Matt Bullock a naive flying student and his charming but crooked instructor Jason Collins come to blows over Fleur Lassiter, Matt's attractive older girlfriend.
All three of them fall foul of Vladimir Zhukov, a Russian crime boss in Auckland, New Zealand. Zhukov wants to muscle in on Collin's drug smuggling using light aircraft
and he won't stop at kidnapping or murder.
Matt needs of of his new flying skills to rescue the Dinah victims and bring both Zhukov and Collins to justice.
Matt Bullock a naive flying student and his charming but crooked instructor Jason Collins come to blows over Fleur Lassiter, Matt's attractive older girlfriend.
All three of them fall foul of Vladimir Zhukov, a Russian crime boss in Auckland, New Zealand. Zhukov wants to muscle in on Collin's drug smuggling using light aircraft
and he won't stop at kidnapping or murder.
Matt needs of of his new flying skills to rescue the Dinah victims and bring both Zhukov and Collins to justice.
Chapter 1
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Fleur Lassiter shifted in her chair and suppressed a yawn. Tutorials were supposed to be a time of sharing, debating and disputing between students, under the guidance of their tutor. But this young woman was hopeless; nervous, unsure, and her smile of encouragement was more akin to a sickly simper.
âSurely someone must have an idea.â
Her eyes panned pleadingly around the group seeking a response, any response from one of the ten faces. The two large flies, droning fitfully in the small tutorial room, complemented the buzzing of the cicadas outside in the university garden.
She glanced at the list on her lap. âHow about you, er, Fleur?â She looked round the group and caught the brief upward tilt of Fleurâs head. âHave you ever been in that sort of situation?â
âNot that Iâll admit to,â replied Fleur. She glanced around the room and back at the tutor. âDonât want to corrupt the younger ones.â
âOh, come on Fleur,â responded Heather, a pretty second year student. âWeâre not that youngââ
âAnd youâre not that old,â chuckled her neighbour Dave, a thin young man with heavily rimmed spectacles, responding to her angry look with a wide grin.Â
Fleur Lassiter smiled wryly. Sheâd been attending university part-time in pursuit of what she often referred to as âthe worldâs longest arts degreeâ. She had started in her early twenties and then, persuaded by a girlfriend, sheâd spent three years on an OE in England and Europe. Returning to Auckland sheâd taken assorted administrative positions while trying to fulfil her ambition to become a freelance writer. After a year she decided to return to university to complete her degree, hoping that an English major would enhance her writing knowledge and skills. Now in her final year she was less than impressed with the efforts of their young tutor in provoking a discussion on the works of Restoration female writer Aphra Benn.Â
âOK,â said Fleur, âso youâre saying that Bennâs apparent bisexuality was the key factor in her writings.â
âYes,â responded the tutor, obviously relieved that the possibility of a discussion appeared to be stuttering into life.
âIf you want my opinion,â Fleur paused and the tutor nodded encouragingly. âI think thatâs irrelevant. Furthermore, anyone whose chief focus is on Bennâs real or imagined bisexuality seems to me an indication of trying to legitimise their own behaviour.â
The tutorâs head jerked back. âWho are you referring to?â
âTo whom am I referring?â responded Fleur, rewarded by the shuffles of interest from her fellow students. âNo one in particular, but if the cap fitsâŚâ She completed the sentence with a gentle shrug and a winsome smile.
The buzzing flies and the backing vocals of the cicadas appeared to go up several notches in the sudden silence that engulfed the room. The tutorâs gaze lingered on Fleur for a long moment before switching abruptly to the clock on the back wall.
âI think that will do us for today.â She rose hurriedly. âGood luck for your finals.âÂ
The students by the door hastily drew back as the young tutor swept from the room. All eyes then turned to Fleur.
âHey, guys what did I do?â she enquired.
âGood thing for you all the essays have been marked. She could have turned nasty,â commented Heather.
âIâm sure she adheres strictly to the concept of grading the essay and not the person,â responded Fleur.
âWho cares? The woman was a complete bore. No idea how to run an interesting tutorial.â Dave smiled. âIâm told that sheâs hoping to become a secondary school teacher.â
âShe certainly has all the right attributes.â The speaker was Matt Bullock, former rugby captain of the Kings College First XV, whose looks, talents and academic record marked him as a future leader.Â
The laughter echoed round the room as the students exited noisily into the warm spring sunshine.Â
Fleur turned as a hand touched her arm.Â
âDo you have time for a coffee?â asked Matt.
She hesitated and, seeing the look in his eyes, nodded. âWhy not. The ferry doesnât leave for an hour. Here or downtown?â
âDowntown.âÂ
Using the pedestrian crossing opposite the clock tower they walked through Albert Park towards the centre of the city.Â
âYou know what I want to talk to you about, donât you.â It was a statement not a question.
âI have an inkling.â She smiled. âLetâs wait until the coffee lubricates your throat.â
They walked in silence until Matt slowed and turned abruptly. âFleur, I need you and I toââ
She placed a hand gently on his chest and gave a small push.
âCoffee, Matt. Downtown.â
He sighed, shrugged, and continued walking.
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This book has a fast pace with sharp characters, who are at times terse and unsympathetic despite their intrigue. At first, it is hard to identify with the explosiveness of the interaction between the main character, Matt's flight instructor/coach, his girlfriend and himself after his first practice flight. Their volatility in the 'shame and exploit' reactions seem a bit unjustifiable so early in the learning process. While Matt's demeanor may be typical of a young student in his low-key approach about flying, it's not until about two thirds in that one of the characters accuses him as one who is confined to small talk. One of the characters admits liking flying, but it doesn't feel like there is any deep connection to it by any of them or to relationships either. Aside from Matt's family venture, I was not convinced of any meaningful connection or passion for it like one might think other than achievement.Â
An interesting progression in the book is how quickly it moves from involvement in money-making schemes profiting from credit-compromised populations to strip club ownership, and then to drug importing - all carrying increasing levels of risks for crime. Despite their global education and mobility, they seem to under-estimate the risks among their interactions and when one remarks, 'sounds dangerous', it seems light-hearted and removed from the grim realities. The pivotal moment of understanding the complexities of the inter-workings and entanglements of nefarious actors is when seeking justice for murder means betrayal, a life-threatening situation for those involved, the reader begins to appreciate the stakes. And, suddenly, it jolts the reader that we are on a learning journey with the protagonist, Matt in not having a fully appreciation for the risks associated with his encounters and the danger of the flights.Â
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Once entangled with Zhukov such that his background in the KGB and in perpetuating the abuses of his rank are known, it is surprising how they continue to seek his resources for the sake of 'skill, diplomacy, and courage' in the heat of a forensic investigation of one of their comrades. But, once he is taken down, the denoument is more procedural - a less emotional accepting of the casualties such as Fleur's murder It is satisfying intellectually that Matt takes personal responsibility for his continuous learning and career development, but less so in the recognition of losses such as Fleur's death, a sense of shared responsibility and emotional gravity of everyone involved. Except for the retribution achieved by Collins. Complex - something to think about.