Chapter 5: Fox on the Run
At 0800 hours, the girls assembled in the hangar at Osan AFB. Their units were neatly docked at the launching zone, as the mechanics Lauren and Amara were sleeping in the tool corner on a cot. Nobody could really blame them – it'd been tough repairing all ten units overnight. But there was an 11th unit in the hangar, one the girls were not familiar with. The anachronic shape of a WWII bomber unit, painted in olive drab, with the proud 8th JSF roundel on the tail. Next to it, stood Instructor Roberta, in her red air force instructor dress.
"When you said, 'I'm going with you,' I didn't think you really meant it." Holly said worriedly.
"Afraid you can't keep up?" Roberta joked. "In all seriousness, I've done conditioning flights over the years, so I am current in my pilot certifications. As for my magic output at this age, it's not something you should worry about. It's not like we'll be getting shot at, and even if that happens, I'll be counting on you to escort me."
"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better." Holly admitted, as she mounted her bomber unit.
The girls all mounted their respective unit, and the automated weapon racks dispensed their guns to them. Roberta stood in front of the group, slipping her legs into the B-17F bomber units. Her red fox ears and tail appeared, as she fired up the starter. There was a gentle whining sound as the starter engaged, and then a loud roar, as the engines turned over. It was a memorable sound that filled the room with the drone of radial piston engines, as Roberta gave the other girls the signal to start.
By contrast, the jet engines took longer to start up, and drowned out Roberta with a roar ten times as loud. Lauren and Amara jumped out of their cot and scrambled for cover behind a tool cabinet. As the mechanic girls shook their fists menacingly, the witches advanced out of the hangar, following Roberta to the runway.
Each of them had a unique familiar, as their engines started up:
Holly's familiar was the Scottish Terrier, as her short, fluffy black ears and tail appeared.
Theresa's arms became rough and scaly, as her King Cobra familiar appeared. Her hair spread outwards more, almost like the neck ribs of a traditional cobra, and a mischievous, long black tail appeared behind her.
Denise's familiar was the Californian Vulture, as a pair of dark, ruffled wings appeared atop her head.
Candice bore the brown ears and white tail of the St. Bernard, which seemed to reflect her spacious heart, as well as her other enormous aspects.
Meryl had a familiar with the grey and black feathers of a Eurasian crane, reflective of her tall stature and high-altitude flights.
Shannon's familiar bore a resemblance to the brown fluffy ears and tail of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which made sense considering her petite build.
Jane's familiar came in the form of short, pointy black ears and tail, just like that of the Great Dane.
Glenda's familiar was a strange one, a pair of wings with brown and grey, speckled atop a layer of black feathers. It was that of the New Mexican state bird, the roadrunner.
Addison had a pair of charcoal grey ears and tail, reminiscent of the Blue Lacy dog.
As the group advanced to the runway, the grease monkeys at the helicopter zone paused their work to watch. Roberta lined the girls up with just a foot between them, as she began the takeoff briefing.
"Alright girls, you may have gone over this in training, but I'm going to reiterate just in case." Roberta spoke up. "One of the most important skills for you as a bomber witch is Minimum Interval TakeOff, or MITO. If your base falls under siege, you must know how to take off in the quickest and safest fashion. You will stand about one foot apart on the taxiway, without entering the runway, and make sure that there's no one on landing approach before you advance. As the witch in front of you advances, make sure she completes her takeoff roll before you enter the active runway. If for any reason, the witch in front of you fails to take off, notify the air traffic control and wait for them to clear the runway. Once the witch ahead of you gets in the air, you repeat the process until everyone is in the air. Understood?"
"Yes Instructor!" The girls responded in unison, as they lined up on the taxiway. Roberta was the first one to enter the active runway, after checking for planes on their final approach. The B-17F unit was never intended to have a long service life, and it was only thanks to Jocelyn the riveter that it was still working.
"Here goes nothing, Jo." Roberta muttered, powering up the engines. The girls watched excitedly as the propellers spun faster, pushing Roberta down the runway. She was accelerating for what seemed like an eternity, before achieving enough speed for takeoff roll. Roberta gently pitched up and rose above the skyline of the base. The wind struck her cheek like a freight train, as Roberta began correcting for the crosswind, and continued climbing.
