Butterfly Dreams (43)

(A sequel to The Strange Story of Mr. Black and Ms Gray.)

They had died when helping thwart a plan to undermine the government of the United States. Now Ben and Susan have returned from the dead and they must bring that government down. Standing in their way are Michael Black and Michelle Gray, the bodies of whom they now occupy.

-(The Story begins HERE)-

An Unlikely Savior

The door at Wingate's back swung open and struck him, the force of which threw him off balance and onto the deck. I looked up to see Faye standing in the doorway. There was as an angry scowl on her face.

"Don't just sit there!" she bellowed. "Grab the son of a bitch's gun!"

Without hesitation I knelt beside him and removed the pistol from the holster, but I was caught off guard when with a sudden reflex motion he grabbed my arm. Despite my efforts to secure the weapon, it squirted from my hand and fell onto the floor between our bodies.

His years of military conditioning proved too much for the more sedentary attention I'd ever given to exercise. The drive of his knee into my groin all but put an end to the struggle. Having reacquired his gun he got to his feet and pointed it at Faye.

"Mrs. O'Day, what do think you're doing?" he roared. "Have you forgotten whose side you're on?"

"You bastard!" she screeched. "You were going kill everyone, including me! How dare you question my loyalty."

There was a sudden jolt of the plane. Wingate seemed to be expecting the disturbance and gloated, "That would be my troops opening the cargo ramp. It's time for us to disembark."

From the corner of my eye I caught movement to the colonel's right. He was turned slightly and realized a second too late that Baxter had been feigning unconsciousness. There was a gush of air escaping Wingate's lungs when the toe of Baxter's shoe impacted his solar plexus. In one moment Wingate had been training his gun on us, in the next it was Baxter standing over him with the gun in hand.

"It was you who taught me to never assume that your enemy is incapacitated. Colonel, it would appear that you violated your own rules of combat," Baxter pontificated to the fallen officer.

Rubbing his abdomen he spoke in defiance, "It doesn't matter. My men have already left the plane. Private Jones has his orders. With or without me, he will detonate those charges the moment he hits terra firma." He moved his arms outward with dancing fingers and said, "Boom!"

Craning his neck to see out of the window Jordan remarked, "I can see several parachutes floating to the ground."

"How ... how can the three of you be so calm? We're all going to die!" Faye cried.

"I don't think so, Mrs. O'Day," Baxter responded, "I'm guessing that the Colonel here has a contingency plan. Despite his outward toughness, this man is no hero, and he's not about to die for any cause."

Wingate snarled, "How dare you speak of me as a coward. You, Baxter, are the coward ... and a traitor!" He didn't wait for Jeremy to respond but turned his verbal tirade at Faye. "...And you! Your father would be ashamed of you and what you've done."

Professor Jordan stood and wagged his finger at the man, "No, he would not! In fact, I'm quite proud of her."

His mouth agape Wingate uttered, "What? What are talking about? Julius Gates is her father."

Her hands on her hips, Faye shook her head and said, "Step-father, Colonel. This man is my biological father."

Baxter addressed me, "Michael, this plane will not be able to land with that cargo ramp down. Could you go close it?" When he saw the word 'how' forming on my lips he said, "In the rear of the troop cabin you will see a panel with a series of buttons. The top-most button will close the ramp."

When I returned to the cabin I nodded to Jeremy that the ramp had been closed. Grinning, I noted that the angry exchanges between Faye, Baxter and Wingate had not abated.

"You fools!" the colonel roared. "You don't realize what you're messing with, and with whom you're messing. It's bigger than all of us. Nothing that happens here on this plane will change anything. Mark my words, there is no stopping us."

Faye turned and looked back into the main cabin. "It looks like whatever you put in the drinks is wearing off, Colonel. They're all beginning to come to."

"Drugged?" Jordan said.

"Yes, drugged. It seems that the colonel here slipped a micky in our drinks. He was going to blow up the plane while they were sleeping."

"You weren't affected?" I asked.

She smiled and shook her head, "No. I didn't have a drink. I tend to get very airsick when I fly, so I took some Dramamine. I thought it best not to mix alcohol when the medicine."

Baxter chuckled, "He knew you didn't drink it, but he wasn't concerned about you being awake. You were part of his team!"

Nodding she responded, "Right. He didn't count on me eavesdropping behind the door and learning about the explosives."

"All I know is that you are our unlikely savior, Mrs. O'Day," I remarked, "even though you acted as such only because you were being betrayed."

Professor Jordan touched my arm and said, "Michael, you should not be so quick to judge her."

I was about to recite any number of suspicious and treacherous acts that could be attributed to her when a voice boomed over the intercom. "This is the pilot, we are approaching the landing strip. We will be touching down in one minute. For your safety, please be seated and secure your seat belts."

( To be continued

Enter the Traitor )

№ 2085