Title: Apache Pilot

Apache Pilot
By Angela

"I was a Apache pilot in Desert Storm."…. Blair Sandburg.

Jim Ellison walked into the converted office downstairs looking for a pen and paper. He was wanting to write not only some thoughts to his bouncy lover but also on a case that they were working on. Searching through the many desk drawers the Sentinel found a journal that he had never seen before.

"It must be Blair’s." Jim thought.

He smiled and took the small tome into the next room to read the musings of the Guide. He grabbed a beer in the kitchen and then sat in the corner of the couch to get comfortable. The detective opened the book and looked at the wavy handwriting of the one he loved. He was stunned at the words on the front page. What Blair had said to Kincaid’s pilot was true. The young man was an Apache pilot. Jim just looked at the page for a moment and then began reading what was on the intervening pages.


January 1st
Celebrated the New Year with a big hangover. Abby just laughed at me and said I was one of the biggest peacocks that she had ever seen. I just smiled and flipped her off. She laughed even harder at me. Oh boy, Navy pilots can be so cocky. Me? I am just one of the best helio jocks and proud of it. I get to fly them there Apaches. Ok, go away you arrogant little…. Abby’s RIO walked in. I don’t like him. She does. They walk out. He’s got such a cute ass.


January 15th

We are in the desert. Oh, blessed heat and sand. What both do to my poor baby. I had to go in and get a couple of army guys. They got caught in some crossfire and I went in and got them. Simple mission. In and out. Here comes Pace and his even cuter ass. What I could do right now with that ass. Calm down boy. He’s laughing at this little dude and this other guy in a stretched out tee shirt. He looks good too. I just smile at the poor boy and go back to taking care of my baby. I need to get her ready for the next mission. I feel someone’s breathe on my neck and turn around to see the bluest eyes that I have ever seen laughing down at me.

"Cute, helio boy, cute." He says.

I don’t know what he (Pace) is talking about. Who knows with this particular Navy brat or should I say rat or something along those lines. I have got to talk to Abby about her RIO. He is just too much. My helicopter is waiting. I get in to test run the chopper and then its ready for the next mission.


February 4th

Ten days to Valentine’s Day but I don’t care. I had to go and get some more downed pilots out. It was not going to be a simple mission this time. There was too much enemy fire for me. But I got them out. But I did receive some damage to my bird. It’s repairable. The good thing is that the pilots are back with their squad. I need to call Abby and see when her next mission is. I need to be prepared. Well, its not like I’m not always prepared. It’s just that Abby likes to take chances. She likes to show off to the big boys at the Pentagon. Saw a gorgeous hunk of man today. Blue eyes and muscles of steel. Didn’t get his name. But I overheard someone say his name was Ellison. Man was he something else. I’ll ask Abbs about him when I talk to her.


Jim turned several more pages to see what his young lover had accomplished before they had meet and fallen in love. He hadn’t remembered the Guide from the meeting that he had described. But then he didn’t remember a lot of stuff sometimes. The Sentinel also wanted to meet this Abby person and see why she was so special to him. And he wanted to know about this Pace person too.

December 15th, 1993

I had to do the hardest mission in my life. I had to bring one of my best friends and her Rio out of a jungle. Abby and her RIO, Pace, were shot down several months prior to this particular joint effort. Their families were devastated at what had happened. I was to. I tried to go to her parents but I couldn’t. I made several phones calls over the next few months checking up on them. Her mother cried. I did too. It broke my heart. As I check out my bird I wonder what we will be bringing out of that jungle prison. I am ready. Here goes. Start the engines. Check flight panel and then we are off. There is no talking. Everyone is thinking of the two pilots. We are there. We are over the landing zone. I let everyone out and then sit and wait. It’s been hours since Jeff has checked in. I hear something from the bush all around me. The Shadows have found their target. I need to get ready to go. They rush at the helicopter. Something or someone must be chasing them. Both pilots don’t look good. The medic gets them in the ‘copter and then everyone else is there and we are lifting off. I don’t look back as I get us out of there. I call for reinforcments. They are on their way. Thank you. I am glad. No more casualties today, please. Once we are safely flying back to the carrier, I look back and don’t like what I see. Jeff sees me looking and shakes his head at me. I land on deck and then the two people who mean a lot to me are whisked away. Jeff’s big hand is on my shoulder.

"They’ll make it. It’ll be a long time. But they will be alright." He whispers and then is gone.

Post-flight checks and then I am done for the night. I’ll check in on Abby and Pace later. I need my downtime too.


Jim flips through more pages as this passage has shaken him. He had heard about the two pilots from some old Army buddies of his who were still in the military. The Sentinel continued to read the adventures of the younger man. He hadn’t realized that the young man had accomplished so much in his life.


May 20th, 1994

Last mission. I have got to get the Shadows in and out of a precarious position and then make sure that all of them do not stay behind. Jeff looks at me. He smiles. I like this particular Navy SEAL. He’s a great guy. I have been a pilot for his and Abby’s teams on and off for four years now. I have flown so many missions for them that I have stopped counting. I hate to say good-bye to these people who have become my friends. I hope to see them again some day.

This mission goes well. Everyone is accounted for when we lift off. We are back on deck and congratulating each other for a job well done. Tonight I will celebrate with my fellow pilots my last mission and my last days in the military. I got a call from Abby and Pace. They wished me well and hoped I would go far.

June 1st

My first day of freedom. I am enrolled at Rainier University to finish my degree. I hope to find my Holy Grail. I have to stay in the Reserves for a while. I intend to keep up my flying skills. I hope that those skills are never needed. But I will go on more missions if needed.

The Sentinel doesn’t hear Blair’s keys in the lock. The Guide is astonished when he sees the older man with his journal of his flying days. But the astonishment is lost when he sees the admiration in the other man’s eyes.

"I’m sorry, Blair. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious." Jim apologized.

"That’s ok, Jim." Blair conceded. "I’m glad you found it."

The detective holds out his arms to the young professor. Blair runs into them and is held in the strong arms of the man he loves. He is glad that Jim is so proud of him. Flying the Apaches helped make him the person he is today.

"Chief, who are Abby and Pace." The Sentinel asked.

The anthropologist laughed and led the older man to the couch. He shook his head at the memories of the two pilots and their antics in the profession that they had chosen. The two were good friends to the grad student when he felt he had no one else. Jim had felt that when he had read Blair’s journal. The detective was glad that the Guide had found someone that the young
professor found special and good friends.

The two men sat side by side while the Guide told his Sentinel about the pilot and her RIO and all the other interesting people he had meet and the places he had been to when he was in the military.

Jim Ellison wrapped Blair Sandburg not only in his arms but also in his love. He was grateful that this young man had come into his life. And he had learned a lot more about the anthropologist through his words in the journal he had finished reading after the young man had gone off to bed. The big man smiled and went to bed thinking of how to display all of Blair’s accomplishments that he was so proud of.

The end.