Treasure of the Sahara

Chapter 2

Chapter 2Several days later, David Wade and his daughter, Jessica, arrived at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas Island. Charlie Davidson and John O'Connor, JB's Chief Pilot and Co-Pilot for both of the helicopters, the 747 and the Gulfstream G650ER, met met up with David and Jessica to transport them to Papaya Island by way of the jet helicopter. Sam Peters and Scott Johnson also went along, mainly to give David and his daughter a warm welcome. After loading David's luggage into the chopper, they headed straight for Papaya Island which is just a short hop away from the airport.

Charlie gave the guests an aerial view of the entire McGregor compound on the island. He flew from the west end of the island to the east end showing the McGregor mansion, the employee bungalow's, the swimming pools, the putting green, the astronomical observatory, the marina with the yacht and other boats, all of the secluded beaches, the hidden solar panel array and windmill farm for electricity, and finally, the helipad and hangers for the helicopters. Charlie also let the guests know that the mansion also contains many forms of entertainment, such as a movie theater, bowling alley, pool tables, ping pong tables, sauna and indoor pool.

After setting the chopper down on the helipad, they loaded up a couple of golf carts with the luggage and headed straight for the guest house David and Jessica would use during their stay. They were offered rooms in the main mansion, but both chose the guest house for JB's privacy as well as for their own privacy. After the last piece of luggage was carried inside, Sam said, "JB would like the two of you to join him and the staff for dinner at 5 PM in the main dining room. I will drop by to escort you."

"Well thank you Sam, Jessica and I are anxious to meet with all of you. We will be ready."

"I'll be back about 4:45 to pick you up. JB is excited to meet both of you. The dinner will be very informal, so dress casual. Probably most of JB's staff will also be joining us for dinner tonight."

* * *

Upon entering the mansion, David and Jessica were dazzled with the sheer elegance of the decor. Several staff members and I walked into the foyer for greetings. I said, "Welcome to Papaya Island! I am JB McGregor. I'll introduce you to everyone else in the living room." I was dazzled by the sheer beauty of Jessica. This adventure might have an added bonus.

After gathering in the living room, I began introductions, "Everyone, I am please to introduce David Wade and his daughter, Jessica. They are both here to discuss some very interesting possibilities that occurred in Africa many years ago. With a little luck, all of us might be able to help David complete some of the dreams that started with his grandfather, then his father and now himself. David and Jessica... going around the living room with introductions, starting with Sam Peters, my personal assistant and business partner, Jeri Richards, also my personal assistant and business manager, Charlie Davidson, my chief pilot, John O'Connor, also my pilot, Scott Johnson, my yacht captain, Carla Young and her husband Joe, my chief of housekeeping and my chief groundskeeper, Jimmie Donovan, vehicle maintenance and driver, Toby Mathews, known as Mr. Fixit, and finally my head chef, Bob Travant. If either of you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask me or any of my staff members."

Bob Travant stepped forward and said, "I will now be serving dinner in the main dining room."

* * *

After dinner, we retreated to the patio area by the pool. David asked JB, "Why is the island named Papaya? I have yet to spot a Papaya plant."

I laughed and said, "Actually there are some Papaya plants still on the island, but much of the island's vegetation has overwhelmed the smaller Papaya plants. In the Americas, the Papaya plants thrive mostly in the Caribbean Islands, southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. They can also be found in other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In the states, they can be found in Hawaii, California, Texas, and Florida. Papaya plants grow in three sexes: male, female, hermaphrodite. The male produces only pollen, never fruit. The female will produce small, inedible fruits unless it is pollinated. The hermaphrodite can self-pollinate since its flowers contain both male stamens and female pistil, comprising the stigma, style, and ovary. Almost all commercial papaya orchards contain only hermaphrodites."

Jeri added, "Many of the locals refer to this as McGregor Island however geographically, it will probably always be known as Papaya Island. Jessica, after our initial meeting tomorrow, maybe we can go on a shopping spree in St. Thomas or St. John. The guys can continue on with the discussions in our absence."

"Oh Jeri! I would absolutely love that!"

I spoke up, "Ladies, if you two don't mind, I would like to join you too! I promise I won't get in your way. I think I'll enjoy just tagging along. Plus, I do not need to be present for all of the planning. Oh... David and Jessica... I forgot to mention this earlier; the two of you will be on my payroll for the duration of this venture. After all, shopping does require money."

David asked JB, "What steps are we going to take in the planning of this venture?"

"Tomorrow we can hopefully establish when, where, and how we are going to go about doing this. I will also get my legal team involved with the planning so we can make sure we stay well within the bounds of US, Algerian, and International laws. We will need to figure out our transportation to and from Algeria, that is whether we should take the yacht or the 747. Also we will need to acquire the ground transportation we'll use to cross the Sahara desert in Algeria, which could be as many as 5 or 6 vehicles, perhaps some Unimog's and Jeeps, plus transport them to Algiers. We will need to get all the necessary travel visa's in order. We'll need to obtain any vaccinations that may be required or suggested. Possibly arrange for pack animals, such as camels. There are many areas in Algeria where motor vehicles can't travel because of the terrain. We'll need to make arrangements for fuel, water, food, generators for electricity, satellite communication equipment for telephone and computers, and camping supplies. The list may grow very large, but we want to do this right. We'll also need to find out who the treasure might belong to and who has the legal rights to it. Scott told me you have a Vietnam army buddy in Algeria."

"Yes, unfortunately I have not spoken with Eddie in years, but I'm certain I can locate him. He raises camels and goats in the Algiers area. He also has a big place somewhere near Abalessa. He told me once that he is the largest breeder of camels and goats. He sells and leases the animals."

"So Eddie might be able to supply us with camels."

"Knowing Eddie, he may even offer to be our guide. He knows the area very well. He has lived there ever since we left Vietnam. Plus, Eddie has connections and is well respected. I told him many years ago about the gold and diamond treasure that was lost out there. He knows how much I want to locate the airplane on behalf of my grandfather and father. I'm sure he will help us find the plane."

"That would be great if Eddie can help out, not only with leasing us some camels, but also as a guide. I've never been to Africa, so all of this will be a first for me. I can hardly wait for us to get going on this venture."

David said, "Well get ready for a one of a kind experience. I visited Eddie for about 3 weeks, but that was 30 years ago. On that trip, we traveled through Algeria, Niger, and Nigeria. The terrain and the heat are extremely difficult and roads were nonexistent. Hopefully, they now have a lot more roads."