Chapter 6: Trust your training.
Mondays are notoriously terrible. Everyone has to rewire themselves back into the work week mindset after they enjoyed their weekend recharge. Mondays on base were just as bad. The pilots filed into the hangars with tired eyes, the laboratory was populated with zombies moving back and forth. Maverick seemed to be the only one with energy. He stepped up to the podium and announced,
"Phoenix, Hangman, prepare the outfitted planes for a full test. I just heard from Professor and Mr. Rogers that they are ready with their diagnostic equipment." The two pilots stood up and started for the lockers to suit up.
"How was your weekend away?" Phoenix asked. Hangman yawned,
"A gentleman never divulges his time with his lady."
"YOUR lady? Is it official?"
"It had better be, I introduced her to Blackjack as my girlfriend."
"You saw Blackjack?! How is he?"
"Good." Phoenix smiled,
"I always liked him." Hangman laughed,
"Well, he's still single." Phoenix took that information and pocketed it for later. They headed into their separate locker rooms and started gearing up. Kate and Hans joined them not long after. Once all four were ready to go, and the planes checked out, they readied for their first test flight for performance parameters. Kate had a slew of receivers and her tablet. She climbed up on the wing of the plane and quickly wired everything in and made sure it was secured for the test.
"There are six samples in the test flight path." Maverick said as he walked over to the plane. Phoenix and Professor joined him and Hangman and Mr. Rogers walked up quickly.
"Three samples are biological for Phoenix and Professor, three are radioactive for Hangman and Mr. Rogers. You will fly the pattern and perform the necessary maneuvers to test the probes under high stress, speed, and altitude." Everyone nodded in agreement, before returning to their pre-flight work. Hangman quietly walked over to Professor,
"Hey." His hand gently brushed against her hip. She turned with a smile on her face,
"You are going to get us both in trouble."
"Maybe." he leaned in and kissed her.
"Jake…" she said softly urging him to go about his work.
"Tonight then...I'll see you when we touch down." They parted ways and soon both planes were ready and the pilots and their scientist passengers were buckled in and ready to go. Kate tapped away on her tablet, making sure all readings were accurate.
"Everything looks good." she radioed up to Phoenix.
"Phoenix and Professor good for go." Phoenix radioed to the tower and Maverick.
"Green light for go." came the reply. The plane rocketed forward on the runway and they were up in the air in an instant. Hangman and Mr. Rogers followed shortly after. They started with the high altitude test, flying up and up above the clouds and leaving the world nearly 40,000 feet below. They were nearing the operational range of the plane.
"Everything is good." Kate radioed, "Probe data consistent and transmitting accurately." They continued at the high altitude for another minute before descending down to the collecting range of the probe and sped up to nearly Mach 1.
"On course for biological samples, deploying probe." Phoenix said as she flipped a switch and there was a quiet whining sound as the probe opened and a fan shaped collection device extended.
"Still good." Kate said.
"Everything is green on nuclear probe." Hans said as he and Hangman began to split from Kate and Phoenix. Both planes slowed speed, and lowered altitude as they entered the operational range of the probe and everything looked perfect on the data.
"First biological sample site." Phoenix called out.
"Receiving data. Identifying and sequencing." Kate replied, "RNA fragment identified correctly—influenza B."
"Cesium 137 correctly identified." Hans relayed his information. Everything was working perfectly. The women passed the second biological sample site, and it correctly identified norovirus.
"This is cause for celebration!" Hangman called out over the radio.
"Carbon 14 correctly identified." Hans radioed.
"Respiratory syncytial virus correctly identified." Kate announced. As they flew upward Phoenix noticed the plane was not quite as responsive as it had been just a moment ago. She checked her gauges and noted a slight roll left. Hangman glanced over at the plane just across from him and noticed the right wing tipping upward.
"Hey, Phoenix, straighten up your wings, you are rolling left." Hangman called over the radio.
"I know," came the reply, "It won't straighten back out. Something's off with the stick…" Hangman's heart began to race. Kate was in the backseat of that plane. Soon the plane was perpendicular to the ground, continuing on its course and Phoenix's voice became more strained,
"Phoenix to ground, we have no control of our stick and aircraft is rolling to left wing. Airspeed and altitude holding."
"Phoenix report." Maverick's voice came over all radios with a dire tone.
"Engines green. Fuel green. Electrical green. Hydraulic—Hydraulic low." The plane was rolling upside down.
"Phoenix get that plane upright. Throttle up your right engine to push it over, when you are upright, eject." Maverick guided. EJECT! Jake's mind was spinning, he pulled off course to follow Phoenix and Kate,
"Hangman, return to course." Maverick ordered. Hangman didn't hear him, he was chasing down Kate. He could see Phoenix throttling up the right engine, the plane turned and banked sharply.
"Eject! Eject!" Maverick screamed over the radio.
"Trust your training! Pull the handle between your legs!" Phoenix screamed, "1, 2, 3, GO!" The canopy flew off in a stream of pressurized air, and two chairs came flying up out of the plane as it continued to careen off course, the parachutes deployed, and Hangman felt a guttural roar escape his throat,
"NOOOO! KATE!" He circled back around to see the parachutes float down to the ground just as their plane slammed into the hill with a terrifyingly loud boom and a flash of igniting jet fuel.
"Search and rescue en route." Maverick called over the radio, "Hangman return to base."
"Sir, request permission to get visual on Phoenix and Professor."
"Denied, return to base." Hangman ignored him and circled over the parachutes.
"Hangman, search and rescue is in the air and has their position, get back to base now." He circled once more to see the parachutes flat against the ground and one of the two women was up and walking toward the other. The other was sitting up, but clutching their leg. He dropped just a little lower and saw that Phoenix was on the ground holding her ankle and Kate was stumbling toward her. Breathing a sigh of relief, he headed for the runway to land. As soon as he touched down and the plane was parked and engines off, he wasted little time climbing out of the airplane and bolting into the hangar. Maverick was seated at the radio, coordinating with search and rescue,
"...Two female pilots...one may have injury, we are lowering basket. Rescue team lowered." Hangman listened to the play-by-play with bated breath.
