Read Online A New World: Reckoning by John O'Brien - Free Book Online Page B

mountains.
    Robert and I accomplish our walk-arounds for the aircraft. It’s a clear day so we shouldn’t have problems keeping each other in sight. We cover routes, emergencies, frequencies, and a hundred other things that he is patient enough to let me go through. I’ll be leading with him following. Making sure he has the route and plan down, I give him and Bri hugs before we head to our respective aircraft.
    We check in over the radio. A short time later, down the ramp, I see the propeller on Robert’s number three engine begin rotating. I’m behind on the checklist with my having to do the co-pilot’s actions as well, but it’s not too long before I press the start button. At that point though, he is already starting the last engine, number one. I manage to catch up and we taxi out. I roll down the runway, which is still mostly swept clean from our landing the day prior. Cleaning up the aircraft, I hear Robert call “rolling” on the radio and bank the Spooky to the west-northwest toward Albuquerque.
    As we climb, I have Gonzalez head into the back to make sure the equipment is readied there, leaving me alone in the cockpit. We should arrive over Albuquerque soon, as the flight is only about two hundred miles. Gonzalez reports that they are ready in the back. I have her remain as there really isn’t that much to do in flight except monitor the gauges and periodically switch the fuel tanks.
    About ten minutes later, I level off at fifteen thousand feet. This will give us a medium altitude to visually surveil the ground and provide good distance for the radio. Keeping my airspeed down, I check in with Robert to find that he’s closed to a seven o’clock position about two thousand feet behind.
    With everything seemingly in order, I begin making radio calls, alternating between the guard frequency and the one we had arranged. There isn’t a response to any of my queries by the time we draw near to Albuquerque.
    As the southeastern outskirts of the city fades out of view, I notify Robert and bank the aircraft to the northeast, making for the southern end of a large range of peaks as they spill out onto the upper plateau we’ve been flying across. Once we round the vast ridgeline, we’ll turn north toward Colorado Springs. Albuquerque slides under, then past the wing. The worry I had from not reaching Greg the previous day multiplies. We should have been able to reach him even if he was hundreds of miles away.
    Sunlight partially fills a large valley that heads north between two monstrous ridgelines. Ahead and to the side, I make out the city of Santa Fe, which brings Leonard to mind. I hope he is able to find family members well and whole in their home port.
    “Sir?” I hear Gonzalez call.
    “Go ahead,” I reply.
    “I’m not sure what I’m seeing, but I’m picking up a heat signature on thermal,” she states.
    “Which direction and how far?” I ask.
    There is a moment of silence. “It’s off our left wing and looks to be about fifteen miles away, sir.”
    I glance out of the window to our nine o’clock position. I don’t see anything, but the mileage she indicated would put whatever she is seeing near an interstate leading from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. The road itself isn’t very distinguishable from the surrounding terrain, but the shadows from the raised surface make it easy to locate.
    “Zoom in,” I say, turning my monitor to what she is seeing.
    Glancing at the monitor, I see the warm spot Gonzalez indicated sitting just off what I think is the interstate.
    “Robert, set up a holding pattern here and maintain fifteen thousand feet. We’re picking something up on thermal to the north and I’m heading down for a closer look,” I radio.
    “Copy that. We’ll be here at fifteen thousand,” he replies.
    I notify Gonzalez that we’re descending and going to take a closer look. Pulling the throttles back, I lower the nose and turn toward the sighting.
    As we draw closer, both in distance