Chapter 1: Prologue/Chapter 1: Moving Day
Chapter Text
Prologue
Happy endings never elaborate on the mundane, everyday life that inevitably follows the “happy ending.” We are left to imagine that the prince and princess ride off into the sunset and no one ever clogs the palace toilet, or gets the stomach flu. There’s never a flat tire, or a burst pipe. The washing machine never over flows in the basem*nt, and the fence never needs repairs. No, everything is just perfect.
For Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and Penny Benjamin-Mitchell, the happy ending was short lived. After Pete’s great exploits in leading his team of “Dagger” pilots in the successful precision bombing of a nuclear enrichment facility belonging to a hostile nation, the Navy graciously accepted his retirement notice. Shortly after, Pete proposed to Penny and the pair were married in a beautiful beach side ceremony with an intimate reception at the bar Penny had purchased years earlier, “The Hard Deck.” In attendance were many pilots, and seamen and women who had grown fond of Pete throughout his years of service. Even Penny’s father, Retired Admiral Robert Benjamin, who had undoubtedly held a strong dislike for Pete, ever since he had taken an F-14 in the wee hours of the morning for a joy ride—with Penny in the backseat! On that day, Bob Benjamin smiled heartily as he watched his daughter finally marry the man she had loved for decades. Penny’s daughter, Amelia, served as the maid of honor, and Pete’s unofficially-adoptive son, Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, was the best man.
A short honeymoon in the Caribbean followed and when they returned home, they settled into their happily ever after routine. Pete opened an aircraft repair and restoration shop out of his personal hangar, and in the evenings, he helped Penny with The Hard Deck.
And that brings us to today, nearly two years into their marriage, Pete received a recall notice from the Navy. He was requested to once again train pilots for a nearly impossible mission. There were concerns that a hostile nation was bioengineering deadly viruses to be used as bioweapons, while simultaneously enriching uranium for its newly established nuclear arsenal. The military brazenness of this nation put its NATO neighbors on high alert. There were repeated intrusions into the airspace of neighboring countries, leading to some dangerous encounters. The USA was now having to supply weapons, jets, deterrence systems, and increase troop presences on NATO allied bases. So, the DoD decided that it was time to send a clear message.
“Penny,” he clutched the letter in his hand, “They want me back at Topgun.”
“Absolutely not.” Penny shot back, “Do you remember what happened last time?” She reminded Pete that he was shot down and had to commandeer an old F-14 from the enemy’s air field to fly back to the carrier, and land without the front landing gear, and only one engine, all the while Rooster was in the backseat.
“I know, Pen…” he handed her the letter, “They made it clear that I am in command of the team and their training, but will not be flying on the mission.” Penny nodded slowly,
“I still don’t like it, but I know I can’t stop you.” she wiped dry a pilsner glass before setting it in a plastic crate for use this evening at The Hard Deck.
“You know I miss it, Pen.” She nodded,
“I know. So, go do what you have to do, and then come home to me.” She leaned over the bar and kissed his cheek. With that, she gave him the only permission he needed. He called the Admiral in charge and agreed to train the pilots, as long as he could choose them, and as long as he would be there with them every step of the way—including on the aircraft carrier as the mission launched.
The top brass agreed and he was granted clearances and access back to Fightertown U.S.A, AKA TopGun.
Chapter 1. Moving Day
Odd as it may sound. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s return to Topgun was not the biggest buzz around Fightertown. Word on the street was that the mission had enlisted a couple of civilian contractors who came from academia. Their job was highly classified, but it was important enough that they were to be given their own laboratory in a hangar on base—with extremely restricted access.
On this particular sunny morning, Penny and Pete pulled up in their classic corvette convertible behind a U-Haul truck on the curb of a house along Ocean Street. Penny’s father had agreed to rent one of his properties near the base to a scientist who was one of the mysterious civilian contractors. All Penny knew was that her name was Dr. Kate Norris, and she was arriving today to pick up keys. The house had mostly sat empty the past year, and so Retired Admiral Benjamin had sent a U-Haul with some excess furniture from their summer house in Napa Valley. Earlier in the morning, Pete had sent a quick text to Rooster and asked him to help move the furniture in. He hadn’t heard anything and assumed the pilot was still asleep—perhaps not even asleep in his own bed.
“Have you heard anything from Rooster?” Penny instinctively asked. She always had a habit of knowing what was on Pete’s mind.
“He’ll be here.” Pete had confidence that the man he practically raised would show. And sure enough, the rumble of Rooster’s old Bronco, the same pickup that his father had driven, roared up behind their corvette (which sat behind the U-Haul).
“See.” Pete smiled at Penny. Rooster hopped out of the Bronco and saddled up to the side of the corvette,
“Hey Penny—how are you?”
“Good, Bradley. Are you ready to help us move some furniture?”
“You betcha.” He looked over at Pete, “So, who is moving in here?”
“A scientist—civilian contractor from the DoD.” Pete filled him in, “Her name is Kate Norris.”
At that moment, a Subaru Crosstrek with Illinois plates cautiously pulled up behind Rooster’s Bronco, and sat for a moment, the engine idled almost silently before the trio of Penny, Pete, and Rooster figured out that it was a hybrid. They could barely see the driver whose eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, but Penny could tell it was a woman of petite or slender build. Penny hurried up to the car and knocked on the passenger’s side window; it rolled down quickly.
