Stories of the 31st - Letter's from Natty

by Scobe

Scooby stood ridged in Daddy's office alone staring at the picture of a few Spitfires that hung above Daddy's desk. He had been standing there brace for over five minutes and Scoob didn't dare move an inch except what was required for breathing, and he had just started that two minutes ago. In front of Lieutenant Scooby was the chief, the boss, Colonel Daddy filling out paperwork as if Scooby hadn't even been born. And lying on the side of the desk staring at Scooby was Daddy's standard issue Colt with the hammer pulled back.

The silence finally broke with Daddy signed the final document and cleared his throat. “Scoob.”

“YES SIR.” Scooby replied instantly.

Daddy neatly put all the paperwork together in a pile and set them in his out box. “I know you have, shall we say, ‘taken over,' Ram's responsibility of Natasha. And you are the one to be blame for the recent losses to the 309th.”

The losses that Daddy referred to was the loss of Asmech for five weeks after he was wrongly accused for strafing a fence on the airbase and was then given to Natty for three whole days straight without respite as punishment. During this time frame Asmech's Spitfire had mysteriously gone missing and a case of fifty-year-old scotch had shown up at Scoob's billet. However, nothing could have proven that there was any mischief as Asmech slowly recovered from his wounds he suffered from Natasha at a psychiatric hospital where they tried to curb his new drooling problem and stuttering problem.

Yet what Daddy was about to do, he admitted to himself, was something so dangerous, if the fighter group would find out, he and the rest of HQ flight would surly face mutiny. As Daddy thought this, he kept a careful eye on Scooby and noticed that there was no reaction.

“I'm sorry sir. But I have no contact with Natasha. That was all Ram's gig.” Scooby said. It was a line that he had been practicing for a very long time now.

Daddy nodded. “Okay, well… Maybe you know someone who does… nevertheless Scoob, I'm going to sign a deal with the devil and you are doing to deliver it.”

“Sir?” Scooby was perplexed and listened to Daddy intently. There was some profit to be made here, somewhere.

“Read this…” Daddy handed Scooby a letter, which he read…

Vear, Vaddy!! I vove the vay your vooty shakes ven you get outta your Vetfire!! Ve should get together van vave vum fun! Vou van I, van Goebel, van Soul van vat voughty pilot Vuff!! Vee you soon! XOXO Natty

Scooby shuddered and felt the bile build in this throat. He choked down the vomit and tried to calm the shaking of his body. “Wow…sir.”

Daddy nodded as if he was an inmate getting ready to be put in front of a firing squad. “This has to stop.” Daddy motioned to his pistol. “Everyone in HQ is going ape. Last night Ruff came in late from a night at the Hammer and Sickle and Goebel shot him thinking he might had been Natasha sneaking in.”

Scooby nodded, though he had heard the story from Soul claiming that it was Daddy that fired. He started to feel bad for Ruff being in the hospital with that new blond nurse from Georgia. That lucky bastard. “What would you like me to do Daddy?”

Daddy looked around quickly and handed Scoob a piece of paper. “These are the name of three replacement pilots that are due here soon.” Scooby looked at the paper and then Daddy. “Just, please for the love of god, get Natasha off our backs.”

“Yes sir.” Scooby saluted and stepped out of Daddy's office. He glanced down at the list of names that read, Bman, Hoki, Shroud.

Bman was the first to arrive to the 31st Fighter Group. He settled in nicely with the 307th FS and joined the guys for many long training flights. Soon, the veteran from the pacific, Hoki, joined the fighter group with the 309th fighter squadron. Like Bman, Hoki quickly adjusted to life with the 31st and was soon flying Spitfires on training flights. Yet one afternoon after a hard day of mock dog fighting, he was warned that he had been marked.

“Yeah, that's what the word is Hoki.” Vonmac said.

Hoki nodded. “That doesn't sound like a good thing.” He replied back as both he and Vonmac walked back from their hangers.

“Trust me…it's not.” The 309th ace replied keeping his distance from Hoki.

Later that day Hoki and Bman sat together in the Hammer and Sickle. Hoki kept glancing around, making note of every detail. “What's the matter Hoki?” Bman asked.

“I don't know Bman…I just don't know.”

Asmech walked in and ordered a glass of scotch and walked by Bman and Hoki's table. Bman smiled and asked Asmech, “Hey wanna join with us?”

Asmech looked stunned. His head snapped to the left and then right, quickly scanning the area until he found Bman again. “Uh..uh, nah..nah..nooooo.” He stuttered. “I..va..was… going flying.”

Hoki raised an eyebrow at the 308th pilot. “With a glass of booze?”

Asmech looked down at his hand that was shaking almost uncontrollability. He then down the drink in one gulp and sat the glass on their desk. “I'm off…ta..ta..too strafe some, lut..lutwaffe .ak..acks.” He did a quick hand wave and bolted back through the doors of the Hammer and Sickle.

Hoki looked over at Bman. “That's been happening to me ever since I got here.”

“Me too.” Bman just shook his head and took a sip of his drink.

