By Order of the President (Presidential Agent 1)

The man with the Uzi unfolded the jump seat in the aisle into position, sat down, fastened his shoulder harness, and rested the Uzi on the back of MacIlhenny’s seat, its muzzle about two inches from MacIlhenny’s ear.

The man in the copilot’s seat handed MacIlhenny the checklist, a plastic-covered card about four inches wide and ten inches long. MacIlhenny took it, nodded his understanding, and began to read from it.

“Gear lever and lights,” MacIlhenny read.

“Down and checked,” the copilot responded.

“Brakes,” MacIlhenny read.

“Parked,” the copilot responded.

“Circuit breakers.”

“Check.”

“Emergency lights.”

“Armed.”

There were thirty-four items on the BEFORE S

TART checklist. MacIlhenny read each of them.

When he read number 9, “Seat Belt and No Smoking signs,” the copilot chuckled before responding, “On.”

When MacIlhenny read number 23, “Voice recorder,” the copilot chuckled again and said, “I don’t think we’re going to need that.”

And when MacIlhenny read number 28, “Radar and transponder,” the copilot responded, “We’re certainly not going to need that.”

And the man with the Uzi at MacIlhenny’s ear chuckled.

When MacIlhenny read number 34, “Rudder and aileron trim,” the copilot responded, “Zero,” and the man with the Uzi said, “Fire it up, Captain.”

MacIlhenny reached for the left engine ENGINE START button and a moment later the whine and vibration of the turbine began.

“Ask ground control for permission to taxi to the maintenance area,” the man with the Uzi ordered.

MacIlhenny nodded and said, “Luanda ground control, LA-9021, on the parking pad near the threshold of the main runway. Request permission to taxi to the maintenance hangar.”

Luanda ground control responded twenty seconds later.

“LA-9021, you are cleared to taxi on Four South. Turn right on Four South right three. Report on arrival at the maintenance area.”

“Ground control, LA-9021 understands Four South to Four South right three.”

“Affirmative, 9021.”

MacIlhenny looked over his shoulder at the man with the Uzi, who nodded. MacIlhenny released the brakes and reached for the throttle quadrant.

LA-9021 began to move.

“Turn onto the threshold,” the man with the Uzi said thirty seconds later. “Line it up with the runway and immediately commence your takeoff roll.”

“Without asking for clearance?” MacIlhenny asked.

“Without asking for clearance,” the man with the Uzi said, not pleasantly, and brushed MacIlhenny’s neck, below his ear, with the muzzle of the Uzi.

As MacIlhenny taxied the 727 to the threshold of the main north/south runway, he looked out the side window of the cockpit and then pointed out the window.