Chapter 8: One week to mission-go
The orders had been delivered, and everyone knew their roles. In two days, they would be en route to Japan, where they would board a smaller plane to take them to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. The "Ike" would be their home during the mission. They would spend a few days on the carrier waiting for the last of the intelligence reports to come rolling in before the mission, and once the green light was given, the mission would commence.
Today, however, the laboratory was being cleaned out, and any remaining equipment was boxed up and prepared for storage. Kate oversaw the tear-down of the servers and packaging of the microscopes and 3D printers. The pilots were busy flying their routes and practicing their roles for the mission. Hangman was a remarkably good team leader. Everyone noticed the responsibility with which he directed his team, and it was evident that this new change had something to do with Kate. Ever since they had become exclusive, he had taken on a more cooperative attitude with the other pilots (Rooster excluded). He no longer abandoned his wingman or thought only of himself. Now, he monitored every single pilot and plane on his team, followed them on radar, guided them through the training and encouraged them every step of the way. Truthfully, everyone was grateful to Kate for the welcomed change in Hangman.
As the pilots landed, and Kate placed the last box of steel and copper wires onto a cart; the day seemed to be drawing to a close. Maverick popped his head into the lab and knocked on the glass doors; Kate hurried over to let him in.
"Dr. Norris—how are you?"
"Good, busy—but good."
"If you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you about the mission…"
"Sure." she cleared a box from a chair so he'd have a place to sit, and he graciously accepted. While she sat opposite him, he began with a solemn tone,
"This mission is extremely dangerous, you know that." She nodded and he continued,
"I have a set of orders for you to accompany the team to the carrier. Admiral Simpson has granted you clearance to be in the mission control and operations rooms during the mission. I understand you will be monitoring the data transmission and probe performance during that time. But I want to caution you, because of your relationship with Lieutenant Seresin, and your...friendship...with Lieutenant Bradshaw...if something should happen to either of them during the mission...you still have a job to do…" She nodded,
"I understand."
"There is a very real probability that, because of how long they have to be in the air over these sites, they will be detected, and anti-aircraft measures will be used by the enemy…and no matter how good they are as pilots, when you are flying up there, it is 99% instinct and reaction versus 1% thinking and logic. We have flown the patterns until they can fly them in their sleep, but if they have to deviate from that pattern for any reason, their survival instinct will kick in. They have been trained for this, but they will be lucky if they get in and out undetected. That is more the exception than the rule in my experience. So, I want you to prepare yourself, mentally, should something happen and the mission go south." She nodded again,
"I...I will…" He looked at her soft features and felt the concern she now had. There was a sympathy for her, since she would be in the thick of it if something happened, and he wanted her to be prepared for the worst. It was a hard conversation, just like the one he'd had with Penny before his last mission. He'd told her he might not be coming back, and he was prepared for the worst.
"Kate." he said suddenly, "Friend to friend, Penny has been through this with me before...if you need to talk, she would love to see you." She smiled half-heartedly,
"Thanks, Pete. I'll do that." He patted her shoulder as if he was her father, willing encouragement and strength to her, before he walked out of the lab to meet the pilots congregating in the hangar.
"Welcome back to solid ground." he said as he walked to the front of the hangar and addressed the aviators, "Tomorrow will be your final training before we depart for the mission. After you touch back down, you will return to your dorms and pack for the flight tomorrow night. We will fly through the evening, arrive in Japan at night, and transfer to a light aircraft for transport to the carrier. From there you will be given your quarters, and we will begin mission briefings. Dr. Norris will be pulling double duty, she will check the probes on the flight deck before you take off, and monitor them during the mission. When you touch back down, she will secure the probes and make sure the data was transferred successfully." Maverick sighed,
"I cannot impress upon you all, the importance of this mission running smoothly. We will be in a hostile territory, if you are shot down, ejecting will be the least of your problems…" The pilots felt the seriousness in his tone.
"You will be outfitted with two gps transmitters. The standard transmitter will be fitted to your vest and can be activated if you eject, in order to provide your position for possible rescue, the second will be kept in your flight suit, it will transmit your position at all times...Due to the nature of this mission, if you eject, rescue teams may not be able to come for you. If you are captured, you do not give them any information. Your name, your rank, and your serial number is all the information you give…The probes are designed to melt quickly if the plane goes down, that will prevent the enemy from determining our purpose for being there…"
Everyone was silent. The reality was sinking in with Maverick's words. This mission might be the end of the line for one or more of the pilots. They had all acknowledged the possibility, when they enlisted, that they might die in the line of duty. Given that they had chosen one of the more dangerous careers in the Navy, that probability was higher than most.
"I am going to let you go early today, and we will meet back here tomorrow for final training flights…" after a long pause he said, "Dismissed…"
Everyone stood up and quietly walked out of the hangar. It was a somber moment, and Maverick knew it. He wanted them to understand the serious nature of the mission, the dangerous nature of the mission, and he wanted them to prepare for the worst.
Kate paused at the door of the lab. She looked back at the boxes and the empty tables and shelves, and there was an overwhelming sadness that everything was coming to the final culmination of her work. She took a picture of the emptiness of the lab and sent it to Hans with the text:
The end of an era. It was a pleasure working with you.
There was no immediate response from Hans, nor did Kate even expect a response. He was a prestigious scientist, more so that she, and he was always traveling or busy with his research at MIT. However, as she collected her tote bag and walked out of the lab for possibly the last time, her phone buzzed with a text back from Hans:
Sad to see, but glad to know the project will have a conclusion! I am in China accepting my grant this week at the CSA conference.
Congratulations on your grant! Kate responded before stowing her phone in her tote bag and walking out of the hangar. Jake was waiting for her, and their hands met, fingers interlaced. Suddenly, he was unsure about the mission. He wondered if he had done the right thing by beating Rooster out for the team leader spot. Maybe Rooster would have not chosen him for the mission, and he could stay here with Kate. The realization set in that after the mission, Kate would be back in Chicago. Neither of them spoke, they just walked hand in hand out to the car. They both knew the finality of the next few days. The car seemed to know the way back to Kate's house, and when they walked inside, Jake pulled her close to him, wrapping her in a hug. They stood in the kitchen, holding each other. Kate sighed deeply, taking in the moment, breathing in his scent, the smell of jet fuel, oil, sweat, and a hint of his cedarwood deodorant.
