Two days of asking Louie if he has heard from Sarah didn’t help Jake’s mood. He couldn’t help but feel something was terribly wrong. Part of it, he figured, was his conscience. He hadn’t handled the goodbye very well when they parted. Still, Sarah should have radioed by now.
After lunch, Jake walked out of the Monkey Bar and down to the Goose. He hadn’t consciously decided to go to Tagataya but some part of him knew. His aimless puttering around took on the essence of pre-flighting the Goose. Josh found him there.
“Look, Captain Cutter, I’ve been out of line with you. The Magistrate has been telling me some of your exploits. I’d like to say I’m sorry.” Josh holds his right hand out toward Jake. “Like you, I’m worried about Miss White.”
Jake barely looked away from the port aileron where he inspected the cotter pin securing the outboard hinge pin. “She should have radioed the day before yesterday. It’s not like her.”
Josh tried a casual response. “Maybe she’s having a good time and forgot.”
Jake shook his head. “Not Sarah. Not when she’s on a … trip for Louie.”
Josh moved to look at Jake across the wing. “You started to say something else.”
Jake moves to the inboard hinge. “It was nothing. I just couldn’t think of the right word. That’s all.”
Josh decided to let it drop.
“You look like you’re getting ready to go somewhere.”
“What?” Jake looked around as if for the first time realizing what he is doing. “No, I just want to leave her shipshape. More of a way to say good bye. I am leaving in the morning.”
Josh, now suspicious. “You’re not thinking of going after Miss White, are you?”
“No. No. There wouldn’t be time. She’ll have to find another way to get back.” Jake wiped his hands on an already dirty rag. “I just hate leaving before I know she is OK.”
“She’ll be OK. Look, come on up to the bar. I feel like I owe you a beer.”
“No, thanks. I think I’ll just stay here and putter around some more. A beer will just keep me awake tonight. You go on up though.” With that, Jake climbed through the back hatch and into the Goose. Josh watches through the open windows. He moves closer as Jake settles into the pilot’s seat.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“What? Oh nothing. Saying good bye, just like I said.”
Josh pulled a small pistol from his pocket. “I hate to do this, Captain. But get out of the plane.”
“You’re joking.” Jake couldn’t help wondering why a Warrant Officer is carrying a non-issue concealed pistol
“Captain, I know what you’re thinking. You can’t. Get out of the plane. I will shoot.”
Jake started out of the seat. “OK, OK, don’t get excited. Those things have a habit of going off at the wrong times.”
Seeing the guards at the Navy shore boat, Josh shouted “Shore Patrol! Over here.”
Jake tried a different tack. “Look Winters, if I’m a Captain, I out rank you. Don’t make me order you to put the gun down. I’d have to report you for refusing the command of a ranking officer. I don’t want to do that.”
Josh didn’t buy it. “I have to stop you, Cutter. Even if Miss White is in trouble, the US can’t be involved. She knew that when she took on the job.”
“All you’re doing is making me realize that I have to go. Don’t you see – we argued on the way over the other day. In fact, we argued about you. I didn’t wish her luck. I know she’s in trouble, and it’s my fault, and I have to go get her.”
“Like you flew all the way to the Philippines?”
“You know about that? What’s your part in all this?”
“Never mind, but I can’t let you do that again.”
Corky sat alone, except for Jack curled at his feet, in his room. His mood was as gloomy as his room with the doors and window shutters closed. He couldn’t stand goodbyes and knew that he wouldn’t see his friend ever again. Suddenly Jack’s ears popped up and he lifted his head toward the door. Corky doesn’t seem to notice. Jack walked to the door and whined. Corky ignored him. Jack walked back and grabbed Corky’s pants cuff in his teeth. He growled as he tugged. Corky shook his foot. “Go on Jack, I don’t feel like playing.”
Jack barked once and walked to the door. He barked again.
“You want out?”
Jack barked twice.
“OK, OK.”
Corky opened the door, blinking at the bright light. Jack stepped onto the veranda. He looked back as Corky started to close the door. He barked once sharply.
“You don’t want me to close the door?”
Jack barked twice.
Corky shrugged and headed back into the room.
Jack barked once, sharply and growled.
“Jack, I’m not in the mood for this.” Finally, Corky heard the commotion down at the dock
“Jack. I get it. There’s something going on down at the Goose and you want me to go with you.”
