Untrained Eye Read Free Page B

eyes full of
confusion. “The maximum take-off weight is 11,750 pounds.” She nodded as Aeron
raised her eyebrows. “That means it can take a few of you and still be just
fine.”
    Seeing Aeron’s doubt still lingering, she glanced at Frei and
shrugged. She tried to think of how she could make it sound more fun than
scary. “It’s been in service in the United Kingdom since 1977. The US Military
doesn’t use it but the CIG pilots favor it over the others in service.”
    “We have pilots?” Aeron looked to Frei as if she wasn’t sure Renee
was telling her the truth.
    “Three pilots.” Frei shot Renee a bored look as the elevator doors
opened to the blazing heat.
    Renee led Aeron out toward the chopper, feeling her hesitation.
“It was the world’s first fully aerobatic helicopter and set the official
airspeed record for helicopters. It’s made by Augusta Westland. The seats will
dig in. They’re canvas strapped to metal. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in a
child’s chair. It’s noisy but I promise you that you’ll have the best pilot in
the United States.”
    “We will?” Aeron stumbled along behind her as if her feet objected
to moving.
    “Yup, been flying since it was legal and in the cockpit since they
could walk.”
    Aeron glanced around the rooftop. Frei hopped up into the back and
held out her hand.
    Aeron turned to look at Renee as she let go. “Aren’t you comin’?”
    Renee smiled, jumping into the pilot’s seat. “Helps if I do,
yeah.”
    Aeron’s grin made Renee’s stomach wriggle, again. “Why didn’t you
just say it was you in the first place?”
    Renee nodded to the copilot and put on the headset as Frei helped
Aeron with hers. “I wasn’t sure how much confidence that would inspire.”
    Aeron let out a breath that rattled the speaker as Renee ran
through her checks. Then she tensed as the telltale static crackled through her
headset. It happened whenever Aeron came into contact with electrical things.
She quite often blew things and shorted electrical circuits. Still, Aeron was
okay in the car . . . it would be the same in a helicopter, she hoped.
    Renee held her breath, said a silent prayer, and started up the
engine. The lynx whirred into life and she smiled. Phew.
    “You kiddin’ me?” Aeron’s warm tone rippled with excitement and
Renee scolded herself for ever taking anything out on her. She was lucky Aeron
had such a good heart. Frei was right.
    “Thanks to you, Lorelei. Now Renee has her peripheral vision, we
have our second -best pilot back again.”
    Renee shook her head at Frei’s taunt. It sounded like she’d
forgotten their spat already.
    “Second best?” Aeron cocked her head, then groaned, scowling up at
the metal she’d bumped herself on. She looked comical sitting so low down, her
knees up to her chest. A lynx wasn’t made for comfort but Renee trusted them.
Her father had learned to fly them in Europe and had enlisted it in CIGs fleet.
It felt good to fly his baby.
    “Don’t listen to her,” Renee said, easing them off the ground. She
wanted Aeron to have a smooth first ride. “Urs can’t help that she can only fly
fixed.”
    In reality Frei could fly any aircraft. In fact, the speed she
drove her car made it feel like she was attempting fast jet maneuvers.
    “She’s saying that because you’ll prefer my ride when we get to
the airport.” Frei’s tone held definite good-natured teasing in it now.
    “I will?” Aeron sounded relaxed. That was good.
    “I travel in style, Lorelei.”
    Renee smiled as Frei started to give her own rundown on the light
aircraft that they would take to the base. The lynx would be flown up in stages
to join them. It felt good to fly again. She owed Aeron so much for that.
    She sighed.
    It seemed like a long, long list. Renee felt the need to balk at
that. She’d never let her feelings get the better of her before. Somehow, she
had to figure out how not to take that out on Aeron and still do her job.
Somewhere