“Hi, Kate? I’m Penny Mitchell—we spoke on the phone. My father is Bob Benjamin.”
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice—I just received my...orders—I guess that’s what they’re called—last week, and all the on-base housing was full. I really appreciate your help.” Kate turned off the car and hopped out quickly. She was tall, perhaps 5’9”, slender, but with gentle curves. Her hair was a soft bronzed brunette that shone in the sun, and she had pulled it back into a messy, low bun; small whisps of hair framed her face and danced in the teasing sea breeze. Her lips were the perfect shade of rosy pink, and her cheeks seemed to match. As she slid her tortoiseshell brown sunglasses onto the top of her head, her beautiful brown doe eyes sparkled, as they were framed by the perfectly arched brows—not too sharp to appear angry, and not too rounded to appear perpetually surprised. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a linen button down shirt, half tucked into the hip of her jeans. A pair of tanned leather driving shoes completed her effortlessly chic outfit—which also happened to compliment her pleasant demeanor.
Pete leaned over to Rooster,
“Pick your jaw up off the ground…” Rooster quickly closed his mouth and swallowed hard into the back of his throat as Kate approached. Penny facilitated the introductions,
“Kate, this is my husband Pete—he is retired from Naval Aviation.” Kate sweetly smiled and shook his hand,
“Nice to meet you, Pete.” she said, her voice soft, but with a necessary firmness.
“And this…” Penny turned to Rooster, “is Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw—we call him by his call sign, which is Rooster.” Kate held out her hand and Rooster firmly grasped,
“It’s--” his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, bringing back a less adolescent and more masculine tone, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kate.” As he released her hand, he nervously tousled his deep brown hair.
“You too, Rooster. Thank you for helping me move in.” And with that, Penny began directing the men,
“Pete, Rooster, can you get the U-Haul opened up. I’m going to get Kate inside and show her around.” She grabbed a bucket, mop, and a few microfiber cloths from the trunk of the Corvette before the two women walked up the front walk and onto the porch where Penny let Kate do the honors of opening the front door.
At that moment, a white Camaro sped around the corner, stopped at the tailgate of the U-Haul, and the passenger side window rolled down,
“Bradshaw! As I live and breathe--” Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin chuckled to himself; his Texan drawl hardly masked. He slid his aviator sunglasses down on the bridge of his perfectly straight nose and laughed lightly. Rooster peeked out from inside the cargo hold of the U-Haul,
“Hangman!” He hopped down and hurried over to the Camaro, “What are you doing in town?”
“I’ve been recalled to Topgun for a mission.” The two men briefly clasped hands through the open passenger’s window.
“Looks like we might be recalled for the same mission.”
“When did you get in?” Hangman asked.
“Tuesday.” Rooster replied, insinuating he had been in town three days prior, as today was Friday.
“I just got in last night. I didn’t see you at The Hard Deck!” he mused.
“I called it an early night last night.”
“I better see you there tonight,” Hangman pushed his aviator sunglasses back into place over his icy blue eyes, “There are lots of lonely gals looking for Navy husbands!” He laughed before slamming his foot into the accelerator and zooming away with squealing tires.
Kate and Penny re-emerged from the house, and all appearances indicated a happy tenant as Kate beamed and spoke highly of the charming interior. Penny hurried over to the back of the U-Haul and Kate started for her Subaru to begin unloading suitcases from the trunk.
“Rooster?” Penny began, with a slight twinkle in her eye, “Why don’t you help Kate with her suitcases?”
“Are you sure? I thought I was supposed to do the heavy lifting? Like couches...and dining room table...”
“Yes, you will, but I think you might want to get to know Kate.” Rooster nodded and hopped down from the back of the U-Haul. Pete watched Penny’s smile of satisfaction spread across her face, as she watched Rooster hurry up to Kate and help her pull a heavy suitcase from the back end of her little SUV.
“Subtle.” Pete hinted with a distinct overtone of sarcasm.
“I like her, Pete. She’s very sweet, and incredibly smart. Did you know she has a PhD from Harvard? In Biosystems Engineering and Bioinformatics—whatever that is.”
“So, you are trying to set Rooster up with her?”
“She’s single, a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago, she told me she wanted an adventure and that’s why she jumped at the DoD’s offer to be a civilian contractor for the Navy.”
“You know, he’s like my son…”
“I know you are protective of him—but he needs someone like her—not another month-long drama with one of the girls who hangs out at The Hard Deck, hoping for a Navy husband.”
“Huh...you know...I remember an admiral’s daughter who hung out at The Hard Deck, hoping to be a--”
“Don’t you dare say it, Pete!” Penny threw a playful punch his way. He threw up his hands in surrender.
Inside the house, Rooster was rolling one of the massive suitcases into the master bedroom; Kate followed with a pair of duffle bags. The room was incredibly large with a beautiful marble tiled bathroom, that had been recently updated, just next to the massive walk-in closet with built in fixtures. But despite all that, it was empty, save a single Persian style rug that took up most of the hardwood floor. Soft ivory sheer drapes hung over the windows, casting a warm glow across the room, but still affording some privacy.
