The Richard Jackson Saga Book 9: Cold War By Ed Nelson Dedication This is dedicated to my wife Carol for her support and help as my first reader and editor. Thanks to my Editors, Ernest Bywater, Lonelydad57, and Old Rotorhead. Also, the Bellefontaine High School Class of 1962 just because. Quotation “That’s the way it happened, give or take a lie or two.” James Garner as Wyatt Earp describing the gunfight at the OK Corral in the movie Sunset. Copyright © 2020 E. E. Nelson All rights reserved Eastern Shore Publishing 7545 Lovey Lane Parsonsburg, MD 21849 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage retrieval systems without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The Richard Jackson Saga Dedication Quotation Copyright © 2019 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 1 On the last several flights I had been introspective. Not this one, I didn’t have the time or the inclination. The flight started out well… at least until I got to my seat. There was a young lady with a baby, sitting in the window seat. The baby was obviously in discomfort from the way it cried. Some baby cries mean they are hungry or need a diaper change. This cry said I’m sick Mummy, make me better! Mother was rocking the baby which was about two months old. It wasn’t working. She then opened the diaper bag to get something out. Her bag was a huge model and she was having trouble opening it while holding the baby. In a moment of insanity, I offered to hold the child. Big mistake! The hand over wasn’t even complete and the baby threw up all down the front of my suit, tie, and shirt. I have no idea how such a small kid could hold so much puke. This got the attention of the flight attendant who brought me a wet towel. This entire time people were boarding the aircraft and squeezing past. I didn’t mind the dirty looks, as I think they were deserved. I did mind the smell. The plane had been sitting in the sun on this warm day. They hadn’t turned on the air in the plane yet so it was very warm inside. The smell got worse and worse. Now, I only had a kit bag with me as I had clothes waiting at the other end, so I had no replacement shirt or tee-shirt. After handing the baby back to a mortified mother I made a trip to the loo. There I removed my shirt and tee-shirt and washed up, after that, I brushed my suit jacket off. Fortunately, the puke hadn’t penetrated that deep into the fabric so most of it brushed off. Coming out of the loo, I had my suit coat buttoned up so I only looked semi-weird. I gave the shirts and tie to the stewardess to put in their trash. There was no way I was going to haul them around with me. The tie was no great loss; as it had the Life Guard regimental stripe. I was with the RAF, so I thought it a fitting end. Mummy was now breastfeeding baby, who of course was hungry now that nasty stuff was out of her tummy. I sat back down and closed my eyes and wished the flight was over. I was able to sleep for most of the trip or read a light novel. Mummy apologized over and over. I finally told her all was forgiven and kindly please leave me alone. She told me she would be glad to but had a delicate question for me. I nodded my head to get her to go ahead. “Would you hold my baby so I can go to the water closet?” Shoot me, shoot me now. “Of course I would.” The baby who was asleep at this time didn’t wake until Mummy closed the door of the loo. Then he woke up and must have realized I wasn’t Mummy. She let loose with a screaming fit. Mummy’s trip to the loo was more than a quick pee. I ended up walking baby up and down the aisle of the airplane for over ten minutes. The cowardly stewardesses were not to be found. How does one hide in a long aluminum tube? I just thought I was getting dirty looks at boarding. People were trying to sleep and the one thing we didn’t have to worry about was the baby’s lungs. Someone must have recognized me because they pulled out a flash camera and took a picture. Just go ahead and shoot me. Finally Mum got back and the baby settled down for the rest of the flight. Thankfully the rest of the flight was uneventful. The cowardly stewardess, Abigail, finally showed up after I managed to clean myself as much as possible to offer me a drink. The young mother, whose name was Emily May apologized once more. On an impulse, I autographed a photo to her and son Mark. “For a flight, I will never forget.” A car and driver were waiting for me at LAX. I think the traffic
