Now I have to say, writing this chapter was a pain in the ass. I mean, every chapter is a pain in the ass because I have to watch crappy Battlefield 3 playthroughs and I have to pause the video every few seconds to read the subtitles and scribe the dialog into the story. Some might see this as plagiarism, but if you want to write a fan-fiction novelization of the game you have to get the dialog right or else important stuff is gonna get left out! Know what I'm saying?
Course' you do. Now read. Do it.
You know you want to.
Please...
Chapter Five: Going Hunting
Lt. Jennifer Colby Hawkins – WSO
October 31, 0600 Zulu Time
USS George H.W. Bush, Persian Gulf
The ship groaned as the waves rolled against the hull. Hawkins had finished putting on her suit and was now walking down the hallway to meet up with her pilot. Her blonde hair was tied back neatly so it wouldn't get in the way of her helmet. Her helmet was by her side, curled up by her arm.
The pilot, Keaton, was standing up ahead, waiting for her.
"Hawkins, we just got raised to alert one. Plans have changed; we're launching now" He said. He had short, neatly cut brown hair.
"Gotcha…" Keaton turned and started leading Hawkins to the flight deck. Keaton was an excellent pilot, but when he wasn't flying he was too much of a smartass than Hawkins would have liked. He always seemed to have a tone in his voice, especially with her, and the tone was never real friendly- almost like Keaton didn't like her. Keaton just wanted to show that he didn't want to be crossed by Hawkins, who was younger than and not as experienced as him.
Maybe it was because he had recently lost his original wingman. Hawkins understood. "So what's the mission brief on this fine morning?"
"CAG says we're special today." Keaton spoke over his shoulder. "We're not on station for some…whiskey delta ground support." They stepped through a doorway, ignoring the salutes of the orange-clad men who stood on either side. Keaton's voice became hushed, almost excited. "DASC is gonna fill us in airborne, but we're flying a strike mission over Teheran, into Mehrabad Airport."
"What's the big deal about that?"
"ELINT has sat images- they think they know where Al-Bashir is." Keaton stopped at the doorway on their right, as did Hawkins.
"Nice, might be able to end this whole thing here and now." The invasion had started back in mid-April, and the fighting had been long and hard against the Iranian Army, which was tougher and better equipped than they were originally thought to be. The Marines were slugging it out with them on the ground and were making slow but quickening progress through the country.
Keaton stopped as Hawkins stepped through the doorway, turning to face her. A red light above them tinted his face and he seemed like he was smiling, almost.
"So, get your fangs out, Hawkins. We're hunting big game today."
Hawkins grinned and followed him up the stairs, passing another deck worker.
"Anything else I should know?"
"That's pretty much it- there's Iranian bogeys in the air already. Pucker factor nine-point-seven." A wave crashed outside as they stepped onto the catwalk. Dark clouds loomed overhead and cold, heavy raindrops fell into the sea and onto the deck of the aircraft carrier. Other ships surrounded the big one, firing off the big guns or rockets into the sky every so often.
The pair went up the next flight of stairs, now on a catwalk that put them level with the flight deck. Their F-18 Super Hornet was sitting just ahead of them, canopy up, all fueled and ready for them. Other jets shot passed overhead, dancing around in the sky. "Faruk Al-Bashir is about to have a really bad day."
"Oh yeah, I'd hate to be that poor son of a bitch." Hawkins and Keaton stepped onto the flight deck.
"Okay, let's rock and roll." said Keaton, putting on his yellow flight helmet and lowered the front eye coverings. Hawkins looked down at her helmet and for a moment, stared at the shark on the back. She put on her helmet and the noise of the flight deck and rain became muffled, as if it were miles away from her. Hawkins followed Keaton up the ladder as the flight crew, dressed in yellow and green made their finishing touches on the jet.
Keaton jumped into the front and Hawkins took her position in the back half of the cockpit, reading her name on the armor as she did. Her nickname, Wedge, was also print on the gray hull; it was a stupid nickname. Her hands flowed along the control panel for a moment before she clicked on of the buttons, turning on the four screens in front of her. "Close the lid will you."
"Lowering canopy…" Hawkins pulled a switch and the canopy came down, locking itself tightly.
"Shark Four-Six, you're second in line." The controller said over the radio.
"Shark Four-Six, roger." Keaton said back. His voice was now going through her radio as well. Hawkins let Keaton do most of the talking during takeoff and flight.