“Do you want me to just roll this into the closet?” Rooster asked.
“Sure.” Kate smiled as she set down the pair of duffle bags against the wall.
“So,” Rooster emerged from placing the suitcase in the closet, “what do you do when you’re not contracting for the Navy?”
“I’m a professor at Northwestern University.” She smiled.
“Oh, wow--” He suddenly felt incredibly intimidated, this was an emotion he hadn’t felt in this capacity before. Women didn’t usually make him feel this vulnerable.
“Penny tells me you pilot the F-18?” her voice brought him back from the dark emotional space he was creeping into.
“Yeah. Not quite as impressive as being a professor.” They sauntered back toward the bedroom door.
“I disagree.” She said softly, “I think it’s very impressive to be a pilot for the Navy. In fact, I might have to pick your brain about the F-18 and its airframe stability sometime.”
“Really?” he lit up, “I suppose I could be a professor for F-18 101: Basic piloting.” They both found themselves standing in the door frame of the master bedroom,
“Hey, um…” Rooster rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Some of the other pilots and I are going to Penny and Pete’s bar, The Hard Deck, tonight. You should come.” She stepped past him and into the short hallway,
“I don’t want to commit myself in case I can’t make it, but I have a meeting this afternoon with some of the Pacific Fleet’s top brass. I hate to admit, I don’t know them, or their ranks. But, myself and the other civilian contractor will be there, and I don’t know how long of a meeting it will be.”
“We usually close the place down.” He followed her down the hallway and out the front door, onto the porch, “So you could show up at any time and we’d be there. I can guarantee it.”
“Alright.” Her smile could unlock any door, it was bright and warm, and inviting, “I’ll stop by after the meeting.”
Pete and Penny watched the pair trot down the porch steps and back to the little SUV to unload the last two suitcases and a handful of boxes. Rooster nearly couldn’t lift one of the bigger suitcases,
“What do you have in here? Bricks?”
“Close. Computers.” She replied, “Here, I can help you.” He struggled,
“Did you load this into your car? By yourself?” He panted, clearly having a hard time maneuvering the case out of the back end.
“I did.” she grasped hold of the side handle and helped him lift it up and out of the trunk space. He was again, incredibly intimidated, but this time, more impressed. She was an enigma, smart, sweet, gorgeous, and strong—with a side of wit, too. They each loaded their arms up with fodder to unpack later and made their way into the house.
Pete and Penny pulled a few dining room chairs and kitchen island stools out from the U-Haul, and slowly made their way into the house with the items. Pete started scooting the stools in under the overhang of the kitchen island, making a ruckus. Penny abruptly shushed him,
Be quiet, she mouthed to him, I want to hear what they are saying! She snuck closer to the hallway to eavesdrop on their conversation in the master bedroom.
“...I have a younger brother.” Kate said, “He works in DC.” She hinted at the nation’s capital.
“Wow, you have a high achieving family.” Rooster’s voice spoke up.
“What about you? Your parents or siblings live nearby?”
“Both of my parents have passed. My dad was in the Navy. He was Maverick--Pete’s back seat in the F-14. There was an accident, and Pete survived, my dad didn’t. Pete basically raised me—we’ve had our issues, but things are good now. My mom died of cancer a while back. And my stepsister and her family live in Huntington Beach.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“No, no—I didn’t mean to be a downer. I’m still close with Nora, my stepsister, and my nieces and nephews. Her husband is a real estate agent for multimillion dollar homes, so they are set for life.” He laughed, “They always have wild Christmas presents.”
There was a loud thud, and a zipper pulling apart.
“You weren’t kidding!” Rooster crowed, “How many computers do you have in there?”
“Four, and two small servers—I really dominate in Minecraft.” She joked in reply. Rooster whistled,
“You’re a computer nerd!”
“Guilty!” The pair laughed.
Penny tiptoed back to Pete in the kitchen, beaming. By now, Pete had quietly set out all the island stools, and brought in another load of dining table chairs, as well as all the materials for the canopy bedframe that wreaked of Pottery Barn, and the bedside tables.
“Can I interrupt them?” He asked Penny, “I need Rooster to help me with the couch, tv and console table—well, basically everything but the five lamps I left for you.”
By the time lunch rolled around, Penny sent Pete to pick up some sub sandwiches from the deli just down the road, and she and Kate worked on getting the dining table and chairs into position so they could all eat. The couch had been moved in, the bedframe, mattress and box spring assembled and put into place in the master bedroom. The tv was connected to the cable and it was beginning to feel like a home that Kate could occupy for the duration of her 12-month contract with the Navy. Penny’s father had also sent several pots, pans, baking sheets, and odd kitchen appliances along in some boxes that Pete had discovered behind the couch in the U-Haul.
Rooster emerged from the bedroom with a screwdriver and announced that he had fixed the dangling light fixture over the bathroom vanity and it was now fully secured. He and Kate pulled the disassembled futon from the back of her little SUV and reassembled that in the guest room. Penny eagerly listened to their lighthearted conversations from just outside the door.