Two hurried barks.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Jack and Corky rushed down to the dock just in time to see Jake start priming the number one engine.
“Jake, what are you doing?”
“I don’t have time, Corky. I’ve got to get going before those Navy guys wake up.”
Corky noticed for the first time the two Navy Shore Patrol ratings laying half in and half out of the water. Then he saw the Warrant Officer lying face down on the dock.
“You running away, Jake?”
“No. Sarah’s in trouble and I’ve got to go help.”
“How’d you hear? I thought we hadn’t heard from her.”
“That’s right. Now stand clear.”
“Oh, this is like when we went to … to …”
“The Philippines” Jake finished for him.
“Right. Jack and I’ll come along.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Corky. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Corky’s face fell. “You mean you don’t need to be watching out for a booze-brain.”
“No, Corky. It’s just that this is going to get rough. The further you stay away from me the better. I’m going to be in a lot of trouble.”
“Good. Then we’re coming.” Jack barked twice to confirm.
Jake shook his head, smiling. “Come on then. Hurry!”
Josh came to just in time to see Corky toss Jack into the Goose’s back hatch and scramble in. He made a dive for the door himself and barely cleared the opening as Jake taxied the Goose into the bay, both engines at full throttle. Josh hit the floor rolling until his head met the partition between the passenger cabin and the small cargo space in the tail.
In the bar, Louie and Gushie were talking about the evening’s menu and dinner reservations.
“Louie, that sounds like the Goose.”
Louie cocked his head to the left as if to hear better. “Oui. Perhaps Jake is taking one last flight. He’s very fond of that plane.”
“You don’t suppose that he’s …”
“Running? Mon Dieu! Jake has never run from anything in his life. I wager he will buzz the bar shortly. A last prank.”
Just then two soaking wet Shore Police stumbled into the bar. They immediately reported to the Lieutenant commander what had happened. Gushie and Louie both hear Sarah’s name in the conversation.
Gushie looked up at Louie from his wheelchair. “Do you think that …?”
Louie stared out the door. “That our Jake has gone charging off like some knight errant to rescue the damsel in distress? Oui. That would be just like him.”
“He’s going to be in a lot of trouble.”
“D’accord.” Louie starts as if shifting from introspection to action. “We’d best do what we can to calm down the good commander over there and try to buy Jake some time. Go to the wine cellar and pull one of the better vintages of our burgundies. Offer it to Commander Waverly with our compliments. That should mellow him out some. We can always add it to Jake’s bill.” Louie looked up as an aircraft roared over the island and the Monkey bar. “I do hope he is successful.”
Gushie looked doubtful. “Yeah, that is about the only thing that will save him.”
What started out as a fool’s errand was looking more like a full fledged circus. Jake found himself with a forgetful mechanic, a grouchy dog, and a Warrant Officer who couldn’t be what he seemed in tow.
“Sorry about the rough take-off, Jack. I wasn’t counting on the extra weight.”
Josh studiously ignored the double-barreled glare he received from Jack and Jake. He held a once clean handkerchief to the split on his mouth.
Jack barked once and walked back to his blanket in the aft cargo space.
Corky looked confused. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Jake finished adjusting the Goose’s trim before answering. “Corky, I’ve got a hunch Sarah is in trouble.”
Corky looked indignant. “Again? How can a bar singer get into so much trouble?”
Josh started to answer. “In her line of work …”
“Some people don’t like her singing, Corky.” Jake interrupted.
Corky folded his arms. “Well, I’ve heard of people being critics, Jake, but this is ridiculous.”
Josh tried to assert some order over the situation. “Cutter, what do you plan to do?”
“Seeing as we’re all in this together, you might as well start calling me Jake. I’ll need to find someone who knows what is going on in Tagataya.”
Corky gave Jake an uncomfortable look. “Jake, you don’t mean the Princess, do you?”
Still dabbing the cut on his mouth. “Who’s the Princess?”
Corky drew a hand across his throat. “She’s pure poison, but she likes Jake.”
Jake attempted to give himself some space. “I don’t know that she likes me all that much. But it’s a cinch, if there’s something rotten in Tagataya, Koji’s involved. Josh, you’ve got to tell me what Sarah was looking for.”
