"What's wrong with my mother?"
"How the hell should I know, never having met the woman? I'll tell you something Danny. This Lori you've being teamed with. I reckon you can trust her 98%."
"But not 100?"
"Jesus kid, didn't I just tell you never to entirely trust anyone?"
"Er yes."
It was a pretty dully evening because Lucca did most of the talking. It also started with a jump after Danny was introduced to Ronni's husband Dave and then Ronni sat beside Danny.
"Do you come here often?" he asked Ronni.