"We have Phoenix on board...lowering basket…" A moment later the rescue helicopter crew announced,
"Professor is on board. Heading back to base." An ambulance pulled onto the tarmac and everyone hurried out to watch the rescue helicopter land. They carried Phoenix off on a brace board due to her injured leg, but Professor hopped out of the open helicopter door. Hangman couldn't stop himself, he bolted to Kate and wrapped her up in his arms. She was definitely shaken up, there was a little trickle of blood on her jaw, and her forearm had some bruising already beginning to show. He held her tightly in his arms,
"I'm alright." she said suddenly. It was then that he noticed the EMTs attempting to attend to Kate. He released her,
"Let them look you over." he stepped back and fought the urge to pull her back to him. The EMTs shone lights in her eyes to make sure her pupils were responding. They asked some questions, to which she replied perfectly before saying,
"I'm not in shock. Just a little rattled." They all agreed she should go to the hospital for the night to be monitored in case there was anything the adrenaline was masking. Maverick walked over to Hangman,
"You will need to report to Admiral Simpson's office now-"
"Sir, please…"
"I understand, Lieutenant, but you are needed for debriefing since you saw what happened, I will go to the hospital with Phoenix and Professor. Meet there when you are able." Hangman nodded, despite his desire to be with Kate, he knew he had to relay as much information while it was still fresh in his mind.
At the hospital, x-rays revealed that Phoenix had shattered her left lateral malleolus when she touched down on some rocks and rolled her ankle. She would be in a cast and boot for at least 6 weeks. Kate was fine aside from some scrapes and bruises. The hospital decided to keep Kate overnight for observation even though everything looked to be in order. Everyone was supremely impressed that she had kept her cool as a civilian and was able to eject so smoothly. There were a few Navy doctors who thought she would make a great service member, but Kate smiled and simply said,
"I missed my chance, I'm a little too old for basic training now." They all thoroughly enjoyed her company and were glad the outcome of the day wasn't worse.
Thousands of miles away in the Pacific, off the coast of South Korea in the East China Sea, Rooster had just returned from a surveillance flight for a radar ping that wound up to be a fishing boat that drifted too far out to sea. Now here he sat in the mess hall of the carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, finishing his breakfast. It had been a long week back at sea. He still felt a crushing pain in his chest every time he laid down to sleep at night, and as his eyes closed, he saw Kate. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking of her.
"...it just happened yesterday…" a pair of communications officers walked in, chatting.
"...topgun hasn't had an F-18 crash in a couple of years…" Rooster's ears perked up, and the two communications officers saw him,
"Hey—you just came in from topgun, didn't you?" one asked him.
"Yeah, I did." Rooster replied as he worked on his food.
"...they had a plane go down yesterday, two women pilots—it was a test flight with some fancy probe…" Rooster's head began to reel, his heart began to race,
"What?"
"Yeah, I didn't hear why it happened, I think the pilots ejected, but…" Rooster shot up from his seat at the table and hurried out of the mess hall. The carrier's corridors were confusing, oddly labeled, but he knew them like the back of his hand. He ran up a narrow flight of stairs and rounded a tight corner to step into one of the communications rooms for sailors to call out from the carrier. He picked up one of the phones and began punching in a number.
Maverick stood in Kate's room, watching the doctors re-examine her. His phone started buzzing and the number read restricted secure. He quickly turned away and answered,
"This is Captain Mitchell."
"Mav, it's Rooster...is she...is she...-" His voice sounded frantic.
"Kate's fine." He stepped all the way out into the hall so Kate couldn't hear, "She and Phoenix had to eject from their plane earlier. They lost all control of the steering, they radioed just before that—something about the hydraulic fluid being low…"
"Shit…"
"Phoenix has a broken ankle, and she'll be out for 6 weeks. They've decided to send her home to her family during that time, a temporary medical discharge."
"And Kate?"
"Barely a scratch on her, some bumps and bruises. They are going to perform a mental evaluation tomorrow before they discharge her." Rooster slammed his fist into the desk in front of him,
"I should have been there."
"What could you have done? They are already starting the investigation, the wreckage has been cleaned and taken back to skunkworks. In a few days we'll know more."
"I'll call back then…" he paused, "if anything changes with Kate, send word…"
"Rooster…"
"No Mav, I can't just stop loving her. I have to love her from a distance now…"
"Okay...if anything changes, I'll send word." Maverick spied Hangman hurrying down the hall, "I've got to go. Be safe." and he hung up the phone.
"Where's Kate?" Hangman asked Maverick as he approached.
"Right here." Maverick gestured to the room. Hangman stepped in and was immediately at the side of her bed. The doctors finished reviewing her chart,
"Well, Dr. Norris, everything looks good. I'll page a nurse to bring up an extra blanket and some more pillows for you. Settle in for the night and tomorrow, the hospital psychologist will visit to screen you for any signs of PTSD, anxiety, depression."
"Thank you." Kate smiled halfheartedly as the two doctors exited the room. Maverick poked his head in and said his goodbyes, and promised to check in tomorrow.
Jake climbed onto the hospital bed and wrapped his arms around Kate,
"I was so scared." he began, "I can't imagine how you felt."
"Terrified." she whispered as she began to cry. She tried to fight back the tears, but this was the first moment she felt safe, and every repressed emotion came rushing to the surface.
"Shhhh…" he held her, trying to comfort her.
"None of the training prepares you for how fast it happens."
"I know." He pressed his forehead against hers and sighed, "It's over now, and you're safe." A nurse stepped in with an extra blanket and pillows, she saw Kate and Jake cuddling in the tiny hospital bed and smiled to herself,
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have an extra blanket and pillow."
"Thank you." Jake said, not taking his eyes off of Kate. The nurse set her load on the chair beside the bed,
"If you need anything, hit that call button."
"Thank you so much." Kate smiled to the nurse as she wiped the tears from her beautiful eyes.
"I'll pull the door shut." The nurse added as she left, closing the door behind her.
Jake leaned in and kissed Kate's forehead,
"Thank God you're safe...I love you." She smiled at him, and he gently kissed her. He spent the entire night holding her close, while squeezed into the tiny hospital bed. He shifted for the nurses when they came in to check on Kate, and he kept her covered by the warm blankets.
On the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rooster was a mess. He couldn't think, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't do anything but look at a few pictures he had taken with Kate over their time together. He was glad she was safe and relatively unhurt from the plane crash. He knew what it felt like to eject from a plane, the force that you are shot up into the air, the whiplash as the seat falls away from you and the parachute snapping you back as it deploys. He even remembered the crushing weight as your body slams into the ground, feet first. How every joint in your body compresses down on one after the next.
A knock on his door pulled him back to his current reality.
"Yep?" He asked. The door slowly opened and Omaha poked his head in,
"Hey man, I heard about the topgun crash. Phoenix and Kate…"
"Yeah."
"I heard they're alright. Phoenix broke her ankle, but Kate's alright."
"Yeah." Rooster didn't want to talk, he just looked at the pictures of Kate over and over. Omaha stepped into the shared bunk room and glanced over Rooster's shoulder at one of the pictures of Kate. Rooster had taken the picture as she was looking up at the meteor shower.
"She is gorgeous, man." Rooster sighed,
"Thanks for reminding me, Omaha…"
"Sorry…" He quickly left Rooster to feel that persistent emptiness.