"That's a real thing of beauty, it is." Addison commented.
"Aren't B-17's amazing? And Memphis Belle's too." Holly chimed in.
Addison looked confused but decided to let Holly have her moment. Roberta was entering the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and flew lengthwise down the airfield.
"Alright girls, let's keep moving." Roberta said, as Holly moved into place.
Holly's F-105D unit was a workhorse of the current USAF arsenal – a fast ground attack plane that could deliver swift and decisive punishment to any target. She checked for incoming traffic, before lighting the afterburners. Holly took off down the runway like a Formula One car, before tilting up and into the wind. The rest of the girls followed suit with their takeoff procedures, until everyone was formed up and in the air.
The 7th JSF flew down the Chinese coastline, until they reached the practice range in a secluded area of North Vietnam. According to intelligence, there weren't any Teki units for several miles around, which was peculiar considering the rapid and violent usurpation of the country. Hailey was not with them, as she had completed her overnight recon and was due for some well-deserved z's.
"Now remember girls," Roberta began. "Even once you've mastered this pass, don't think it'll be this easy in the real Thud Ridge. When you get to the real one, they'll be shooting at you. Another thing you need to remember: Do not fly above the valley. In the real run, everything above that pass is protected by an advanced network of surface-to-air missiles, and you will not be able to outrun them if you're acquired. Additionally, if you get detected, Hanoi will be on high alert and ready to swat you down. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by being fast and nimble."
Meryl and Jane both looked at each other in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Meryl scoffed. "Nimble and B-36 don't belong in the same postal code, let alone the same sentence. How do you expect us to make this run?"
"Easy, I'll show you." Roberta grinned. "If a 40-year-old B-17 witch can make this run, you owe me an apology and a lap around the airfield when we get back. Now, follow me girls!"
Suddenly, the red fox picked up speed, and dove down into the mountain range. The girls followed her doubtfully, gaining speed as they chased their instructor. Jane hooked up her Walkman to their radio frequency, and began playing 'Fox on the Run,' by Sweet.
Much to the dismay of the younger girls, the pass was full of sharp turns and narrow ravines.
"How does she expect anyone to fly through this?!" Shannon fumed, swerving to avoid the valley wall.
"Pay attention to the instructor." Holly beckoned. "See how graceful and controlled she is?"
Indeed, Roberta was flying very well for a witch her age, managing her throttle as she entered each turn with the precision of a trapeze artist. For a split second they lost sight of her as she rounded the bend, but they soon regained a visual on the red fox tail.
"Heh, this isn't so bad." Glenda chuckled. She sped through the turn and was catching up to Roberta, but was unprepared for the next turn, and fell behind again.
"Don't be too stiff. Become one with your bomber unit." Roberta commented. "The bomber unit is just an extension of your body, and its performance depends on your composure. Think of it like riding a horse: If you're nervous, the horse will know, and neither of you will perform well."
"I think I'm going to be sick…" Danielle moaned, as her face turned pale.
"Instructor! There's a tunnel up ahead!" Holly shouted.
"I know." Roberta said, in a very matter-of-fact tone. Indeed, there was a rock wall up ahead, with only a narrow aperture which wasn't much bigger than a railroad tunnel. A sense of doubt overtook the 7th JSF, as they became wary of their instructor. "Follow me, girls!" Roberta called, as she zoomed into the dark cavern.
Holly and Candice took the lead, turning on their landing lights to illuminate the tunnel. Candice nearly hit a stalagmite and swore under her breath, as she switched on her Ekco ARI 5820 ranging radar. "Stay tight, we could run out of room real fast here." Candice noted.
"Easy for you to say!" Meryl snapped, dodging a precarious stalactite as she rolled the lumbering B-36 unit. "How much farther?!"
"We're almost to the exit! You're doing great!" Roberta encouraged.
The group roared through the dank cavern, and around the bend as sunlight peered through a wide opening in the rocky structure. Roberta buzzed out of the cavern, as a warm breeze blew through her red hair. The other girls had slowed their speed, flying almost blind as their eyes adjusted to the sunlight.
