Chapter 13: Escape to Guam

     As the day faded into darkness, only the full moon gave them much light.  The helicopter came closer and landed near Cindy and the others.  Cindy hid her face against her father’s chest.

     “Look!” someone shouted and pointed to the side of the helicopter.  “It’s Dash Tobey!”  Everyone turned to look.  There on the side of the helicopter they saw the name Dash Tobey. 

     Without stopping the helicopter’s engine, Dash Tobey threw open the helicopter door and waved the four to come in.  Cindy and Tony ran toward the helicopter, with Cindy’s father, the homeowner, and the village chief close behind.  The Department of Safety officers tried to run to them, but they dared not try to push through the stick dancers.

     Halfway to the helicopter, Cindy fell.  She got up, started to run, and fell again.  Tony held her arm as she fell once more.  Cindy had now turned into a fox.  Running on the four legs of a fox, Cindy ran to Dash Tobey, jumped into his arms, and licked his face.  Dash quickly hugged her and put her into the helicopter.  Tony threw his and Cindy’s boogie bags into the helicopter and climbed in.  Dash stepped into the helicopter, closed the door, and left the ground. 

     The stick dance stopped.  All the stick dancers, villagers, Cindy’s father, and the homeowner cheered and waved their hands at the helicopter.  Tony waved back. Cindy, in the form of a fox, happily looked back at them.  The helicopter rose higher.  By the light of the full moon, Tony saw a thousand Kanifay islanders on the ground, cheering and waving at the helicopter.  For an island with only 11,000 people, that was a big turnout.

     Tony thanked Dash Tobey for his heroic act in saving Cindy.  Above the sound of the helicopter, Dash called back, “Not at all.  I had to take another look at that beautiful smile of hers!”

     “Won’t you get into trouble for this?” Tony asked.   

     “In trouble for what?” Dash asked.  “How are they going to tell the world that they’re arresting me for saving a fox fairy?  Who would believe them?”

     “What about your movie?” Tony asked. 

     “I’m the director, and we’re ahead of schedule.  The cast and crew will be happy to get a few days off to enjoy a vacation in Kanifay Island.”  He turned his attention to the business at hand, “It’s over 500 miles to Guam.  I’ll have to refuel on Haliloki Island and hope that the island police don’t stop us from leaving.  If they let us go, we’re home free.”

     Keeping to a safe speed at 152 miles per hour, the helicopter came within sight of Haliloki Island in about forty-five minutes.  Dash Tobey radioed for permission to land and asked for refueling.  The people at the airport  told him where to land.

     As the helicopter came close to the airport, a man on the ground held two long flashlights and faced the helicopter.  On the ground a few yards in front of the man was a large circle with the letter X in it.  That’s where Dash would land.

     The man moved both flashlights in a way that said, “Keep coming this way.”  When the helicopter was over the right place, the man moved the flashlights to say, “Come down slowly.”  The helicopter started moving downward, but it was moving too far to the left.  The man pointed the right flashlight off to his right, and Dash corrected his movements.  The man saw that the helicopter was just in the right place and was only a few feet from the ground.  He then crossed the flashlights to form the letter X, as in, “X marks the spot,” and moved the crossed flashlights toward the ground.  Dash Tobey landed the helicopter and turned off the engine.

      As the workers on the ground refueled the helicopter, a man ran up to the helicopter.  Dash opened a window.  The man said to him, “Mr. Tobey, it’s 413 miles from here to Guam.  If I’m not mistaken, a full tank of fuel in that helicopter is good for only 372 miles.”

     “You’re mistaken,” said Dash.  “I had a special tank put in a couple of years ago.  It’s good for an extra 50 miles.  How did you know where we were going?”

     “Everybody in the Carolines knows where you’re going—even the president.”

     “The president?  Is he going to call off his dogs?

     “He already has.  When he found out what was happening on Kanifay Island, he was very angry at the Department of Safety.  He told them to show more humility and common sense.  You’re free to leave as soon as you refuel.”

     “Thanks for the news.  Humility and common sense, you say.  Now, that’s a new idea.  Do you think it’ll ever catch on?”

     “I don’t know, but I hope so.”  Feeling safe, Dash, Tony, and Cindy (still in fox form) took a restroom break and returned to the helicopter.  The man who had been talking to Dash then slapped the side of the helicopter, gave Dash the thumbs-up, and backed away from the helicopter. 

     The man with the two flashlights, moved the flashlights as if to say, “Up, up, up.”  The helicopter began to move upward.  When the helicopter was high enough, the man with the flashlights suddenly moved both arms and pointed the flashlights toward Guam.  Dash Tobey turned the helicopter and flew toward Guam.

     Dash, Tony, and Cindy reached the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in less than three hours—a little after midnight. Cindy was still a fox, and it would be six hours until sunrise.  They didn’t want to leave Cindy alone on the helicopter, but it would have been worse for them if they all stayed on the helicopter.  Dash would have to leave the helicopter long enough to fill out some papers.

     While Dash was in the airport, he explained to airport officials that Tony and Cindy were “still sleeping” and that all three of them would handle the necessary paperwork after everyone had awakened.  The airport officials agreed that the two wide seats on the Bell 407 helicopter would probably be more comfortable for sleeping than anything the airport had to offer.  Dash slept on a wide airport seat and wished that his helicopter had had another seat.

     Dash woke up exactly at sunrise: 6:06 AM. He hurriedly stretched some of the discomfort from his arms, legs, and back.  He looked out the large window and saw that his helicopter was still there.  A moment later, he was in the helicopter, smiling at Tony and Cindy, and wishing them a good morning.

     Cindy smiled brightly at him and said, “Good morning!”  Once again, Cindy was speaking with happy exclamation points.

     Dash said to her, “I was really waiting to see that big, bright smile of yours again.  Seeing it made all this trouble worth the trouble.”

     Official inspection and paperwork took only a few minutes.  Cindy and Tony carried only their boogie bags and had only a few items to declare.  Dash carried even less than that and had only his diving watch to declare.

     The first flight from Guam would be a United Airlines flight at 6:35.  Because of the time difference between Guam and Hawaii, the plane would land in Hawaii at 5:30 PM.  After landing in Hawaii, it would be another hour and a half until dark.  The second flight from Guam wouldn’t be until 8:45, and it wouldn’t land in Hawaii until after dark.  If Cindy and Tony were going to catch the 6:35 flight, they would have to hurry.    

     Dash helped Tony and Cindy to book the 6:35 AM flight to Hawaii.  As he saw them off, he said, “I’ve done everything I can do for you.  In Hawaii and California, you’re on your own.  Be careful.”

     Tony and Cindy each gave Dash a hug.  Cindy, teary-eyed with joy, also gave Dash her biggest smile and a kiss on the cheek.  Tony and Cindy walked quickly to the Boeing 777 and found their seats.  A few minutes later, United Airlines flight 200 was in the air and headed for Honolulu International Airport.