Meg: Origins Read Online Free Page A

to reply when he saw a jeep skid to a halt in front of the open hanger doors.
    “If it isn’t our second-in-command. What’s wrong, number two? Danielson drown at sea trying to retrieve his golf balls?”
    “This is serious, Mac. Rear Admiral Quercio just arrived, along with a GOP Senator and two civilian hard-ons. He wants you and your chopper ready to go in ten.”
    “No way, Stevie. First, my crew just finished tucking the birds in their nests. Second and more important, Quercio stiffed my girls the last two times out. I’m not taking him to the lagoon until he settles his tab.”
    “Mac, please—”
    “Forget it. Get Baker and Rudd here to entertain them.”
    “Like that’s ever gonna happen,” Natalie said, cashing out her chips.
    “Mac, he’ll have both of our asses in the brig.”
    Vicky smirked, “Is that why they call him a Rear Admiral?”
    Lebowitz ignored the joke. “Mac, you owe me. I covered for you twice last month with Danielson.”
    “My girls have families they support, Stevie, they expect to get paid. No tickee no shirtee.”
    “Okay, I didn’t want to bring this up, but if you don’t handle this for me, I’ll tell Danielson about Ashley Kushnel.”
    Natalie Rudd’s eyes widened. “The dolphin lady with the tattoos? Man, Danielson fell head over heels for that chick. Remember her, Vicky?”
    “How could I forget, he kept asking me for advice. That boy was whipped. He wined her, dined her; he even picked out a ring. Two days after he popped the question she put in for a transfer.”
    “All Mac’s doing,” Lebowitz said.
    “What did you do to her, Mac?”
    “Nothing like that. I simply offered her my professional opinion of her would-be fiancé.”
    “Professional opinion? You’re a chopper pilot.”
    “True, but first and foremost I consider myself a life coach.”
    “Lebo, how did Sir Galahad here manage to get her to listen? As far as I knew, she never even knew he existed.”
    Lebowitz grinned. “He sent Kushnel an order on Danielson’s stationary, ordering her to report to the base counselor for her annual psychiatric evaluation.”
    “And she fell for it?”
    “Who did the evaluation?”
    “Dr. James Mackreides.”
    Mac shrugged. “The shrink was away at a three day seminar. His assistant let me use the office.”
    “Mac even forged a diploma. He and Kushnel spent four hours together, plus the following weekend in Honolulu.”
    Mackreides winked. “I’d tell you what we talked about but that would violate our doctor-patient confidentiality.”
    · · ·
    The H-3 Sea King was a twin engine, all-weather multi-purpose helicopter used by the Navy to detect, classify, track and destroy enemy submarines. Phased out in the 1990s by the SH-60F Sea Hawk , the four 73-foot, six-ton airships relegated to Guam were maintained by the mechanics under the command of pilot James Mackreides.
    The Sea King followed the southwest coastline of Guam, battered by thirty-five-mile-an-hour winds. Mac headed for the village of Merizo, located on the southern peninsula by Cocos Lagoon. Admiral Quercio rode up front, his guests strapped in back in the cargo area.
    “Mac, those two lovely young ladies you introduced me to last time… what were their names?”
    “Their Chamorro names are too difficult to pronounce. I just call them Ginger and Mary Ann.”
    “Nice. Once we get my guests settled, you’ll arrange a rendezvous.”
    “Ginger’s father lost his leg last year to diabetes, Mary Ann has a kid. They expect to be paid for their services.”
    “So pay them.” The admiral squeezed Mac’s shoulder. “I know you take a nice cut from every transaction, son. Consider my on-the-house excursions a necessary business expense.”
    Mac ground his teeth, then offered Admiral Quercio a Cheshire cat grin. “We’ve actually added something new for our V.I.P. customers. It’s sort of our own version of the mile-high club. I’ve got two inflatable mattresses in back. I fly us out over