Part III – Silence
"This is Golf Echo Romeo Tango India, requesting permission to take off, over."
"This is air traffic control, please state mission parameters, over."
"This is Golf Echo Romeo Tango India to air traffic control. Classified mission number Ninner Golf Romeo Romeo X-Ray. It has high level clearance, over."
There was a rustle of papers as the controller looked up the mission I had made up just over an our ago.
"You are cleared, over."
"Thank you (merci), over and out."
Fast forward...
It took them twenty minutes to realise that I was a thief and a fraud. Tuh-wen-tee minutes – pathetic! However, they could be given some redeeming credit for the fact that all of their surface-to-air missiles had decided to simultaneously malfunction: they may have been slightly pre-occupied.
"This is air traffic control to Golf Echo Romeo Tango India, please state intended destination, over."
"This is a high level security clearance mission. Permission denied."
"Please state your name and rank."
All pretence of acting 'nice' was gone, no more 'over's' and so on. Now I could sense some semblance of danger. Good. That was the last clear thing I remember. The sharp thrill of danger, a bit like cold tea. Time condenses around that point, and then stretches out, as long as eternity and as lazy as a cat – tempus fugit – I remember dipping low over the lake, the ack-ack-ack of machine guns, then: nothing.
Silence is the loudest thing of all, because there are no words to say what it means.
Did you know that ambient sound is what makes people feel safe and normal? A lack of ambient sound unnerves the average person.
I like silence.
I will return to the story. I will, but not now.
Now, it is silent.
Author's Notes:
This is all Sky's fault. Because of her lovely reviews (not forgetting FeelingCrossToday and booda77), I decided to post another chapter. I have parts 4 and 5 prepped and ready too, I just want to proof read them. Also, I have Gilwell 24 this weekend *boogies*, so will not be responding this weekend, due to the fact that I will be either: up a climbing wall, scuba-diving, eating, sleeping or being sleep-deprived. Cheers. XD