It was also that day the third of three replacements came in to the group for the 308th fighter squadron. Another veteran from the pacific, Shroud, introduced himself the whole gang and was greeted in a friendly manner. And the next day, Shroud went up for his share of long training flights.

A week later the three new pilots sortied their first combat mission with the 31st fighter group. It was a success with all the members returning safely back to the airbase in time to celebrate with a huge party at the Hammer and Sickle.

Drinks were going all around as songs of praises were being sung to the three new pilots that survived their first sortie against the Germans. The party lasted for the entire night with several pilots falling out of “formation” as the night went on, and on till there were just four pilots left.

“Come on you heroes…let's get you guys to bed.” Scooby slurred. “We got a special hut for you three. Its tradition!!” He pronounced to the empty officer's club.

“Are we..hic..getting girls!?” Bman grinned to Scooby. As he tried to slap Hoki awake.

Scooby held his hand up high. “Yes!!! A girl fit enough for all three!!”

Shroud laughed out loud. “You got it backwards Scoob. You mean enough girls to fit for all three of us!”

Scooby stopped, standing in the middle of the Hammer and Sickle and thought. “Well…close enough.” Scoob helped Bman drag Hoki through the dirt to a shack on the dark side of the base with Shroud in tow. “Here you go boys. Out away from everyone so we all can have a nice rest while you guys tame the wild beast.”

“Woo…” Bman said. “I haven't had a wild time with a lady in a long time.”

“You'll love it!” Scoob said. “I think…”

“It'll be GRREAT!” Shroud hooted. “How many rooms does this shack have?”

Scooby opened the door into the dark shack. “Enough…” He and Bman dragged Hoki and placed him on one of the beds. He then shook Bman and Shroud's hand. “We of the 31st, salute you my brave friends.” Scooby saluted sloppily and staggered out the door closing it behind him.

Shroud and continued to laugh and then passed right out onto the floor. Bman laughed at Shroud and tried to walk back toward the door. Once he finally got there he tried the handle and passed out cold leaning against the door. Then there was a rumbling sound and the door creaked opened. Hoki turned-over in the bed and caught of whiff of a terrible scent. “God, what is that smell?”

The usual morning meeting at the command shack was delayed till the late afternoon due to “fog” that had somehow settled over the command barracks. Once to fog had lifted slightly, the members of HQ flight gathered and discussed the day's reports.

These reports included supply issues, such as the fact that a pair of landing gears had mysteriously vanished from a Spitfire belonging to the 308th. Meanwhile a report from the 307th announced that a Spitfire that was damaged in a gear up landing had just been serviced and made combat ready. Other items included that a jeep from the 309th had went missing, though the 307th reported their stolen jeep to have been found in the parking lot at a market place.

Daddy nodded as he made a mental note to talk to Taho about these strange reports. Though another group CO had warned him about a pilot he had received a couple of years ago from the ETO, this pilot was known for his methods of scavenging parts and supplies at his last group.

“And finally…causality reports.” Soul announced.

Ruff shook his head. “We didn't have any causalities on yesterday's mission.” Goebel nodded with Ruff in agreement.

“No, however,” Soul commented, “Three pilots were found this morning by the MPs patrolling the fencing with their guard dogs. The dogs, wouldn't go near the area they were barking at. In fact, the report states that, ‘one of the dogs took a sniff of the air, and tried to run off as it pissed all over itself.'”

Daddy's eyes went wide as Soul continued. “Two guards were hospitalized for combat fatigue and one K9 had to be shot because it was going crazy.” Soul gulped hard for the next part. “The three pilots are alive…but…” He shook his head and re-read the report. “Both had to be soaked in bleach in order to get rid of the stink and kill any bacteria. They managed to identify two pilots, Bman of the 307th and Shroud of the 308th with dental records, but the third, Hoki of the 309th, had to be ID'd with blood type because all of his teeth were missing.” Soul shuddered where he stood. “Uh, Bman suffered a major concussion, along with a broken neck and a broken pelvis, but the pelvis was broken twice…in two different spots.”

“That doesn't sound physically possible!” Goebel yelled.

Soul shook his head. “It gets worse.” He continued, “Shroud was found also with a broken pelvis, and a broken nose. Also he had to have stitches in his..uhh…hole.” Soul coughed. “And they have also submerged his rear end in a tub of freezing cold water in order to keep the swelling down. Though they think the blisters will be, quite, quite painful.”

“My god…” Ruff said quietly.

“And…Hoki…” Soul stood quietly. “He doesn't have anything broken, though missing most of his teeth and they had to shave his head because of all the gunk his hair had acquired. He is also on oxygen at the moment.” Soul then dropped the report paper and ran to the window and puked out the window.

Daddy grabbed the papers and finished reading. “Hoki, apparently is repeating something about going in ‘head first.'” Daddy dropped the papers and fell to the floor and puked into the waste bucket and Goebel and Ruff ran out the door to puke outside.

That evening Daddy received a letter addressed to him. He carefully opened it up and read it.

Vear Vaddy. Vanks vor the vun time. I vove your pilots van vope to vee more voon. I vope you vill von vay vion me vith your vtaff. I vee veesomes!! Vut, I vehink va vix-vome vill ve VETTER!! XOXO Natty.