Chapter Eleven Sumatra and Malaysia After Jail Break

My hands were slipping from the bars and my geriatric batwings quivered in the wind. I felt strong hands on my forearms hoisting me into the helicopter and hoped my bad elbow would hold. I was dragged inside and unceremoniously dumped next to Brenda on the floor next to the open door. Wind rushed through the chopper as we lifted straight up. “Oh my god Micky! Thank you for saving us! It was horrible, we almost had to clean!” I said with relief. “No problem Mrs. Nixon, we came as fast as we could on the lear and rented this chopper in Sumatra. It will take about an hour to get back there.” I looked at the wide, brown Samoan face and was glad Brenda had hired them. They were so agreeable AND strong. He and Nicky helped us up into the seats and fastened our seatbelts. He slid the door shut and my vertigo began to subside. Brenda looked at me, “Um, our vacay in Thailand didn’t work out too well. Next time leave your calcium and cranberry supplements in the original containers like I told you.” I looked at her sheepishly and a small smile was all I could produce as I said, “BUT, we did have eight hours of massages BEFORE we landed in prison.” Then I fell asleep. The landing was like going down in an elevator that started at 5,000 feet and my stomach dropped like a rock. I could see the black Lear jet at the end of the runway with the door open and stairs down. Micky and Nicky jumped out and helped us down from the high chopper door and as I walked to the jet I couldn’t help but smile at Brenda, “Well that’s all over. We can rest at Belum Eco resort a few days before work. We still have twelve days of vacay left.” Brenda looped her elbow through mine and Said, “Happy Birthday Gretch! You know I’ll be seventy-five for another year.” I puckered my lips in a grimace, “You have been reminding me that I’m eleven months older since 1972! Well, as long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.” We climbed into the Lear with Ricky at the controls and buckled up for the short hop to the airstrip near Belum Eco Resort. I could see the man-made lake below and a few house-boats dotting the water. As we landed, a jeep pulled up and a short, balding red-headed man walked up and stuck out his hand, “Mrs. Nixon, Ms. Vanderhoff.” He said with a serious face, “I’m Simon Fledgely, with Interpol. We have a situation that we need your help with.” Our eyebrows went up and we stared at him and followed him over to a houseboat. I could see Director Higgins in the doorway and she wasn’t smiling. Ugh. In trouble again. “Hello girls,” she said with a tiny smile at the corners of her lips. “I can’t even send you two on vacation without an international incident it seems. I had to send Sven Svenson, the top Secret Service chemist, to Thailand to prove to the authorities at the prison that you were not drug smugglers. I decided to take a vacation here at Belum Eco Resort while we were sorting things out. Then Simon called me and wanted to “borrow” you for an Interpol problem.” I followed her, Simon and Brenda into the houseboat and sat down on the white wicker couch after them. Simon cleared his throat, “May I call you Gretchen?” He said with a British accent. I tried not to stare at the amazing amount of freckles he was sporting as I nodded my head. “Interpol has always worked with the American Secret Service and we need to hire you if you are willing to help us with an international incident that is unfolding that we are trying to keep quiet. A United Emirates 777 was flying from London to Abu Dhabi went it hit turbulence and the captain hit his head and got partial amnesia. He landed in Greece and refuses to come out of the cockpit until his mother arrives. Bartholemew Black is from Bozeman Monatana originally and after a stint as Top Gun in the navy, he was hired to fly for UE. Unfortunately for us, his mother passed away five years ago. Our Interpol global face recognition program came up with your face. We’d like you to fly to Greece and try to reason with him, pretend you’re his mom.” I nodded at him and looked at Brenda. “What do you think?” She smiled and said, “Are you kidding me?!” She exclaimed, “I’ve been wanting to Greece since I saw Meryle Streep in “Moma Mia! I think we should go!” I was still a little groggy from my nap over from Sumatra and needed to clear my head. “Simon, do you think Brenda and I could take a quick walk before we discuss this further?” He nodded and Brenda and I walked down the dock that the houseboat was tied to. We saw a trail leading into the tropical bamboo forest and I could hear the sound of a waterfall in the distance. “So, how soon do you think they will want us to go?” I said to Brenda’s back as I followed her down the trail. “Probably soon Gretch. Say, I hear a waterfall, let’s take this shortcut through the bamboo and take a look.” I could feel the ground beginning to slope and next thing I knew we were sliding down a steep muddy incline. After a twenty foot drop I looked at Brenda, who was sitting in a small muddy pond next to me. I spit out mud and wiped it out of my eyes. As I looked around, I heard it before I saw it. “Uh oh” Said Brenda. A huge tiger was at the top of the slope growling at us.