Jake woke with a start as the door to Kate's hospital room opened. Admiral Simpson walked in with a vase full of flowers in his hands. Jake quickly scrambled to his feet and stood, saluting the admiral,
"Sir."
"At ease, Lieutenant." Kate was still fast asleep.
"We are going to be taking a week off from training." the admiral said as he set the vase of flowers on the small table across the room. He looked over at Kate, her gentle, rhythmic breathing was a comfort to him,
"How is she?" He asked.
"Shaken up, but she's tougher than you'd think." The admiral nodded,
"She is an enigma. Brains, beauty, and balls." Jake couldn't help but smile as the superior officer turned to him and said,
"You're a lucky man, Lieutenant Seresin, I hope you take care of her, because I'd guess there are a hundred men lined up to take your place."
"Yes sir. Believe me, I know there are." The admiral smiled at him before turning to leave. He paused in the doorway,
"Please let her know I stopped by."
"Yes, sir. I will." He responded before Admiral Simpson was gone and on his way. Jake climbed back into the cramped hospital bed and Kate opened her eyes. His heart melted as her dark, gentle eyes gazed at him.
"Good morning, beautiful." he said softly as he kissed her lips. She smiled,
"Good morning, handsome."
After the psychologist evaluated Kate, she was discharged from the hospital. She and Jake stopped by Phoenix's room and the trio spoke candidly about the experience. Phoenix took Kate's hand,
"Thank you, for not hating me…"
"Nat, you saved my life. I should be thanking you."
"Well, I hope I can get back to flying after the 6 weeks they're discharging me for…"
"How is your ankle?" Kate asked.
"Hurts like hell, and it itches under the cast."
"It'll only get worse—the itching…"
"Don't tell me that!"
"Wait-" Jake interjected, "How do you know about the itching?" he asked Kate.
"When I was 12, a horse fell on me and broke my ulna." Jake's eyes went wide,
"A HORSE fell on you?"
"I was in a cross country event, and the horse flipped over one of the obstacles. I flew over its head, and I still had a hold of the reins when its shoulder landed on my forearm, it broke my ulna. One of the observers said they heard the snap." Phoenix cringed and Jake was stunned. Kate rolled up her sleeve and rubbed her arm on her pinky finger side,
"I still have a bump." she mused.
"You never cease to amaze me." Phoenix said gingerly. At that moment, the doctors came in to chat with Phoenix, and Kate and Jake excused themselves with the promise to see their friend tomorrow.
Jake drove Kate back to her house and he helped her get ready for bed. Over the last week, he had stowed a few clothes in the nightstand on his side of the bed. He smiled to himself—his side of the bed. His phone buzzed suddenly with an incoming text message.
Your father and I will be flying in to San Diego tomorrow. Did you forget about us?
I didn't forget—it has been a rough week at training. A plane went down yesterday and the pilot and backseat had to eject.
It wasn't you was it?
No. I'm safe.
By the way, there's someone I want you to meet when you come visit.
Oh? Who is this someone?
My girlfriend.
His phone began to ring and he saw that it was his mother, Deb. He looked over at Kate who was nestled into a little pillow cocoon in the bed. He picked up the phone and trotted out into the living room,
"Hey, mom!"
"You have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me? Is she a pilot?"
"You'll meet her tomorrow."
"Well, I'd like some advanced knowledge, please. What does she do for a living?"
"You'll find out tomorrow! We'll all go out to dinner after you've checked into your hotel."
"Can I at least get her name?"
"No-"
"Why not?"
"Because you'll be up online all night trying to stalk her… and dad will be after me tomorrow when you're tired and crabby." His mother laughed on the other end of the line,
"Well, if you love her, we'll love her too."
"I do love her. Like crazy."
"Alright, we'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep." His mother sounded extremely content knowing that he had a girlfriend. He changed into his boxer briefs and undershirt for bed. Climbing into the bed, he slid over next to Kate. He didn't want to be away from her, not for a second. As he held her in his arms, he replayed the crash over and over in his head. It was jarring to think about.
"Jake?" her voice asked quietly as she turned to him, "Good night, I love you."
"I love you, too." He said softly. Their lips touched gently in the darkness and as much as he wanted more intimacy this evening, he knew she was still on edge from all the excitement of the crash. He just held her tighter and thanked God she was safe in his arms tonight.
The next day, everyone received word that training was paused for 10 days and they would report back to base then. Jake's parents, Deb and Jim Seresin arrived in San Diego on Wednesday and checked into their hotel in the early afternoon. Jake and Kate made plans to meet them at Sebastian's Surf and Turf for dinner that evening. While the pair were getting ready, Kate's father called,
"Hey, dad."
"I received a call from the Navy yesterday morning, you were involved in a plane crash?" His voice was oddly calm, although he was an orthopedic surgeon, so he could maintain calm under great stress.
"I was, and I'm fine."
"Good. Glad you safe. You know, your mother and I were thinking about flying out to visit you."
"Sure, I'd love to see you both!" she smiled. Jake couldn't help but watch her as she spoke. Every mannerism, every little tap of her finger on the counter, every shrug of her shoulder or raise of her brow was perfect.
"Good. Well, we were going to surprise you next week, but...with the news of your crash, we rebooked earlier."
"When will you arrive?"
"We're already here." he chuckled, and there was a quick knock on the door out front. Jake hurried into the bedroom and threw on his jeans and white t-shirt. Kate was still in her lounge shorts and sweatshirt. She hurried to the door and opened it to see her mother and father standing with open arms. They all embraced, before heading into the house. Jake stood a little taller when he saw her father.
"You must be Jake." her father extended his hand and Jake gave it a firm shake. He was a tall man with salt and pepper hair and a strong jawline. Dressed casually in khaki pants and a burnt orange ¼ zip, he had a welcoming appearance.
"Yes, sir."
"Oh! It's so wonderful to finally meet you, Kate has told us so much about you!" her mother beamed as she wrapped Jake up in a hug. She wore a pair of white pants and a sandy colored button down shirt. Jake could see where Kate picked up her classic style.
"I'm Barb, and my husband—who forgot to introduce himself—is Charles." Her father gave Jake a serious, yet playful look,
"You can call me Chuck...Norris…" Jake laughed lightly,
"Kate—you didn't tell me your dad is Chuck Norris…" She smiled,
"Not the Walker, Texas Ranger…he's a surgeon."
"And Barb," Jake asked, "What do you do?"
"I'm a professor of chemistry at Loyola University in Chicago." Jake suddenly felt completely intimidated by her family. They were surgeons and professors. His father had been a Navy sailor on a destroyer and his mother a nurse. But all the same, he didn't feel as though her parents had a snobby bone in their body. They were funny and kind, genuinely interested in him.