They swept the garage, and stowed any bins, boxes, or other packing materials in the spacious attached 2 car garage. Around then, Pete returned with three different options for sub sandwiches: Turkey and cheese, Roast beef, and Salami. Penny and Kate found and rinsed off some plates, cut the sandwiches in half, poured some glasses of chilled lemonade, and everyone sat down to eat. Rooster sat right next to Kate; their chairs were nearly touching they were so close. Pete looked over to Penny, who was quite proud of herself and her matchmaking progress, as they all ate and chatted about the coming Monday. All three, Pete, Rooster, and Kate were going to report to base for briefings and endless meetings. Despite the constant flow of conversation, Penny noticed, Rooster couldn’t take his eyes off Kate.
After cleaning up the table, Pete and Rooster finished assembling an IKEA desk and bookcase in the guest room/office, and Kate and Penny dusted, vacuumed, swept, and mopped. The house had been in rather good shape, despite sitting empty for over a year. Around 1:30 in the afternoon, Kate announced she needed to prepare for her 3:00 meeting up at the base. She wanted to be early to avoid delays with her credential processing. Penny and Pete excused themselves and left, and Rooster lingered a moment after,
“I hope you’ll make it tonight.” He reminded her that The Hard Deck invitation still stood.
“I’m going to try. Like I said, I don’t know how late the meeting will go, and I have so much to unpack still.”
“I’ll be there all night anyway.” She walked him out onto the front porch. The afternoon glow only served to make her skin seem to glitter with a soft sun kissed tan. Rooster handed her a small piece of paper,
“My number…” he said, “In case you ever need anything.”
“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly, “You may regret having given me this.” She waved the paper back and forth before sliding it gingerly into her back jean pocket.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.” he quoted the Toby Macguire Spiderman line. They both chuckled before he trotted down the front steps and hopped into his Bronco. With a loud rumble, the Bronco started up and Rooster, giving one more wave to Kate on the front porch of her new temporary home, drove off down Ocean Street.
The meeting on base was delayed almost an hour as one of the Admirals (Rear Admiral Cain) was a late arrival. Kate had no trouble getting her base credentials, keys, ID badges, and laboratory door codes, despite her worries. The list of items she had provided to the DoD contact had been procured, and a stack of boxes sat in her empty lab; some boxes were neatly stacked on tables, others stacked on the floor. The Navy had built a smaller clean-lab inside of one of the teaching hangars on base. It was a temporary solution, but surprisingly well undertaken. The floor had been epoxied inside of the clean lab, which looked more like a small glass shipping container that sat within the main laboratory. Kate had been given the tour by one of the Admiral’s aides to pass the time. When they returned to the conference room, she was greeted by the other civilian contractor: Dr. Johann (Hans) Mueller. Dr. Mueller was an MIT researcher in nuclear physics and in particular, long-range detection of nuclear signatures. His work was of particular interest to the military and despite his young age, he had already served twice as a civilian contractor for the DoD.
“Dr. Norris!” he leapt up from his seat and closed the distance between them instantaneously. Beaming, he grasped her hand and shook vigorously.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Mueller.” Kate maintained her composure. She was dressed in, what she considered to be, a typical lecture day outfit; a pair of high waist, wide leg trousers in navy blue, and a crisp, white, satin blouse with a bow tied at the neck. She wore her hair in a low bun once again, and carried a clean cream-colored leather tote bag with a long strap. Her shoes had a modest heel—only a couple of inches—but that raised her above Dr. Mueller by a good 4-5 inches. He must not have been much over 5’7” or so.
At that moment, the door opened behind them, and in filed a line of Admirals, dressed in the Navy’s tan uniform. Admiral Simpson, head of the Pacific Fleet’s Naval Aviation, with his rugged good looks and icy stare, led the procession in. Following, were Admiral Bates and Rear Admiral Cain, and a handful of aides and other uniformed personnel.
“Drs. Mueller and Norris, please,” Adm. Simpson gestured to two empty seats, “have a seat.”
Kate and Hans graciously sat at the solid cherry wood table and turned their attention to the projector screen.
“As you know,” Adm. Simpson continued, “we have contracted with you due to your individual fields of expertise. It goes without saying, that the information presented to you is highly classified in nature and should not be discussed with anyone outside of this room. We have a rule in the Navy when dealing with classified information, unless the other person brings it up, you don’t talk about classified information.” A low chuckle rose from the room, at the mention of is old adage; it essentially ensured that no one would ever bring up classified information.
“We expect you to complete all classified document and information training this coming week when you report. Don’t be too anxious to hit the ground running, this is the US Navy, we are in fact a governmental entity, and as such, nothing moves quickly until it absolutely has to.” Another chuckle worked its way through the room.
“You each have allotted budgets, which will be discussed with you individually when we meet next week. Now,” he turned his attention to the projector screen, “Why you are here.” The screen illuminated with several satellite images.
“These were taken within the last 48 hours. The images on the left depict a suspected bioweapons facility and the right, a uranium enrichment facility. Both are housed in a hostile nation state, and our NATO allies have been begging for intervention. We cannot officially intervene without the threat of all-out war—which we do not want. The military capabilities of this nation are undoubtedly advanced and would give us a run for our money. So, we are going to deploy aircraft mounted probes to gather as much information about the area as possible—this is where you come in. You both have devised successful means of detecting and testing for specific biological or nuclear components, we need you to turn that technology into a probe that can be mounted and deployed from an F-18 jet.” He advanced the projector slide to show the schematics of the F-18.
