Read Online The Intruders by Stephen Coonts - Free Book Online Page B

I’m senior to you and I
really don’t give a rat’s ass which way it is, But in that cockpit I’m
the aircraft commander. You’re going to do a solid, professional
job-there ain’t no two ways about it. If you don% your career in the
grunts is gonna go down the crapper real damn quick. You won’t be able
to catch it with a swan dive.”
    Flap opened his mouth to reply, but Jake Grafton snarled, “Don’t push
it.” With that he turned and stalked away, leaving Flap Le Beau staring
at his back.
    When Jake was out of sight Flap grinned. He nodded several times and
rubbed his hand through his hair, fluffing his Afro. -Flap, my man, this
one’s gonna do,” he said. “He’s gonna do fine.” And he laughed softly
to himself.
    Jake was seated in the back of the ready room filling Out the
maintenance forms on the airplane when the air wing landing signal
officer, the LSO, and the A-6 squadron L-SO came in. The A-6 guy Jake
knew. He was an East Coast Navy pilot who had been shanghaied like Jake
to provide the Marines with ,experience.” His name was McCoy and by some
miracle, he was Jake’s new roommate. if he had a SIL
    first name Jake didn’t learn it last night, when the LSO came in drunk,
proclaimed himself to be the Real McCoy, and collapsed into his bunk
facedown.
    “Grafton,” the senior air wing LSO said, consulting his notes, “you did
okay.” His name was Hugh Skidmore.
    “Touch-and-go was an OK, then nine OKs and one fair. All three wires.
You’re gonna wear out that third wire, fella.”
    Jake was astonished. OKs were perfect passes, and he thought he had
five or six good ones, but nine? To cover his astonishment and
pleasure, he said gruffly, “A fair? You gave me a fair? What pass was
that?”
    Skidmore examined his book again, then snapped it shut “Seventh one.
While you were turning through the ninety the captain put the helm over
chasing the wind and you went low. You were a little lined up left,
too.” He shrugged, then grimed. “Try a bit harder next time, huh?”
    Skidmore went off to debrief the major but McCoy lingered. “Geez, Real,
you guys sure are tough graders.”
    “Better get your act together, Roomie.”
    “What did you do to rate a tour with the Marines? Piss in a punch
bowl?”
    “Something like that,” the Real McCoy said distractedly, then wandered
off.
    After lunch Jake went to his stateroom to unpack. He had gotten the
bulk of his gear on hangers or folded when McCoy came in, tossed his
Mickey Mouse ears on his desk, and collapsed onto his bunk.
    “I threw a civilian through a plate glass window,” Jake told the LSO.
“Just what did you do?”
    McCoy sighed and opened his eyes.. He focused on Grafton. “I suppose
you’ll tell this all over the boat.”
    ‘.Try me.”
    “Well, I made too much money. I got to talking about it with the guys.
Then I had the Admin guys draft up a letter of resignation. Before I
could get it submitted the skipper called me in. He said a rich bastard
like me could just count his money out on the big gray boat.”
    “Too much money? I never heard of such a thing. Did you toot the
coffee mess?”
    “Naw. Nothing like that.” McCoy sat up. He rubbed his face. “Naw. I
just got to playing the market.”
    “What market?”
    “The market.” When he saw the expression on Jake’s face, he exclaimed,
“Jesus H. Christ! The stock market.”
    “I never knew anybody who owned stock.”
    “Oh, for the love of . . .” McCoy stretched out and sighed.
    “Well, how much money did you make, anyway?”
    “You’re going to tell every greasy asshole on this ship, Grafton. It’s
written all over your simple face.”
    “No, I won’t. Honest. How much?”
    McCoy regarded his new roommate dolefully. Finally he said, “Well, I
managed to save about sixteen thousand in the last five years, and I’ve
parlayed that into a hundred twenty-two thousand three hundred and
thirty-nine dollars.
    As of the close of business in New York yesterday,