Freedom Flights: Episode 23 – Witches Troupe – Part 3
This is Part 3, the last part of Episode 23 of Freedom Flights, collectively called Witches Troupe.
Links to the previous episodes can be found on my Freedom Flights page on the left-hand sidebar.
Episode 23 – Witches Troupe
2024
Part 3
Friday, June 7th – Zvenigora B&B, Dęblin, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland
The sound of jet engines and rotary blades drilled into Geralt’s head, forcing him awake. He reached a hand across the double bed, but there was nobody in the woman—shaped depression beside him.
Had it been Chae-Yeong or Ji-Yeon beside him all night or a dream?
Chae-Yeong had a dawn exercise and he had heard helicopters taking off. One might have been her KAI LAH. She knew he needed to sleep… and move on.
LAH prototype: Photo – FlyblackarrowBut he kept smelling jasmine, her favourite scent. Where from in this rented room?
Coincidence if Chae-Yeong used the same scent. Or stress-induced imagination.
He forced his mind to relive the Challenge evening, remembering the struggle as lay on the grass beside Chae-Yeong. Above them, the pin-pricked sky, trying to escape from the past. Earlier, he had abandoned the Darts Trophy with a teammate, exchanging it for two glasses of vodka with Chae-Yeong. She knew he was struggling to bury the past.
He had murmured as he held her in a gentle embrace.
” ‘O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done…”
She replied with the next line. “The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;”
And as so often, they exchanged lines of Walt Whitman’s famous poem, until he said, “But O heart! heart! heart!”
Then the flood of memories forced his head down into his hands. He could only sob, “O the bleeding drops of red.”
Chae-Yeong tried every other line, yet all he could force out was Ji-Yeon’s name. If only he had fallen asleep.
Would that have been giving into his PTSD?
Instead, she had talked about Ji-Yeon and what she wanted. Then, she quoted from the last verse of the poem,
“…The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!”
Reminding him that they had won, breaking the smugglers’ attempt to divert critical arms. Now was the time to move forward.
“You returned her body to her family,” she had said and he’d agree. “So, they’ve been able to bury her and find peace. You promised her that you’d protect me, which you fulfil every day… not just me, but protection for us all.”
She was right and she called it his Post Trauma Growth. They had walked back to the Zvenigora where their bodies were truly united without guilt.
Now Chae-Yeong was doing her part for Ukraine and peace. It was his chance to commit everything to the same cause.
Friday, June 7th – Airfield Krupa, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine
Tiger in Flight 2012. Author: Peng Chen The early morning sun’s rays were banishing the mist from the overgrown taxiways surrounding Krupa’s derelict buildings.
Nadia and Aleks had detected no signs of life at the airfield, even though four small aircraft were parked outside a closed hangar. They were anxious to land and park their Tiger somewhere secure and hidden from unwelcome attention.
“The smaller control tower is nearer those planes and less derelict,” said Nadia. “We can land on the nearby taxiway, and search for whoever was meant to do the restoration work for ACW.”
“Maksym said they should expect regular visits to check on progress.” Aleks didn’t sound reassured.
They landed in the shadow of the control buildings and secured the Tiger with its enhanced armaments switched to protect. They equipped themselves with the FAMAS bullpup assault rifles stored on their French craft for its crew.
Entering the ground floor through heavy brass doors, they noticed superficial work had been done, just enough to make some rooms useable.
Aleks gestured at the poorly disguised CCTV cameras and the cables leading upwards.
She whispered, “I can interfere with those from the Tiger. Wait out of sight.”
When she returned, they quietly followed the cables expecting to be surprised by whoever’s domain they had trespassed onto. They had readied their bullpups, although any security could be friendly.
On the top floor, they heard voices from inside the control room. The voices seemed to be ordering the four small aircraft outside, telling them to deliver packages to other airfields. No mention was made of any attempt to upgrade the airfield, but there had to be a contact.