All Jake could think about was proposing to her. As much as he wanted to drop to his knee now and ask her to be his wife, he wanted the moment to be spectacular. He was determined, now knowing she would be on the carrier with him, to propose to her on the deck of the carrier once he landed after the mission was over. He envisioned himself leaping out of the cockpit and strutting up to her, dropping to one knee, and with everyone watching, he would ask her to be his wife.
"What are you so deep in thought about?" she asked suddenly. He looked down at her, and their eyes met,
"You." he smiled.
"Me?"
"I'm always thinking about you." he admitted. She smiled and that was all it took. He scooped her up in his arms and they disappeared into the bedroom. This time when they made love, it was different. There was a certainty to it. They were one, and Jake only wanted her more; every inch of her skin, every breath she took, the way her hair fell on the pillow case—she was everything to him. Watching her as she was gripped with pleasure made him wild with passion. He had never felt this way about anyone before. She was the one.
They fell asleep in each other's arms that night, knowing that the next few days would test every bond that held them together.
The next morning, the sun gently crept into the bedroom as Jake and Kate lie snuggled against one another. She slowly got up and went to shower, he followed. A four-legged shower wasn't just for fun, it was good for the environment too—less water.
"I'm meeting Penny for coffee this morning." Kate said as she washed the last of the shampoo from her long hair.
"Having a girl's date?" he teased.
"Pete—Maverick—seemed very concerned about this mission, and he said I should talk to Penny. She went through a lot when he left on that last mission—with the F-14…"
"I see…" Jake immediately knew that Maverick wanted Penny to prepare Kate for the worst, and he knew that no matter what, he was going to come home to her and propose on the deck of the carrier.
"Well, today I have to fly the last training flight, pack up my bag and then...we are going to be on a 12-hour flight to Japan tonight. Those planes are not comfortable. It's basically a cargo plane with seats along the edge of the fuselage…you'll get ear muffs, but bring earbuds to wear under them..." he advised her. She laughed as she opened the shower door and stepped out, wrapping herself in a soft white towel. He watched her through the glass of the shower as she wrapped a towel around her wet hair, put on her moisturizer, and prepared for the day. He wanted to be a part of her routine every day for the rest of his life.
Kate was ready well before him. She was not required to be on base until it was time to board the flight to Japan. As he made himself some eggs and bacon for breakfast, she grabbed a banana and hurried up to him. Her lips found his and they kissed for a long moment before she pulled back and said,
"I don't want to be late—we're meeting at Bean Breaker's—that little shop on the other side of the bay…"
"Yeah—you'd better get going or you'll be late. I'll see you tonight." They kissed once more before she rushed out the door and to her little Subaru Crosstrek. He watched as she drove away quickly, on her way to meet Penny.
Penny leapt up and hugged Kate as she arrived at the table.
"It is so good to see you!" Penny beamed.
"You too! It has been a while." They both sat with their drinks—neither particularly liked coffee, but they were able to tolerate Hazelnut cappuccino with extra cream. Penny sighed,
"Pete told me about his conversation with you…"
"He's very direct."
"Sometimes...other times you have no idea what is going on in his head." Kate nodded in agreement.
"When Pete left that last time, he told me he might not come back. Nothing prepared me for that feeling. Nothing can prepare you for that. When he did come back, he told me that he thought he was going to die when he ejected. He found himself face-to-face with an attack helicopter that had been shooting at him. If it wasn't for Bradley, he'd be dead. Rooster shot the copter down and saved Pete…and if it wasn't for Hangman, both Rooster and Pete would be dead…"
"I'm terrified." Kate admitted, "Jake is team leader and I know…I know he's meant for that, he's become such a good leader—hearing Nat—Phoenix—talk about what he was like before, I don't think I'd have ever given him a chance, but…"
"You did that." Penny hit her with the obvious truth, "He is better because of you. And that is how I know you chose the right man…Bradley became different around you—he became possessive and jealous…" There was such a painful veracity in what Penny said. Rooster had become very different when he was pursuing Kate, he withdrew and tried to isolate her, became physical and aggressive.
"We both love men who are renegades—they're naval aviators" Penny sighed, "That comes with a huge degree of uncertainty. I know how hard it is to be the little wife at home waiting for the soldier to come walking through the door, but you will be right in the thick of it. If something goes sideways, you'll be there for it."
"That's my biggest fear. I'm going to be in the operations room, hearing everything on the radios…"
"If something happens, at least you'll know...Anytime Pete left, I never knew if he'd come back or not. This last time was probably the worst. He never once warned me the way he did with that last mission…" Kate exhaled heavily,
"I can't imagine…" both women sipped their drinks and the heaviness of the mission collapsed on them both.
"You are strong, Kate. Be strong for Jake—he's going to be on edge too." Kate nodded,
"I just want him to come home safe to me…"
"He has you to come home to—that alone will bring him home. Pete always told me, when he was out flying these dangerous missions, I was the motivation to bring him home—every time." Kate smiled,
"That's good to hear. Maybe I'll say a few extra prayers before we take off tonight."
"Speaking of taking off—you'd better get packing—those seabags are standard issue and SO small!" They both laughed. Finishing their drinks, they stood up, tossed their cups, hugged one last time, and parted ways.
Kate was home quickly and she set to the task of packing as much as she could into that tiny olive green seabag that Admiral Simpson had given her only last week. She packed up comfortable clothes, underwear, plenty of socks, any toiletries and make-up she thought she'd need, hair ties, her computers (plural), and headphones—just like Jake had told her to bring.