“This will not be an easy task, and we have pilots on base training for the flight portion of the mission starting this coming week. They will train for as long as it takes for you to develop this probe, but your contracts expire in a year. We do expect to have the mission completed well in advance before then. In fact, I have devised a seven-month timeline for completion. As of now, we have high altitude surveillance aircraft and satellite monitoring the sites.” He continued,
“We will work with you to get you the information and materials where we can and as we can, but this will be a career defining task we have given you.”
After the meeting ended, Adm. Simpson dismissed everyone but Kate and Hans. He sat opposite the two PhDs, his reflection gleaming on the polished cherry wood table.
“I think it goes without saying, you have a hefty task to bear. If you need anything at all, please come directly to me.”
“Of course, Admiral.” Hans spoke through a noticeable German accent, “We truly appreciate this opportunity and hope we can serve the Navy proudly.” As the MIT scientist spoke, Adm. Simpson didn’t take his eyes from Kate. Although, she watched Hans intently. She was truly not what he had expected. In truth, he figured Dr. Norris was a man. He didn’t consider himself to be a misogynist or anti-feminist, but he was surprised to see her sitting there, so accomplished, so confident, so smart, and such a classic beauty. Adm. Beau Simpson had never married, he never had time for that as a Naval Aviator, and as Kate’s deep brown eyes met his, he drew in his breath sharply, thinking to himself, get real, Beau, she’s probably 20 years your junior. He was in his mid-upper 50s, Kate was in her mid-upper 30s. He tapped his knuckles on the table,
“As I said, if you need anything—see me. You are dismissed--” he stopped abruptly, realizing he was addressing civilians, who probably had no idea how military commands were issued, “my apologies—habit--we are finished here, and my aides will give you a tour of your laboratory facilities. We just had them constructed inside of the teaching and briefing hangar. Your ID badges will give you access to the main building, your laboratories, and two of the hangars.” Kate thanked him and quickly made her exit. He watched her slender figure disappear through the doorway, and he struck the thoughts from his mind, promising that any contact was to be of the utmost professional in every way. She was now a colleague. Hans lingered a moment after,
“I want to thank you again, Admiral Simpson, for this opportunity.”
“You can thank me by completing the task at hand, to the success of the mission we are approaching.” Hans nodded and slinked out of the room leaving the admiral to his own devices.
In her laboratory, Kate took the time to set up her computers, servers, microscopes, 3D printers, and consumables (nitrile gloves, ½ face respirators, etc.). It was a long process, and she couldn’t bring any of the computers online until the Navy’s IT-security crew came in and set everything up on a secure network. Who knew when that would be, hopefully sooner rather than later. There wasn’t a single piece of laboratory equipment that she had to want for. It had all been provided to her. Hans walked in with one of Adm. Simpson’s aides and marveled at how quickly Kate had set up her side of the laboratory. They did share one wall between the constructed labs within the hangar.
“You work quickly, Dr. Norris.”
“I do, Hans.” she mused, “I like to hit the ground running.”
“Say, I was wondering, after we finish here this evening, would you like to get a coffee with me?” He asked, his voice tried to insinuate that it was a nonchalant, friends only, coffee klatch; but his eyes said he had other intentions.
“That’s very sweet, Hans, but I promised a friend I’d meet him at The Hard Deck after I finish up here. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you came along?” she suggested.
“I would be delighted!” Hans beamed.
At 10:30 that evening, Kate and Hans pulled into The Hard Deck’s parking lot. There were hardly any spaces, it was so packed. The Crosstrek squeezed between two lifted Chevy trucks, and Kate and Hans stepped out. Neither had changed their meeting clothes, and so Kate looked the part of professor, and Hans—well, Hans wore a pair of khaki slacks, wing tip leather loafers, a white polo shirt and a navy blue cardigan over top. His outfit screamed “Mr. Rogers,” but it also had all the familiarity of a private school uniform. They hurried toward the packed entrance. Navy personnel stood outside, smoking and drinking. Kate and Hans had to carefully weave past them all. More than once, Hans was asked if his callsign was “Mr. Rogers.”
Inside, Rooster was engaged in an intense game of pool with Hangman. The two were nearly finished and it was a close game. Watching the game were, Lieutenants Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, Bob “B.O.B.” Floyd, Reuben “Payback” Fitch, Mick “Fanboy” Garcia, Neil “Omaha” Vikander, Javy “Coyote” Machado, Brigham “Harvard” Lennox, and Logan “Yale” Lee. Everyone had been drinking heavily, and as long as there was beer in their bottles, and a good song on the juke box, no one had cause to be upset.
“8 ball, Left corner pocket.” Hangman called his ball. As he bent down to line up his shot, he froze and looked up. Entering the bar, squeezing through the sea of Navy personnel, in walked the most beautiful, classy woman he had ever seen. She wore a pair of navy slacks, an ivory satin shirt with a tied bow at the neck, she had rolled up the sleeves to mid forearm. Her lips and cheeks were a soft pink, her long wavy hair loose and flowing around her flawless face. Her eyes were a deep brown, but they sparkled like the starry sky. She was tall, slender—in truth, she could have been a Vogue model for all he knew.