Nadia knocked once on the door and called out, “I’m Kapitan Nadia Lysenko from the Ukraine Air Force looking for the upgrade crews. Can you help?”
There was muffled whispering inside, and then the door was opened and Nadia was shown in. A flight controller sat facing towards the tarmac where the cargo planes were waiting. “Lay your gun on the desk and turn round. We just need to be sure who you really are.”
When she was allowed to turn around, she calmly said, “Two men brandishing semi-automatic rifles seem distrustful. Can’t we talk this through?”
“Especially when I’m aiming at your controller,” said Aleks. “So, let’s talk, please?”
A large, heavy-set man stepped into the doorway, lowering his gun as he said, “Wise idea… talking. I’m leaving you here with this armed guard while I check your identities outside.” His manner indicated he held some authority… at least within this clique. “Please let our deliveries leave safely.”
From the control tower, they could see how extensive the airfield was. But also how derelict it remained. There were signs that someone had extended the runway for a short distance, perhaps just enough to land MiG-29s. But they were unsure whether it was safe to call in Gold Flight until they knew who the present occupiers were.
The man returned but not on his own. He had brought two other men who immediately accused the Tiger crew of trespassing on private property
“I think you’ll find you’re the ones trespassing,” said Nadia. “This base has been acquired by the Armed Forces of Ukraine outright and we have every right to be here. You may be entitled to continue trading from this small area… if your business is legal.”
“Unfortunately, you cannot leave, so unless your enforcers are coming, you depend on our good nature. Take them back to their disabled grave… which we could get a substantial price for.”
True to their claim, the Tiger had been grounded with its rear rotors damaged. Some of the exterior armaments had also been disabled. However, communications remained intact, so they could request help.
“Whom should we contact first? Kalyniv or Dęblin?” asked Aleks when they were alone.
“We must contact Gold Flight first and see if they can land here. They could also send a message to Dęblin. We can also attempt to find out if anyone has attempted to restore any of the buildings or just the runway.”
Aleks contacted Gold Flight who said they would scramble immediately. This was the last day of their three-week tour, so they would continue onto Dęblin after coming to Krupa.
In less than half an hour, Gold Flight arrived at the air base and flew low over the runway checking its distance and for obstructions.
“This is Kapitan Anzhela Havrylyuk of the 2022 Night Witches Squadron. We believe you are holding one of our helicopters hostage please explain why.”
Nadia and Aleks had managed to hack into the control tower so overheard the reply.
“Apologies for the oversight we were unclear as to their intentions. What are yours over?”
“We will land our full flight and expect you to escort us to our officers.”
When Anzhela met Nadia, they embraced inside the Tiger.
“Can we trust these people, or are they dangerous?”
“I suspect they are illegally transporting goods from this airfield. Maybe not arms smugglers but potentially dangerous. We can try and fix the Tiger, but it will take most of the day as we’re not primarily mechanics. Continue to Dęblin and we’ll follow as soon as we can.”
“We can also send for helicopter support, although the Puszczyk will be doing the Kalyniv run.”
“There are two ideal choices,” said Aleks. “Either the Griffon with its two pilots and one flight engineer crew and space for 8-10 ground personnel. Or the Black Hawk with two pilots and two crew chiefs, plus space for eleven passengers.”
“It will also depend on who’s free… on movie night,” added Nadia. “Ideally two mechanics or flight engineers, and then whatever security personnel Geralt can spare. I want to check out whatever these supposed entrepreneurs have stashed away. It might be of concern to GROM’s Ukrainian colleagues. While you fly to Dęblin, we’ll contact the Brigade to discuss maintenance and then discuss ongoing security with Geralt.”
Nadia and Aleks settled in for a long day and probably night secure in their armoured Tiger…if their mysterious obstructors hadn’t disabled anything crucial to their survival. Yet, all the basics like food, water, heating and light were untouched…. Unlike the situation for so many others in this war.