"Okay sir, I need you to go ahead and tap the brakes and check flaps and stabs."
"You heard him Hawkins, flaps and stabs, left side?"
Hawkins looked over her left shoulder, watching the flaps and stabs move correctly as a deckhand watched. He gave them the all clear.
"Flaps and stabs left side are good."
"Okay, good. How're we on right side?" Hawkins turned right and waited for the other deckhand to give her the signal.
"Right side is good to go."
"System check weapons, initiate HMD visor." Hawkins tapped her control panel and reached up to her helmet, turning on the helmet heads up display. The HUD cycled through several light green colored images- weapons lock, a grid, and others.
"HMD visor is all set."
"Gotta green light up front; switch to cannon." Hawkins did so and test fired the trigger, hearing the sound of the big gun moving. "Okay, gun spun up- looks good. Check missiles." Hawkins switched over and performed the tracking system. "Missile system tracking, arm and check flares." Hawkins tested the flare switch. "Alright, weapons and counter measures good to go. Have good ends, good highs, good lows, no out lights. Ready in the back?"
"I'm ready."
"Here we go." Hawkins held her thumb to the men on the deck, saluted, and put her hand firmly on the launch control.
"Putting tension on…"
"Let's do this!" On the F-18 before them, the engines roared to life with fire and with much noise and shot down the deck and up into the air.
"Here we go!" Hawkins jet took off and in a split-second they were off the carrier and in the air. She felt the force push her into her seat.
"Good shot. Good engines. Good end speed. Gear up."
"Shark Four-Six, turn heading two-nine-zero, how copy?"
"Shark Four-Six, good copy." Keaton stated as he rolled the F-18 around to go on course. They circled over the small fleet and Hawkins watched as the other F-18, piloted by Captain Vance flew in beside them.
"Shark Four-Six, this is Shark Four-Two, leveling off on your starboard." Vance was the kind of man that Hawkins would want as a pilot. He was dependable and experienced and was much more polite and generous to her than Keaton.
"Gotcha…" Hawkins watched as another jet took off from the carrier, leaving the deck almost empty. She looked forward as they passed over another, crowded aircraft carrier towards the coast. Their speed increased
"Shark Four-Six, this Heavy Two-One-Two. Contact, eight miles. I have a flight of two, angels three. Climbing off the deck northwest of your position; turn to heading three-one-zero."
"Shark Four-Six, copy." Keaton answered the controller. "Heading three-one-zero angels three…" The pair of F-18s took a large turn. "Four-Two turn in now."
"Master arm on, master arm on, good light." They picked up speed again, climbing upwards as they made their way to the coast again and to their destination.
"Moving through cloud layer now, minor turbulence…"
"Roger, noted."
"Don't worry; turbulence has never brought down a jet before." Hawkins joked over the comms, earning a chuckle and praise from Vance and a hushing from Keaton. The jets leveled themselves out and pierced through the lighter clouds. It became somewhat quieter as the engines decreased slightly in power as they headed inland. The clouds were thick so they were relying on their radar.
Hawkins looked down, checking her control panel.
"Shark Four-Two, radar contact- closing fast." Vance took his F-18 over the top of theirs so he was now on their left.
"Are these the Iranian bogeys?" Hawkins asked.
"Yes they are. Here we go. Tally two, no IFF tone back." A moment later, Hawkins heard the sound of chainguns and tracer rounds flew back their jet. Bullets peppered the hull but didn't inflict any real damage. Vance and Keaton turned the F-18s to the left as the Iranian aircraft flew past their tiny formation. "Motherfuckers!"
"They went right past us!"
"Bandits, bandits! Engage, break left, break left." The two F-18s turned and were now looking at the two Iranian jets who were flying away from them.
"Shark Four-Six, they're splitting. I'm engaging, pushing the one to the left." Vance informed them. That was another trait Hawkins admired in Vance- he was bold and always made the first move when it came to these situations.
"I got the one on the right." Keaton said back, following the said jet. The Iranian bogey fired multiple flare countermeasures as it turned.
"Two-one-two, Shark Four-Six. Confirmed bandits, V-ID on two; engaging at angels six."
"Shark Four-Six, copy."
"Here we got Hawkins!" Keaton got right on the tail of the Iranian ahead of them, who was slightly above and performed a barrel roll. "Bogey dumping flares…" The Iranian then stopped his aircraft, its nose pointing upwards, letting Keaton and Hawkins fly right past. "Fuck! He's bled his speed- he's on my six!"
