7-Strawberries and Cream
Well, so much for establishing sight lines.
The waiter chose that precise moment to arrive with my lunch order. He placed the plate in front of me and asked the nurse if she were joining me. Before I could find my voice, she said yes and sat down opposite to me. The waiter laid out an extra set of utensils, handed her a menu, then poured her a glass of water and left us.
Still unsure if I had sufficiently corralled the jumbled thoughts in my head, I opened my mouth, fervently hoping my vocal chords still functioned.
“Ah, forgive me,” I began. “But, what are you doing here and what exactly do you want with me?”
Her face remained impassive as she dipped her head slightly, glancing down at the table briefly before looking up at me again.
“I should be the one asking for your forgiveness Wayne,” she replied. “I can certainly understand why you feel the way you do.”
“Really?” I said with some indignation. “How can you possibly understand how, much less why, I am feeling the way I am?”
She gazed back at me for a few heartbeats before replying. For the first time I noticed her eyes were hazel with flecks of green in them.
“We were not released to offer more information until today. The most I can do right now is introduce myself. My name is Sonja Lovarin.
Wait...We? I shook my head - more so to prevent being captivated by her eyes. She sighed and must have mistook my negative head shake as disapproval, which was probably just as well.
“Look, I am going to tell you everything." She glanced out the window and continued. “I know you have a lot of questions, but it's best to have both you and Jeff together to hear what I have to say. He should be arriving in about 10 minutes.”
So, she was aware of Jeff’s arrival. Why was I not surprised. I looked outside, following her gaze and saw the ferry from the airport was halfway across the channel heading this way. The waiter appeared once again. Sonja quickly looked at the menu and chose a dessert.
“I will just have the small bowl of strawberries and cream, please,” she said handing the menu to the waiter.
I looked down at my plate of food not feeling hungry anymore and pushed the plate away. Trying my best to ignore the sudden awkward silence, I looked out the window again in time to see the ferry about to dock at the terminal. I turned my attention back inside to ask how she knew Jeff, but she was already speaking.
“Wayne, I really do want to thank you for getting me here safely. I am also genuinely sorry for my attitude on our flight into Stewart. At the time I was not sure if you were trustworthy.”
I was not sure how to respond to this unexpected apology, especially given the slight flush I experienced whenever she spoke my name. And what was this about being trustworthy? I put my thoughts on hold when the waiter returned with her dessert. Feeling foolish as she began to eat, I pulled my plate back and picked at the contents. A couple minutes later, I noticed Jeff walking through the entrance to the dining room. He was carrying an old-school flight bag in one hand with his jacket draped over the other. I waved him over and braced myself for what was to come.
As he drew closer to the table he realized I was not alone. With a slightly puzzled look, he nodded a greeting to Sonja and looked to me as if I owed him an explanation. I glanced at her with a puzzled frown of my own.
“Jeff, my name is Sonja Lovarin. I am the one who initially contacted you and arranged this meeting.”
“Say what?” I blurted out. “I knew nothing about a meeting with you.” I looked at Jeff who was now moving to sit at the table and looking suspiciously less puzzled.
“Did you not read what was in the envelope?”, she asked looking at me.
I looked at the envelope on the table, still resting where I had laid it earlier. I had actually forgotten about it. Jeff on the other hand, opened his flight bag and pulled out what looked to be a duplicate envelope of mine. Unlike mine, his was already opened. I was getting even more annoyed.
“Honestly Wayne, I thought you would have opened the envelope by now”, Jeff replied. “The contents cover most of what you likely have questions about. I will say this; after you have read it, we have a major decision to make.”
My frustration now morphed into nervousness. As I slowly reached for the unopened envelope, Jeff signalled the waiter over.
“I will have what she is having, please.”
The waiter nodded and left to fill the order. I glared at Jeff.
“What? I like strawberries, Ok!”
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Sonja trying not to smile.
For the love of…
==========
Sonja smiled briefly as she watched the interplay between Jeff and Wayne. She saw the range of emotions shift across Wayne’s face. Confusion and bewilderment, along with a good amount of indignation mixed with curiosity. It showed in his eyes. She felt a twinge of guilt at the subterfuge she had used on both he and Jeff.
She had been personally directed by her boss, the Navy’s Acting Commander of the Pacific Fleet to work in cooperation with Canada’s Security Intelligence Service - CSIS, along with US Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency on this operation. He had made it clear she needed to find and plug the source of illegal military weapons which were being funnelled out of that region of the US.
Three months of intensive investigating had revealed there were at least two, possibly three southern routes crossing British Columbia’s southern Provincial border from Washington State and none of them went through major population centres. From the data collected so far, from all the services, it looked as if the weapons were transiting through small towns and hamlets. Traveling from Washington State into Canada through the central interior of British Columbia and up into Alaska…and possibly into Russia and the Far East. As the senior analyst assigned to this operation, it was her job to find out.
Her CSIS contact had helped her immensely in identifying some of the possible locations of the arms supply routes running through the BC interior. Most of them barely registered on any current map. They all followed long abandoned rail lines or dried up river beds. These locations were accessible either by a long and arduous hikes, or by air; hence the requirement for skilled pilots familiar with the terrain encompassing the areas of concern.