The last training flight went smoothly. Everyone met their targets and flew the paths at the prescribed altitudes and speed without issue. Each of the four planes landed quickly, one after the other. They taxied over to their parking spaces, wheels were chocked, and the pilots climbed out. Hangman and Rooster, for perhaps the first time in a long time, walked side by side. They were chatting about the mission and the best possible ways to complete the routes with the least chance of being detected. It was a dirty mission, something that had to be done. A drone could have sufficed, but the pilot could make better decisions, quicker decisions under pressure. Maverick met them at the hangar doors,
"Go pack. Our flight out just touched down, it will refuel and be ready to leave at 2100." He carried his own seabag and set it down on the front table as the pilots sauntered in, soaked in sweat and exhausted. They walked to the locker rooms and showered, changed, and returned to their dorm rooms to pack their bags.
Hangman packed what he could from his dorm room and headed for Kate's house. When he arrived, he sat in the car for a minute. He could see Kate walking in the kitchen. She was putting a pan in the oven. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, she wore a gray t-shirt and jeans, and to him, she looked perfect. He collected himself, and got out of the car. Heading up the front steps, he grasped the door handle and as the door opened, he stepped inside. Her smiling face greeted him.
"How was your flight?" He felt his heart leap. This was what he wanted to come home to every night. Her.
"It was good." All he could do was stare at her with a dumbfounded smile on his face. The moment lingered.
"What?" she asked finally.
"Um...the plane leaves at 2100."
"Admiral Simpson called while you were flying to let me know." She could tell he was anxious about the mission.
"Hey…" she said softly as she walked over to him, "Is everything alright?" He wrapped his arms around her waist,
"Big missions like this always make me nervous...but…" he paused to find the right words, "I'm more nervous than I've ever been…"
"Why? Because of the probe?"
"No." he pulled her closer, "Because I need to come home safely to you." He kissed her with every ounce of love and passion that he had left after this long day of flying. The oven beeped and neither of them acknowledged the interruption at first. Kate pulled back slowly,
"I love you." she whispered, "You are the most amazing pilot I've ever seen, and I know you will fly this mission perfectly."
"I'm glad you have confidence in me." He released her as she hurried to the oven and pulled out a pan of pretzel crusted salmon. It smelled absolutely delicious. They sat down at the kitchen island and had dinner together. To Jake, this was the best possible way to leave for a mission, and even better—Kate would be on the plane with him.
"I'm all packed up." she said between bites of salmon.
"I have a few things left to grab." he took a swig of milk and finished the last bite on his plate. It was one of the best meals he'd ever had, mostly because she had cooked it for him. He loved her cooking, although they spent more time eating out or ordering carry out. When she pulled out a cookbook, he knew he was in for a treat. As he loaded the plates into the dishwasher and started it up, he turned to her,
"Thank you for making me a home cooked meal before the mission...there's something so comforting about it." She hurried over to him and wrapped him up in a big hug. Jake didn't want to let her go, but he knew they were going to be leaving soon and he wanted to make sure he packed a few of the things he kept here at their place.
"I should finish packing." he said as he grabbed his small toiletry case.
"Okay, I'll finish cleaning up and we can head back to base." He aimed for the bedroom and the first thing he did was dart to the nightstand. Looking back to make sure she wasn't following, he opened up the nightstand and quickly plucked the box with his grandmother's ring out from under an old t-shirt. He opened it up to make sure the glittering diamond was still there, and when he saw it, all he could think about was that moment when he would put it on her finger. He wanted the proposal to be big, to be special, and he knew it had to be on the carrier. It would be magical if he could pull it off. His mind envisioned himself leaping out of the plane once he had touched down and having Phoenix bring Kate out onto the flight deck and to him. He'd drop down on one knee in front of God and everyone and ask her, finally, to be his wife.
He shut the box and stowed it safely in his toiletry bag before grabbing a few pairs of underwear, and the extra flight suit he kept on his side of the closet. Toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, hair pommade—he ran through the last of his checklist items before putting everything in the tiny seabag and closing it up. Kate hurried into the bedroom, she put a few lights on timers to deter any would be robbers, tossed any loose clothes into the hamper, checked to make sure no faucets were dripping, locked all the windows, drew a few of the drapes or closed blinds, and then, once she was satisfied with the state of the house she flopped down onto the bed and he did the same. The both lie there, staring up at the ceiling fan for a moment before he cleared his throat and spoke softly,
"...If anything happens to me on this mission…" She rolled over and placed her head on his chest,
"Don't say that…"
"But...something could happen, I'm team leader and I'm responsible for 5 other pilots…"
"I know...but...be safe. If you can't stay the minute and thirty seconds, then get out of there…"
"It's not that simple...if something happens, if we're detected, we might not be able to get out of there, we could get shot down and captured, or worse...just promise me, you'll be strong no matter what…" She rolled on top of him and leaned down to kiss him,
"I promise."
When everyone arrived back at base, Kate was the only one in civilian clothing. She wore her jeans, sneakers, a sweater over her gray t-shirt, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The pilots all wore their flight suits. Maverick helped Kate load her things onto a parcel cart with the rest of the seabags and a few miscellaneous items for the mission. Jake surreptitiously plucked the ring box out of his bag and stowed it in his pocket, where he zipped it up carefully. Phoenix noticed and a smile danced across her face. Kate was given a big helmet with ear muffs, and an olive green vest with an inflatable life preserver around the neck. She looked like she had an over stuffed travel neck pillow on. The pilots all took their own flight gear and readied to board the plane. As it turned out, since Admiral Simpson was also taking the flight, they were taking a more comfortable plane, and then transferring to a C2A COD (Carrier Ordinance Delivery Plane) to land on the carrier—still no windows except for the pilot of the plane, but at least the seating arrangement was similar to a normal plane with two seats on either side of a narrow aisle. Everyone climbed into the plane, Kate's stomach was in knots, but Jake took her hand and helped her into a seat. He sat down beside her, and showed her how the buckles worked—which were slightly different from a commercial flight. Once everyone was strapped in, the cargo was secured, they waited for Maverick and Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson to board the plane. Phoenix popped over quickly and gave Kate two sticks of gum,
"If your ears pop." she said over the sound of the plane's engines that were running on idle.
"Thanks, Phoenix!"
