Chapter Eleven: Lost and Found
Ace stood there in shock. He watched the Rattler go into a nosedive. He never saw her jump out. How did she survive? Sidewinder continued looking at the dead Viper, as if in a trance.
"Don't you fuck with my man, asshole." Sidewinder stood there in a tattered Strato-viper, her sidearm in her right hand smoking. She looked a bit rough around the edges, but she was alive. Ace walked up to her and lifted her head up to his. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
"Hey handsome, did you miss me?" She couldn't say much more for it was Ace's turn to kiss and surprise her. They broke away and Sidewinder looked away, blushing. Sidewinder started to cough. She covered her mouth and withdrew her hand. She noticed blood on it, but decided not to let Ace know. She wiped her hand on her wrecked uniform and pushed away from Ace. It was now or never.
"Brad we're not done here, the mission isn't done." Ace looked at her quizzically. "I saw a couple of gun emplacements before I crashed the Rattler on the command bases. We need to take them out before the Joes get here."
Ace nodded. "Where to Cassie?" Sidewinder pointed behind Ace. He picked up the fallen Viper's pistol and pocketed it. They headed into some of the trees and sneaked fifty yards until they saw the emplacement. Sidewinder snuck up to one of the guards, a S.A.W. Viper; that was close to their position. She grabbed the jaw of the Viper and with a quick motion; snapped his neck. She dragged the body behind the tree they were hiding. Ace looked at her, rubbing his neck in shock. Sidewinder rolled her eyes and picked up the assault rifle and two pistols that the Viper was carrying. She armed herself with the rifle and gave the other two pistols to Ace. She signed to Ace that he should keep an eye on the A.S.P. gun and she would sign if it's clear. He sat down and watched as she stole into the night. Ace watched as each one of the guards disappeared into the night. She was good and they were none the wiser. She finally crawled out from a bush and snuck over to the A.S.P. gun. She climbed up the back of it and placed the pistol to the head of the Viper controlling it. The hatch opened and Sidewinder pulled the trigger, killing the Viper with a head shot. She dragged the body out of the A.S.P. and looked at the instructions. Ace came up by her and noticed that she was carrying at least four assault rifle and several pistols.
"Think you've got enough there Rambo?" Ace joked.
"Actually, this should be enough." Sidewinder coughed again. "Look, we don't have much time. The other emplacement is in that other clearing. I need you to cover me; just in case the rest of those Vipers decide to take some pot shots over here. I'll use this to take out the other emplacement." She jumped in the A.S.P. and started to take aim. Ace ran over to some crates and took aim in the direction that Sidewinder was aiming in. She stuck her arm out of the opening and gave a thumbs' up. She pulled the trigger and started shelling the other emplacement. There wasn't much of a resistance, but the massive explosion from the other side let them know that there wasn't much surviving that. She opened the hatch and walked out of the gun. She waved Ace over to her, which he came over.
"Head to the crash site, Brad. I'll be right behind you." She pulled out a couple of grenades, pulled the pins and threw them into the A.S.P. and the crates. She ran after Ace and everything behind her exploded. They made it to the crashed Rattler. Ace pulled out a flare gun and changed the flare.
"What are you doing?" Sidewinder asked.
"I'm changing the flare for the team. It's a color code we devised a long time ago." Ace loaded the flare. "Red is to come in with precaution; while green is all clear. I'm using the red for them to understand what's going on." Ace fired the flare gun into the air. They watched the flare go high in the sky. Sidewinder sat down and sighed.
"Now we just wait?" Sidewinder asked.
"It shouldn't be long. How are you, Cassie?" Both of them sat down on a felled tree.
Sidewinder sighed. "I'm dying. I know that I am." She coughed again and covered her mouth. She showed Ace the bloody gloves. "Internal bleeding: it's going to be a miracle if I come out of this." She lit up a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"I wish you didn't do that." Ace spoke up, gesturing to the cigarette. "You're in bad shape and you're not helping this situation. What if blood is in the lungs? You'll probably die quicker than usual."