SkySilk, Wayne and Jeff’s aircraft ferry and delivery company, were well suited for the types of operational parameters likely to arise during the course of her investigation. Their company was not too large, but small enough not to attract undue attention,
There was another reason for choosing SkySilk. The owners had been secretly vetted by both CSIS and Homeland Security for any ties to arms dealers, underworld elements, or even common local criminals. Their personal and corporate background checks came back totally devoid of any anomalies. All personal and corporate tax profiles were up to date.
Their company had no debt and no overhead. In fact, rarely had she seen such clean references from anyone or any commercial company. Even more intriguing were Wayne and Jeff’s salaries. Anyone retaining their services required significantly high capital. After just three years of incorporation, their annual revenue intake after operational costs and taxes was just under $8,000,000 US dollars. Yet the annual salary each man took home was just $75,000 Canadian. Further forensics also revealed the company regularly donated to local community social programs and charities on a regular basis.
These men ran one of the most efficient, frugal and generous companies with a level of integrity she had never seen before. That alone spoke volumes about the kind of men they were; the kind of men she was very interested in working with.
Her immediate concern however, was whether or not Wayne would want any part of this operation. His friend and partner Jeff, seemed ready to proceed, but would defer to whatever decision Wayne chose. She could not get a read on what that decision would be as she watched Wayne read the contents of his envelope for the first time.
=======================================================
ARGON TACTICAL NOTE - BZT157
Released for supervised civilian coordination
Note: if you are the recipient of an Allied Recon Group Operations Notification (ARGON) and have completed a review of its contents, you are hereby operating under the governing statutes of the Canada Secrets Act along with any corresponding national intelligence laws of Canada’s NATO allies.
If any operational coordination described in the ARGON includes any other NATO ally, jurisdictional oversight of the individual or enterprise referenced in the ARGON will default to the host nation whenever active operations are underway in that country.
Tasking Order (Pre-clearance)
Under the jurisdiction of Canada’s CSIS intelligence agency in cooperation with the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency and the Office of Naval Intelligence (Pacific Fleet), the service of the following individuals and/or enterprises are being requested. Participation is voluntary, as indicated above. Adherence to the associated national security laws surrounding this operation will still apply even if the requested service is declined.
Applicants
Wayne Addison and Jeff Nauru - principal owners of SkySilk Aviation and SkyHarbour Maintenance
2023 Annual Revenue after taxes and operational expenses: $8M (US)
Current Certifications and Type Ratings at the ARGON start date:
- Wayne Addison
Flight Qualifications
ATP License / Multi-IFR / Float Endorsements
PIC Hours: 6470 day / 4943 night.
Total Flight Hours: 11413
Flight Experience and Type Ratings **
Bombardier G6500/G7500 **
Bombardier Lear 55/60 **
Embraer E175/E195-E2 **
Embraer Phenom 300 **
Embraer Eclipse 500 **
Airbus A380 /A350/A330/A320 /A321 **
Boeing B787 / B767 / B737 MAX **
Daher Kodiak
Dasher TBM960
Piper M600
Dehavilland Canada DHC8 / DHC6 / DHC2 (Radial & Turbine)
ATR72
===========
- Jeff Nauru
Flight Qualifications
ATP License / Multi-IFR / Float Endorsements
PIC Hours: 7456 day / 5543 night
Total Flight Hours: 12999
Flight Experience and Type Ratings **
Bombardier G6500/G7500 **
Bombardier Lear 55/60 **
Embraer E175/E195-E2 **
Embraer Phenom 300 **
Embraer Eclipse 500 **
Airbus A380 / A350/ A330 / A320 / A321 **
Boeing B787 / B767 / B737 MAX / B747 / B707 **
Daher Kodiak 100
Daher TBM960
deHavilland Canada DHC8 / DHC6
ATR72
Physical Assets (Co-owner of Sky Harbour)
1 TBM 960 Turboprop - 4.2M (US)
1 Kodiak Series 100 - 2.4M (US)
Immediate (liquid) Assets
7.7M (US)
Other Assets - Investment Portfolios (Land)
5 acres - Nanaimo BC - 1.9M (US)
15 acres - Tofino BC- 3.5M (US)
Debts - Nil
Operational Territories
Canada
USA
Caribbean
EU
Pacific Rim
Background Checks
Cleared for Level 3 Access
Operational Clearance Required: Level 5
Level 5 oath of service signature required from a senior representative of the current ARGON.
=============================================================
ARGON OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS / ARGON TACTICAL NOTE - BZT157
Conduct aerial surveillance and/or tactical transport for specified assigned ARGON operators
Liaise with ARGON coordinator assigned to oversee the current operation
Assist with interdiction efforts within the territorial boundaries of Canada and the USA. Geo-referenced operations subject to confirmation within the Province of British Columbia and the States of Alaska and Washington.
Note: Civilian members of an ARGON group are not required or expected to partake in any potential high risk operations, but at the discretion of the assigned ARGON group commander, a non-binding request may be made if he or she deems assistance is vital and within the boundaries of the individuals’s skillset.