Jake saw Josh looking at him with a lot of doubt in his eyes. There’s no way he can divulge government secrets to an AWOL American pilot suspected of communist sympathies. Sure Miss White presented a completely different picture, but was that assessment reliable? Jake realized that Josh was caught in the middle. He prayed that Josh had good instincts and the courage to follow them. Then the eyes changed.
“There’s a sub working in these waters. She was supposed to find out if the tender was basing itself out of Tagataya.”
Corky looked puzzled. “Why would she do that?”
Josh realized that Corky doesn’t know about Sarah. “I asked her to look into it as a favor to me. I thought a woman could ask sailors questions that a man couldn’t.”
Jake stared through the wind screen. Somewhere he’d picked up his usual cigar stub to chew on. “How are you involved in this?”
“Do you know what a ‘control’ is?”
“OK, I get the picture. And this sub is a big deal.”
“We’ve got to keep it from interfering with shipping in the region.”
Jake nodded understanding. “That settles it. The Princess is definitely the person to ask. If there is piracy going on in these islands, she’ll know about it.”
The Goose landed in the late afternoon sun. The heat and humidity hit like a blow to the senses as the three of them left the plane. Jake headed towards the Princess’ Casino without a word. When they arrived, he cautioned Josh and Corky to let him do the talking. He suggested Jack stay outside. With a whine, Jack curled up under a bush to wait.
Inside, Josh watched with interest the approach of a tall Eurasian woman, the same who had given Willi such a rough time three nights earlier. He stared in disbelief at the small old warrior following her in full red lacquered leather Bushido armor. The eyes are black holes that have seen too much.
“Jake, darling. I thought you would leave without saying goodbye. What an unexpected pleasure.” She looked distastefully at Josh and Corky. “Pity you didn’t come alone.”
“Princess, you know I couldn’t leave without saying good bye. We’ve had too many … adventures … together. Besides, I promised to show Josh here the sights.”
“Captain Cutter, this woman is Japanese. Surely you haven’t had dealings with her?” Todo hisses at the implied insult.
“She’s only half Japanese, the other half is Irish.” Jake wasn’t sure he’s helping.
Koji’s mood visibly cooled. “I am unaccustomed to being insulted in my own place, Jake.”
Josh attempted to be apologetic at a dirty look from Jake. “I’m sorry. The tensions between our countries require me to be cautious.”
The Princess pouted. “You must be from that ugly American destroyer that is barging about our islands.”
“As you know, we are very concerned with your war in China.”
Koji waved the comment away as if it were of no value. “The war doesn’t reach us out here, unless we bring it in. As Jake can tell you, we’ve had many friendly dealings.” She smiles pointedly at Jake. “Very friendly.”
“Captain Cutter would be wise to watch his associations.”
Koji refocused her attention on Jake. “Jake, I can’t get over this – Captain?”
“That’s my rank in the Air Corps.”
The pout returns. “My sources told me that you had been called back to China. Pity. You could stay here with me.”
“Princess, as pleasant as that sounds, I must decline. I must do my duty. I think you, of all people, understand that. Speaking of duty, have you heard anything about Miss Stickney-White? I promised to say goodbye to her as well.”
“Oh, the skinny singer? What ever do you see in her?”
“She’s a friend, Princess. And, uhhh, she came to Tagataya to pick up some medical supplies for Louie. We haven’t heard from her.”
The Princess held both hands out as if inviting search. “Why would I trouble myself to know where she is?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You hear things.”
Todo stepped forward to speak. “My Princess. The other night, she was here with the two sailors.”
“Oh, Todo. I had forgotten. Yes, she was here with two sailors. Low types. Suited her actually. Hardly spoke any English. Northern European, I think. Yes, I think they were off some sailing vessel trading among the islands. It may still be in the harbor somewhere.”
Jake gave the tiniest of bows. “Thanks, Princess. We’ll check that out.”
Koji acknowledged the bow. “If you don’t find her, you could always come back here. I’d love to give you a proper send off.”
Jake took a hopefully casual step backward. “Thanks, Princess, I’ll consider that. Well, let’s go.”
Todo looked from the retreating trio to his mistress. “Princess, if he finds the ship, you have sent Cutter to his death.”
“Pity. But what could I do, Todo. The man was going back
to China to fight. I can’t let my personal pleasures get in the way of
Imperial victory, can I?”
“I thought you liked Jake Cutter.”
“Oh, I do, Todo. That’s why I’d rather the Germans disposed of him.”
Return to the Monkey
Bar