Circles in the Sand (10 page)

Patton said, “I’ve never done any surveying either. Looks to me like you might have to make some command decisions…like this is the spot, right here.”

“I’m afraid of that. But if somebody doesn’t like it, they can send some one here who knows what they’re doing.”

They walked over to Q-2 to see how the cleaning job was proceeding. “Can you get a window from Q-3 to replace the broken one back there?”  Clint asked.

“I’ve already checked,” Lance said. “We used them for Q-1.”

“Okay, until we can get it fixed, we’ll just have to store things at the front of the hut. As soon as you’re finished in here, we need to unload the truck.”

Outside again, the NCOs heard the noise of loud aircraft engines. Searching they sky they saw a huge four-engine plane approaching from the west. It passed overhead and then began circling to lose altitude.”

“Is he going to land here?” Patton asked.

“Looks like it, but why? That’s a B-50 bomber,” Clint said.

On one of its passes, the bomber flew low over the town before straightening out and climbing into a normal landing pattern. “Sure looks like he intends to land here.” The noise brought everyone outside. Before it landed, Sheriff Radecker and Tommy Kerns pulled up near Q-1. Everyone watched the huge bomber approach like they’d never seen a bomber land before, and none of them had. It touched down at the near end of the runway, using most of it before it stopped. With two engines shut down it returned on the taxiway like a ponderous elephant.

Marie-Elena Gomez with the other two girls in her convertible pulled up near Q-1. Shouting to make her voice heard, she asked, “WHAT IS IT?”

Losing interest in the bomber, Lance strode over to enlighten the ladies.

The B-50 stopped opposite the buildings and shut down the other two engines. While the crowd watched, an NCO climbed out of the plane. He walked forward to where the pilots could see him and waved. Then he walked toward the rear.

The rear bomb bay opened. Bundles of two by fours tumbled out onto the taxiway. There were so many they piled up almost back into the bomb bay. Now the NCO walked to the front of the bomber and waved at the pilots again. Shortly the front bomb bay opened. Bundles of aluminum sheets crashed onto the taxiway. They didn’t pile as high as the wood had. The NCO climbed back into the bomber. He hardly disappeared inside when another human came hurtling out. He was followed by a B-4 bag.

That individual picked the bag up and walked toward the spectators. Clint went out to meet him. Before Clint could say any thing, Second Lieutenant Rupert Byers, in civilian clothes said, “The pilot wants you to get a forklift out here and haul this stuff away… before he can take off.” Byers headed for the huts.

“Oh great. I doubt there’s a fork lift within forty miles.”

Clint hollered back to the crowd. “Okay, all you Air Force men, on the double, we’ve got to move this stuff out from under the plane…and off the taxiway. He can’t take off until all of it is out of the way.” Moving the heavy bundles took a lot of effort and time. Before long the NCO from the aircraft came out to talk to Clint. “The pilots are having a fit up there. What’s the problem. Why don’t you have a couple of forklifts out here?”

“Are you kidding? There’s not a forklift around here closer than Fort Peck.” He pointed to the struggling airmen. “There’s a hundred percent of my lifting power. If your pilots are in such a damn hurry, we’ll let officers haul wood too…How many airmen you got inside there?”

“Five enlisted.”

“Well we could move this stuff faster with some help. How about your troops lending a hand, if not the officers?”

“I’ll check with the pilot.”

“Hey, ain’t you the crew chief? Don’t you have some authority with the airmen?”

“Not enough for what you want, but I’ll ask.” He disappeared inside the plane. Five minutes later, three airmen in flight suits dropped out of the front bomb bay. A buck sergeant said, “We’ll give you a hand. Just tell us what you want done.”

Clint said, “well, grab a hold of any of that stuff. You can’t leave till it’s all out of the way.”

A few minutes later the crew chief came back with a message from the pilot. “He wants to find out if those dolls in the convertible want a tour of a long-range bomber.”

“I thought he was in a hurry.”

“It’s gonna take a while longer anyway, right?”

“Yeah, well hell, I’ve got enough to do here. Let the hero come down and ask them himself. By the way, what’s with a second louie in civilian clothes bailing out of your plane?”

“He busted up an airplane and got grounded. I believe he’s been assigned here.”