Hangman stood up straight and leaned on his pool cue. He couldn’t help but stare at her as she looked around the bar, clearly looking for someone, as a short man that looked like Mr. Rogers trailed behind. She headed straight for the big oak bar where Penny stood, taking orders and filling glasses. The two women spoke like old friends.
“Hangman.” Rooster gestured to the pool table, wanting the game to complete. Hangman leaned his cue against the edge of the table and stepped back,
“My, my, you win, Rooster.” And he hurriedly made his way through the sea of sailors toward his mystery woman at the bar. He cut in front of a few ever-agitated sailors wanting their drink orders heard, and he leaned on the bar beside the woman.
“Good evening, Miss.” He said, his Texan drawl barely cutting through the noise. The woman was pulling her wallet out from her cream-colored leather tote and he gently placed a hand on the bar in front of her,
“Would you let me buy your drinks this evening?” he asked. She turned to face him, and he was stuck once more by her flawless features. Her lips formed a gentle pink smile.
Rooster watched from afar and immediately realized the identity of the woman Hangman was transfixed by. It was Kate! He dropped his pool cue and bolted for the bar. All night he had been glancing across the bar, waiting for Kate to arrive, and now that she was here, Hangman—of all people—was chatting her up at the bar.
“If you insist.” Kate stepped aside and Hangman promptly pulled his wallet out, and slapped a $20 bill on the bar. He was handsome, with sandy blonde hair, a perfect tan, and icy blue-green eyes.
“Penny, my dear, please keep the change.” Penny nodded and glanced over at Kate. Hangman was certainly charming, and Penny dreaded that all her hard matchmaking work from this morning might be all for naught. Penny placed two beers on the bar and Kate slid one over to Hans.
Hangman leaned in close to Kate and asked,
“Is Mr. Rogers here your boyfriend?” Kate shook her head,
“No, we work together.” All the while Hans looked oblivious and amused by the atmosphere.
“Where are my manners!” Hangman quickly introduced himself, “I’m Jake.” He held out his hand, and she warmly shook it,
“Kate.” She replied with a welcoming smile. Her hands were soft, but she had a firm handshake.
“Since you’re at The Hard Deck, I’m assuming you’re Navy?” She asked.
“Naval Aviator.” He replied, “And since you’re at The Hard Deck, I’m going to assume, you also have something to do with the Navy as well?”
“Civilian contractor for the DoD.” He nodded in approval,
“Would you and Mr. Rogers care to join my friends and I over by the pool tables and darts?” Rooster finally pushed his way up to the bar, only to find that Hangman, Kate, and Mr. Rogers were making their way back over to the pool tables. Penny beckoned Rooster up to the bar,
“What happened?! I thought you invited her here tonight! What is she doing with Hangman?”
“I didn’t see her come in—he did—my back was to the door.”
“Aren’t you a fighter pilot?!” Penny hissed, “Don’t you have 20/20 vision?!” Rooster rolled his eyes and shrugged. Penny slammed a tequila shot on the bar,
“Liquid courage, now go get her back!” Rooster slammed the shot, grimaced, and hurried back through the growing crowd around the bar.
The pilots were intrigued by Hans and Kate when Hangman brought them over. The naval aviators were an exclusive club amongst the bar scene at The Hard Deck. They occupied the farthest, most exclusive corner of the bar. No one stepped foot over there unless invited. After introductions, Phoenix asked if Hans and Kate were doing anything related to the special mission the crew of aviators assembled at the bar was recalled for. Of course, the first rule of classified information was to not talk about classified information. It was very Fight Club-esque in nature.
Rooster finally made his way back up to the pool deck and walked straight over to Kate,
“You made it.” his breathing was heavy from pushing his way through nearly every sailor on shore leave tonight just to get to her. Kate instantly brightened up,
“Rooster!”
“You two know each other?” Hangman questioned.
“I helped her move into her house today.” Rooster shot back. The tension between the two men was now plain as day. Their friendship had always been a rocky one, but things had taken a turn for the better after Hangman saved Rooster and Maverick’s lives by shooting down a hostile fifth generation fighter during a previous mission.
“Boys, boys, boys!” Phoenix stepped between them, “Let’s calm down. You still have a pool game to finish.” She ushered them back to the pool table, and although neither wanted to leave Kate’s side, they agreed. There was no denying that every man in the bar saw Kate and melted. She was so different from any woman that frequented the bar. She was an Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly.
Rooster wound up losing the pool game, and after that, Phoenix suggested a “girls versus guys” team pool game. Kate and Phoenix formed the girls’ team, and Rooster and Hangman, the guys.
“I’ll rack them and, Kate, you break.” Rooster said as he locked eyes with her. His heart began to race. She moved over beside him and he could feel her arm gently brush past his. Kate eyed the freshly racked pool balls and chalked the tip of her cue. She lined up the shot and with expert precision, sent the cue ball slamming into the stack. The balls began spinning out, with some landing in the pockets around the edge. When everything stopped moving, there were only three balls left on the table: the 8 ball, cue ball, and one striped 7 ball.