"Why don't you join us for dinner?" Jake asked suddenly, "My folks are also in town and we had made plans with them for tonight, the more the merrier."
"Absolutely!" Barb shrieked with delight, "Text us the time and address." She hugged her daughter one more time and said, "We're going to run down to the beach for a bit—let us get out of your hair so you can get ready." And as soon as they had arrived, they departed for the beach.
Jake turned to Kate,
"Your dad is Chuck Norris…"
"He hates when people call him Chuck Norris."
"You have to admit though, having a dad named-"
"Was a NIGHTMARE growing up. Dating did not happen for me in high school—or college really...every guy was terrified that my dad was ACTUALLY Chuck Norris." He laughed,
"I don't know what's scarier, Chuck Norris the Texas Ranger, or Chuck Norris the surgeon…" Kate playfully gave him a shove and he scooped her up as she giggled and squealed while he carried her into the bedroom and toppled over onto the bed with her. He let their lips touch gently and he kissed her before pulling back and marveling,
"I'm the luckiest man in the world."
"You may be singing a different tune after you spend more time with my parents…" she teased.
They managed, between feverish kissing episodes, to get themselves ready and drive over to Sebastian's Surf and Turf. They both dressed casually with jeans, he wore a navy blue t-shirt under his flight jacket, and she wore a simple ivory button down shirt with her tan flip flops. When they walked in to the restaurant, both sets of parents had already managed to find each other and were happily conversing. They barely noticed Kate and Jake walk in, but when they did, all four parents leapt up and gleefully rushed the couple. Jake quickly introduced Kate to his parents,
"Mom, Dad, this is Kate and her parents Barb and Charles. Kate these are my parents, Deb and Jim." Deb quickly pulled Kate in for a hug,
"We are so so so happy to meet you, Kate. I think you are the first girlfriend we've met since his high school girlfriend…" Deb was clearly thrilled with Kate. Jim extended his hand to Kate and she graciously shook it,
"It's a pleasure, Kate."
"Likewise." she replied. Everyone sat down and the servers arrived for orders. The conversation never waned. The group was lively and eventually, once the food arrived, everyone became even jollier. Kate and Jake glanced at one another, it was through sheer dumb luck that they were all here having dinner together, and they were both so happy that their parents were in such good moods. Once the food had been cleared by the server, Charles and Barb thanked everyone for a lovely evening and departed for their hotel after a long day of travel. Jim quickly invited Jake out onto the marina dock for a chat and a cigar, while Deb and Kate continued chattering away about the trip to Napa and so many other things about how Kate and Jake became a couple. Jake glanced back through the glass windows at Kate and sighed happily,
"So, is she the one?" Jim asked his son. Jake didn't have to hesitate, a smile crossed his lips,
"Yes."
"When did you know?"
"The first time I saw her…" he replied, "She walked into The Hard Deck and I had never seen a woman so gorgeous." Jim lit his cigar and took a quick puff,
"I felt the same way about your mother. That first time she caught my eye. I remember my heart racing like a bat out of hell." Jake laughed,
"Same. Even now, looking at her in there with Mom…" he tapped his chest over his heart, "Pounding…" His dad smiled at him,
"Be sure to ask her father for his blessing."
"I will. And, I wanted to ask you about grandma's diamond…" Jake trailed off. Jim smiled,
"As soon as you told her you had a girlfriend, your mother packed up grandma's diamond for you. She has a sixth sense about these things."
"I'm not ready to ask her just yet...but soon."
"Let's get back in there before they wonder if we fell off the pier…" Jim clapped his son on the back and they walked inside.
Kate and Deb were deep in conversation about life on base. When the men arrived back at the table, it was decided that Deb and Jim would go back to the hotel for the evening and tomorrow everyone would meet up for some sightseeing around the area. The Queen Mary was always a good museum to visit, despite being a couple of hours away. Walking into the parking lot, they all hugged goodnight and climbed into their cars before returning to the hotel or to their house.
Kate and Jake collapsed onto the bed and quickly fell asleep in their clothes. Around 3 am they woke up and realized they were still in their clothes. Jake made the suggestion that he help her out of her jeans and before they knew it, they were once again tangled up in each other for the rest of the night. And as he lie in the stillness after they had made love, he knew that he not only wanted to marry her, but that he was going to marry her.
The next day, Kate and Jake met up with his parents and they drove up to Long Beach where the Queen Mary had been converted into a museum and hotel. They walked around, enjoyed the mid-century charm of the boat, bought a magnet for the kitchen refrigerator, and then decided to drive into LA and see Rodeo Drive. Deb wanted to stop at Chanel and get a pair of sunglasses. Jim desperately tried to divert her attention from the luxury store. Kate and Jake wandered hand in hand through the shops. As they headed toward Tiffany & Co. Jake pulled her into the store. She was a little surprised when he said,
"Let's just browse."
"For what?"
"Anything that catches your eye…" he said slyly. She gave him a look that said what are you up to? A store sales associate met them at the counter and Jake whispered carefully to avoid Kate over hearing as she gazed at the glittering diamonds in the case below.
"I need to know her ring size, can you help me get it without her figuring out what I'm up to?" The sales associate nodded with a wide grin,
"Of course, sir." He quickly stepped over to Kate,
"Anything you'd like to try on?"
"Oh...no that's alright." He unlocked the case and quickly pulled out a beautiful two carat classic Tiffany engagement ring,
"Just humor me." The associate said sweetly, "You have such lovely hands." Kate was flattered as she gave him her left hand and he carefully slid the sparkling diamond over her ring finger.
"Looks like this ring is a bit big—it's a size 6—how about I get you measured quickly." He pulled out a key-ring full of ring sizers and before Kate knew it, he had slid off the diamond and put on a size 5 sizer, then a size 4 ¾. It fit perfectly.
"4 ¾! Slender and beautiful fingers!" he announced. Jake nodded in thanks.
"Let me write that down on a card for you." the associate quickly plucked a Tiffany's blue card and scrawled Kate's ring size down.
"Now, let me show you some of the tennis bracelets that would go with that ring." The associate clandestinely slid the card to Jake while Kate followed him over to the bracelet counter. Success! Jake was so glad to have that size, he would get his grandmother's diamond ring, resize it, and then propose. He didn't know when, or where. Knowing Kate, she didn't need anything elaborate, but he wanted it to be special.
When they finished at Tiffany's they walked back to Chanel to find his parents arguing over which sunglasses Deb was going to buy. Jim refused to spend $500 on a pair of sunglasses, but Deb saw the value.
"Where did you two sneak off to?" Jim inquired.
"We just stopped in to a few shops here and there." Jake didn't want to draw attention to their jewelry store stop. After a few more rounds of negotiation, Deb finally got her sunglasses. They all drove back to San Diego and had dinner before parting ways. Kate's parents sent a few texts that evening to set up some sight-seeing with both Kate and Jake the following day.
