Chapter Nine

Dewitt sits in the bulkhead seat in coach class as his airliner begins its approach into Washington. His wheelchair sits in a storage area just in front of him. He looks out the window and sees the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. Try as he might, though, he can’t spot Jesse’s government building, though he can see the area in Georgetown where Jesse’s condo is located.

A velvety-throated, female voice comes over the intercom of the jetliner.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Big City Airways, the sophisticated airline, welcomes our arriving Atlanta passengers to Washington’s National Airport, located in the cart of our Haitian napital, er, fart of our Cajun crapitol, uh, heart, spart-... ah, sh-”

Minutes later, leaving the jet, Dewitt wheels himself past the captain and crew as they bid everyone adieu. Dewitt smiles a devilish little smile toward the still-chagrined and red-faced flight attendant.

“Got your merds wixed!” he says, as he gives her a friendly little wink.

About the same time that Dewitt is hailing a taxi at National airport to head over to Jesse’s condominium, another jetliner lands at Dulles airport in the beautiful Virginia countryside outside of Washington. When it parks, Willie and T. P. deplane. They are trying their best to appear urbane: Each is dressed in a decent business suit and each has nicely slicked-back hair, though Willie’s head does sport a ponytail and T. P.’s suit is a little long in the leg, requiring him, as with his blue jeans, to turn up the hem.

Once outside the terminal, Willie takes a carry-on bag from T. P. and removes two pairs of night vision goggles, with snorkeling breathing tubes attached in a jerry-rigged way.

“I’m sure glad these got through them detectors,” Willie says. “Now we can throw away this snorkeling crap. Heh! Would have fooled ‘em, anyway!”

“But, Willie,” intones T. P., “I was afraid they would ask me to demonstrate it. You know, like they do on the TV with them calculators. They make you show it really works.”

Willie throws the two cheap snorkeling tubes into a trash can.

“So?”

“But I ain’t never been snorkels,” moans T. P.

Willie looks at T. P. with disgust.

“I told you,” he says. “ You just would breathe through it; to show it ain’t no bomb or nothin’.”

“O. K., Willie. – But which end?”

Willie takes a deep breath and wags a finger at T. P.

“Never mind now! It didn’t happen. We got through. Now we gotta turn our attention to... ”

Willie lowers his voice.

“... kidnapping that Colonel Houston guy. I hope they got that van ready at Hearse, or whatever it’s called, like Mr. Nickels said they would. We got our work cut out.”

Willie, with T. P. trailing and carrying a heavy knapsack, heads to the Hertz counter in the distance.

On a beautiful Georgetown street, Dewitt slowly exits a taxi minivan, then wheels along a leafy sidewalk towards a lovely brownstone, which has been tastefully divided into apartments. He wheels up the handicap ramp and enters the building. With a key to the apartment, he lets himself in.

“Jesse?! – G-man! – Saddle up. Let’s hit the town!”

There is no answer.

“Hey! Jes’, long time, no see. – Where are you, man?”

There is only the distant rumble of traffic outside, but no Jesse to be found as Dewitt cruises from room to room. He enters the bedroom, finding an unmade bed, then heads to the kitchen, where there is a note on the table. The note looks hastily scribbled.

“Sorry,” it reads, “had to go West. – Business. Know you cut down, but have a few on me! They’re cold in the fridge! Jesse. P. S. Sorry about the bed. Use it, though.”

Dewitt lets out a disappointed “darn” but knows that his brother would not leave for a clandestine mission unless it was important. He opens the refrigerator door and takes out a beer. About to close the door, he shrugs.

“What the hey,” he says, and pulls out an entire six-pack. Heading for the living room, Dewitt picks up the TV remote and points it at the distant television that soon springs to life. Dewitt begins to change channels, looking through the plethora of offerings before settling down to an evening of sports and drinking.