Read Online Blue Skies by Robyn Carr - Free Book Online Page A

do not to add, I sure hope you don’t have to draw your weapon!
    This whole security initiative since 9/11 did not fill Nikki with comfort. It would probably be more cost-effective and safer to give the World Wrestling Federation free first-class travel.
    Nikki decided to take a pit stop herself before settling in for the flight. When she got to the cockpit, she found Bob was turned around in his seat, talking to one of the flight attendants. Her hands rested on the back of his chair and he was caressing her forearm. “You know we’re behind you all the way, right?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” she said. “And we appreciate it, too.”
    â€œThen you just do what you have to do.”
    â€œThanks, Bob. We could use more like you.” The woman didn’t stare Nikki down or anything when she spoke, but the implication was pretty clear. The flight attendants were in contract negotiations and there had been a lot of disruptive stuff going on, like sick-outs and slowdowns and a little exercise called CHAOS—Create Havoc Around Our System. All this was meant to hold the company’s feet to the fire so they would realize it made better sense to pay happy employees more money than to put up with these expensive job actions. Nikki did not endorse this behavior, especially now, when the entire industry was a wreck.
    But she and Bob had already had a couple of these conversations, and she would prefer a more peaceful ride home and pleasant end to this miserable trip.
    That’s what she would have preferred, but not what she got. Bob was flying this leg and landing in Phoenix. Nikki kept a closer eye on him than she would the average F.O., and he seemed to be doing okay. Until they were on final approach and he was cleared to land. He was too high and his airspeed too fast, but he wasn’t correcting.
    â€œBob, you’re high and hot,” she said.
    â€œI’m okay,” he shot back, not correcting.
    â€œGo around, Bob. You’re high and hot.”
    â€œNaw, we can make this work out,” he said, bringing the aircraft down sharply, still too fast.
    From somewhere on the ground—probably a pilot at a gate who noticed the inbound Aries 767 come barreling out of the sky like a rocket ship—a mike was keyed and a deep male voice said, “That’s gonna leave a hole.”
    Nikki took the controls. “I have the airplane,” she said. “Aries Flight 492 is going around.”
    â€œThank God—” came an anonymous endorsement.
    â€œAries Flight 492, maintain runway heading, climb and maintain 4,000, contact departure control—”
    She could feel the heat coming off her first officer as she took the jet up, but she wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or anger. “Make a PA,” she instructed.
    â€œLadies and gentlemen, we’re going to go around the pattern one more time and let them clear the runway for us,” Bob informed the cabin in his calm, lazy drawl. “Sit tight, we’re almost home.”
    Man, even Nikki had to admit he talked a good game. He was convincing as hell.
    â€œYou want to line this up and try it again, Bob? Or would you like me to do it.”
    â€œGive me a break, Nikki. We would’ve been just fine.”
    â€œBy consensus, it was horseshit.”
    â€œWe could’ve made that landing.”
    â€œWas that a yes?”
    â€œ Yes. I’ve got it.”
    Bob brought the jet around the pattern, lined it up again, and with a little needling from Nikki to “bring it down, bring it down, slow it down,” he managed to get the plane on the ground, but not gently. He slammed it on pretty good; a half-dozen masks dropped. She would have to write up a maintenance report to inspect the aircraft for a hard landing.
    They taxied into the gate and Nikki said, “ You can say goodbye to the passengers while I write up the maintenance request.”
    â€œIf you’d just let me