"Aren't we supposed to be on break?" Jake asked as he climbed into bed.
"No kidding." She slid in next to him.
The rest of the week, they spent time with their parents, both together and individually, sightseeing and having the comfort of their loved ones visit. On this Saturday afternoon, Jake found himself alone with Charles at the restaurant table as Kate and her mother ventured to the restroom together.
"They always travel to the restroom in packs." Charles mused about how women always went to the bathroom together. Jake laughed,
"They do, don't they…" There was a stillness in the air. This was it. It was now or never.
"Mr. Norris, sir...there's something I'd like to ask you…" Charles smiled,
"Of course, Jake."
"I love your daughter, sir. She is the most amazing woman I've ever met, and with your blessing, I'd like to ask for her hand in marriage." Charles beamed with delight. He leapt to his feet and wrapped Jake up in a hug,
"Yes! You have my blessing!" Jake was shaking, he had been so nervous, but he was relieved.
"I'd also like this to stay quiet...I want to surprise Kate. So, it may be a while, I'll have to get my grandmother's diamond ring resized and a few other details set before I propose…"
"Well then, I had better not tell Barb or the entire family will know by tonight." He made the motion of zipping his lips to express that the secret was safe.
Both sets of parents departed on Sunday, and it was wonderful to see how perfectly they all got along. Kate's family flew back to Chicago, while Jake's went to Dallas. Before the Seresin's left, Barb gave Jake a small black jewelry box, and inside of it was his grandmother's ring. He looked at it, the beautiful 2.5 carat oval cut diamond glittered up at him, and he couldn't help but smile.
The rest of the break, the pair spent almost every moment together. They went grocery shopping together, they swam in the ocean together, they went running in the morning together. Finally, when Monday morning arrived, and they were due back to base, they drove together in one car to work. As they walked up to the hangar doors together, Jake, in his flight suit, leaned in and kissed her sweetly. The pair parted ways when they entered the hangar. Kate went to the lab, and Jake headed to the seats where the other pilots were congregating. A moment later, Rooster came walking through the hangar doors and sat right across from Hangman. His three weeks of duty on the carrier was now over, and he was back. There was a sudden tension in the air. Maverick entered the hangar and immediately began providing the pilots with information and doling out training assignments,
"Lockheed has worked very hard to outfit a new plane with the biological probe, and they delivered it during the break. I personally flew each of the oufitted planes to make sure there were no...issues." His voice trailed off as he remembered the crash that put Phoenix out of commission for 6 weeks.
"Hangman, Payback, Fanboy—you will fly the B-course for the nuclear probe today." The pilots stood up and headed for the lockers to get ready for their flights.
"Rooster, Sandman, Martian—you will fly the A-course for the biological probe today. Once the first groups return we will divide up and the next groups will run the course with the outfitted planes." Rooster glanced back at the lab and saw Kate quickly headed toward the hangar doors with a clipboard in her hands. He hurried up and followed. Maverick watched with a heavy heart, knowing this encounter would be undoubtedly painful for the man he practically raised as a son, but knew it had to happen given the reaction Rooster had to the news of the crash. Rooster burst into the hallway and trotted after her,
"Kate." he called quietly. She paused and turned to him. He walked right up to her,
"I'm glad you're safe...I heard about the plane crash…" his voice was more relieved than anything else.
"It was a very stressful situation." she replied softly. He stepped closer, and reached his hand up to touch her rosy cheek. He just wanted to know that she was really here in front of him, that she wasn't an illusion. Her skin was so soft, and smooth. She closed her eyes and exhaled gently. Without thinking, she leaned into his hand. That was all he needed. His heart leapt with hope. Kate quickly pulled away,
"I'm sorry…" she said suddenly, as she stepped past him and hurried on her way. She darted into the ladies' lockers and Rooster followed her.
"Kate?" She spun to face him, surprised that he had walked into the ladies' room. He closed the distance between them rapidly, and she backed up against the lockers. He extended his arm, bracing it against the locker beside her, and blocking her exit.
"I just need to hear you say it…" he began, "...tell me you don't feel anything between us…and I will walk out of here and never bother you again…" She closed her eyes. He waited for her to respond.
"Tell me…" he urged, "Tell me you feel nothing for me, nothing between us…" She tilted her head downward, as if she were looking at her feet, but with her eyes closed. He wondered why she was so quiet right now. Perhaps if she truly felt nothing, she'd say it candidly. Or, what if she just wanted to spare him the pain? His mind was racing just as fast as his heart was.
"Tell me…" he prodded, "You owe me that much…" She shifted uncomfortably back against the lockers.
"Kate, look at me." he begged. His free hand gently touched her cheek once more, and his thumb traced her lips, parting them gently. He could feel her breath on the tip of his thumb, and his heart began to pound. He tilted her chin upward, and slowly she opened her eyes. As her dark, beautiful eyes met his, he knew in that second, there were sparks between them.
"Tell me there's nothing here…" he whispered as he leaned in closer to her, "Tell me that when we made love you didn't feel anything...that there's nothing here now…" Their eyes were locked, he was centimeters from her, his lips nearly touching hers,
"Tell me…" he breathed as his lips brushed against hers. God! He wanted her. He wanted to kiss her right now, but more than that, he wanted her to kiss him—for her to want him. He could feel her soft, shallow breaths on his lips. Finally, she spoke,
"I can't…" she whispered.
"You can't, what?" he asked, his lips still barely touching hers.
"I can't tell you there's nothing between us...because there clearly is something…" she said softly, "But I am with Jake…"
"Do you love him?" he pulled back slightly, to meet her gaze.
"Yes."
"Do you love me?" he asked bluntly.
"Yes…" she replied, taking him by surprise.
"Then be with me..." She looked away,
"I have a meeting with Admiral Simpso-"
"Kate…" he took hold of her chin and turned her eyes back to him, "Be with me…"
"Bradley...please...don't…I have to go..." she shifted away from him, and he grabbed her waist, pulling her up to him.
"I love you, Kate…" He took her hand and pressed it over his heart. She could feel the pounding of his heartbeat.
"You do that to me…" he said, "Every time I see you, every time I think about you...every time I touch you…" He sighed and let his head drop, looking at the floor he said,
"When I heard about the crash...it killed me to think I wasn't there—I called Maverick immediately...I had to know if you were safe, unharmed...it was hell, Kate, being thousands of miles away from you, not being able to see you, to make sure you were okay...I want to take care of you, I want to fall asleep to you every night and wake up to you every morning. I want to make love to you every chance I get…" He sighed again, "I can't get you out of my head. Every time I close my eyes, I see us in that camper—the way you smiled at me, the way your body felt against me, the way you shook when-"
"Stop it." she firmly pushed him, he fell back onto the bench, surprised by her strength, "Stop it." she repeated. She gathered her clipboard and straightened her lab coat,
"I have a meeting, and I am now late for it…"
"Fuck the meeting!" he shot up and grabbed her, his mouth found hers and he kissed her, wildly. She shoved him back,
"What is wrong with you? You know I am with Jake." she hissed.