"Augh! I can't see!" Glenda complained.
"You'll get used to that. Before you know it, you'll be flying at night with no problems." Roberta assured them.
"I'm either going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her." Glenda gritted her teeth.
Just as the witches traveled down the valley, Roberta noticed something odd about the landscape. "This shimmer. Is this what I think it is?" She pondered, as the scenery reflected light in the strangest of ways. Suddenly, she passed through an optical camouflage field, which momentarily blurred her vision.
What the old fox saw next was enough to make Lt. Col. Doolittle pale in the face, as the sky inside the camouflage dome was red and full of dark smoke. A Teki weapons foundry lay ahead of her, as the alien factory was rolling energy cells off an assembly line. They were being moved to a power plant, which utilized an advanced Tesla coil to charge the weaponized batteries with enough power to sustain Chicago for a year. Next to the weapons plant was a sort of military base and radar station, where ammunition carriers were being loaded with the deadly cylinders, to resupply the Teki front line.
"They're preparing for a full-scale invasion…" Roberta gasped, before fumbling for her earpiece. "All 7th JSF units report in. 7th JSF do you copy?"
She could hear nothing but static, as the camouflage field disrupted outside communication. The younger girls had no idea what they were about to fly into, as they ripped through the ruse at maximum speed. Even Jane stopped her music, as the shock and horror overtook them.
"Girls, I need you to be very brave." Roberta said calmly. "This is not part of the exercise, but it seems we've found a Teki weapons factory. I know I'm asking a lot from you, but we can save ourselves a lot of heartache later if we shut down this death factory now."
"We're with you, instructor." Holly said. "Even if you're a bit of a showoff, we'll do our best for you. Right girls?"
"Right!" The other girls shouted in unison.
Just then, a cacophony of bells and bellowing horns filled the sky, as searchlights began to sweep the area. "Spread out!" Holly shouted, as the sickening tone of a radar lock filled their earpieces. The sky lit up with the propellant of surface-to-air missiles, and rapid gunfire from anti-aircraft mounts on the factory roof. This was followed by the unmistakable cannonade of a 130mm gun battery, lobbing proximity fuse explosive shells in their direction.
"Memphis Belle II, assuming command. Instructor, please fall back to a safe distance!" Holly demanded.
"Uh, ok. I certainly won't object, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." Roberta admitted, falling back from the group.
"Jane, send your Hound Dog's into those large caliber gun batteries, that'll rattle their cage. Denise and Shannon, climb to 1000ft and execute a pylon turn, fire at your own discretion. Everyone else, focus on dodging those missiles and return fire where possible!" Holly's orders came through like a barrage – almost as thick as the incoming gunfire.
The other girls wasted no time getting under way, each flying to their assigned position. Jane let loose with four of her AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missiles, and they hustled towards the gun battery with their Torpex payload. The 130mm AA guns traversed to engage the aerial torpedoes but were too slow to track the target. A fireball erupted from the gun pits, as the stockpile of ammunition detonated, decommissioning the monstrous rifles. With the larger guns clear, Denise and Shannon began countering the mid-range AA guns with their Gatling guns. Shells began to fly, as the hungry dragons spewed fire upon the target. The sheer volume of fire sliced right through the enemy gun barrels, as they were rapidly dismembered. Addison fired a spread of her AGM-65 Mavericks, and they were about to strike the factory, just as the sky lit up with lightning, and they exploded mid-flight.
"The Tesla coil… It's not just a power plant, they've weaponized it for defense…!" Holly gritted her teeth.
"I've got this. Ditch your earpieces!" Danielle shouted, as she adjusted position. "Launching Blue Steel… locked on, good tone. FOX ONE! FOX ONE!"
The chubby missile released from her Vulcan bomber unit and ignited, as it soared towards the target. The projectile approached Mach 3, before reaching the target area and detonating a tremendous shockwave. The girls managed to get their earpieces out, as arcs of electricity eagerly jumped across the radar stations array. The radar station overloaded and began drawing power at ludicrous rates from the Tesla coil.
