Caleb 84 - Obsession
Gerry was grim faced when we got back to the airfield.
"We're going to have to wait until tonight, or maybe the early hours, before we can leave." He told Dean.
"What's the problem." Asked Dean
"The airfield is only 5300 feet long," Gerry responded. "We can land in about three and a half thousand feet, but it takes about 5300 feet to take off at sea level and we're 4000 feet up. Added to that the day's warmed up and that makes it even worse.
"That beast weighs over fifty thousand pounds. I can get her off on a shorter runway, but not at the current temperature."
"How about if she weighed less?" I asked.
"I've already trimmed the fuel as much as I dare," he said. "And there's only the three of us."
"How much weight would you have to lose to safely take off now?" I asked.
Gerry looked at his calculations.
"If it were possible to shed another fifteen thousand pounds," he said, "I'd be confident."
"Easy," I said. "I can lighten her, at least until we're airborne. Once we hit five hundred feet, we should be traveling fast enough I can stop carrying her."
Gerry looked from me to Dean.
"Are you sure?" asked Dean. I nodded to him.
He looked at Gerry, expectantly.
We boarded the plane with Sarah and Dean taking seats in the passenger compartment. I sat in the co-pilot's seat so I could see what was going on.
We taxied to the very end of the runway, and turned. Gently I pushed us back until our wheels were as far back as they could get and still be on pavement.
"Ready?" Gerry asked. I nodded.
Pressing against the floor I took the weight of the plane. I didn't lift it completely from the runway, but I did carry about half of its weight.
"Go," I said.
Gerry ran the engines up to full power while keeping the parking brake on. With full flaps, and the engines screaming, he released the brake. I angled my lift to provide forward thrust alongside the engines. The G500 leapt forward as if she'd been stung. We accelerated far faster than expected, and were less than half way down the runway when we hit V1. Gerry rotated the nose up and we danced into the air.
"Positive climb," I said.
"Gear up!" his response. I raised the landing gear.
I watched the air speed indicator and saw Gerry reduce flaps until they were completely retracted. We were passing through seven hundred and fifty feet when I felt the strain of holding up the plane getting markedly worse. I was pushing against the ground which was getting further and further away. Gently I released my power. The plane sagged a little and Gerry corrected without complaint.
"All yours," I told him when I'd completely released my power.
"That was awesome," he said. "We didn't use more than three thousand feet of the runway. Being able to do that will open up a lot of airstrips that were previously denied because they were simply not long enough for a take off."
I grinned at him.
"Let's not make a habit of it," I told him. "We don't want people asking what modifications you've made to the jet."
"True," he said.
I slipped out of the co-pilots seat.
"I need to go spend time with my sister," I said. "Is that okay?"
"Sure," he said. "I'll take it from here."
I moved back into the cabin, where Sarah was seated by Dean. He was holding her as she cried.
He looked up to me as I moved back and I could see he was getting ready to move. I shook my head.
Sarah needed someone strong and solid to comfort her right now and I could think of no-one better.
"
We're on our way back,"
I sent to the girls.
"All sorted - we'll catch you up when we get there."
I sat down opposite Dean and Sarah, and Sarah turned her red eyes toward me.
"Why would they do that?" she asked me.
"They were worried about you," I told her. "We know it's misplaced but, like you said, given your Mom's history with John, is it any surprise? Within a month of moving in with us they find out that you're sharing our bed and are engaged to someone they'd never even heard of before.
"I've no doubt that your Mom has been making up all kinds of scenarios in her head as to what's been going on at the house."
Sarah nodded sadly. "I guess," she said. "But why didn't she just come and talk to us about it?"
I looked at Dean. "Can you offer a parent's perspective?" I asked him.
"Kind of," he said. "When Jules first introduced Caleb and the girls to Cheryl and I, it was kind of a shock. If I hadn't known that Caleb had saved Jules', and also seen how he felt about her, I'd have been reaching for my weapons then and there. Then, when I found out about them being Psi, it kind of made sense. They showed me, us, what had happened, and I saw a little of the love between them all."
He coughed, a little embarrassed. "Then when Ness got her pain, and we ended up sharing..."
Sarah's eyes went wide and she looked at me. I gave her a sheepish grin.
"Then we saw the full extent of the love between them all," he went on. "After seeing that, there was no question - they were together and nothing I could do or say was going to change that. What's more I didn't have any inclination to try. I doubt either of my girls could find anyone who would love them more, and more completely, than they are loved just now, by Caleb, Mary, and Amanda. I've no doubt that Melanie, and even you, are starting to feel the same way about them."
Sarah nodded. "But how am I going to get that through to my parents?" she asked.
"Martha will start that process," I said. "In the short term I'm going to suggest we talk to a lawyer about a restraining order against your parents. Just until they settle down." I added hastily as Sarah opened her mouth to argue.
"I'm also going to have words with John." I told her. "I'm not particularly happy with his part in this either."
"You think we should invite them up for Christmas?" Dean asked. "There will be plenty of room."