Hawkins watched the hostile jet as they turned. "Shit, where's he at Hawkins?"
"Still right on our six!" Hawkins was trying not to sound panicked but this was one of her first times in the sight of an enemy jet.
"Stay with him." The warning alarm of the Iranian locking his missiles onto them started to sound off.
"Enemy lock!" the alarm became constant steady noise for a moment until the enemy fired its missile, turning into a quick louder pace. Hawkins instantly pressed for the countermeasures, and watched as the flares shot out behind them. The missile turned angular and followed one of the flares. "Flares out! Flares out!" Keaton said, sounding relieved and breathing heavily.
"He's tracking!" The bogey locked onto them again, and fired another missile. "Dump flares." Hawkins launched another mess of flares and watched as they deflected the rocket like a shield.
In a fit of frustration, as it appeared to Hawkins, the enemy pilot fired the chain gun. The bullets hit the jet and the canopy, but again there was no damage. "Shit, incoming thirty miles! Hold on- dumping speed! Keep visual, hang on!" Keaton rolled the F-18 around to try and get on the Iranian who had failed to follow and was now dropping more bundles of flares.
They were now on the six of the hostile jet and Hawkins felt her heart race. "Come on, lock him up Hawkins!" Hawkins reached up and turned on the HMD heads up display. They quickly locked on. "You've got tone, fire!"
"No, he's going to dump flares!" Before Keaton could shout at Hawkins, the bogey did drop a few flares. Hawkins waited, her thumb poised over the fire button. The bogey dropped a second set and Hawkins fired once they were clear. The missile slammed into the bogey and it burst into flames.
"Good hit, good kill, splash one. Incoming thirty millimeter!" another Iranian jet entered the fight, firing its gun onto their F-18.
Keaton took them upwards and leveled out, searching for another target. Hawkins watched as Vance and the other jet chased each other around, each trying to get into a position to avoid or make a lock on.
Hawkins looked back and looked for their next victim.
"Bandit, bandit, on my six!" shouted Vance.
I'm on him, get ready to break! Get him Hawkins, get tone, get tone!" The bogey didn't seem to notice Keaton and Hawkins as they rolled in behind him. Hawkins locked on and fired. The missile hit dead center and destroyed the enemy aircraft. "Nice job, Hawkins."
"He's pulling hard…" The third bogey seemed to be heading right for them.
"Son of a bitch!" Hawkins locked on quickly and fired. The bogey didn't have time to turn as the missile hit right on the nose, almost splitting the jet as it burned into pieces. Keaton rolled them to the side and rolled the jet again in a sort of victory dance.
"Bandit, bandit, bandit; seven o'clock low!" Keaton started going down and Hawkins went for the lock on, got it, and fired. The missile left a trail of white smoke and turned to follow the jet as it tried to escape. The missile was faster, caught up and hit the enemy jet. "Good shot, splash one."
"Damn Hawkins, four shoot downs in one day, didn't leave anything for us." Vance complimented over the comms.
"You could say thank you for saving your ass a second ago."
"Thank you." He mocked.
Keaton turned, rolled and leveled out after moving upwards. Vance rolled his jet over Hawkins and Keaton's before taking its place on their right.
"Heavy Two-One-Two, this is Shark Four-Six. Splash multiple bandits."
"Copy that Four-Six. Turn to heading two-eight-zero, continue with original strike package destination." Hawkins gave a little wave, and Vance returned it, but he quickly looked away.
"What the hell? I got radar warning!"
Hawkins looked over her right shoulder and saw another Iranian aircraft come up.
"You have a bandit on your six!" the hostile quickly locked on and fired a missile. Vance fired his flares too late and the missile passed them and into Vance's jet. The back exploded and the rest caught fire, breaking apart as they went down.
Hawkins watched in despair as they turned away to counter.
"Breaking!" Keaton yelled, distraught. "We just lost Shark Four-Two, I'm defending. Watch our six." Hawkins recovered and looked back towards the tail.
"We've got two bogeys on our six." The locking alarm went off.
"He's tracking. Enemy lock…flares out. Flares out." Hawkins launched the flares and the missile went off in another direction. The same feat was repeated twice as Hawkins warded off another missile with the flares and Keaton tried to out-turn their foes.
Keaton was able to break off from them and at the same side they seemed to do the same. "Starboard side, he's pulling onto the right side!"
