NATASHA IVANOFF

THIRTY THOUSAND EMAILS

PART FIVE

　

By the time the police arrived with ambulances and military and they finished

their probe, it was four o’clock in the morning. As Vince pulled away in the first Range

Rover, the other two followed closely. A hazy sun had just appeared when they pulled

into McConnell AFB. Met by a bird colonel, Vince and Natasha were given the base

commander’s house to stay in.

“Do you want a cup of coffee, Nat?”

She started to tear up, :“My Father always called me Nat. I loved it. My Mother

hated the nickname because it rhymed with Rat. He passed several years ago from

cancer and I miss him so. Is it fate you called me?”

“Let’s just skip the coffee, we both need a shower.”

“As you say in America, I know how to economize.”

“And how is that?”

“Two people, one shower, saves water.”

“I‘ve always been a champion of economy.”

“I bet you have, you little devil. Okay as long as you wash my back,” Natasha said.

“Consider it done.”

Both had bathrobes on and stared at the tiny show, tree feet by three feet.

“We need to be contortionists, Nat said.”

“Watch me.” Vince entered first and spread himself tight to the tile wall. Natasha

followed spoon type and was barely able to reach the controls. Immense giggling and

laughter erupted as they bathed each other.

“How many times have you done this?”

“Never,” Vince answered.

“Oh come on you expect me to believe this? What about a first kiss?”

It was nine in the morning when they settled in bed and Vince just held her tight

and stroked her damp hair till she fell asleep. The jangle of the phone awoke both and

Vince answered the phone.

“Breakfast is coming in fifteen minutes, we better throw some clothes on.”

Natasha threw the sheets off her sculptured frame and crooked her finger toward

Vince,

“Breakfast can wait outside, I have a better idea.”

An hour later Vince opened the front door and slid the tray in. It seemed like a
week since they had eaten and they devoured everything in sight. A polite note
from the base commander suggested dinner at six and they were to be transferred to
Edwards AFB in California. Edwards had dispatched two F16B Fighting Falcons to
McConnell. They were two seat fighter jets, fully armed and had Mack 2 speed capacity at
50,000 feet.
“Boy, they must think you’re platinum. I certainly do.” Vince quipped.
Natasha gave him a special look and he quit teasing.
“We don’t have any clothes to wear to dinner“.
“ We never got our luggage. It was in the Rover they destroyed,” Vince said, “I’ll
call the base and ask.”.
　
He had an intense look as he listened, then broke in a wide grin,
“Guess what Nat?”
“Tell me what I’m going to wear to dinner?”
“There’s a service vehicle pulling up in the driveway. Some of the wives have sent
clothes over for you to try. The PX is also staying open if you need them.”
“That’s really sweet of the ladies to help, I’m sure I’ll find something.”
The base commander drove them to the runway after dinner where their planes
were parked. Vince took one look at the fighters and knew the Air Force was taking every
caution possible. Vince climbed in one fighter, Natasha the other, she felt at home in the
trainer seat up front. Vince on the other hand was apprehensive. .

As the planes catapulted off the runway and did vertical climbs to 50,000 feet,

Vince almost lost his dinner. They flew in formation style, close enough to wave to each

other. An uneventful flight was interrupted as Natasha’s pilot broke silence and talked to

the other plane,

“Do you see them on your screen?”

“Yes, looks like four missiles were launched ten seconds ago. Bill are you

suggesting we outrun them?”

“Yes, stay in touch. Deploy your anti ship missiles immediately. Burn it Joe.”

Vince felt the G’s push him to the back of his seat. Noise split the cabin like a run-

a-way freight train and he came close to blacking out as the plane soared to 53,000 feet at

Mach 2.2. He felt a desperate need for Natasha.







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