With a newly painted body of camouflage designed specifically for the upcoming mission, the MIL MI-8 HIP-C helicopter from the West Texas Skydiving School had completed the first leg of its northerly journey. Like the small convoy moving northeast from Texarkana, those involved with the western attack site in Colorado had initiated their journey the previous day. The relocation process began when the five women still at the training facility were transported to Amarillo via a twin engine propeller plane. Since the arrival of the helicopter in August to handle all of the training jumps, the twin engine aircraft and her sister ship, along with the two pilots, had served little purpose other than to taxi Mason and others to and from either Fort Stockton or El Paso. Now in Amarillo, the plane would remain in a state of readiness until that same function would be needed again.

As for the helicopter, the HIP-C had performed well under all conditions during the twelve weeks since her arrival. With the weight of the helicopter having been reduced slightly, the normal limit of one hundred sixty-two miles per hour could be exceeded by an additional five. Additionally, the previous maximum range of two hundred eighty miles had been stretched another ten. Although the numbers weren’t hugely different, they could become helpful if need be. Unfortunately both extended limits couldn’t work in concert. If the speed was maximized, then the range would decrease, and if the increased range was needed, a slower speed would be required.

Although there had been many instances when the full complement of two pilots and fourteen jumpers were onboard for practice runs over the training facility, or in flights that hugged the terrain changes of Bird Mountain, the most current flight had been the longest in duration. As such the distance from the training facility to Amarillo exceeded the maximum flight range by roughly one hundred miles, so a fueling stop had been required at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.

Early Tuesday morning in Amarillo, the pressing function of Mr. Capra and Mr. Fisk was that of tending to the needs of the bird. They ensured that all remained in top notch working order by topping off the fuel level and visually inspecting the frame and her instrumentation. As they did so, a black suburban from the trailers inside the Tillman Freight facility arrived. The large vehicle, like the two others that were only minutes behind, would serve multiple purposes. First, each would bring several canvas duffel bags filled with weapons, live ammunition, and a portion of sixteen total parachutes to the helicopter. That cargo, along with additional fuel containers, would be strapped down within the bird. In so doing there would be two negative effects, as both the fuel range due to the increased weight, and the available floor seating area during flight, would be diminished if all fourteen jumpers were to stay aboard. Fortunately that challenge could be rectified until the actual attack flight, as the three black suburban’s would take on a total of ten jumpers for the road trip toward Castle Rock just south of Denver. Combined with the drivers and jet pilots, there would be five people in each vehicle, while the remaining four jumpers and helicopter crew of two had plenty of room for the next phase of their flight north.