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Author's Chapter Notes:
BROTHERTOWN RESERVATION,
CALUMET COUNTY, WISCONSIN
(AUGUST 1, 2014)
* * * * *

CHET NORTHFIELD'S P.O.V.

The driver of the Kia Sorrento--a former Army Ranger named Kevin McCloskey--put the petal to the metal as he finally glimpsed a barbed wire fence in the distance.

"Looks like we're coming to the other end of the rez. Hang on, folks!"

We grimly did as he said. But, even though we could feel the G-forces of the Sorrento's acceleration press in on us, we by no means left our pursuers behind in the dust. Neither the reservation police. Nor the baton-twirling giantesses so effortlessly keeping pace with us on our left and right flanks.

"I don't mean to be racially insensitive," McCloskey spoke up again: "But, if you gentlemen want to say any prayers to Buddha, for a miracle, now would be a good time to do it!"

Before I could think up any nasty retorts, I was cut off by the most thunderous rendition, of Steppenwolf's greatest hit, that I had ever heard.*

"GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNIN'!
HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY!!
LOOKIN' FOR ADVENTURE
IN WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY."

"YEAH, WE GOTTA GO AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
TAKE THE WORLD IN A LOVE EMBRACE.
FIRE ALL OF YOUR GUNS AND WATCH
THEM EXPLODE INTO SPACE."

"I LIKE SMOKE AND LIGHTNIN'.
HEAVY METAL THUNDER!!!"

The Cincinnati Twirlcats suddenly stopped in their tracks. A look of startled terror appearing on their faces. Whereupon, a pair of flying saucer drones suddenly appeared (one over each trio) and flashed white beams of light on them. That, in turn, led to all six of those giantesses suddenly shrinking down small enough to be tractor-beamed aboard those remote control aircraft before the latter flew away at high speed.

A second later, a De Havilland STOL Caribou came screeching down to the ground in front of us. Tearing up the earth, from left to right, as its rear loading ramp simultaneously began to lower. This was followed by a bright orange-and-white Conair Firecat suddenly coming down in a power dive that strafed all the Jeep Grand Cherokees with a cloud of atomized liquid that I was all too familiar with.

Solution 62.

"GREETINGS, GENTS!" blared a rather jovial voice from the direction of the Caribou: "THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING. IF YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR A CHANCE AT THAT PERFECT GET-AWAY, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DRIVE ABOARD AIR ADIK WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY."

"You don't have to tell me, twice!" muttered McCloskey.

Whereupon, he steered hard to his right. Thereby depriving himself of a sight few others had ever witnessed. A posse of shrunken police cars! And, the moment we were within the interior darkness of the cargo hold, the rear loading ramp went back up. As did the cargo plane, itself, a minute later.

Only, then, did the rest of us disembark. The second I did so, I made straight for the cockpit to thank our rescuer.

"Captain? My name is Chet Northfield..."

"No need to introduce yourself, Mr. Northfield," he interrupted: "I was well briefed as to who all of you are. My name is Jean-Loup Cervier of the Supplementary Air Reserve (RCAF-NORAD). And, when not reactivated for emergency military duty by the Canadian Ministry of Defense, I'm serving as a bush pilot for my people. The Fireweed Clan of the Dakelh First Nation. Which is why I'm often referred to as..."

"Don't say it!" begged co-pilot.

"...an Aircraft Carrier!!" exclaimed still another voice from over the cockpit's radio.

The co-pilot (a young Caucasian in his mid-twenties) shook his head.

"Of all the training officers in all the Forces, I have to get stuck with one-half of the Native Canadian version of Abbott and Costello."

"I prefer 'swarthy Morecambe and Wise,' " Cervier rebutted: "As does my colleague in the Firecat. One Francois LaPierre. And, as he's a bush pilot for the Ashinini Cree, he's often referred to as..."

"Don't tell me!" I exclaimed: "Let me guess. A 'Planes Cree?' "

The co-pilot groaned and face-palmed himself.

tbc
Chapter End Notes:
*"Born To Be Wild" by Mars Bonfire: Dunhill-RCA (copyright 1967).

STOL(Short Take-Off and Landing).

Conair Firecat: single-seat forest fire-fighting version of the Grumman S-2 Tracker.

Adik: Cree First Nation term for caribou.

Carrier: Native Canadian tribe who supposedly derived their English designation from widows carrying their husbands' cremated ashes around for the first year or so of mourning.

Morecambe and Wise: famous British comedy team of the 1980's.
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