"I'll see you when we land!" the pilot headed back to her seat, next to B.O.B. She leaned over to her backseat partner and said,
"I'm glad she came along and whipped the shit out of Hangman...he's actually tolerable now."
"Tell me about it. He helped me with the chocks yesterday...whatever she's done—she's a saint." Phoenix leaned in close and just above a whisper, said,
"I saw the massive ring he has for her, he's going to propose." B.O.B's face lit up,
"No way!" Phoenix nodded,
"I'm gonna be a bridesmaid!" She knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Kate would ask her to be part of the wedding party.
Maverick and Cyclone climbed aboard, took their seats and the pilot of the plane radioed that they would be taking off shortly, bound for Japan taking roughly 12 hours. As the plane taxied toward its takeoff runway, Kate grasped Jake's hand.
"Nervous?" he asked. She shook her head,
"No, just wanted to hold your hand." He smiled at her, just as the plane began to accelerate down the runway, and in a few seconds time, they felt their stomachs churn while they ascended into the dark night sky, chasing the daylight to the West, until it arrived in the East. Most everyone remained awake for the first hour or so. The plane was so loud you could barely hear one another speak. The bathroom was a small porta-potty style toilet with a screen to hide you from the other passengers, with no running water, only wet-wipes for your hands, and a nearly bare roll of toilet paper. There were some snacks that had been placed in the seats, but it wasn't much—a bottle of water, a granola bar, and some raisins.
As the clock passed 11:30 PM, San Diego time, Kate curled up in her seat, yawned, and with the uncomfortable helmet on her head, she leaned back against her seat and attempted to sleep. The blaring hum of the engines was oddly soothing. They were prohibited from removing their seatbelts unless they were using the bathroom, so Kate looked completely contorted in her seat with her feet pulled up, arms folded, and head back against the seat. Jake looked over at her and he felt for her discomfort. He remembered his first time on a transport plane; he was terrified, but didn't want anyone to know. Joining the Navy was always his plan, because every man in his family as far back as the Revolutionary War, had been in the Navy—or so he had believed. When he was accepted into the Naval Academy, it was one of the proudest days of his life. He was a lot less muscular back then—scrawny even—and quiet, almost borderline shy. But the Navy saw his aptitude for flying. When he was in high school, he earned his private pilot's license. Having that licensure sent him on a trajectory toward Naval Aviation. After that first day in pilot's schooling, when he saw the maneuvering of the fighter planes, he knew that was what he wanted. And every single decision he could make, every effort he could give—100% of it was aimed at the goal of becoming a fighter pilot. It beat the shyness out of him, it tore the sweet out of the Texan boy, and it reshaped him, remolded him into a cocky, callous, competitive pilot. He didn't care who he stepped on, as long as he was the best, the most decorated, the top of his class—the ace.
He looked over at Kate once more, and his heart melted. She had changed him, and it was a change for the better. He still felt the confidence, and the drive to be the best, but he never wanted to slip back to the old days. He had felt a certain emptiness before her because he kept everyone at arm's length. She sighed lightly as she slipped into a deeper sleep and he felt the desire to provide for her, to care for her, and love her endlessly. He wanted a family with her. Gently, he reached up and touched her cheek. Her skin was so soft against his rough hands.
Maverick stood up and started for the toilet, as he stepped down the aisle, he saw Jake's hand on Kate's cheek. It was a tender moment between the sleeping scientist, and the vigilant pilot. Maverick remembered in his youth, every time a mission came along, he found his way to the woman he loved. At times it was Penny, Charlie, or one of the old FNWA members. However, back then, he never quite felt the same devotion to any of his flames as Jake showed to Kate. For that, Maverick was truly humbled as he walked past. Jake didn't flinch, he didn't quickly draw his hand away as Maverick passed. He wanted the world to see that he was hers, and she was his.
As hour 7 of the flight dawned, everyone but the pilot and first officer were asleep. They were chasing the dawn of a new day, every nautical mile that the plane covered, they came closer to Japan. Kate, having to use the toilet at this time, carefully unbuckled and stepped over Jake. He stirred, partially woke, and gently helped her to the aisle.
Using the toilet was an experience. It was similar to a commercial plane, but without the enclosed room. Kate felt as though everyone could hear her, but in truth, the plane was so loud, there was no chance anyone could hear her—she couldn't even hear. After she finished, she made her way back to her seat. Jake shifted to let her slide past and get into her seat, but as she stepped over him, he pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her. She was clearly embarrassed, pushing him back. He gestured to the sleeping pilots all around, and mouthed the words: they're asleep. She rolled her eyes playfully and then kissed him back. All of the gear, the life vest, the helmet, ear muffs—it all worked to push them apart. The helmets knocked together, the life vests were like pillows between them. But they fought against the accouterments. Jake pulled away and mouthed the words: mile high club?
No. She mouthed back.
Quick? He suggested. The miming continued for a minute more.
No.
Please? She stood up and gestured to all the gear they were both wearing.
Impossible with this stuff. He shrugged and she slumped back into her seat,
Someone might wake up. She mouthed. He laughed,
They're out. He wasn't wrong. It was nearly 3 am San Diego time, and everyone was deep asleep. Kate sighed.
Pilot?
Won't even know. Came Jake's mimed response. She looked at him for a few fleeting seconds before leaning in to kiss him, as she drew away, she mouthed the words,
Fine. She stood up, stepped back over him and walked down the aisle to the toilet. Jake gave her a second, before he hurried off behind her. It was a frenzy in the tiny bathroom space with two bodies, but they were quick, and no one woke up, nor did the pilot suspect a thing; and now they were both members of the prestigious Mile High Club.
Out of breath, Kate hurried back to her seat first, and Jake followed a minute or two after. As he sat down beside her, he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles,
Thank you. He mouthed to her.
You owe me. Came her playful mime back to him. She yawned and before they knew it, they were both asleep, hand in hand, helmets leaning against one another.
