The next morning Cait woke up having found that she had slept better than she had expected. She headed across to the diner and grabbed a coffee and a roll before heading to work. Abe was waiting by the plane when she got there. He looked at his watch.
"Good, you're early." grunted Abe.
"Yes, like I said, bright and early Mr Johnson." replied Cait, determined not to react to his behaviour.
"I've put a mask and gloves in the barn and that's where the pesticides are. You do know what you are doing don't you?"
"Yes, would you like to see my certificates?" asked Cait "I have them with me."
"No, that won't be necessary."
"Good, then I will get loaded up and head out as soon as I've completed the pre flight checks OK?" said Cait.
"You won't find anything wrong with my plane, but do what you need to do." Said Abe, turning and heading back to the house.
Cait just put her hands on her hips and shrugged as she watched him walk away, turning she then headed for the barn to sort out the chemicals. There was a row of drums marked 'Sonic'. Looking at the labels on the drums, Cait found the active ingredient was Paraquat Dichloride, a common chemical for dusting cotton crops and one that Cait was well aware needed careful handling due to it's toxicity. She put on the all the protective gear that Abe had left her and loaded the duster. After checking the plane, she taxied out to the small airstrip and took off. She was keen to get on, as it was a perfect day for dusting with a still air.
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At The Grant Ranch
Mr Grant was in his study when he heard a knock at the door.
"Come"
The door opened.
"Mr Grant…."
"Yes Frank, what do you want, I'm busy here."
"Just to let you know we sorted the little surprise for Abe like you asked Mr Grant"
"Ah yes, good. I had hoped that breaking his arm would put him out of action, but just to make sure."
"Sam saw his plane take off about half an hour ago Sir."
"Really? Well then, I am pleased we were able to instigate stage 2 then Frank. Good work."
"Thank you, Mr Grant" said Frank turning, leaving the study and closing the door behind him."
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Cait had been flying for a couple of hours and was enjoying herself. It was a challenge to manoeuvre the plane just above the cotton, whilst avoiding fences and power lines and making sure the dusting went only on the intended target. She knew she would have to head back to the Abe's soon and refill the tanks. She hoped he wasn't around. Dom's friend or not, the last thing she wanted was someone with his attitude on her case again. Luckily when she got back to the airstrip there was no sign of him, so she sorted what she needed and headed out again. All day Cait had been able to smell chemicals. It wasn't so unusual and would be coming from the discharges as she flew up and down the fields. Cait was pleased she was nearly finished for the day though, as she had a headache. Thinking she just needed some fresh air and assuming her headache was down to concentrating all day, and having not had anything to eat for lunch, she headed towards town and back to the motel. The walk and fresh air did seem to ease her headache a little but pausing outside her room to blow her nose, she discovered she was having a nosebleed. Cait was slightly alarmed as she hadn't had one since she was a child. Remembering what to do however she soon had it under control. By now Cait was feeling a bit nauseous, but assuming this was due to being hungry she headed over to the diner to get a take-out burger. Returning with it to her room, she tried to eat some of it, but couldn't manage it all. Deciding she would just have a shower and an early night she suddenly remembered she was meant to check in with Dom.
"Hello, Santini Air"
"Hey Dom, it's me" said Cait.
"Hi sweetheart, how are you getting on?" asked Dom
"Fine Dom, got quite a lot done today, so if the weather holds I should be done by the end of tomorrow as planned."
"That's great Cait. You sound a little tired though."
"I'm fine Dom, just a bit of a headache so I am going to have an early night."
"OK, take care of yourself and I'll see you Saturday morning."
"Will do Dom, see you then. Oh and tell String I'm OK will ya….and say I said hi"
"Sure thing Cait" replied Dom before hanging up.
After a shower Cait crawled into bed and took no time at all in going to sleep.