"Now's the time! Hit them with everything you've got!" Holly shouted, as they began a high-speed bombing run. The 7th JSF swooped in from multiple directions, each dropping their explosive payloads, as the iron rain descended over the enemy. They could feel the heat, even from altitude, as the ripple of explosions tore through the factory and Tesla coil. The energy cells were caught in the fire, and set off a chain reaction that utterly destroyed the base. Denise and Shannon continued circling the scene for another minute, to ensure the deed was done before regrouping with the main force.
Nobody said a word on the way back to Osan. Even Jane wasn't playing any music as they followed Roberta into the landing approach. After landing and docking their bomber units, Holly took instructor Morgan aside.
"Tell me the truth. Did you know about the power plant?" Holly demanded.
"...I was aware of its existence. Nobody knew where it was, exactly, so Moore ordered that we be loaded with live ordnance, 'just in case.'" Roberta admitted, avoiding Holly's gaze.
"How can I trust you if I don't have the whole story? What if we'd taken casualties?" Holly pressured.
"Don't lecture me. I went through the same things when I was your age." Roberta retorted. "I followed orders, that's something you learn in the armed forces."
"Really, just follow orders? Even if they're orders you know are wrong?" Holly fumed. "You, of all people, are the last person I'd expect to hear that from."
"That's enough, Major Jones!" Roberta snapped. "Get cleaned up for debriefing. You'd better ditch that self-righteous air," Roberta said, getting in Holly's face. "General Moore is not as forgiving as I am."
Holly swallowed her pride, turning white in the face. "Me? I'm going to report to the General?" She quivered, her confidence faltering.
"Yeah, since you're the highest ranking and you decided to take responsibility. Get moving. The rest of you, I believe you owe me a lap around the field. Get to it, and be back in time for evening mess." Roberta commanded, as she walked off to her quarters.
A few minutes later, as Holly went off to General Moore's office and Hailey was just waking up, the rest of the girls headed off to the airfield perimeter in their track suits. They began jogging around the airfield as promised, which seemed much larger from the ground than the air.
"I can't believe any of that really happened." Meryl huffed.
"I'm more embarrassed that we were outrun by a WW2 vet." Glenda grumbled.
"What did you expect? She has more flight hours than you'll ever have." Danielle laughed heartily.
"What a bunch of Yankee Doodle's we turned out to be." Denise muttered.
"That reminds me of a song…" Jane's eyes sparkled.
"NO." Shannon protested.
"Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!" Jane sang gleefully.
"What are you, a kid?" Shannon complained. "As if it wasn't punishment enough running this godforsaken airfield."
"Father and I went down to camp, along with Captain Goodwin, and there we saw the men and boys, as thick as hasty pudding!" Danielle chimed in.
"What is hasty pudding, anyway?" Candice inquired.
"It's sort of like a pudding made of grains and rice with milk." Danielle explained.
Jane picked up the song again from the next verse. "And there was Captain Washington, upon a slapping stallion, giving orders to his men-"
"-I guess there was a million!" Denise shouted.
The rest of the girls chimed in, "Yankee Doodle keep it up! Yankee Doodle dandy, mind the music and the step, and with the girls be handy!"
The helicopter crews stared wildly from their helipads, as the girls jogged downwind singing 'Yankee Doodle,' and they began to laugh as some of the mechanics joined in the song.
Candice began the next verse, which surprised everyone. "And there I see a little keg, its head were made of leather, they knocked upon with little sticks to call the men together!"
Hailey ran over joyously to join the other girls, having donned her tracksuit. Hailey's familiar was the Magnificent Frigatebird, which appeared as tapered black feathers decorated with crimson, with an angled wing shape to them. "And there they had a swamping gun, as big as a log of maple, on a mighty little cart, a load for father's cattle!"
The following verse was, surprisingly, sung by Addison. "And every time they fired it off, it took a horn of powder, it made a noise like father's gun-"
"Only a nation louder!" The mechanics cheered.
"Yankee Doodle keep it up! Yankee Doodle dandy, mind the music and the step, and with the girls be handy!" They all cheered.