Joe reported that they saw several cars headed away from the airport once the C-130 came overhead, and that they had had clear passage all the way in. Preston told Joe and his boys to take the emptied truck around to the other terminal and start loading anything they thought would be needed at the farm, and that they had 90 minutes.

The C-130 came in and parked on the apron close to the gate and shut its engines down. At least 30 soldiers exited and immediately started unloading their gear. A lieutenant came up to greet Preston, who asked if half a dozen men could get in the back of the Cargomaster and help them pack up some stuff. The lieutenant whistled when he saw the armored Saracen that his troops would be using.

“Pretty cool,” he smiled at Preston. “It looks like a pretty cool ride. I hope we see some action with her!” Preston grinned back as he took the lieutenant on a brief tour of the area.

“So, this is the main gate?” the lieutenant asked as they checked the lock again. Preston explained that the terminal must be protected, as well as the fuel tanks, and if needed, he and his troops could move to a better location if they found one. He also suggested that troops try to talk to visitors before engaging them physically, since there could be friendly people driving around looking for food. He spent five minutes with the lieutenant explaining what they had seen on the streets, and told him that he was under the direct orders of General Allen. By that time, Jennifer walked up and told him that Mother Goose was on her way and that the crew was requested to test the civilian tanks here. “Also, Martie says ’Hi’,” Jennifer added. “She called in to say she is currently flying south at 9,000 feet down I-95 and is doing just fine.”

Preston got back in the Cargomaster and started her up before taking six men around to the tractor-trailer’s location by the door into the second terminal. Joe, David, and all his boys were already carrying cases to the rear of the trailer. With 14 strong men, they filled the trailer up with case upon case of food—two whole pallets of still-frozen bread rolls out of a large walk-in freezer, hot dog rolls and sausages, hamburgers, and steaks, as well as ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, boxes of frozen vegetables, and cases of mashed potatoes. In one of the cases, there was a complete mobile bar with three beer taps and several dozen kegs.

As a team, they used the gas-powered forklift which Jennifer had flown in from the farm to move the entire unit down an empty walk-way into the truck, and then packed two dozen full beer kegs and every case of alcohol out of the restaurant.

It took 30 minutes and all 14 men sweating, but the area was cleaned out and empty. Preston even took the bar stools and dining tables to place in his hangar area as a cafeteria. One of the soldiers asked if he wanted a gas oven and grill top, and Preston replied that if he could undo everything, he would take the whole kitchen. Three of the soldiers got to work and had everything on the truck in 15 minutes.

The next restaurant had even more stuff, and again, anything that moved in the airport terminal was used to transport goods to the walkway where Joe had backed up the truck. At each location, a two-week supply of food products was left for the soldiers. A second bar area was emptied of anything to sit on and tables to eat from. The bar was emptied of alcohol as well more bread, pizza dough, and anything that looked like it would last longer than a couple of days.

Within 90 minutes, the trailer was full and the kitchen equipment, parts of it ready for transportation, were being moved and loaded with the forklift. Preston remembered that Jennifer had an empty aircraft and asked one of the men to tell her to taxi it over.

It took another 20 minutes, but a second gas grill and dozens of 100 lb. propane tanks were stacked into the C-130. Joe and his team were already leaving, the full tractor trailer truck sandwiched between the two armored cars. Jennifer came running over to Preston.

“Martie just called back,” Jennifer stated breathing hard. “She has a few injured people aboard, about 30 minutes out. She found a convoy of survivors and told me to tell the guards that two Southwest pilots, their crew, and about 60 passengers will be arriving here tomorrow around mid-day via ground vehicle. We are to let them in. They will use General Allen’s name. And Preston, it’s time to leave.” With that, she told one of the men to run over to the lieutenant who was still erecting his tents, and give him the new information.

The few remaining men closed everything down and Preston and Jennifer climbed aboard their respective aircraft, noticing that Mother Goose was also starting up.

Within 15 minutes, RDU was cleared of all visiting aircraft.

Martie was still several minutes out when Jennifer arrived at the Strong airport, followed by Mother Goose, and Preston a mile or two out, circling above Joe and waiting for Martie. She was already in view and she came straight in from the south as Preston closed in and began to circle his farm. He saw that sandbags and a barrier were already in place and that the tractor trailer could just squeeze through the defensive wall that closed off the dirt road south of his entrance gate. The whole farm was starting to look like a military installation.

While they were away, Sally had returned from Andrews with more troops and equipment from facilities along the East Coast. There were new sandbagged mortar placements around the perimeter protecting the area nearer the lake. A second hospital tent was up next to the old barn and the whole airfield looked like something out of M.A.S.H. Then he heard General Allen’s voice say over the radio that “Alpha Foxtrot One” was ten minutes out and needed landing conditions.

“Pete, this is Preston. I’m above our airfield and it’s busy down there right now. Don’t rush. I need to get down first. The wind looks like 15 to 20 knots from the northeast and straight down the runway, temperature about 40 degrees. Did you say ‘Alpha Foxtrot One’?”

“Roger, Preston. You get down there and organize a place for Ghost Rider on the apron by the hangar. Get a red carpet if you have one. All Air Force pilots, get your birds off the apron area and park on the other side of the runway in a line next to the barn,” Preston heard the general say.

Preston went down like a rocket and landed quickly in the growing storm and parked in the first available empty space where Baby Huey was now stationed. He quickly turned off the aircraft and jumped out to organize a reception squad from the remaining troops on the tarmac—the president was incoming. They quickly ran to find the parts of their uniforms that were missing and Preston changed direction and crossed the runway just behind Sally’s third C-130 that was taxiing off onto the grass. He got blown about, but was more interested in checking on Martie. Martie was helping dress the wound of an older lady with a new woman Preston hadn’t seen before helping her. This extremely good-looking new arrival was dressed in a dirty flight attendant’s uniform and she had a young girl, a teenager sitting very close to her. Little Beth was trying to talk to the teenager, who looked scared and very unsure of herself.

“Martie, I need you in the hangar. We have a V.I.P. coming in,” Preston said to Martie.

“Preston, this is Pam. Pam, I’d like you to meet Preston,” she said quickly as she finished the bandaging.

“Pam Wallace, Preston,” the newcomer replied, shaking his hand. “Martie, you go on. I want the girls to get to know each other better, and this injured lady here has offered to look after them. She’s a school teacher and our younger additions will be better off with her for the time being. I think we have serious work to do. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes, okay?”