He walked over to the convertible. Shortly he returned with Marie-Elena, Tawny and Sheree skipping along behind him. All three wore skimpy sun dresses. Chagrinned Lance watched them go.
Damn! Just when we were getting friendly
. The crew chief  boosted the girls into the plane, one at a time, not too careful the way he handled them. They didn’t seem to mind. Every man in sight simmered with jealousy. When the back-breaking labor was finished, the pilot was in no hurry to leave. The crew chief sent his men back aboard. Finally the crew chief returned to lift the three girls out of the forward bomb bay. When the engines started, they walked back away from danger and waved to the pilots as the plane began to move.

Fritz Deutsch, attracted into town by the bomber flying overhead, watched from his pick-up at the back of the crowd. Seeing the crew chief man-handle Marie-Elena pissed him off no end. The longer she stayed in the plane the hotter he got. He pulled up beside her car as she got in. “I hope you weren’t foolish enough to set up a date with any of those flyboys.”

“Go to hell, Fritz. You don’t own me and I’ll date anyone I feel like.”

“You damn sure better not. I told you before and I’ll tell you again, anybody but me gets in your pants and he’s gonna loose his nuts.”

“Know what’s the matter with you, Fritz? You’re NUTS! You’re just plan crazy!” She threw a finger at him and drove off.

Tawny said to her, “What’s  he gonna do if he finds out about all the college boys you screw?”

“He probably never will, but what’s he gonna do? Castrate all of them. The first one gets him thrown in jail for a long time.”

“He might be crazy enough not to care.”

“That’s his problem.”

Tawny and Sheree were classmates of Marie-Elena in college. Since they screwed college boys for nothing, she persuaded them to come work for her mother during summer break. “Instead of giving it away, why not make money from your fun…help pay for your tuition.” They not only liked their work, they made so much money, Sheree considered moving to a big city and going professional full time.

“Don’t do that,” Marie said. “Mom has a more or less controlled environment. You don’t know what you’d get into in a strange place.”

With the plane out of the way, Clint said, “Take a break, guys. That stuff will have to be moved again, but not this instant. I haven’t figured out where to put it yet.” He went looking for Lt. Byers.  He wasn’t at the Quonset huts.
Now where the hell did he get to?
Taking the carry-all, he drove into town. Byers was nowhere in sight so Clint pulled up in front of Chet’s. Inside he found Byers hunched over a beer. “Afternoon, Sir. Have you come to take charge of this detachment?”

“Hell no, I have not! I’m just here. Verbally reassigned. No orders to do anything.”

“I don’t understand, Sir. I was sure hoping I had a new boss. We sure need an officer.”

“Bullshit, Sergeant. Now go away and let me enjoy my beer.”

“Yes Sir. If that’s what you want.”

Byers glowered at him so Clint walked out.
Balls. Got enough troubles without taking on his. What a bucket of dead worms this place is.
When he got back to Q-1, Patton had a question for him, “Can’t we get telephones out here?”

“Oh man, I thought of every thing else. I’ll get on it.”

Lance said, “I think he’s too fond of using Dorris’ phone. More fun b-essing her than hanging out here.””Aw, sometimes you think too much Lance. Why didn’t
you
think of phones out here yourself… before now?”

“And spoil your fun at the hotel? Come off it.”

“Yeah, come to think of it. I’ll have to use her phone to order our phones. Thanks, Lance.”

“Hey Clint. The sheriff’s got a phone too.”

“Hell with him.”

In his office, Sheriff Radecker entertained Fritz Deutsh. “Fritz, I don’t have any legal way to stop them from building a bomb site. What do you expect me to do?”

“Well damn it! Find an illegal way then!”

“Oh sure. I thought you were going to take it up with Congressman Hichaire.”

“Yeah, I talked to the old wind bag. He’ll look into it. I talked to the Governor too. Says his hands are tied, because putting some troops in here is good for the county. He did say I could try to get a court to put in an injunction to stop the Air Force.”

“No lawyers around here. I reckon the nearest is in Glasgow.”

“Yeah, like I need a lawyer to screw  things up.”

“Seeing a bomber drop off all that stuff, means the Air Force is really serious about their bomb site. You may not like lawyers, but if you don’t find a way soon, your steers could be dodging bombs.”

“Like hell they will. I’ll figure something out.” He strode out of the Sheriff’s office. At Chet’s he ordered a beer, nodding toward Byers he said, “Who’s the stranger?”

Chet said, “Sergeant Greybull came in a while back and addressed him as Sir. They didn’t seem to be getting along. Guy looks too young to be in the Air Force, much less an officer.”