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Cait woke up with a fuzzy head but felt much better, so as before she grabbed a coffee and roll from the diner and headed to Abe's. He was nowhere around so she sorted what she needed and took off ready to carry on where she had left of the day before. By the time Cait had been flying for an hour her headache was back, she felt sick and even a little light-headed. The chemical smell seemed stronger too and Cait was beginning to wonder if there was a problem somewhere as she had never felt like this operating a crop duster before. She decided to push on anyway as conditions were perfect and she was making good progress. As she turned at the end of the field to make another pass, a flock of birds appeared from nowhere and Cait had to take action to avoid them and banked hard to the left. Coming back on course, Cait realised that the chemical smell was now really bad and she was struggling to breath. She grabbed a tissue as her nose was running, but wiping it revealed that she was having another nosebleed. Feeling lousy, Cait knew that she would need to land the plane before she was unable too. Blinking to try to clear her vision, she spotted a farm track and somehow managed to get the plane down in one piece. It wasn't a tidy landing and the plane skewed off the track. Pushing open the door of the cock pit, she decided to see if she could work out what was going on. Cait knew this chemical, she had worked with it many times before, but never could she remember it smelling like this. As she was struggling to get out of the cock pit, fighting with feeling faint and her blurred vision the seat belt caught round her arm and she had to turn to free herself. As she did so Cait noticed something strapped behind the seat. It looked like a canister, it had no lid and it appeared that some of the contents had spilt. Without even thinking Cait reached for the canister, and it was at this moment that the world went black and she collapsed in a heap by the side of the plane. Having lost control of the canister some of the contents sloshed out onto her hands and down the front of her shirt.
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"Mr Grant?" said Sam ringing from a phone box
"Yes."
"Abe's plane is down."
"Crashed?"
"No, he landed it, but it wasn't a good landing so I don't reckon he could've been feeling well, eh Mr Grant?" chuckled Sam.
"Well you and Frank get out there before someone else does and finish the job please."
"Sure Mr Grant, no problem.
Sam and Frank drove along the road and onto the farm track where Cait had landed. Stopping the truck by the plane they both got out. Sam went round to the pilot's side and came face to face with Cait who still lying unmoving on the ground.
"Frank!"
"What?" replied Frank as he walked around the front of the plane.
"Who the hell is that?"
"I don't know Frank, she don't' look great whoever she is, what do we do?"
"We can't leave her here for someone to find that's for sure. Get her in the truck and we'll go and see what Mr Grant wants to do OK?"
Sam picked up the lifeless Cait and put her on the back seat of the truck.
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At the Grant Ranch
"Mr Grant, Mr Grant!" said Frank bursting into the kitchen.
"What is it Frank, never heard of knocking?"
"We have a problem boss."
"What kind of a problem? You know I don't like problems Frank, I don't pay you for problems…..
Before he could say anymore Sam came in the door with Cait slung over his shoulder.
"Who the hell is she?"
"We don't know Sir, she was flying Abe's plane."
"What do you mean, she was flying Abe's plane?"
"We found her collapsed by the plane. We didn't want to poison some woman boss!" exclaimed Sam. "we didn't know what to do with her so thought we had better come ask you."
"I wonder who the hell she is?" said Mr Grant
"We found her drivers licence" said Frank handing it to Mr Grant.
"Caitin O Shannessy. California! What the hell is she doing this far from home! Look, I need to think. Stick her in the spare room and lock the door."
"I think she needs a doctor Sir" said Sam, shifting Cait's weight slightly on his shoulder. "She's got some of the stuff on her."
"We can't risk getting a doctor…..at least not yet…I need time to think. Put her on the bed and then get back here, we are going to pay Abe a visit."
Sam carried Cait up and put her in the spare room as instructed. Cait groaned slightly as she was dropped on to the bed. Her hands were pink and inflamed from where the substance in the canister had splashed onto her skin.
Without even glancing back Sam left the room, locked the door and headed back downstairs.
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At Abe's Place
Abe saw the truck pull up and picked up the baseball bat that now resided behind the door. Mr Grant, Sam and Frank entered the house without knocking.
"What do you want?" asked Abe gruffly making sure the baseball bat was obvious for all to see.
"Abe, what do you expect to do with that?" asked Mr Grant pointing at the bat "three of us, one of you and you with a broken arm too"
"What do you want?" asked Abe again.
"I want to know who that pretty little lady is who you have working for you?"
"It's none of your business."
"Ah, but I think it is you see, as she is currently locked in my spare room."
"What!"
Frank had by now skirted round behind Abe and moved in to snatch the bat from him. Abe made a half- hearted attempt to swing the bat at him, but Sam caught his arm. There was a short struggle and Abe was knocked across the room. He hit his head on the table.
"Great, just great!" signed Mr Grant "now how the hell will we find out who our little house guest is?"
"Sorry Mr Grant" said Sam "I didn't mean to do that."
"Well, now we have the place to ourselves, let's have a look around and see if we can unravel the mystery of Ms O Shannessy.
They turned over Abe's place but found nothing to give them any clues as to who Caitlin was or what she was doing flying for Abe. They left Abe where he had fallen and headed back to the Grant Ranch.