A few more hours passed, and soon the pilot's voice came over the radio,
"We will be landing shortly, prepare for landing." The sound of a human voice roused everyone. Soon all the passengers were tearing into their granola bars, raisins, and water bottles. It had been a while since they'd had any substantial food.
Kate could feel the plane begin its long descent, and she was suddenly struck with a fear. This was it. They were going to touch down in Japan, hop on a smaller plane and once they were on the carrier, she would watch the man she loved launch himself into the sky and fly a dangerous mission with a high chance of failure. She reached over and took his hand once more. Their eyes met and he could sense her unease; instinctively, he knew it wasn't fear of the landing, but fear of what landing meant.
It'll be okay. He mouthed, as the plane descended more sharply now. The engines seemed to scream as the nose of the plane pitched upward slightly, and the jolt of the back wheels touching the tarmac, followed by the front wheels, and the brakes slowing the plane, jarred them to the bone. Military craft weren't built for comfort, they were built to be efficient. They taxied around, but in the windowless fuselage, there was no way to tell how soon the plane would come to a full stop and they could disembark. The engines slowed to a purr and finally a few members of the ground crew ran out and chocked the wheels. Cyclone and Maverick were the first two to stand, and as soon as the door opened, they were out. Rooster, Sandman, Martian, Payback, and Fanboy followed. Jake helped Kate up, and he ushered her in front of him. They hurried down the aisle followed by Phoenix, and B.O.B. before trotting down the stairs of the plane and onto the tarmac. Their bags were unloaded quickly and then shuffled onto a small C2A COD plane that sat nearby.
"If you need to use the restroom—there is one in that hangar, wheels up in 20." Cyclone called to the group. Everyone made a B-line for the hangar. There was not a bathroom on the C2A, and the flight would be just less than an hour to the carrier.
Once everyone had boarded the C2A and they were buckled in tightly, the plane taxied to the start of the runway and its engines groaned as the plane sped forward, before swooping into the air. Again, there were no windows on the fuselage of the plane, except for the front windows that allowed the pilot to see. Kate peeked up over the seatback in front of her and out the front window. It was all open ocean, a desolate vastness of dangerous waves that extended to the horizon, and it seemed as though the plane could never overtake it. Jake watched her bright curiosity, and realized she had never experienced anything like this before. She was a civilian. The stories she heard on the news were only a fraction of the actual missions and akin to the tip of the iceberg. Jake lived every day under the surface where the rest of that massive iceberg existed with its wretched twisting of reality. Kate lived above the surface, where the darkest, most brutal missions, were sanitized from the record.
On the horizon, the carrier became a tiny pin sized dot. Jake recognized it right away and he tapped Kate on the shoulder.
The carrier. He mouthed as he pointed past her line of sight. She picked it up immediately. It grew and grew the closer the plane came.
"Prepare for landing." The pilot's voice came over the radio. They circled the carrier and a moment later they lined up with the runway. The tailhook was deployed and within the blink of an eye, they bounced down on the flight deck. The cable caught, and they slowed so rapidly that everyone felt themselves flung forward in their seats. Thank goodness for the seatbelts with cross-chest straps. They were snapped back quickly, and the plane folded its wings and taxied to its final spot on the carrier deck. Its wheels were chocked and it was chained down. The door opened and Maverick and Cyclone stepped out first. Everyone else made their way down the aisle and toward the door. Kate followed Rooster and Jake brought up the rear. The rocking of the deck was an immediate shock to Kate who had no sea legs—so to speak. She stumbled down the stairs of the plane and Rooster turned quickly to catch her before she landed on hands and knees on the tarmac flight deck. She smiled lightly as he helped her to her feet and he mouthed the word,
Okay? And gave her a thumbs up. She nodded as Jake took her elbow and steadied her. The flight deck was loud, the salty sea spray coated everything, the wind roared, and another plane landed before the group gathered their bags and were transferred below deck. The Quarter Master gave the pilots their bunk assignments, and the Public Affairs Officer then took Kate, Cyclone, and Maverick to the officers and distinguished guests quarters. Kate had a seemingly large room with a single bed, desk, chair and lamp. The closet was built in, and there was even a private sink. She didn't have a window, but it was no doubt bigger and better than what the pilots would have.
Hangman and the rest of the male pilots were bunked together in a single room. Three bunks were stacked on either side of the room and half lockers were against the back wall between the bunks. Jake picked the top bunk immediately as he entered. He hooked his bag on the edge of his bunk and cleared the plastic sheet off the paper thin mattress. He took to making the bed with the sheets in his locker. Rooster took the opposite top bunk. Payback and Fanboy jockeyed for the middle and bottom bunk, while Sandman and Martian played rock-paper-scissors for the bunk order under Hangman. B.O.B. joined a room of pilots already onboard the Ike, with one empty bunk in their quarters. Phoenix was placed in a room with two other women, one of which was a helicopter pilot, and the other was an ordinance officer. The first thing Phoenix did was figure out where Kate was staying, and when she walked onto the officers quarters deck, she felt out of place. She hurried to Kate's room and gave a quick knock on the door.
"Just a second!" came the muffled reply from behind the closed door. There was a thump and then the door opened quickly. Kate was dressed in a black t-shirt and her jeans.
"Hey! Come in!" she welcomed Phoenix in and the two women relaxed in the spacious quarters.
"You are so lucky…" Phoenix mused, "our bunks are a third this size."
"I thought I'd be rooming with you...but...I guess Admiral Simpson pulled some strings so I could be on the officer's quarters deck." Phoenix raised a brow,
"I wonder why…"
"What are you insinuating?"
"Nothing...he just seems to like having you close by…" Kate rolled her eyes,
"He-"
"Brought you flowers at the hospital after the crash...AND you've had daily meetings with him…"
"He's a colleague—technically—my boss."
"He didn't bring me flowers…" Kate shrugged,
"I don't know what to tell you...he's only ever been professional…" Phoenix nodded,
"I saw Rooster help you on the flight deck...he behaved himself...actually looked fine…"
"I know. Jake told me that they are under a truce for the mission…" Another knock on the door forced their silence,
"Who is it?" Kate called.
