OLD FRIENDS ON ONE LAST ADVENTURE-

Several hours later, Jake and Randall DeGroot were leaving Honolulu Airport for Corky's pier just outside of the city between Waikiki and Diamond Head. The cab pulled into a concrete building, formerly a WW-2 era pillbox. Now lavished with flower leis and painted a bright orange. A sign read "McAllister Air Cargo & Tours" and Jake smiled at it. Behind the building, out into the surf was a long wooden pier. There, past the waves, was the Goose.

"Cutter's Goose", still painted on the side of the plane, was a Grumman G-21. Built originally as a plaything for rich New Yorkers, something to commute from the Hamptons into Manhattan. But it quickly grew in popularity among cargo pilots and during the War, became a U-boat spotter and Coast Guard plane. Jake had won it in a game of cards while in South America and given it to Corky after the war. It was still in prime shape, with its red and white paintjob immaculate.

As the two men entered the concrete building, they noticed a shorter, heavy-set man, sitting behind a desk. He was reading the Honolulu Times…the comics pages. And laughing lightly. "Oh, man. That Snuffy Smith." Apparently he didn't hear the door open and Jake had to clear his throat to get Corky's attention. He folded down the paper and looked up at Cutter and DeGroot.

"Yes, sirs," he began, "Can I….JAKE!" Smiling, he ran around the desk and laid a big bear hug on his former partner. DeGroot stood there watching as the two old friends slapped each other on the backs. Charles "Corky" McAllister was almost fifty. Round-faced, innocent looking, with a thick build, looking like he had seen too many hamburgers. From what little DeGroot knew, the guy was a former drunk but a genius with a plane engine, who had taken up with Cutter in Guatemala.

"Jake, what are ya doing here?" Corky began, breathlessly. "Well, Corky, looks like we might have one more job for you and me and the Goose…in the Marivellas." The roundish face burst into a broad smile. "Really? What are we looking for, Jake? King Solomon's Mine?" He paused. "No, wait….we did that one, didn't we? Stop some Nazzzies?" Another pause. "No, guess we did that too,huh?" Cutter patted his friend on the chest. "Take a breath. This is Mr. DeGroot, he's from the US Government." Corky turned and started pumping DeGroot's hands. "Nice to meetcha, Mr. DeGroot," he began, "You a friend of Sarah's?…uh…I mean..." Immediately, DeGroot noticed McAllister look deeply embarrassed and look quickly to and then away from Cutter. "Uh, I mean, what can we do for you?"

Jake letting the awkward moment pass, started explaining the mission. When he got to the end, he said "And I'm going to need the best mechanic and the best plane in the whole South Pacific to find out what happened." Corky was nonplussed. "But, Jake? Ile de Fumee is just a myth. There ain't no real place like that, everybody knows that." "I know," Cutter responded, "But apparently the whole US Government thinks otherwise." Corky shrugged happily. "Well, I'm in. Just let me let Tiki know and we can get going." "How is Tiki?" Jake asked. "Oh, the same as always, five kids running around, keeping her on her toes, but she still can't seem to lose that last fifty pounds. I think it's all the poi and pork" He smiled and started calling his wife on the phone.

"I don't know, Cutter," DeGroot began, "You sure this 'Lou Costello' friend of yours, isn't going to hold us back." Jake smiled, but secretly wanted to pound DeGroot. "He's the best mechanic around" (which was true) "And he knows the Marivellas as well as I do (also true), plus he's good in a fight." (which was less true). DeGroot smirked.

Two hours later, Tiki McAllister and a brood of half-Polynesian kids ranging from eight to eighteen months showed up at the office. She had packed loads of sandwiches and Thermoses of coffee, along with canned goods, crackers, and dried pork. Jake, Corky, and DeGroot packed the provisions onboard the Goose, along with extra jerry cans of aviation fuel. "I just re-built that starboard carburetor, Jake…you know the one that always gave us trouble? Got a big fat tip from some millionaire tourist who wanted a three hour tour of the island, we got back just before a big gale blew in and he slid me a C-note." Jake smiled. Finally, they were loaded.

As DeGroot settled himself in a passenger seat behind the co-pilot's station, Jake sealed up the hatch and started walking towards the cockpit. Corky was sitting in the pilot's chair. Not wanting to make an issue out of it, Cutter started to climb in the co-pilot's seat. "Ohmigosh, Jake, sorry." Corky started to get up. "No, no, Corky, she's your plane. I'm a little rusty." McAllister kept getting out and eased back into the main compartment. "No, no, Jake. I can't take yer spot. If it's just some poking around off Diamond Head, that's one thing. But a real honest-to-gosh mission…she's your baby." Jake demurred but Corky started pushing him into the pilot's chair. "Okay, okay."

Cutter admittedly wanted the spot, though he also admittedly hadn't done any serious flying in a long time. The last time was a year earlier, when he went up in the airline's newest DC-6, but even that was in the co-pilot's chair and one of the regular airline pilots was in the left-hand chair. Jake had just held the wheel for a quick run to Denver and back. As he eased back in his old chair, he got a little nervous.

Firing up the R-985 engines, Jake saw the familiar smoke blast out the exhaust. First the left, then right engine. He throttled up the left, and the plane spun around, out towards the open ocean. "We got good RPMs, Jake," Corky called. Cutter nodded and lowered the flaps slightly.. Lining up his take-off, he pushed the overhead controls fully forward and the engines roared and the Goose started picking up speed. The airspeed indicator increased and Cutter felt a rush of excitement and familiarity. Spray peppered the windshield. At the appropriate speed, he eased back on the yoke and the plane slowly left the water and took to the air. "Just like ol' times, huh, Jake?" Cutter looked over and smiled. "Yeah, Corky, just like ol' times."