“We must contact our colleagues at Dęblin. Gold Flight only know part of what happened. Also, the Brigade must send the right aid as everything feels precarious.”
“Which is why you are right involving Geralt’s group, whatever they get named,” added Aleks.
**
Friday, June 7th – Dęblin Military Air Base, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland
Owls, like this long-eared owl in Poland, are often nocturnal: Photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=239504By the time Gold Flight landed safely at Dęblin, plans were already underway not just for the repair of Alfa Tiger but for the first stage of the squadron’s occupation of Krupa.
“We were wrong sending such a small presence,” said Kalyna. “A serious oversight…in retrospect.”
“What did ACW report on the state of the base,” asked Anzhela Havrylyuk of Gold Flight. “The runway had been extended and cleared when we got there… and not for the four small cargo planes using it.”
Kalyna checked their last report from ACW.
“Other than what you noted, I fear not much. Maksym said the contractors should expect regular visits to check on progress. Seems our inspection has yielded minimal progress.”
She glanced around the group in the Witches’ office and nodded for Vasy to continue.
“As Nadia and Aleks contacted four fellow officers to resolve their situation, I felt it best we all met to ensure that we helped as efficiently as possible… and speedily as there are dubious parties involved. However, first, I will dispense with titles… apologies.”
She paused and then continued, “How can the damage to Alfa Tiger be fixed, Janina Patriksson and how many of your colleagues will be needed?”
“From what they reported, they need some tail rotor components and other parts requiring three maintenance crew.”
“Xenia Ahlberg, your Griffon has one flight engineer and space for 8-10 personnel or cargo. Your Black Hawk, Henrika Visser has two crew chiefs and space for 11 personnel or cargo. Discuss with Janina how much space you would have left after ensuring you had the right maintenance crew and the requested components. This is crucial as there’s also a security issue.”
Vasy nodded at her cousin then joined the two helicopter pilots and the Chief Mechanic,
Kalyna then turned to Geralt Sówka and the two female officers in dark space cadet blue uniforms with owl insignias.
“Geralt, you were told about the strange situation that Nadia and Aleks reported from Krupa. They feel whatever these possible intruders might be doing, could concern your Ukrainian colleagues. Also, please introduce your fellow officers.”
“These are the First Lieutenants of our new security squad, Andżelika Sówka and Estera Sówka, my nieces and former GROM trainees. I chose the Owl insignia for its powerful symbolism… and ‘sowa’ means owl in Polish.”
“A wise choice as the owl is a night hunter… like the Night Witches. So, to the security issue.”
Geralt projected a map of the derelict buildings at Krupa Airbase from his tablet to the office’s wall screen.
“The rotor blade symbol indicates where Nadia reports Alfa Tiger landed tight beside the smallest control tower. Her report indicated that this building is partially restored, unlike what she and Aleks could see of the others,”
He switched from the map to a series of photos taken from the ground.
“When I talked with my colleagues at SSO, Ukraine Special Operations Forces, they were concerned about who was operating out of Krupa, as there are enough derelict buildings – as these photos show – to mask numerous illicit and dangerous activities. However, the war has placed endless demands on SSO resources, so they want us to investigate the airbase.”
“Have we the personnel yet?” asked Kalyna. “How many proficient recruits do you have?”
He turned to his nieces and one replied.
“Estera and I persuaded ten trained colleagues to assist us with the formation of an active security squad, which is provisionally called the Night Owls—”
“As Sowka Squad felt too nepotistic,” added Geralt. “Even though Andżelika and Estera will lead the unit.”
He changed the photos to floor plans of all the buildings, showing an extensive network of spaces below ground.
“SSO provided us with these airport layout plans when it was active a few years ago. If the intruders are using even a fraction of this area and feel entitled to stay, we have a security problem.”
“Except ACW assured us that the base was vacant,” said Kalyna. “Except for a small cargo business restricted to the area of the small control tower. We need to ensure that they remain in that area or leave.”