"You know who." Jake's voice teased. Phoenix stood,
"I'll let you two get...reacquainted…" she gave Kate a suggestive look before opening the door and stepping past Hangman,
"Behave yourselves." she warned as Jake walked in and the door shut behind him. He looked at Kate for a moment before crossing the room in one stride and taking her in his arms. With one motion, they toppled back onto the bed and his lips found hers. They were locked in a passionate embrace, when yet another knock landed on the door.
"Who is it?" Kate called out again.
"Kate, it's Admiral Simpson. I'd like you to join us for one of the mission briefings." Kate quickly slid out from under Jake, and grabbed one of the Navy provided windbreakers to throw over her casual t-shirt and jeans.
Hide! She mouthed to Jake as she waved him out of the view from the doorway. He quickly slid over by the closet and out of view. She opened the door and Admiral Simpson smiled,
"I apologize for bothering you so soon—you probably haven't had much time to settle in...we are going to have an intelligence briefing for the mission in 10 minutes in operations room 1. I figured I'd come get you and walk you there. The corridors on a carrier can be a bit confusing."
"Oh—thank you." She peeked back to Jake who waved to her that it was no big deal. She grabbed her key off the desk and locked Jake in the room. He sighed and flopped down on the bed,
"I can't wait to propose to you, Kate Norris…" he whispered to himself as he waited a few minutes before he would leave the room and head back to his own bunk.
Kate followed Cyclone down the corridors, and he wasn't wrong. The corridor numbers made hardly any sense to her. When they entered the operations room, she felt completely out of place in her jeans, t-shirt, and Navy labeled windbreaker. Cyclone led her to a seat beside Maverick and himself. The room was like a beehive, workers moving constantly, a low buzz of conversations, satellite images on screens and radar images being poured over by intelligence officers.
"You must be Dr. Norris." a middle aged naval intelligence officer walked up to Kate and extended his hand to her. She graciously shook it and stood to speak with him.
"No need to get up." he continued, although she was already standing, "I'm Commander John Whitlowe, intelligence officer for this mission. I was very impressed with the probes you and Dr. Mueller designed. You put a lot of attention to detail, and it shows."
"Thank you." Kate smiled. He, like every other man that had encountered her, was struck by how intimidatingly smart and lovely she was. She sat back down and the meeting started shortly after.
Commander Whitlowe stood at the front of the room,
"We are monitoring the sites 24/7, and as of right now, there are consistent security patrols by military units in heavily armored caravans. This won't be ideal, as they will undoubtedly alert the air defenses of our positions. As a result, we have our Seals on standby should we need to conduct a retrieval." He brought up a number of satellite images showing the facilities.
"Admiral Simpson and Captain Mitchell will be running point and have already submitted the names of the pilots flying this mission. Lieutenants: Seresin from VFA-151 "Vigilantes" will be team leader, Bradshaw from VFA-87 "Golden Warriors" as wingman, Flynn and Garcia both from VFA-2 "Bounty Hunters", Lewis and Drake from VFA-86 "Sidewinders" as second, and on reserve: Trace from VFA-41 "Black Aces", and Floyd from VFA-11 "Red Rippers"." There was a healthy amount of quiet applause from those who had flown with the squadrons named or worked on the carriers associated with them.
"Additionally, we have Dr. Kate Norris with us here and she will be monitoring the probes and the data we receive. She has been granted all clearances and you will allow her access as needed." Every eye fell on Kate, and she gave a shy smile and nod of acknowledgment.
"We have a very short window of time to conduct the mission. The planes will have to be coordinated with our high altitude surveillance, so deployment will happen in an effort to place our pilots on site for data collection between the armored patrols. This will maximize the chance that they are not detected and air defenses are not mounted fast enough to interfere with the collection window of 1 minute 30 seconds." He gestured to the diagrams on multiple screens.
"As far as assets on the ground, we have several in the facilities and nearby military installations. Many of these are Chinese nationals who have been brought into military service, they have reached agreements with the US government for protection of their families and evacuation if necessary. We have contacted a number of these assets and placed them on standby once again. This is something we regularly do, mission or no mission, to see if we have any leaks in our network." There was a low rumble of whispers that circulated around the room. This didn't sit well with Kate. They had Seals ready for extraction and assets on the ground. It almost seemed like they were expecting the worse. Cyclone leaned over to her as if he could sense her apprehension,
"This is all procedural. Every possible scenario has been explored and prepared for.", he whispered. Kate nodded. It did little to ease her worry, though. Whitlowe continued,
"We anticipate a pre-dawn launch tomorrow. Right now, everything looks good for that timeline, however we can push that back by two days if necessary. The longer we remain here in the South China Sea, however, the more attention we draw. It'd be best if we are in and out as quickly as possible. Any questions?" No one spoke.
"Good. I'll have the pilots notified of planned launch at 0400 tomorrow. We are hoping that weather conditions hold and we have a low cloud cover to give us a slight radar mask. Dr. Norris, you will need to be in OpSec by 0300. I'm sure either Captain Mitchell or Admiral Simpson can meet you at your quarters and walk you there—the corridors on carriers are notoriously confusing." A chuckle rose up from the group. Kate blushed slightly, thinking that if she had some time, she'd wander the carrier and figure them out.
"I'm told there is a nice spread for dinner tonight, they have a ham, garlic mashed potatoes, and lemon pound cake for dessert. Dr. Norris, I hope you'll join us in the officer's dining room for dinner. We'd all love to chat more with you." Kate nodded,
"Thank you. I will."
"With that—I think we'll break and reconvene at 0300 for briefings and to call the mission-go tomorrow." Everyone stood up and Maverick offered to walk Kate by the officer's dining room, then back to her quarters. As they walked down the narrow corridors they chatted lightly about the ship, the gym on board, and where the rest of the pilots were.
"It's very different for the others." Maverick said as he and Kate stepped through a fire door and then headed up a set of steps, "They have large cafeterias, buffets, they can go to the main gym, play basketball—oh! Swim calls! Those were always my favorite!"
"Swim call?"
