August 11,2016 5:25am

Ryan

NAS Oceana

Just a quarter mile

Kaleb thought as he struggled to keep up on the treadmill as tried to sweat out a minor hangover.

"If I keep this up, I'll be the most in shape alcoholic in the world." He thought as him kept jogging.

Usually he was listening to music as he ran. Usually Rob Bailey or rap music on his phone, but this time he was listening to internet radio.

During the commercial break, the DJ was talking about some mass killing in Moscow and how the Kremlin stated that Americans were behind it. After hearing that, Kaleb just took his headphones off and stepped off the treadmill. He never was a fan of politics and assumed that it was about that.

" Well look the cowboy finally deciding to workout." A voice came from behind him. Kaleb looked back at an short, dark brunette,Hispanic woman smiling at him.

"Well Miss Rodriguez." he said smiling. " I am very busy man."

"Busy drinking whiskey?" She replied laughing with her arms crossed.

"Well Gabby, You know how I do." He replied as he was leaning against the treadmill and was drinking out a bottle.

Lt. Gabby Rodriguez was Kaleb's wso. She was originally from California, but ended up going to college farther east and she decided to stay on the east coast. Gabby was a killer. She had a certain look in her in eye when she got mad, usually at Kaleb for not getting a guy off their six. In the air, every opportunity she had, she made the kill which lead to her being called killer.

"Right." She said nodding. She was walking to the treadmill next to his and asked "We going up today?"

"Yep. Same shit different day." He groaned between sips.

"You know when I watched top gun when I was a kid, I always told myself, It's gonna be like that. Not become a fighter pilot and spend most of my career in CAS dropping million dollar bombs on $10 tents or mock dogfights." He said while leaning off the treadmill.

Gabby stepped on the treadmill and began setting up her run."Well cowboy, you'll get over it eventually. "

"Shit I don't know bout that , but whatever" he answered walking away. "See you in a few hours killer."

Kaleb walked away into the locker room full of blue wall lockers. He past the others and went to his locker. He took off his sweaty shirt and changed into his old naval academy T-shirt where it was white with a gold anchor in the middle. He grabbed his gym bag and a water bottle and started walking out the locker room.

"Hungry as hell." He remarked to himself quietly as walked out the door into the parking lot to his challenger. He fumbled in his pocket looking his key and phone. It was twilight.

Just a brilliant blue sky with a few clouds. With the light posts gently illuminating the parking lot. Kaleb could tell it was going to be a nice day. When he started the car, the radio automatically came on.

"...Anyway, the Russians are claiming America was involved in the slaughter because an American body and weapons was found at Zakhaev international. Really what they are saying is that it was American sponsored. This is an very heavy accusation. More reports say that the NATO is also conducting their investigation after hearing that accusation. Wow... that's crazy, well let's take som-.."

The host was cut off when Kaleb turned off the radio.

"Too early in the morning for this bs." He said shaking his head as he drove out the parking lot.

Afghanistan, Khost Province

FOB Chapman

Capt. Alex Ryan

Alex and his team was gathered in the dimly lit briefing room while a CIA agent named J briefed them along with Colonel Johnson.

"Alright boys we have actionable intelligence that Muhammad Al-Qadir has moved in overnight and our window is closing fast. In case you didn't know Al-Qadir is an Syrian arms dealer and a bomb maker that supplies the Haqqani Network and the Taliban. He's just resurfaced and we got word he's getting in bed with some powerful players.

The projector showed a CIA surveillance photograph of Al-Qadir along with an dossier.

He knows valuable intelligence and may know how money changes hands." J said looking the projector. "We take him down, this war may be over."

J clicked the remote as the images on the projector screen changed and showed an satellite image of a small compound surrounded by fields and mountains. There was only one small dirt road leading to the compound.

"This is his hideout. It's deep in the mountains outside of Miramshah. We don't think that it belongs to him. Intel suggest that he may share it with Taliban,hell might even be an Farmer's market. You boys know it goes." J clicked the remote as the projector showed to two landing zones drawn on the map.

"There will be two insertion points in the north and east of the compound. Devil squad from the north and Demon from the east. The LZ is just far enough from the compound to maintain noise case scenario, we snatch his ass up without shooting up the place. If not, a reaper drone will be ready for tasking. J paused for minute to gather himself.

"This ain't nothing for you marines." J finished with polite smile. "Anything else Colonel?" He added.

"Just kill some bad guys." Colonel said sipping on coffee.