“Yeah, looks like a kid. Let me know if you hear anything interesting.” He swallowed his beer and left.

At Gilman’s Clint used the phone to call Milk River Telephone Co. and ordered phone service into Q-1. Once again he got the ‘we’ve got to send a line man first story,’ but couldn’t be given a firm date on when that person would show up.
I’m going apeshit if I don’t get some radios. What a way to run an Air Force.
Back at Q-1 he said, “You guys have busted your asses enough for one day. First round at Chet’s is on me.”

When they got to the bar, Byers remained morosely nursing a beer. Although the men had seen Byers arrive from the B-50, they didn’t know who he was, and Clint hadn’t mentioned him to anyone. Everyone’s interest perked up when they heard Clint say, “Mind if I join you, Lieutenant?”

“Sit down. This is no O club.”

Clint pulled up a chair. “As long as you’re staying here, you’ll need a bunk. All our billeting is at Gilman’s hotel and restaurant, meals too. When you’re ready, I’ll give you a ride down there. Get you fixed up.”

Byers glowered at him. “Yeah, yeah, when I’m ready.”

Clint got up and paid Chet for the first round, then sat down with the other three NCOs.

Lance said, “Lieutenant? Is that our new commander?”

“He says not. I don’t know what’s going on with him. I’ll tell you more later. We’ll just tread lightly until I know what the score is.”

When Byers finally had enough beer, Clint took him to Gilman’s to get a room. While Byers was off with Dorris getting settled, Lorena spoke to Clint, “Did you know the preacher’s brother is buzzing around Mom again?”

“Oh? I didn’t know that. Buzzing around, huh. Is he after honey? Does your Mom keep bees too? I like honey on pancakes.”

“NO, that’s not what I mean. Don’t be so slow…Or you’re going to lose out!” She flounced off to the dining room before he could answer.

At supper when Lorena brought him coffee, he said, “Gee, Lorena, you say things that worry me. Now that the preacher’s brother is coming around, I reckon your Mom will cancel our dancing date Saturday night.”

Lorena’s eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open. “Ohh, I didn’t know. She better not.” Red-faced she hurried back to the kitchen. Clint chuckled to himself.
I wonder if she thinks I’m step-father material.

The next morning, the whole Air Force crew was sitting around finishing breakfast, when Sheriff Radecker and Tommy Kerns strode into the room. “Now fellows, I don’t want any trouble with you, but you’re all under arrest.”

Clint stood up. Radecker put his hand on his holstered pistol. “What are you talking about sheriff? We damn sure haven’t done anything to be arrested!”

“We’ll you’ve endangered the safety of flight strewing all that wood and aluminum on the runway. You could cause a serious airplane crash…if one came in here to land.”

“Sheriff, I don’t know what you’re talking about. We piled all those two by fours in the weeds by the side of the taxiway. They’re no where near the runway.”

“Well, they damn sure are now. All over the runway, and a bunch of aluminum too.”

“This I gottta see. Let’s go out there, sheriff.”

“We’ll go out there, but don’t do anything foolish. You’re still under arrest.”

“Load up the carry-all guys, we’ll follow the sheriff out to the runway.” When they got out there, Clint’s stomach turned over. The scene wasn’t as bad as Radecker  described, but someone had scattered a bundle of two by fours, and a bundle of aluminum sheets on the runway. Clint ran over to the sheriff. “You were out here yesterday when we unloaded that plane…every bit of it to the side of the taxiway. I don’t know who did this, but I damn sure know it wasn’t us.”

The sheriff looked pretty glum, sheepish. “I’ll take your word for that. If it was you people, you’d be a hell of a lot dumber than I think you are.”

“Yeah? You go out and check the runway every morning? I bet that B-50 was the only plane to land here since that L-20 came in to pick me up.”

“Un hunh. Had a call from a concerned citizen. I had to respond to it, but I can’t believe you fellows had anything to do with it. Forget about that under arrest stuff.”

“Concerned citizen, huh? Anyone I know?”

“Tommy took the call…a woman…He didn’t recognize her voice.”

“If it was a Mrs. Deutsch, he’d know her wouldn’t he?”

“Fritz’s ex-wife ain’t around here no more…and he ain’t that dumb either.”

“A mysterious woman in the game, huh? Okay. We’ll gather the stuff up and get it away from the runway.”