"Yes, when the waters are calm enough—and there's no immediate threat—the CO might let the sailors jump off the carrier and into the ocean for a swim—that's a swim call. It's a long standing tradition in the Navy."
"Sounds fun!" Kate giggled sweetly.
"It is." They turned down the hall where the officer's dining room was and Maverick walked Kate in. There were a few food service sailors setting up carving stations and nice white plates with the image of the Ike gilded on the rim of the plate. The silverware was set at each place, wine glasses, a coffee station, silver platters and dessert trays.
"I don't know if I packed any clothes nice enough for this…" Kate said softly.
"We'll all be in uniform, just wear whatever you have—no one will care." Kate did pack a nice set of slacks and blouse, but that was it for nice clothes—she'd have to wear her sneakers with it. They walked back out and headed down the corridor, back down a set of steps and across a long stretch of hallway before they arrived back at Kate's room.
"Listen," Maverick began before Kate had a chance to pull out her key, "Tomorrow will be a big day for you—and Lieutenant Seresin...I'm not discouraging anything...but...you both need a good night's rest." Kate blushed with embarrassment,
"Is it that obvious?" she asked suddenly.
"Blindingly obvious…" Maverick smiled, "He reminds me of myself—so does Bradley—but, take it from me. He'll perform better tomorrow if he's well rested tonight. Dinner at 6." Kate nodded. Maverick had made his point. Jake was to be turned away if he showed up at her door tonight. There was no pre-mission excitement happening here.
"I suppose I'll head down and give the same talk to Hangman…" he excused himself and Kate stepped back into her room. Jake was not waiting for her inside her room. He must have snuck back out after she left so Cyclone wouldn't know he had been in her room. There was a certain fun in the taboo spirit of having him in her room. The military was very stern about the separation between men and women—for obvious reasons.
She looked at her watch; it was still set for San Diego time, but the clock on the wall read the correct time (4:45 pm). She adjusted her watch and pulled her khaki high-waisted trousers and ivory blouse out of the seabag. They were horribly wrinkled, but luckily, there was a small iron and pressboard in the closet. She hurried about getting everything ironed and hung up everything in her closet or put folded items in the drawers of the closet.
No sooner than she had dressed for dinner, a knock sounded on her door once more.
"Who is it?" she asked as she finished tucking in her ivory blouse. She started lacing her tan belt into the belt loops when Jake's voice came through the door,
"Your favorite Naval Aviator." She quickly opened the door and he started to step inside, she put up her arm to block him,
"Has Maverick found you?"
"No." She sighed.
"We need to behave…"
"Like we behaved on the plane?" he leaned in with a sly smile on his lips, and kissed her gently. He knew her weaknesses, but never exploited them. She pushed him back,
"We shouldn't…" she whispered.
"Kate…" he said her name softly and touched her cheek. She sighed as she looked at the clock, it was now 5:30 pm.
"I have to go to dinner with the officers…at 6." He glanced at his aviation watch. There were only a few minutes before she would have to leave anyway. He kissed her in the doorway,
"I'll walk you to the officer's dining room…" he smiled sweetly. Kate stepped back, and he followed her inside, closing the door behind him. She finished buckling her belt, slipped on her sneakers and laughed at her reflection in the mirror,
"Everything looks great—except the shoes…" she chuckled. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Their reflection in the mirror was soft and sensual. She turned to him and their lips touched. He wasn't thinking as he kissed her back. He longed for her. His hands found the buckle of her belt, the button on her trousers. She pulled back,
"Later…" she breathed as she guided his hands back to her waist.
"That's just plain torture…" he replied softly. He spun her around to face him, and he kissed her powerfully, and passionately. She glanced at the clock on the wall,
"I have to go…" she pulled back and buttoned her pants, buckled her belt. He smiled,
"Okay...I'll see you after." and with that, he took her arm in his and walked her to the officer's dining room. As she stepped inside, he watched her before the door closed. He could see her being greeted by all the officers, and introduced to the CO. She was beautiful and charming, and before the door closed completely, he saw her look back to him and smile. His heart raced. That was a smile she only gave to him. It was a sweet, yet mischievous.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant." came Cyclone's voice as he stepped into the dining room. Once more, Jake saw Kate through the closing door. Cyclone walked up to her, and his hand found the small of her back. He guided her to a seat right beside him, pulled her chair out, and as she sat, he scooted her up to the table. By all accounts, he was an officer and a gentleman. She was the only woman at the table for this meal. The conversation started out lightly, but the spotlight was glaring on Kate,
"How was the flight over here? Have you ever been on a military transport before? How was your time in San Diego? How are your quarters? Are you comfortable on the ship? Would you like a tour after dinner?" Kate was a little overwhelmed, but handled each question with graceful intelligence and wit.
"Gentlemen," Cyclone interjected after a slew of questions, "Let's not overwhelm Dr. Norris—tomorrow will be a big day." He smiled over at her and added, "She's barely been able to get a bite in between questions." Truthfully, everyone was intrigued by her, and curious to know how she would handle the pressure of the mission tomorrow. They figured she would be like most professors, eccentric and direct, but they found a very composed, almost diplomatic, educator, who could easily traverse the conversation tracks of the evening. Every one of the officers present saw that she could hold her own, and they were all impressed. She was well mannered, knew her table setting, and never once let her elbows rest on the table.
After dinner and dessert, Kate was escorted on a long tour of the ship. She was taken up to the bridge where she gazed down on the flight deck. The F/A-18 super hornet planes were all lined up perfectly along one side of the deck. The flat surface looked matte, and gritty all over, except for the catapult runs. After that, they walked her down to the gym and recreational areas, then over to the maintenance bay, the cafeteria. In the cafeteria, the pilots were eating as she walked in with the officers on the tour. Jake immediately caught her eye. He smiled at her and she smiled back as she listened to the Public Affairs Officer talk about the volume of meals made in a single day on the floating city.
"Well," the officer said abruptly, "this is the end of the tour, we'll head back to the dining room now…" Kate glanced back at Jake, and that was all he needed. He finished his meal and excused himself from the other pilots. As Kate followed the officers back to the dining room, Jake made his way toward her room.