“Holy sh*t!” Phoenix beamed, “I knew I liked her!”
“I should have put money on this game.” Harvard said as he took another swig from his bottle.
“8 ball, right corner pocket.” Kate lined up the shot and sent the cue ball directly into the 8 ball, which spun sideways into the right corner pocket.
“You’re a pool shark!” Hangman delighted. Their eyes met and she shyly smiled back. He walked over to her,
“You didn’t mention you were good at pool.” he said softly. She leaned in to hear him better, but responded,
“College was an interesting time for me.” Her smile became somewhat mischievous, as she insinuated a wilder side to her past.
“I think you might have to give me lessons.” He breathed in her ear.
“It’ll cost you.” she replied. Rooster didn’t like how close Hangman and Kate stood; he immediately announced a new round of pool, this time Phoenix and Hangman would take on Kate and himself.
As the new game ran its course, Rooster could tell Kate was holding back. Hangman kept his eye on her and behaved like a good Southern Boy, but he was obviously enamored. Eventually, Kate and Rooster dominated the pool game,
“It feels so good to win!” Rooster beamed as he nudged Kate with his elbow.
“It does, doesn’t it?!” She smiled back.
Once midnight came and went, Hans sauntered over to ask if Kate was sober enough to drive him back to base or if he should call an Uber. Although Kate had only had one beer all night, and was stone sober, it was decided he would call an Uber given that Kate wanted to stay a little longer and he was ready to go now. Hans left a little while after that. Slowly, the pilots began to depart. Harvard, Yale, Omaha, and Coyote, left; followed by Bob, Phoenix, and Fanboy. Payback, Rooster, and Hangman remained. Kate gathered her tote bag, and stood up from the table they were all occupying.
“I think I had better get going too.” She thanked everyone for the fun evening and started for the door. Hangman and Rooster hurried after her. Both pilots walked her out to her Crosstrek.
“We need to make it a point to cross paths again.” Hangman said as he leaned on back door of her little SUV.
“We all should.” She looked over to Rooster. He seemed distraught. She took a step toward him,
“Rooster?” Hearing her say his name, his heart raced,
“What’s up?”
“Thank you again for all of your help today.” With that, she smiled sweetly, slid into the driver’s seat, and was gone before either pilot could think of anything to say to the other. They watched her taillights disappear behind a low hill, headed toward town. Rooster and Hangman turned back to each other; it was painfully obvious that they had those initial feelings for her, and the tension between them was thick enough that a machete couldn’t even cut through.
Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Future Navy Wives Association
Chapter Text
Chapter 2. Future Navy Wives Association
Saturday morning found Pete and Penny back at The Hard Deck, cleaning and preparing for the 5 pm rush. Amelia, Penny’s daughter from her first marriage, sat at the bar eating some pancakes with a glass of fresh orange juice. She had a few school books with her, and was dutifully finishing up her homework in exchange for a day at the mall with her friends.
“Pete, you should have seen him! He was sidelined by Hangman!” Penny followed Pete through the staff doors and into the bar.
“Pen, Rooster can handle himself. He sent me a text this morning and said he was going to stop by Kate’s house and see if she needed any help unpacking boxes.” Pete stepped behind the bar and started drying the glasses the came fresh out of the washer.
“You didn’t see his face, Pete.” Penny insisted, recalling how Hangman shamelessly flirted with Kate last night, and how Rooster looked dejected and, at times, furious. As much as Pete knew the history between Rooster and Hangman, and how it was a messy history, he also knew Rooster was resourceful and had a heart of gold.
“Not to play on puns, but Penny, Hangman will wind up in the noose eventually. He is not the type to settle down.”
“Neither were you.” Penny shot back with a raised brow.
“Fair.” Pete set his drying cloth on the bar, “What can any of us do? Rooster is a grown man; he can fight his own battles.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Penny’s eyes found Pete’s, “All is fair in love and war.”
“I don’t get the impression that Kate is the type to find Hangman’s flaky behavior an attractive quality. He will find success with the women that frequent this establishment…” Pete trailed off.
“Oh, you mean the women who can’t match their foundation to their fake tans and have imitation Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags. They always wear tops that are too low cut and seem like they were plucked from the time period between 2007 and 2012.” Penny giggled.
At that same moment in time, Rooster found himself walking up the front walk to Kate’s home on Ocean Street. He trotted up the steps and onto the covered porch where the porch swing was gently swaying in the cool ocean breeze.
“Come on, Rooster.” he told himself, “just ring the doorbell. Man up.” He reached forward and pressed his index finger into the tiny round button. The classic ding-dong rang through the house, but there were no footsteps indicating that Kate was even home. He slid over to the front window that bordered the porch and the living room/dining room. No one was inside, but Kate’s cream-colored leather tote was sitting on the edge of the couch.
He decided to knock, gently. As soon as he finished rapping his knuckles against the wooden door, he heard soft footsteps coming up the walk behind him. He turned to see Kate, clearly coming back from an early morning run. She wore a sports bra, long leggings, and a Chicago Blackhawk’s baseball cap on her head. Her hair was pulled into a long ponytail that hung down her back. Her skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat.
