Project Blackthorne

Chapter 20 A New Home A New Life?

Sam Tyler was actually excited knowing that they were only an hour out before she was soon too see the Headquarters of Blackthorne proper for herself in Charlotte N.C. . When ever Sam was shipped out too a new base of operations she liked too explore her new home getting the feel and the layout of her surroundings. She hated too admit it too herself but the run in with those weird creatures that attacked Sam and her Army team was always going too be a bad memory Sam would have with her till the day she died. But with the sudden appearance of James Macklin Donovan and the rest of his team have made life a little easier if not a good bit more excited as well. The death factor with being in the esteemed employee of Blackthorne seems too be a tad bit higher than your average member of the Special Forces in hostile territory with only a spoon and a quarter size cube of Symtex too fight with. But Sam felt pretty damn sure that she was up too the challenge no matter what was thrown at her. Sam was packing her gear bag making sure that everything was in place when she felt the floor of the stealthy cargo plane pitch ever so slightly knowing the feeling well from her many deployments. They were lining up too prepare too land.

Sam looked up as she stood there in the supply room on the plane where she was gathering her gear. Sam could see that no one else around so she closed her eyes again "Kiran," Sam called out with her mind. "How far are we from touch down ?"

"We are coming into our landing pattern route and we are third in line too touch down." Kiran's reply was instantaneous. "We will be wheels down in twenty minutes. Please put all trays into their upright position and stow away any loose objects." Kiran replied in a good commercial pilots voice. "And please turn your cellphone off as well. Thank you for flying Blackthorne Air."

Sam snorted pulling the zipper closed on her bag then letting it over her left shoulder. Sam made for the lounge area where Hannibal Sikes and Luther Tonaka were at the front of the bar each drinking a glass of some form of liquid. Melody Picard was in one of the cushy single seats keeping mostly too herself. Sam was setting her bag on one of the couches when she caught sight of Jim Donovan behind the bar looking back at her. Jim nodded his head once in Hello too her over a shot of dark liquor which he downed in one smooth fluid shot. Sam was impressed that their leader did .not look any worst for wear after breaking one's neck and living too tell about it afterward.

Sam Tyler nodded back too Jim as she made her way across the lounge over too the view window on the left side of the slowly descending cargo plane. Sam looked through the window too the landscape below. Slowly coming into view were a fair number of skyscrapers which Sam knew Charlotte by reputation too be a major banking hub. That little particular note also placed Charlotte a number four launch site for nukes from the Russian's as well as a number of other very unfriendly nuclear countries in the European Far East. Sam's eyes were drawn towards a flash of bright lights as they grew lower too the ground. She knew those bright lights were the local football teams stadium. "Panther's" Sam spoke too herself trying too think up their name.

"The stadium itself is know as Ericson Stadium." Jim Donovan's voice drifted in too Sam from behind her. Sam could see Jim's reflection in the window nodding her Thanks.

Which of those building is Blackthorne's?" Sam asked pointing out the window. "I'm suspecting that it has too be the tallest one."

Jim Donovan shook his head negative. "Nope, the tallest building there is Bank of America Corporate Center. Blackthorne International is located in the NASCAR Plaza tower which will soon become solely owned by Blackthorne here shortly. Chiquita swooped in with their home office then was bought out moving their headquarter back down too South America." Jim explained a smile on his face. "You'll be very interested in what I have too show you once we touch down on the tarmac." He explained cryptically moving back away from Sam allowing her too take a seat as they were less than a quarter mile from touching down. The C130 dropped too the runway the tires kissing the tarmac with the touch of a feather. Kiran had the nose of the C130 even with the TDZL which stood for the Touchdown zone lighting consisting of two rows of flush white lights indicating the centerline in the runway touchdown zone. Sam Tyler had done plenty of military flights so after a while she began too learn a little about what the signs and lights meant on a airport. Sam watched as the C130 turn too the left then caught sight of the airport terminal which was huge. Charlotte Douglas International was one of a few top notch international airports on the east coast. Sam wasn't too surprise too see the plane turn away from the terminal passenger load and off load area. They turned down a lone stretch of runway that went off by itself into a grouping of large plane hanger areas. The destination sign with black characters on a yellow background. The black characters on the sign read BLKINT with an arrow pointing in the direction they were headed.