"I don't care." he replied back with a fury. He drew her close to him and for a second, she felt his strength, and she wanted to melt into his arms. He could feel her begin to give into him, and he pushed her back against the lockers. Heart racing, he pressed his body against hers. She could feel the electricity between them. His hips rocked into hers, and it was clear how much he wanted her. He pressed his forehead against hers,
"I want you so badly…" he breathed. Her eyes met his, and he thought he might go mad with passion, "Come to the camper tonight…" She looked away,
"No…" she whispered as she pushed him back from her slowly, "I'm not going to hurt Jake again…"
Back in the hangar, Sandman and Martian came walking back in, they looked around and finally asked Coyote,
"Hey, have you seen Rooster?" Coyote's stomach churned as he looked around. Kate wasn't in the lab, Rooster wasn't with his team. He looked over to the airstrip just outside of the hangar and saw Hangman heading to his plane. Quickly, he bolted through the hangar doors and shouted,
"Yo! Hangman!" He waved his friend over, and Hangman came trotting over.
"What is it, Coyote?"
"I think we have a problem…" he gestured to Sandman and Martian, "Rooster is missing, and Kate is too…" Hangman's face twisted into a rage filled scowl. He shoved his helmet into Coyote's hands and stalked toward the hallway.
In the ladies' lockers, Kate pushed away from Rooster. She collected herself and walked toward the door. Rooster softly spoke,
"I'll never stop loving you…" She pushed open the door and walked out without a word. As she headed down the hallway, Jake's voice caught her,
"Kate!" She turned to him as he ran up to her, "Is everything alright?"
"It is now." she smiled as she kissed his lips.
"Coyote came to get me...he said he noticed Bradshaw didn't show up with his group just now…" Kate nodded and her eyes glanced over at the door to the ladies' locker room,
"He wanted to talk…" she said, "...about the crash…"
"I don't like you being alone with him."
"I didn't take you for the jealous type…" she shot back.
"It's more about trust...I don't trust him…per say..."
"That's fair…" she said softly, "But I can handle him."
"I know you can…" his arms wound around her waist, "But you shouldn't have to...he should respect you—us…" He kissed her once more, "I have to get back to the test flight…" His steely blue-green eyes locked with hers, and her heart melted,
"Be safe and come back to me." she whispered. He smiled as he pulled her tight against him,
"Yes ma'am." His lips pressed against hers and all she could think about was him. He released her and trotted back into the hangar.
Coyote, Sandman, and Martian met him at the door.
"Everything is fine, boys...I trust my girl."
"You shouldn't trust Rooster though…" Coyote reminded as Hangman retrieved his helmet and hurried to his plane.
Rooster walked out of the ladies' lockers finally and back to the hangar where Maverick met him,
"Get your head in the game or get out of here." he was stern, disappointed too.
"I know, Mav...I know."
"We all know how you feel about Kate." Maverick whispered, "But I will not have this situation impact the success of the mission. Get up there and fly the plane, dammit!" Rooster nodded and he was airborne in no time.
Kate entered the conference room 5 minutes late.
"Sorry, I'm late." she confessed, "There was a line in the ladies room."
"Not to worry, Doctor." Admiral Simpson gestured for her to take a seat. There were a few representatives from Lockheed and several Naval Investigators. Admiral Simpson stood up and walked to the head of the table,
"Gentlemen, lady-" he gave a nod to Kate, "This meeting will present the findings of the F-18 crash that occurred 14 days ago resulting in the ejection of two aviators—one pilot, and one backseat. The pilot sustained injuries which have resulted in a temporary medical discharge. The backseat-" he gestured to Kate- "Is here with us now." Every eye turned to Kate and she felt the weight of the pending report.
A Naval Investigator stood and walked to the podium, he cued up a deck of slides and began showing pictures of the smoldering wreckage,
"We began by dousing the flames from the ignited jet fuel and attempting to recover as much of the physical plane as possible." Kate looked at the twisted metal frame of the aircraft and suddenly felt very blessed to have survived.
"Based on previous F-18 crashes, we recovered more material than anticipated, which allowed us to determine the cause of the plane's failure and ultimate crash." He advanced to another slide which showed a schematic drawing of the underbelly of the plane.
"As you'll note here and here." he gestured to where the probes were attached, "There are two hydraulic lines running along this side and this side which are connected to the stick. When the pilot turns the stick, the electrical system of the plane coordinates with the hydraulics to produce the corresponding movement in the ailerons, rudders, or other flaps." He advanced one more slide.
"We discovered that the right hydraulic line had been punctured when the probe was likely attached to the under wing. Hydraulic fluid leaked into the body of the aircraft at a slow rate while the aircraft was parked, however, when in the air, the fluid leak occurred at a much faster rate. It is this investigative committee's finding that the hydraulic fluid leak caused the aircraft failure and resulting crash."
A Lockheed representative raised his hand,
"We have read your report and we respectfully disagree…" He stood and took to the podium while a new set of slides cued onto the projector,
"We believe the hydraulic fluid line was faulty and have found evidence to support that." A new slide appeared on the screen showing a batch number for fluid line tubing.
"After a thorough investigation of the aircraft's parts, we discovered the plane fell under the guidance of a recent recall, but was not yet serviced for it at the time the crash occurred. Lockheed notified DoD and SECNAV of the recall for this specific part—hydraulic fluid line tubing which was not manufactured to the proper specifications, making the line brittle and susceptible to cracking. We believe the line was damaged prior to the attachment of the experimental probe. When the probes were attached, Lockheed engineers and mechanics ensured that every part was in working order prior to delivery of the outfitted craft."
Kate was blown away by this finding. She had assumed that the Naval Investigators were the final word in the official narrative, however watching Lockheed push back was equally as fascinating. The meeting continued well into the late morning with an eventual break for lunch. Admiral Simpson walked Kate down the hall toward the hangar,
"I know hearing that can be a bit jarring, especially after what you went through…" She nodded,
"It's also quite fascinating...I didn't realize each side would be bucking each other's investigations…" He laughed,
"Well, neither side wants to be responsible…" he reasoned. They stepped into the hangar and Hans met them at the door,
"Dr. Norris!" he beamed. The admiral excused himself quickly and Kate turned to Hans.
"Hi Hans, how are things going?"