“Night Owls, how quickly and easily can you help us secure the main base,” asked Vasy. “And what transport do you need?”
Geralt swiftly consulted with his lieutenants and then let Andżelika reply.
“We would aim to get all of us in ASAP, but logistically we sense that is important to rescue Alfa Tiger first using the most efficient craft. Which you decided was?”
“Given the size of the components,” said Janina. “My team decided on the Black Hawk, as the two crew chiefs though gunners are also mechanics. However, I would send at least one other engineer to assist—”
“Leaving space for ten security personnel,” said the pilot, Henrika Visser. “We will be ready to leave in two hours, as soon as you have overseen the loading of the tail rotor components and other parts, Chief Patriksson.”
“Majors, permission to take eight Night Owls under my command, please,” asked Estera.
“Granted,” replied Kalyna and Vasy, who then asked, “Andżelika, that leaves you two Owls. What’s your strategy?”
Without glancing at Geralt, she replied, “After I leave here with Estera, we will divide the squad so she can establish a safe working perimeter around the two helicopters and recce a safe area to move to for permanence. However, my two Night Owls and I will work for as long as it takes finding other recruits among Dęblin students, Ukrainian refugees, or anyone on this base who believes Krupa can offer us a secure new home.”
“Over what period as I urged earlier?” asked Vasy.
“Given the way your crews have responded to events so far, we’d say Krupa could be secured within the next month… at least the key area around the main terminal. For instance, below the ground floor of the main concourse, I’ve identified on the floor plans a central space that could become another Zvenigora ‘cinema’ restaurant taking advantage of the network growing underground. A hub worth building and defending.”
There was generous applause for the vision.
Xenia Ahlberg, Pilot of Griffon asked, “I presume you want to use our craft to join the other two at Krupa tomorrow? We have room for eight of you, leaving say at 0600 tomorrow. Let’s discuss this idea at movie night this evening.
As the different groups dispersed outside, Geralt found himself alone with the Chayka cousins.
“Have we just witnessed the start of the move from Dęblin to Krupa?” he asked.
“Just the beginning of the move,” said Kalyna. “The arrival of French Mirages to Ukraine by the end of the year may be the end of an era.”
“Although the two Saab 340 AEWCS Sky and Sea Surveillance Planes when they arrived in Poland today for Ukraine,” said Vasy. “That might be today’s real game-changer, not anything we did.”
**
Wounded soldier at Kyiv memorial site: A young soldier sits in a wheelchair at a memorial site in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 31, 2024. Most Ukrainians wish to continue the war, despite massive losses over more than two years of fighting. KOSTIANTYN LIBEROV/LIBKOS/GETTY IMAGESSaturday, June 8th – Zvenigora Restaurant, Dęblin, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland
“Although we’re missing the seventeen sisters at Krupa,” said Mariyka. “There’s always the same number missing out at Kalkniv, and they usually catch up on the movie showings.”
“You’re suggesting a third showing at Krupa,” said Sergei. “At least the locals and the students are dependable regulars here… and they’re supporting us again tonight.”
Bookings were steady, although Mariyka worried how her aunt’s business might decline when most of them moved to Krupa. Yet it had survived before the Night Witches had come to Dęblin.
What about her and her Flight Engineers leaving… with or without Sergei? Was she about to rip her family apart?
Her concerns were interrupted by Geralt arriving with his new partner Chae-Yeong, plus three confident women in midnight blue uniforms each with an owl patch. He said they were expecting five more, so they needed a table for ten, somewhere discreet.
More of his usual covert business? But she knew not to pry when he was tasked with the squadron’s security.
Instead, she found herself supporting her aunt in defending ‘all these useless Ukrainian refugees’.
“The sooner we stop aiding them,” said an angry customer, ”the sooner we can make peace with the Russians as Mr Putin says he wants. All Ukraine must do is accept that Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson are part of Russia as they always were. We don’t need Ukraine in NATO risking our lives.”
