trained, and Captain Beefheart came already christened. Malcolm learned it was in honor of an avant-garde musician who’d gained cult fame during the seventies and early eighties.
“Still, why Captain Beefheart of all things?” I wondered.
“Maybe Frank Zappa was too mainstream,” Malcolm responded.
Beefheart had an official green vest, and was cleared by WorldAir to board all aircraft. Much of Beefheart’s extensive training was unnecessary for Malcolm’s purposes. For example, Malcolm didn’t need Beefheart to flip light switches and only had him retrieve things for him for fun.
“How cool is
this
?” Malcolm would exclaim, dispatching Beefheart up the aisle to nip some extra pretzel packets off the back of the snack cart.
“Can you send him back for some cookies, too?” I’d ask, impressed.
“Of course.” And off Beefheart would go to the quiet cheers of the nearby passengers.
I loved that dog. He made me wish I had one of my own to bring on the plane. I remember my mother tried to assign me one, but because Ash was my primary physical custodian and held sway with decision-making authority on all aspects of my life, of course he vetoed anything that would make it easier for me to deal with my present circumstances.
So I’d use my mother’s password to pull up a preliminary flight summary to see if an emotional support animal was listed on the departure report. Nine times out of ten, on the flights to LAX out of ATL and vice versa, it was Captain Beefheart. It was a reliable way of discerning the pattern of Malcolm’s flight habits. Luckily they often coincided with Flo’s flight habits, especially since Flo let me put in the bids for her trips every month. So, even though I should have been used to it, my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him. Even on this fateful flight, up until the hijacking, I was so happy to see Malcolm on the plane.
FBI subject log, April 1, 2013, 13:34:
April Mae Manning
Born: April 1, 1998 (15 years old today)
Caucasian female, light brown shoulder-length hair, green eyes, 56, 105 lbs.
Identifying marks: Large scar, right arm
Parents:
Elizabeth Davenport Manning (divorced)
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: November 16, 1974 (39 years old)
Robert Madison Coleman (deceased October 12, 2003)
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: September 16, 1974 (29 at time of death)
Ash Underwood Manning (divorced)
Pilot, WorldAir
Born: March 15, 1967 (49 years old)
Adoptive father, primary physical custodian
Malcolm Jeffrey Colgate (14 years old)
Born: January 2, 1998
Caucasian male, red wavy hair, brown eyes, 55, 95 lbs.
Identifying marks: Freckles
Parents:
Matilda Marie Remington Colgate (divorced)
Morton McGill Colgate (divorced)
Founders, Global Colgate Enterprises, under investigation for tax fraud since April 2010.
Edward Thornton Rockwell (42 years old) (single)
Born: August 11, 1970
African American male, brown hair, brown eyes, 65, 195 lbs.
Identifying marks: Scar, left shoulder, bullet entry wound. Scar, upper left torso, bullet entry wound. Scar, upper left back, bullet exit wound.
Law Enforcement Officer, Atlanta Fulton County Police Department
Date of employment: January 16, 1993
Record of employment: 12 disciplinary actions. Discharge of firearm resulting in death of suspect. 14 interdepartmental accolades. Request for advancement: Declined 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012.
Florence “Flo” Beulah Butterfield Schnieder Chang Davenport (67 years old) (divorced)
Caucasian female, white hair, blue eyes, 50, 95 lbs.
Identifying marks: Birthmark, right hip. Tattoo (“MacGyver”), right ankle. Pierced belly button.
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: February 15, 1946
Date of employment: March 20, 1967
Record of employment: 7 incidents of “failure to appear,” 5 suspended terminations, 14 disciplinary marks for behavior described as “wantonly insubordinate,” 1,423 passenger appreciation letters.
Captain Beefheart (approx. 2 years old)
Emotional Support Animal
Mixed-breed corgi/pit
“Still, why Captain Beefheart of all things?” I wondered.
“Maybe Frank Zappa was too mainstream,” Malcolm responded.
Beefheart had an official green vest, and was cleared by WorldAir to board all aircraft. Much of Beefheart’s extensive training was unnecessary for Malcolm’s purposes. For example, Malcolm didn’t need Beefheart to flip light switches and only had him retrieve things for him for fun.
“How cool is
this
?” Malcolm would exclaim, dispatching Beefheart up the aisle to nip some extra pretzel packets off the back of the snack cart.
“Can you send him back for some cookies, too?” I’d ask, impressed.
“Of course.” And off Beefheart would go to the quiet cheers of the nearby passengers.
I loved that dog. He made me wish I had one of my own to bring on the plane. I remember my mother tried to assign me one, but because Ash was my primary physical custodian and held sway with decision-making authority on all aspects of my life, of course he vetoed anything that would make it easier for me to deal with my present circumstances.
So I’d use my mother’s password to pull up a preliminary flight summary to see if an emotional support animal was listed on the departure report. Nine times out of ten, on the flights to LAX out of ATL and vice versa, it was Captain Beefheart. It was a reliable way of discerning the pattern of Malcolm’s flight habits. Luckily they often coincided with Flo’s flight habits, especially since Flo let me put in the bids for her trips every month. So, even though I should have been used to it, my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him. Even on this fateful flight, up until the hijacking, I was so happy to see Malcolm on the plane.
FBI subject log, April 1, 2013, 13:34:
April Mae Manning
Born: April 1, 1998 (15 years old today)
Caucasian female, light brown shoulder-length hair, green eyes, 56, 105 lbs.
Identifying marks: Large scar, right arm
Parents:
Elizabeth Davenport Manning (divorced)
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: November 16, 1974 (39 years old)
Robert Madison Coleman (deceased October 12, 2003)
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: September 16, 1974 (29 at time of death)
Ash Underwood Manning (divorced)
Pilot, WorldAir
Born: March 15, 1967 (49 years old)
Adoptive father, primary physical custodian
Malcolm Jeffrey Colgate (14 years old)
Born: January 2, 1998
Caucasian male, red wavy hair, brown eyes, 55, 95 lbs.
Identifying marks: Freckles
Parents:
Matilda Marie Remington Colgate (divorced)
Morton McGill Colgate (divorced)
Founders, Global Colgate Enterprises, under investigation for tax fraud since April 2010.
Edward Thornton Rockwell (42 years old) (single)
Born: August 11, 1970
African American male, brown hair, brown eyes, 65, 195 lbs.
Identifying marks: Scar, left shoulder, bullet entry wound. Scar, upper left torso, bullet entry wound. Scar, upper left back, bullet exit wound.
Law Enforcement Officer, Atlanta Fulton County Police Department
Date of employment: January 16, 1993
Record of employment: 12 disciplinary actions. Discharge of firearm resulting in death of suspect. 14 interdepartmental accolades. Request for advancement: Declined 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012.
Florence “Flo” Beulah Butterfield Schnieder Chang Davenport (67 years old) (divorced)
Caucasian female, white hair, blue eyes, 50, 95 lbs.
Identifying marks: Birthmark, right hip. Tattoo (“MacGyver”), right ankle. Pierced belly button.
Flight Attendant, WorldAir
Born: February 15, 1946
Date of employment: March 20, 1967
Record of employment: 7 incidents of “failure to appear,” 5 suspended terminations, 14 disciplinary marks for behavior described as “wantonly insubordinate,” 1,423 passenger appreciation letters.
Captain Beefheart (approx. 2 years old)
Emotional Support Animal
Mixed-breed corgi/pit
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