Laurel read hullo_nurse's e-mail a second time. "We have been batting around the idea of a reunion on the BB for some time. I have been chatting with SEAL 6. He and "Sugar", the same Sugar in "Imagine being Sugar" are taking an airplane from Andrews to Hawaii this Friday. They will return the following Tuesday. They are willing to pick up all the gals. Sugar and SEAL 6 would not be able to be with us while there. I sure would like to go and be with everybody. Let me know if it can be arranged."
Manu's reaction was; "God, yes, you need some rest, and what a great chance to meet some of these folks, face to face."
After a frantic flurry of e-mail exchanges, Laurel sent the following e-mail to SEAL 6, with a copy to hullo_nurse; "Thank you for you kind offer to pick up all our crazy friends. We are delighted to accept. There are fifteen of us. We will use our screen names. Endlessly, Angel, Wizard, Young one, Butterfly, Sammyjo, SexyLittleWitch, Eve_of_destruction, Skitten, Renee, Whispersecret, Horny wife, Hullo_nurse, Softly, and me. You will only need to stop at Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and LA to get us all."
"This is what Tigers look like", crossed Laurel's mind as the two pilots walked into the private pilots terminal from the Gulfstream V. As she introduced herself to them, she felt a chill from the eye contact with Sugar. Though he was smiling and friendly, there was the feeling that he was part "Cobra."
At the LA aircraft fuel farm, Juan turned the wrong valve to fill the fuel truck. Instead of J 4, he pumped in 6000 gallons of Ethel lartic, an experimental rocket fuel.
He pumped it all into the outboard tanks of Gulfstream 100 US.
Fourteen minutes after departure, Los Angeles center cleared 100 US from flight level 240 to flight level 410. As they leveled at 41, 000 feet, Sugar switched from the inboard tanks that he used for take off and climb out, to the outboards that he used in cruise. "Good God Almighty", hissed from SEAL 6 lips as 100 US accelerated from 490 knots to 16,000 knots and climbed through 90,000 feet in seconds. Air traffic control was calling them and both pilots were trying to slow the plane, when all of a sudden there was a blinding flash. There was no noise. You could hear a pin drop.
Laurel, sitting in the first right hand seat, could see Sugar, and hear his laconic drawl, as he spoke to SEAL 6. " Our Radar is showing an island out there about sixty miles, I think that we can glide to it. I don't think that I want to light our engines. Had enough excitement for a bit."
On short final, SEAL 6 swore under his breath. Turning to Sugar, he said; "Looks like a fuckin war zone. Look at the shell craters, and the shot up equipment. Marines everywhere."
When they rolled to a stop, a squad of Marines advanced towards the plane with rifles pointed at it. Sugar exited the plane, and with hands over his head walked over to them. A Marine removed Sugar's credential pack and after looking at it, gave Sugar a smart salute. Laurel, overheard the marine saying, "Never seen a plane without propellers, Sir!"
Sugar returned to the plane to brief everybody about where they were and what was going on. Laurel noted that he looked 100 percent Cobra now.