It was tempting to ignore the man but soon someone would oppose his opinion, provoking a fight.
“This restaurant is not the place for political debate, sir.”
The man stood up and shouted.
“This fascist bitch wants me to shut up. Should I? You all know how we end this American-sanctioned war. Throw the Ukrainian Nazis out.”
Two firm hands grasped his arms.
“Are you going to let these customers enjoy their meals and the movie in peace?” asked two Night Owls in Polish. “Shout your political propaganda outside, please.
The man broke free and staggered to the door, muttering, “Damn blackshirt thugs already here. The film’s crap like the food.”
He tripped over the doorstep, landing flat on his face.
A round of applause carried the Owls back to their table.
Owl of Athena: Original art – Luke Hillestad“Let’s hope Zelensky’s forthcoming peace conference in Switzerland attracts better supporters,” said Andżelika. “In two weeks we’ll know.”
She turned as five younger women came into the restaurant and seeing her hurried over.
“Hope we didn’t miss anything,” said one with a lilting accent.
“Just a touch of theatre.”
The lights dimmed and Mariyka introduced the evening’s entertainment.
“Tonight, we have our first-ever double bill. Our feature is Ocean’s 8, a 2018 American heist comedy film directed by Gary Ross and written by Ross and Olivia Milch. The film is a spin-off from Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series and the fourth instalment. The film features an ensemble cast including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. The film follows a group of women led by Debbie Ocean, the sister of Danny Ocean, who plan a sophisticated heist at the annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
I’ll introduce our second film, a 2024 documentary after you’ve enjoyed Ocean’s 8.”
*
As the movie ended, the lights came on so Mariyka could introduce the documentary.
“We chose this 2024 documentary Blue Angels, as some of you are fighter jet pilots, like me. Some of you may even have flown in similar planes as those featured, although never in such formations. The Blue Angels follows the veterans and newest class of Navy and Marine Corps flight squadron as they go through intense training and into a season of heart-stopping aerial artistry. Be as amazed as I am whenever I see the Blue Angels fly with such precision.”
*
As the double bill ended and customers ordered fresh drinks at the bar, Sabina turned to her sister Mariyka, saying, “Pity so many missed tonight’s showing, especially the inspiring documentary. What’s going to happen when most of them are based at Krupa? Will we have enough clients here?”
“Aunt Agnieszka thinks so with the University staff and students supporting her… as before. We must have faith in her, especially as she’s planning for a cellar club in Lutsk, which would show films like here.”
“Does her club have to be in Lutsk?” asked Geralt as he paid the tab for his table. “My nieces noted something on Krupa’s ground plans. Join us when you’ve cleared up.”
Sometime later, Andżelika and her initial two Night Owls were finalizing the recruitment of the new five.
“Now we’re the perfect eight… almost like in ‘Ocean’s 8’… except this isn’t a heist, and we can’t afford any mistakes”
Agnieszka and her family joined them, wondering where this might lead as they pulled up more chairs.
Andżelika laid out the ground plan of Krupa’s main concourse.
“With a bit of imagination, this area here could be another Zvenigora ‘cinema’ restaurant, safely located underground within a network of spaces controlled by the 2022 Night Witches Squadron. We may know more about the location when we investigate in the next few days. It would be great too if there were communal spaces to meet family needs. It’s time our children could study safely too.”
“Have you room for a couple more,” asked Mariyka. “I’d like to see what’s there.”
“Ask Xenia Ahlberg, who’s joining us now.”
The Griffon pilot came over with Acacia Berntsen, her co-pilot, and Iryna Forsberg, their flight engineer.
“If these are all passengers, I’m afraid we can only take eight. Sorry. Maybe there’s another option, or some will have to come to Krupa when it’s secured in a few weeks.”
**
Slava Ukrayini
FCA 3,658 words