In the dining room, most of the officers said their goodnights and left. Kate thanked the CO for a lovely meal and he commented on how honored he was to have her as his guest this evening. She started for the door when Cyclone stopped her,
"Kate? May I have a word?" They were the last two in the dining room now, excluding the food service staff who were cleaning up the dishes and busing the table. She turned back to him and he smiled,
"Would you like me to walk you back to your room?"
"Oh, no thank you—I appreciate it, Admiral-"
"Please, call me Beau."
"Well, thank you, Beau, but I've made the trip a few times today and I'm starting to get the hang of the corridor labeling." She hurried out the door, leaving the admiral surprised and confused, and she practically bolted down the long hallways until she made it to her door. She unlocked it and stepped inside. It was only a couple of minutes later that Jake knocked on her door in an all-to-familiar pattern. She opened the door and he stepped inside and closed it behind him. She was instantly in his arms. The soft glow of the lamp gave the room a gentle atmosphere. His desire for her was insatiable as he kissed her, hard. They stumbled back into the closet door. It was raw passion. He was afraid of tomorrow morning. He needed this release just as much as she did. She unzipped his flight suit and he shook his arms out of the sleeves. He unbuckled and unbuttoned her trousers, and they slid over her hips and fell to the floor. She pulled his white t-shirt off over his head and ran her hands down his bare chest. Her touch drove him wild. He nearly ripped her shirt off just trying to unbutton it, so she helped him. Their breathing was heavy, but they tried to stay quiet because of the thin, un-insulated walls. Jake pulled off his flight suit and boxer briefs. He lifted Kate up off the floor and rocked his hips against hers, pushing her back against the wall. He pulled off her panties and threw them across the room, they landed on the top of her laptop which was sitting on the desk.
"I love you, Kate…" his eyes met hers. They rocked back and forth against the wall as they made love.
"I love you, too…" she breathed. He pulled her tight against him and they fell back onto the bed. It creaked underneath them, but they didn't care. They were one, and they moved as one. Jake never wanted this moment to end. She bit her lip, trying not to cry out. He wanted her to. He wanted her to feel the ecstasy, so he kissed her, pressing his lips into hers.
"YES!" she whispered as her chest heaved up and down with every breath.
"Kate," he said softly. Her eyes locked with his, and there was an intensity in her gaze. That was all it took and they both felt the rush of pleasure. She cried out, as did he, and they both relaxed in each other's arms. After a long while, he spoke,
"Tomorrow, when I land back on deck, after the mission, I want you to be there…"
"I'll be there anyway, I have to clear the probe after the mission…"
"Perfect." he smiled at her as she rolled on top of him and kissed him,
"What are you planning in that handsome head of yours?" she teased. He kissed her again, with an overwhelming passion. He rolled over her and pressed his body against hers. They were sweaty and tired, but happy.
"We should get some sleep…" she said softly.
"We can get some sleep in a minute." and with that, he rocked his hips against hers and they made love again, with the same wild abandon as before. He never wanted to leave her side. Once they were finished, she rested her head on his chest, he ran his fingers up and down her shoulder. His mind was racing now. Part of the comfort of making love to her was that he didn't have to think, it was automatic. He felt content, and that he had a purpose—which was to protect, provide, love, and care for her. He kissed the top of her head,
"Marry me?" he asked softly. She shifted slightly in her sleep, and sighed,
"Hmm?"
"Marry me?" he asked once more. She nodded her head and replied with a sleepy tone,
"Mmm Hmmm…" His heart leapt for joy. Even if she was talking in her sleep and wouldn't remember this moment, he would remember, it was an affirmation,
"I promise, tomorrow, I'll ask you properly…" He nestled in, wrapping her up in his strong arms, and fell asleep.
Their alarms sounded at 2 am. They had slept soundly from about 8 pm to 2 am—6 hours wasn't bad. In fact, Jake felt completely refreshed, and relaxed; he was a little nervous for the mission, but not scared or worried anymore. Kate rolled out of bed first and Jake watched her as she slipped into her robe. She gathered up her shower kit and before she walked out of the door, he pulled himself out of bed and hurried to her,
"I'll see you on the flight deck before I take off, okay?" She nodded and stood on her toes to kiss him sweetly. He didn't want to let her leave, so he pulled her close to him.
"I love you." she said softly.
"I love you, too." he replied.
"Be careful out there today." She kissed him, "Just come back safely to me, alright?"
"That's the real mission—making it home to you." He smiled, and their lips met one more time before she hurried out the door and down to the ladies' officer showers and bathrooms.
He put on the rest of his clothes, zipped up his flight suit and laced his boots, then snuck back out of her room carefully, and made his way back to his bunk.
Rooster was already up and getting ready to go shower when Hangman stepped back into the quarters. The other pilots in the bunk room were slowly beginning to stir.
"We were wondering when you'd be back?" Rooster took a verbal stab at him.
"I'm here now…" Hangman replied as he changed out of his flight suit and readied his shower supplies. Payback stood up and stretched, he noticed Hangman's messy hair,
"Man, nice hair—did Kate do that?"
"A gentleman never kisses and tells…" came the curt reply. Rooster rolled his eyes and in a huff, stalked out of the bunk and toward the showers. Hangman followed shortly, carrying his towel and shower caddy.
"What's his deal?" Sandman asked as he watched the scene unfold with Rooster.
"Anytime it involves Kate...Rooster becomes a real piece of shit…" Payback whispered.
"I can't say that I blame him…" Martian commented, "We all saw that fight…"
"Yeah…" Fanboy piped up, "Hangman laid him out flat…"
"Damn...She must be...you know...for them to...you know...fight like that...over a woman…" Sandman said cautiously.
"Neither of them have said anything...which means one thing…" Payback grinned, "She's wifey material…to both of them." There was an unspoken rule about sharing intimate details: if she was short term, you'd talk about the intimacy with your guy friends, but if she was long term, you kept your mouth shut. And with that, the other pilots hurried down to the showers.