"Any questions?" J asked.

"Yeah." Chris asked. " You wanna tell us about Moscow?

J stood there for a minute and hesitated. "There is nothing to tell." J was still staring at Chris.

"Just asking." Chris said

Colonel Johnson gave Chris an icy look. " If that's all the questions, Be ready at zero dark thirty. Dismissed "

The team walked out the briefing room. Walker had caught up with Chris before he walked out.

"What the hell was that?" Walker asked.

"Just wanted to see what he say." He responded.

Kaleb Ryan walked in the cold brightly lit locker room,dressing up to fly another training sortie. He was standing in front of locker making a quick visual examination to make sure he had everything he needed.

He grabbed his helmet and examined it. It was a white helmet with a gold ribbon with black arrows painted on it. On the back of it, it had "Cowboy Ryan" written on it. That along with an "Cowboy up" sticker and with an bucking horse.

"Ready today Cowboy?" Royce asked as he walked in with Trey to their lockers.

"Nothing like training for something that won't actually happen. "

Kaleb responded as he put his helmet along with his oxygen mask into his helmet bag as they began putting on their G-suits.

"That's quitter talk cowboy." Trey yelled across the lockers.

"Shit man,They might as send me to Top Gun so I can at least enjoy these fake dogfights." He continued. "Hell might I even like pretending to be some Russian aggressor."

"Hey, you heard about the thing in Moscow. The Russians are saying Americans sponsored it." Royce asked.

Kaleb turned his head to Royce and sarcastically shook his head.

"Man,I heard about that shit all day. At the gym, at breakfast, some damn petty officer, and now in the locker room." Kaleb groaned.

"Damn Russians always point a finger at someone. They probably don't even know who the hell shot who. It could have been the Chechens, Ukrainians, or hell even Zakhaev himself. Russians are known for killing their own. "Kaleb said as he was finish dressing up. "Damn gloried communist."

"Yeah that's the thing." Trey said as he too was finishing up.

"Russians are saying it was an American dressed up as one of the shooters and found out that he was CIA. Hell, the son of bitch, used to be a ranger." Trey said.

Kaleb was standing there listening. He thought about it for a minute.

"And the poor bastard uses American military weapons to kill Russian civvies on camera." Royce added.

"And the now the Russians think the American military sponsored the attack." Kaleb said as he finally put it all together.

"Wait a minute. Why in the hell is an army ranger doing an CIA op? And why not kill whoever he was following?" Kaleb asked with confused look on his face. "That shit don't sound right."

Trey and Royce just shrugged.

"American mentality I guess." Royce said walking out with helmet in hand.

The trio walked out of the locker room and into the tarmac toward their jets.

"Hey Roy, who we against today?" Kaleb asked seemingly forgetting the briefing, mainly because Commander Hill isn't exactly very interesting when he talks, so Kaleb just sits and there and tries not to fall asleep. For some reason that reminded him of years in high school and the academy.

"Boys from 32." He responded. "Dunno why the keep putting us against those bastards. Captain kissin-..."

"Kissing what lieutenant Miller?" Godfather asked, who seemingly appear from thin air behind his jet as he asked Roy.

"Uhhh...kissing the sweet lips of victory." He quickly responded

"Right. Don't be a smartass." He scoffed confused.

"Yes sir." Roy responded quickly.

"Aight, you gentleman better screw the pooch, or fleet replacement might get some experienced aviators. I got money on y'all." Torres responded smiling.

"How much?" Kaleb asked

"$300." He responded.

" On what?" Trey asked very interested

"Cowboy saves your candy ass once again."

"That's safe bet." Kaleb responded laughing

"Bout time you gents get going. Good hunting." Commander replied as walked away to his jet.

"See who saves who Cowboy." Royce remarked as Kaleb was toward his jet.

"Jackass" he thought as he walked to his jet. His jet, "lucky 213", was two seat Super Hornet. It didn't have flashy paint job like the Commander. Just a simple Jolly Rogers skull and crossbones insignia on the tail.

"I guess you like being late Cowboy." Gabby was standing next to the jet with her hands on hips.

"Fashionably late doesn't count as late." Kaleb remarked as he put on his helmet.

"Go ahead and get your fangs out killer. They got a bet us."

"I know." She replied. "So lets not let the Dukes of Hazzard get shot down."

Kaleb took a deep breathe and before claiming the ladder into the cockpit.

"Time to Cowboy up" he thought.