Resource Compensation
Aviation fuel, aircraft maintenance and adherence to any associated airworthiness directives required during the operational timeframe of the ARGON will be paid for by the assigned NATO host country. Any additional cash disbursements will be granted at the completion of the ARGON operation.
============================================================
OATH OF SERVICE
I, _________________ accept this ARGON offer which has been presented to me and confirm that I have been fully briefed on all of the expected responsibilities associated with the execution of all services under the mandate of this operation.
I, _________________ do not accept this ARGON offer and I understand that I am still bound by the Secrets ACT of all associated NATO countries.
Reception of this notification verifies an initial meeting with ARGON officials. This will take place on the same day this document is received, at the Best Western Landing Hotel at 2:10pm PST in the second floor restaurant. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.
=============================================================
Seriously? You have got to be kidding me! I looked up at Wayne and then at Sonja with what was surely an incredulous look on my face. I looked down again at the documents in my hands, slowly shaking my head.
“Is this a joke?” I said looking up again. “Because I fail to see the humour in any of this.”
Sonja gazed at me for a few seconds before replying.
“Tell me how you think this could even remotely be considered a joke?”
She had spoken with a measured tone, but the underlying sense of suppressed indignation was evident…especially in her eyes. Those damn distracting eyes!
“Wayne, could you at least give us your opinion on what you read?”, Jeff diplomatically interjected.
I glanced a him and let out a deep sigh. Where do I start. Looking back at Sonja I asked;
“Why us? Surely you have ready access to more highly trained and seasoned military and intelligence operatives. Why risk this operation with two ordinary unskilled civilians?”
Her demeanour changed in a split second. One of eagerness, as if she were expecting the question.
“Three reasons. One - geographic proximity. Two - time constraints. Three - contrary to what you may think, your estimation of your abilities and qualifications are wrong. Yours and Jeff’s combined aviation experience and familiarity with the region are second to none. Your safety record, business acumen, community involvement and what I consider most important in my opinion, the level of personal and professional integrity you both carry, are rare commodities. Things which are unfortunately somewhat lacking in our military and intelligence branches of late. You are already part of the landscape and social fabric of this Province and that is an advantage over trying to insert non-locals into the region, especially when dealing with my initial two points.” She paused. I assumed to take a breath, but she apparently was waiting for my response.
“We fly planes,” I said. “We we don’t go repelling down ropes or parachuting out of aircraft with weapons slung over our backs. I still don’t understand how on earth you see us as qualified?”
“You said it yourself. You fly planes. That in essence is all we’re asking you to do. We are not planning to put you in harms way, but I won’t lie; there will be elements of risk involved. I cannot reveal any more until you are committed to joining the rest of us in this operation. Apologies for being vague, but it’s strictly for security purposes. Look, why don’t you and Jeff take some time to discuss this. I know you still have questions and I am sure you will have more after you have had time to go over things. I promise I will answer every question you have.”
I glanced at Jeff. He was already digging into his Strawberries and Cream dessert. I had not even noticed when the waiter delivered it to our table. Hang on…something tugged at my mind. I turned back to Sonja.
“Wait a sec…you said ‘rest of us’?”
“That’s right,” she replied. “We have other pilots. You have personally met three of them. Two you have not been introduced to as yet. You and Jeff will bring the total to seven - should you decide to join us.”
My head began to spin.
“Who…?” was all I could muster in response.
Looking over her left shoulder Sonja half turned in her seat and waved to two individuals seated at a table by the entrance to the restaurant. They in turn waved back and smiled. Turning back around and seeing the look of shock on my face Sonja responded.
“As I said, you have already met my two companions, since you obviously flew us here from Stewart.”
I was not sure if the shocking part was knowing these two men were part of the operation or that I had not seen them enter the restaurant. As if reading my mind Sonja replied.
“They came in right after Jeff did. For security purposes, you will not be introduced unless you decide to join the operation.”
Struggling to gather my thoughts, I asked what I assumed was the next obvious question.
“Who is this third pilot I am supposed to have met?”
“That would be me,” she replied simply.
At this point I decided it best not to ask about the sixth and seventh pilots. I looked again at Jeff finishing his dessert.
“Don’t you have anything to say about all of this?” I demanded.
“Look Wayne, I thought it best not to say anything while you digest everything. Most of what Sonja just shared I am also learning for the first time. But she is right. You and I do need to have a separate discussion about this.”
Sonja suddenly rose from the table and right on cue, so did the two men behind her.
“Gentlemen, I know this is a bit overwhelming, so I am going to leave you to discuss things privately. We will be leaving Ketchikan in 36 hours. You have until then to decide if you would like to be a part of this. If you decide not to, there will be no hard feelings. You will still be compensated generously for your time so far. If you do decide to join us, further details will be provided. Here is a number I can be reached at.”
Sonja placed what looked like a business card on the table in front of me. I picked it up. It was matte black and made of some unidentifiable metal with an embossed silver ten digit number printed on one side. Turning the card over revealed the other side was blank.
“Wayne, Jeff, I really do hope we get to work together.”
She smiled then turned and exited the room with the other two pilots.