Lanterna Rally

Author: Ron Monette

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2015-11-12

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 1514424584

The Antonov 225, the largest plane in the world in 1988 is heading to Cape Lisburne, Alaska with scientists and cargo to find out why something like the red tide is happening at and around the Cape which is a U.S. Long Range Radar Station. The 2 pilots and 2 crew are ex F-14 combat aces from that flew off a carrier during Desert Storm. The plane is sabotaged to do a controlled crash short of Cape Lisburne. Everybody survives with some injuries. A medical officer, Kelly is on board and she assists. There are a couple of confrontations with a surprise person on board who eventually dies. The whole group are rescued by the Cape Station by moving inland off the ice pack. The scientists eventually find what is causing the red tide effect with the help of a special coast guard sonar ship. Iron sulphate has been dumped in the coastal waters causing Domoic Acid poisoning. The base pilots and personnel get sick from eating the shell fish and fish and can't fly. The 4 F-14 (old dogs) has to fly and put on a real show. Kelly and Jim, a second seat radar man on the F-14s fall in love. Kelly lost pilot years earlier and hasn’t let herself get close to anyone since. The culprit of the iron dumping is a communist country. When it is found out they are taken to a world court. They deny and blame others. There is no antidote to the poison so it has to work its way out of the sick and the water. At the end the four old dogs have a confrontation with a N. Korean ship that has entered restricted waters and what they do is surprising. It prevents a possible war. The last chapter is, "Is it the end or is it the Beginning as everybody is summed up.