"Rather well. I was wondering if you might accompany me into the lab, there is something I'd like to share with you." Kate followed and they sat down on the chairs just within the lab vestibule. Hans smiled at her,
"I will be leaving this project soon, my probe is fully functional, and the data looks good. But the very good news…" he grinned widely, "I just received a 12 million dollar grant!"
"Hans! That's wonderful! Congratulations!"
"Yes, thank you."
"Where did you receive the grant from?"
"The Chinese Science Association. I will be traveling to Beijing soon to accept the award." He was absolutely thrilled, but Kate was surprised. The CSA, perhaps that might explain the hackings.
"I would like to celebrate this wonderful news with you." he said abruptly, "Would you like to stop at The Hard Deck tonight for drinks...later...tonight?"
"Oh! I...um...I'd have to check with Jake. But I think that should be alright." Hans smiled and touched her elbow,
"Thank you. It means a lot to have you celebrate this with me." He hurried out of the lab, leaving Kate to ponder the server hackings and the CSA grant.
In the air, the two teams were steadily flying the route. Their goal was to maintain consistent altitude, speed, and keeping to the exact route. Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy flew the nuclear probe route, and Rooster, Sandman, and Martian flew the biological probe route. It seemed like they would fly the route over and over until it became muscle memory. The conversations between the pilots were lacking today, especially after word spread about Rooster's dramatic return to base.
"Return to the hangar." Maverick's voice came loud and clear over the radio after they had completed their routes. The planes began to turn back for the airstrip on base. One by one they circled and, when it was their turn, each plane landed smoothly and taxied to their parking space. As Hangman and Rooster climbed out of their planes, their eyes locked and it was abundantly clear that, despite what had transpired between them two years earlier with Maverick and the F-14, there was no love loss between them now. Instinctively, Hangman knew there was more that happened in the ladies' locker room, but he trusted Kate. He walked into the hangar and saw her standing in the laboratory, and a smile found its way across his face. She was working at the standing desk on her computer, and as if she knew he was gazing at her, she glanced up. Seeing his steely blue-green eyes, she smiled lovingly at him. His heart leapt, and he thought of when he would propose to her. It had to be special. On the beach? No. In bed with her? No. Nothing stood out to him yet. But he knew the time would come, and when it did, he would ask her to be his wife, to share eternity with each other.
He and the rest of the pilots headed for the lockers. They were drenched in sweat and exhausted from the difficult altitude and speed requirements the courses required. The typical locker room banter ensued as soon as they started changing into fresh clothes or heading to the showers.
"Hey, Hangman!" Fanboy chuckled, "When are you gonna come back to the dorms? You've spent every night with Kate…" Rooster listened to every word and his blood boiled.
"Why Fanboy? Do you miss me?"
"You know it!" the weapons operator laughed lightly, "But in all seriousness, Payback and I were talking about getting a group together for a guy's night. Drinking, maybe a little ultimate Frisbee at the beach-"
"I don't know, fellas...I'll have to check with Kate."
"Man, you're whipped…" Payback shook his head.
"Happily whipped, boys." He threw on a fresh t-shirt and flight suit before heading out the doors to find Kate. When he arrived back at the lab, she was gone. He poked his head inside the lab vestibule and knocked on the door for one of the lab assistants. A young man opened the doors and stepped out,
"Can I help you?"
"Is Kate around?"
"She's at the crash investigation meeting." Jake's stomach suddenly knotted up thinking about the crash, it was seared into his memory. He would never forget watching that plane slowly turn over, or how he had radioed to Phoenix to level out her wings, but she couldn't. Moments later the plane was gone and she and Kate were ejected from the cockpit with parachutes deployed.
"Thanks." he said as he slowly exited the lab. As he stepped toward the doors of the hangar, he met Hans at the entrance,
"Oh!" the scientist was taken aback. He was a head shorter than Hangman and really did dress like Mr. Rogers in a white lab coat—even down to the Keds sneakers.
"Dr. Mueller." Hangman nodded to him out of respect for Kate's colleague.
"Lieutenant, I want to thank you for all of your hard work. It has been a pleasure flying with you. I have to apologize for vomiting in your plane…"
"Water under the bridge, doctor." Hans extended his hand and Hangman shook it.
"Well, Lieutenant, my time here will soon be ending. I received word that the DoD is set to end my contract. I hope you and Kate will join me this evening at The Hard Deck to celebrate?"
"We'd be delighted to join." Hangman smiled. The two men parted ways and Hangman hurried down the hall toward the offices. It was there that he overheard Maverick in his office. He was speaking to Rooster based on the informality of the conversation. Hangman walked a little slower to catch as much as he could.
"...irresponsible!" Maverick's voice crescendoed, "You are lucky that this is the first report to come across my desk of you being in the women's lockers...and you're lucky that the admiral's aide came straight to me instead of to Cyclone." he alluded to Admiral Simpson's call sign.
"I had to talk to her." Rooster pleaded.
"Had to?!" Maverick sounded at the end of his rope, "Bradley...you are like my son...please...take my advice...leave her alone...be her friend if she asks, but leave her alone. The admiral's aide gave very descriptive details about what you said and what she saw from the crack in the bathroom stall door...You pushed Kate against the lockers?" There was a long silence that Hangman could hear from the hallway.
"I love her…" Rooster finally spoke, "She makes me crazy…"
"Maybe another tour of carrier duty will do you some good…"
"Mav, please…"
"Then get your shit together, Bradley!" he bellowed, "I will not have your little puppy love triangle jeopardize this mission…dismissed." Hangman hurried past the offices toward the conference room to avoid being seen by either Rooster or Maverick.
"That son of a bitch…" he whispered as he realized just how intense Kate's encounter with Rooster had been. She had maintained such composure when he saw her, but to now know that he had been physical with her, pushing her against the lockers—Jake was livid. He stood outside of the conference room, when the admiral's aide noticed him and quickly ushered him in, directing him to a seat along the edge of the room. Kate sat at the table, intently taking notes. She wore a pair of horn-rim glasses that he had never seen before, but she looked impeccably academic.
