Missing: One Seaplane, Two Beauties

It was the longest night either Bubba or Clem had ever experienced. Pure anguish, anger, fear, hate and a plethora of human emotions is haunting the boys. The not knowing is extremely difficult to handle.

Homer Ewing sent a plane to Walker's, his Cessna 310, to pick up Bubba and Clem and bring them to Ft Lauderdale, where he has set up a temporary headquarters in his office there to coordinate the location of the seaplane.

Homer has called in some markers with both US Senators from Texas as well as the Governor. There is now a satellite looking at the area from Bahamas to Florida. The Coast Guard is on full alert and has a search underway. There was an unconfirmed report of a seaplane flying at sea level S of Bimini. Homer is trying to contact the boat that reported the sighting. The office in Lauderdale is rapidly turning into a central command center as Homer's people arrive one by one.

Bubba and Clem are truly amazed at the calm actions taking by this petroleum giant in this time of crises involving is own chillen. This man would make a great national leader.

They finally contact the vessel that sighted the seaplane S of Bimini in the Cat Cay area. It is a 54' Bertrum named Sea Duction out of Key Largo, FL, her skipper/owner Steve Sinclaire. He identified the seaplane as the Pan Am Air Bridge Grumman Otter with the special Corona Beer graphics on her. He was positive. He said the plane was flying at wave top level heading toward Cay Sal Banks. He reported it to the Coast Guard as soon as he witnessed the plane, but they didn't take him seriously, he said. Homer thanked him profusely and made a note to send this kind man something special when this is all over..

He then used his Washington influence, it pays to be a billionaire oil man, to shift the search to the Cay Sal area. The satellite showed nothing. Too much time has passed.

The situation now definitely appears to be a hijacking and possibly a kidnapping. Clem tells Homer that he has a friend in Atlanta that is a recently retired SEAL Lt. Commander with a lot of experience in hostage extraction. Homer says call him and get him here ASAP, no matter the cost.

Clem talks to his friend Vic, the SEAL and briefs him on the situation. Vic says not to let the authorities know they suspect a kidnapping and he will be there in a few hours, he will hop a chartered Cessna Citation in Atlanta.

The expected but terrifying call finally comes to Homer's Dallas office and is forwarded to the command center in Lauderdale. It is a computer altered female voice saying that they have the girls and that they are alright and the seaplane with the pilots can be found 17 NM of Cuba on a 042 degree heading. They are demanding $10,000,000 in cash for the safe release of the girls. Directions as how to pay will be phoned in soon.

All of Homer's sophisticated tracking and tracing devices failed to locate the call. It appears that it was relayed all over the US and was computer altered. They were dealing with no average thugs here. And Homer is no average father either.

Tremendous relief sweeps over the command center as the news of the girls being alive spreads. Followed by worry about what could happen to them.

Its hurry up and wait time now. Vic the SEAL will be here soon and can take control of the situation. Soon the seaplane will be found and the pilots freed and interviewed. Bubba wants to tear the thugs apart with his bare hands, he is so mad he could spit, he feels totally helpless.

TO BE CONTINUED