Hawkins activated her visor again and got the lock. She waited for him to finished launching his countermeasures after their turn and fired. The enemy jet tried to make one last quick move before the missile struck them but failed.
Hawkins looked back to see the other Iranian wasn't exactly after them, and she wasn't sure why he hadn't come after them while they had taken down his wingman. "He's breaking left- left side! He's pulling hard! He's pulling onto our port side!"
Keaton maneuvered so they were directly behind the enemy fighter and they began to climb upwards. Hawkins locked on and began to wait again, ignoring Keaton's cries for her to fire the missile. Right after he launched his four set of flares, Hawkins fired and the missile took down the final enemy bogey. "Good kill."
Hawkins remained quiet. There was a small hope that somehow Vance and his partner had made it out, but it was unlikely. They had been hit too hard and too fast and the jet had broken up. Two good men were dead.
Keaton performed another victory roll as they went back on course. Hawkins looked down at the land below, to see if there was anything like a smoke trail. Hawkins never liked the fact she could never stop hoping for something that she should have given up on.
They turned and level out. Keaton went back onto the comms. "Heavy Two-One-Two, Shark Four-Six. I'm now joining strike formation, over." Hawkins clicked off her visor and got ready for ground strikes. In front of them, A-10 Warthogs and other F-18s were already in formation over the airport.
"This is Bulldog Three-Three. Flight of two, coming up on your nine."
"Roger." As they fell behind the A-10s they could hear explosions. Flak guns were firing up at them. Black clouds puffed up all around them, sending visible pieces of shrapnel firing everywhere. I'm getting multiple SAM signals coming from the airport." Ahead of them, one of the A-10s was hit from the ground and broke apart, making Keaton turn to avoid the wreckage. "We just lost Bulldog Three-Two. Hawkins, switch over to targeting pod and take them out."
Hawkins clicked the control panel and pulled a few switches and shifted over the camera so she was looking down on the airport.
"All set for targeting."
"Heavy Two-One-Two, Four-Six; rolling onto target area with potential high value target, over."
"Roger, you have ground element callsign Misfit One-Three in the area- and Striker Two-One and Two-Two coming in for JDAM drop." More flak was being fired up at them, closer and closer to the F-18.
"Goddammit, they're getting close with those rounds…Four-Six is switching over to AGM Eighty-Eight. Alright Hawkins, switch us over to ground attack."
"Roger that." Hawkins went over to HARM missiles and got ready for the launch.
"Start marking the SAMs. Make sure we get a good tracking on their radar before you fire." Hawkins positioned the targeting reticule over the first SAM position, got the lock and fired. She kept the circle on the position until she saw the rocket come right down on top, destroying the threat.
"SAM site down, moving to second target."
"Don't let them lock us up."
Hawkins repeated the steps and took down the second SAM site. The alarm was duller than before but was going faster. The anti-air fire wasn't as fire but get more frantic and closer. Hawkins went to the last site and destroyed it, and the anti-air and flak stopped. "That's three."
Three columns of smoke were now rising from the destroyed SAM positions and Hawkins could see the fire from the third site.
"Four Six, Misfit One-Three…we have eyes on fuel trucks crossing the tarmac. Looks like they are headed for fighters, how copy?"
"Striker Two-Two, we're lasing targets for you now, how copy?"
"Roger. Rolling in, stand by." Striker Two-Two sounded professional. He spoke quickly and in a low, cold voice. Misfit One-Three's voice was new to Hawkins. It sound tired and a little rugged- a marine's voice.
Hawkins selected the JDAM bomb guidance controls, changing the circle reticule to crosshairs.
"Four-Six copy. Okay, Hawkins. Switch to infrared and find them." Hawkins did so, and any hot targets were now white. She quickly found the four jets, all in different spots on the airport.
"Four-Six, reference the main terminal. There's one across the runway now." said Reaper One. Hawkins put the crosshairs over a jet near the main building, lased it and kept the crosshairs over the target. Striker Two-Two flew over the target, dropping the JDAM. A moment later, the jet exploded.
"Good kill."
"Shark Four-Six, you have another one near the radar tower." It was Misfit One-Three again, but with another lighter voice that had more of a commander's tone to it. Hawkins went over to the tower jet and lased it.
"Tracking your target, bombs away." the parked enemy jet was torn apart by the JDAM and a shower of sparks flew upwards.
"Hit! Good kill, good kill." Hawkins went after the other two and the Striker flight destroyed them. The airfield airspace seemed clear to Hawkins.