"If I die, then I'm going to say and do what I want then." Sidewinder spoke, with a distinct harshness in her voice. She took another drag and inhaled deeply.
"Alright, if it's the truth that you want, I'll give you the truth." Ace responded with as just as much anger. "The truth is that I do actually give a damn and you don't. You are willing to sacrifice yourself for the mission. While that's commendable, it's insane!"
Sidewinder stood up, just as angry at this point. "You have to take risks to move ahead, asshole. If I didn't take chances in Badhakistan, I wouldn't have gotten as many kills. I figured that you'd understand."
"How many of your fellow pilots had to die in the process? How many did you sacrifice to get your kill ratio? It made you a six-time ace, but at what cost?" Ace shouted that he didn't hear the Tomahawk landing fifty yards in the empty field. "Let me ask you a question; how many of us would you have sacrificed for that record? I don't think I could live with that knowledge on my hands."
Sidewinder's face contorted in rage. "You don't know the demons and ghosts I've had to deal with in my life. I have to see those faces in my nightmares. Do you know how hard is to deal with that over and over?"
"If you want sympathy, you're not getting it from me." Ace glared back. "If you think that you're hot shit, here's a little eye-opener for you. The challenge that you took three months ago? I had to let you win. I'll admit that you are good, but in this team reckless works until you die. I conceded because of the danger that you put us into. What if that was a real dogfight over some residential area? What of the casualties there?"
Ace felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Lifeline, Stretcher and Doc behind him. Ace moved away and let them get to work on her. He was furious, but she hadn't won this argument. He turned back to her and this time; got in her face to finish his thought.
"You know what? I now consider you on that list of other pilots that I can't trust. You're all the same, thinking that you're the best. Think again, Cassidy. You're skills are what got you on this team, not you accomplishments. I think you need to find yourself another partner. Feel better, because when it comes down to it, you're just as useless as those wannabes." He was so angry that he stormed off towards the Tomahawk. He stopped and said the one last thing he needed to say.
"By the way, don't talk to me about ghosts. I see them in my nightmares also. You're not the only one that has seen friends die by your side. Grow up."
"That's enough, Ace." Hawk finally spoke up. "I need to speak with you, now." There was finality in his way of speaking. The two of them walked over to the Tomahawk. Ace tried not to look at some of the others, but he could see some of the looks on their faces. There was concern and surprise, but not one of them was angry with him. It seemed that he spoke some truth. They got over to the second Tomahawk and Hawk sat down in the bay of the helicopter. Hawk studied him for a moment, sighed and then spoke.
"I thought she was dead. The way that you were speaking, I thought she was gone."
"Truth be told sir, I thought so at first. When I was face-to-face with a Viper and he went down with a bolt to the brain, I turned and there she was." Ace sighed and explained the whole situation. He saw the other Tomahawk take off with the medical crew and Sidewinder. He felt somewhat bad for what he said, but it had to be said. Hawk just nodded to the whole thing.
"You have the evidence then?" Ace nodded and handed Hawk the film. Hawk pocketed it and turned to Ace. "Things will work out, you'll see." Hawk stood up and walked into the cockpit. Ace and a couple others jumped into the Tomahawk and headed home. Ace just sat there and contemplated what to do next. He wasn't sure what to do about Sidewinder, but he felt that he needed to talk to her. Now was not the time, but he hoped that she survived so they could continue this conversation. He felt a punch to the arm and noticed it was Firewall.
"What provoked you to do that to her?" Firewall whispered. Ace looked up to the ceiling of the Tomahawk.
"I was angry, Shelly. I meant some of what I said to her."
"She has that streak in her, Brad." Firewall smiled, a tear running down her cheek. "I'd suggest that you just talk to her. Tell her the truth, but try not to be combative with her." Firewall placed a concerned hand on Ace's shoulder. She smiled and leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes in the process. She promptly fell asleep. Ace decided to do the same.