The investigation was in the process of describing the condition of the probes on recovery, and interestingly, they fared rather well. The probe was meant to pull the collecting units back into the steel pill shaped exoskeleton housing if an ejection occurred, this was to protect the device and give it time to transmit data. Interestingly, it worked perfectly. The data was received, translated, and sent to DoD via blockchain encryption. Admiral Simpson praised Kate's work on the probe design and functionality. Jake knew it was months and months of her life poured into this—truthfully years—but he saw how hard she worked. Every single night, she would review her work from the day for coding errors. She would sit in bed with him and her fingers would fly over her laptop's keyboard—making it nearly impossible for him to sleep, but it was an odd comfort that reminded him of her presence with him. The investigation then took a different turn,
"...the eye-witness accounts came from Dr. Hans Mueller, and Lieutenant Jake 'Hangman' Seresin." one of the Naval Investigators spoke, "Dr. Mueller described a chaotic scene saying, quote, The plane began to roll to the left very slowly. I heard Hangman say to the pilot to straighten out her wings, but she responded that she could not, something was wrong with the plane's controls. There were many voices on the radio at that time, and it was difficult to understand the gravity of the situation. I heard Captain Mitchell instruct the pilot, Phoenix, and Dr. Norris to eject. That was when I saw the plane rotate back upright and the canopy blew off of it. Two chairs came up and the plane seemed to slam into the ground and explode. I've never seen anything like that. Hangman circled the crash site to look for Phoenix and Dr. Norris. He was very upset, and wanted to confirm that Dr. Norris was alright."
Jake looked at Kate, she was intently listening. He could tell she was tense though, and all he wanted to do was walk up to her and rub her shoulders. She always held her tension in her shoulders.
"The second eye-witness account: Lieutenant Jake 'Hangman' Seresin. I first noticed the roll of Phoenix's plane just after the third collection had been completed. The plane was rolling to the left wing at about 1 degree of roll, roughly every 5 seconds. It was a slow roll. I radioed to Phoenix to instruct her to level out her wings, and she replied that the plane was not responding. She had no stick control. At that point I broke from my pattern to follow and observe the situation. I did so against orders, and I acknowledge that. Captain Mitchell recalled me to the base to land, and I refused. I circled the crash site to visually confirm that both the pilot, Phoenix, and backseat, Professor—Dr. Norris, were conscious and alert. They were. Captain Mitchell recalled me again so that I would not interfere with the search and rescue helicopter, and I did as ordered. I landed my plane and immediately waited for the rescue he-lo on the tarmac." Jake knew there was a lot more to his statement, when he had given it, he was a wreck, and all he wanted to do was hold Kate in his arms.
After a moment, Admiral Simpson stood,
"I would like to now ask to adjourn for the day and reconvene tomorrow to present the final report to be submitted into the official record." both the Naval Investigators and Lockheed representatives replied in the affirmative and the meeting was ended until tomorrow when it would pick back up. Kate stood as the rest of the room did as well. Jake hurried to her,
"Dr. Norris?" he tried to seem professional and formal in front of the committee. Kate turned to him with a pleasant surprise,
"Lieutenant!" the pair hurried out of the room and down the hallway, to where they had a little more privacy. Jake kissed her and she kissed him back, as they drew apart he smiled,
"I have missed you today."
"I didn't know you snuck into the meeting." she said softly.
"Well, I was looking for you and the admiral's aide let me in." Her face became serious,
"You never told me what you said to the investigators...I'm sorry...that must have been so hard to watch the crash from your own plane…"
"It was worse than torture." he said quietly, "I'd take waterboarding and getting my fingernails ripped off any day over having to watch that plane go down with you in it...watching your parachute float down was the biggest relief…" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they walked back to the hangar together. She diverted into the lab and he walked back to his seat. The rest of the pilots were beginning to congregate for some news that had just come down from the Admiral's office. Maverick walked to the front of the hangar and began to address them all,
"We have been given the green light from DoD and SECNAV, the mission will be taking place in two weeks." A buzz of whispers rose from the aviators.
"This means we will spend every waking moment in training. You will be able to fly this course in your sleep. We will push the bounds of your aircraft, flying at low altitude and high speeds to collect samples. You will be within the range of anti-aircraft systems—the probes must be deployed for a minimum of 1 minute and 30 seconds. And that will feel like an eternity." He paused and looked out at the young faces before him,
"This is a dangerous mission. Many of you were here two years ago when we undertook a mission that required near impossible precision. It was the most dangerous mission I had ever flown in my entire career in Naval Aviation. This will be just as dangerous, but for different reasons." He walked over to the projector and turned it on. As the light spilled onto the screen behind him, it displayed a terrain map with two large red dots overlying separate areas.
"Here and here." he gestured to the red dots, "Are the target facilities that your flight path will take you by depending on whether or not you are flying the nuclear route" he gestured to the dot on the right, "or the biological route…" the dot on the left. The slide advanced and showed the circular routes ringing the dots.
"These routes are identical to what you have been flying—for the most part—and this route must be flown at low altitude, and high speed. But you already know this. This route may be updated as more satellite imagery and intelligence reports become available closer to mission-go." He sighed,
"I cannot emphasize the importance and the danger of this mission. You will be a sitting duck in your plane...and your skill as a pilot will be what brings you home." The stillness of the room gave away the creaking of the ceiling fans and the woosh of the sliding lab doors. It seemed that the mission was more than anyone had really anticipated, but seeing the maps, it became evident just how dangerous it would be.
At that moment, the hangar doors opened and Phoenix hobbled in with a boot over her left ankle. Everyone turned with surprise.
"Don't look so shocked." the pilot chuckled, "You all know I couldn't stay away." She limped over to her seat next to B.O.B. and sat down. Maverick smiled lightly. Her dedication was impressive, but he knew there was no way she would be able to fly the mission in two weeks. In fact, he wouldn't even let her fly even after the boot came off; it would likely be weeks or months of physical therapy to get her back to where she was before—and even that was a stretch. He knew she was capable, but he also knew that he would have to sit down and deliver the bad news to her directly.
"Let's all take a 30-minute break and we'll reconvene at the hour." Maverick suggested. The pilots stood up and headed for the door in silence, and in that moment, Maverick realized just how heavy the atmosphere had become. He watched Rooster and Hangman gaze over at the lab, their eyes both searching for Kate. She was busy working with a 3D printer and her back was toward the pilots, but Maverick saw how impressed they were with her dedication. He was glad to have a team of, not only remarkable pilots, but also brilliant and hard-working scientists to support the mission.
As Phoenix hobbled up to him, Maverick felt a deep sadness grip him,
"Phoenix." He smiled to her.
"Hey, Mav...I know this isn't ideal, but I want to fly." she said.
"Out of the question." He said forcefully, "I appreciate your desire to be a part of the mission, but you are medically unfit." She looked at the ground, clearly disappointed,
"I understand…" she said softly.
"Look, Phoenix, I will let you stay on and watch the training, but you are grounded." She hobbled back to her chair and plopped down, tears rolled down her cheeks. Maverick looked over to the lab and his eyes caught Kate's, he waved her over. She quickly exited the lab and hurried up to him.
"Phoenix could use her wingman." he said as he gestured to the female pilot, crying alone in her seat. Kate raced over to Phoenix and sat down beside her,
"Hey."
"Hey." came the tearful reply. Phoenix leaned her head against Kate's shoulder and the two women sat in an understanding silence.