"Shark Four-Six, there are aircraft coming out of the harden bunkers. They're trying to take off, over." The first Misfit One-Three came on.
"Four-Six, roger…Hawkins, reference those three bunkers across from the main terminal. Use infrared and lase them for Striker Two-Two." Keaton ordered. Hawkins went to the three bunkers and watched as the first enemy jet went onto the small runway. Hawkins moved the crosshairs over the jet and a JDAM fell right on top of it.
"This is Misfit One-Three; you got another fighter turning onto the runway now."
Hawkins locked on and another JDAM took down the jet before it could take off. "Good kill!"
"That's the last one." Keaton said.
"This is Misfit One-Three; I have three vehicles moving along the runway. This might be our HVT, wait-out. Shark Four-Six, stand by to engage if the target is verified, how copy?"
"Roger. Okay, Hawkins get ready to lase them for Bulldog Three-Three."
Hawkins spotted the three vehicles, highlighted in white by the infrared. She followed them as they drove across the tarmac.
"Misfit One-Three, Heavy Two-One-Two. Be advised, you have a single aircraft approaching from the south at low speed, altitude five-zero-two. Do you have eyes on, over?"
"Roger, it's a helicopter. Looks like it's headed for the vehicles."
"Roger, you have Four-Six on station."
"Four-Six, this is Misfit One-Three, we need them to get out of the cars so we can verify it's our target. Stand by to engage."
"Roger. Bulldog Three-Three, we will lase the gun run, how copy?"
"Roger, solid copy. Comin' around now…" Hawkins watched as the three cars parked around the landing chopper and small white figures jumped out.
"They're definitely PLR. You are cleared to engage- you are clear to engage."
"Pain the area, Three-Three is standing by." Hawkins pressed the button and designated the gun run strike position for Bulldog. The marker was set.
"Roger, two seconds. They are definitely PLR- you are clear to engage, you are clear to engage."
"They're boarding the helicopter!"
The A-10 flew by overhead and the designated area was lit up by a line of white explosions that split the chopper and half. The two halves tumbled along the pavement and the surviving soldiers started to disperse as two of the cars exploded. A few jumped into the third car and started to drive off.
"Good hit, good hit, on target!"
"Good kill."
"Roger."
"We have individuals running; you are cleared to take them out too."
"Roger." Hawkins had to choose between the car and the group of hostiles. She chose the group of surviving PLR, not wanting them to chase after Misfit One-Three. The mark was left and Bulldog swooped in, gunning all of the enemy PLR down.
"Misfit One-Three, all callsigns be advised. We have friendly units securing the airbase now. Negative on further ground attack, how copy?"
"Roger, solid copy. Switch off the camera; let's get back to the boat."
Hawkins sat back in her seat as Keaton boosted speed, turned and headed back for the Gulf. "Heavy Two-One-Two, Shark Four-Six, egressing out of target area."
"Roger, turn to heading zero-four-zero. Watch for traffic when feet are wet. Two-One-Two, out."
By the time they were back at the Gulf and the fleet, it was nighttime. Hawkins had turned on her night vision as they came in. The control board in front of her shimmered in the dull green light.
"Shark Four-Six, you are approaching glide path, slightly out, course correct at three miles. Shark Four-Six, two miles out." Keaton made slow turns as they came in.
"Hook down."
"Shark Four-Six, got your hook down. Looking good- you got the ball."
"I got the ball, bringing her down."
"Twenty knots, on the ball."
"Eight hundred…seven fifty…six hundred…"
"Power, power!"
"Five fifty…five hundred…" They were now lined up with the aircraft carrier.
"Right on the ball, bring her down!" They hit the deck, rolled forward and stopped. Keaton powered the engines down until they were off. Hawkins took off her helmet and set herself free. After a few minutes they opened the canopy and Hawkins felt the night air against her face.
She didn't get up. Keaton was already up and leaned over.
"You alright Hawkins?"
"Yeah…I'm fine."
"There was nothing we coulda done for Vance. That Iranian slipped past both of us." Hawkins nodded. Keaton watched her for a moment, actual concern on his face. Hawkins looked up at him.
"Do you think we actually hit Al Bashir?" she asked. Keaton paused, as if taken off guard by the question.
"Well, yeah we got him. He was getting into the chopper and if he survived that he for sure didn't make it out of that second run."
Hawkins again nodded and got out. As the pair headed below, she couldn't help but feel that somehow, they had failed their mission.