She was staring down at her phone with a pair of earbuds in her ears. Rooster stepped sideways and waved. At first, she looked surprised, but lit up with a beaming smile,
“Hey! Rooster!” She hurried up the porch steps, “I’m sorry we didn’t get to speak much last night.” She pulled the earbuds from her ears and unlocked the front door, “Come on in.” He happily followed her inside.
“I didn’t realize you’re such an early riser.” He mused, “I just stopped by to see if you needed any more help unpacking.” He eyed a stack of boxes on the kitchen island and beside the hallway.
“You must be a mind reader.” she smiled, “I still have a lot of boxes to get through.”
“Well, put me to work.” He laughed.
The pair worked through box after box and around 10 am—what seemed like half the day had passed, but in reality, it was only a couple of hours, the doorbell rang once again. Kate slowly maneuvered to get up, but Rooster insisted,
“You stay—I’ll grab the door.” He knew she had been intently sorting small kitchen items (measuring spoons and cups, a turkey baster, etc.), and he didn’t want her to lose that laser focus—no doubt a trait that made her a world class researcher. Hopping to his feet he moved to the door and opened it. Staring back at him, with a bouquet of beautiful flowers—Hangman.
“Well, these are not for you, Rooster.” Hangman jeered, “Is the lovely Kate here?” As Hangman moved to step into the house, Rooster blocked his rival’s entry with his arm,
“Why are you here?” Rooster grumbled under his breath. Hangman smiled,
“Same reason you are, it seems.” In an instant, Kate seemed to materialize at the door,
“Jake!” she beamed, “What are you doing here?” He thrust the flowers past Rooster and into her hands,
“Looks like Rooster and I had the same idea this morning—do you want any help unpacking?”
“Many hands make light the work.” she quoted, “Thank you for the flowers—they are gorgeous.” Rooster rolled his eyes and moved out of the way, letting Hangman step into the house. Kate hurried over to the kitchen sink and filled the basin with a bit of water. She took the flowers out of the paper wrap and placed the stems in the water, filled a vase with some water, then proceeded to cut the stems under the water.
Rooster immediately remembered that his mother, Carol Bradshaw, used to cut the flowers that way.
“That is the most interesting way of putting flowers in a vase.” Hangman mused. Before Kate could reply, Rooster interjected,
“It keeps air bubbles from getting in the stem and killing the flowers.”
“I never knew that.” Hangman said as he leaned over the sink to watch Kate meticulously cut each individual stem and quickly transfer it to the vase. Rooster’s attitude changed to one of solemn remembrance as he thought of his mother. Kate took notice,
“Rooster?” she asked, snapping him back into reality, “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, sorry.” He pulled another box from the stack and opened it up, “Just lost in thought.” Kate placed the vase of flowers on the center of the kitchen island and the trio continued unpacking kitchen boxes.
“This is a lot of work for temporary housing.” Kate mumbled.
“Maybe it won’t turn out to be temporary.” Hangman said as he dropped a potato masher into the ‘odds and ends’ drawer. Every kitchen had a drawer where all the odd shaped, rarely used, but necessary tools were kept. This drawer never seemed to open without something catching it, for which one had to squeeze their hand in a narrow slit between drawer and cabinet frame to haphazardly dislodge it, thus opening the drawer.
“What do you mean?” Kate asked. Her voice was sincere, as if she wondered why he thought she’d stick around past her contract, or maybe he thought she loved the house enough to buy it from Bob Benjamin.
“I just think you never know what is around the bend—you never know where you’ll be a year from now.” Hangman spoke gently. Rooster let out his breath, exasperated by Hangman’s attempts.
“Well, I do have to return to my position at Northwestern.” She reminded, “I was granted a yearlong sabbatical for this contractor position. And the university requires that I remain employed there for 2 years following the sabbatical.”
“So, you mean to tell me that you really can tell me where you’ll be one year from now.” Hangman laughed lightly.
“What about the two of you? Have you ever considered what you’ll do if or when flying is no longer an option?” She asked the pilots.
“I think I’ll aim for a senior officer position.” Hangman said.
“I want to teach for Topgun.” Rooster replied.
“And lest we forget, Rooster—we can also choose a partner from the FNWA, get married, have a herd of kids!”
“The what?” Kate asked. Rooster chuckled,
“It stands for the Future Navy Wives Association.”
“Is that a real thing?” Kate was confused, very confused.
“Penny nicknamed a certain group of women who frequent The Hard Deck and they are all after one thing--”
“Navy husbands!” Hangman nearly choked on his laughter. Rooster spoke up,
“Don’t get me wrong—I’ve gone out with a few—they are lovely women, but they are absolutely desperate to get married.” Kate’s face was painted with shock. Her jaw dropped and her left eyebrow raised,
“You dated them?” Rooster felt his stomach sink. He immediately wished he could take it back. Why had he admitted that?
“Only a few. Very short relationships. I knew right away they were only wanting marriage…”
“And you don’t want to get married?” Kate seemed just as surprised. Hangman sat back and enjoyed watching Rooster dig himself deeper and deeper into an imaginary hole.
“Well, someday, yes. But I’m in a very good place, career wise…”
“Stop while you’re ahead.” Hangman whispered. There was a long period of silence following that. All three looked back and forth at each other and at the floor. After a sufficiently awkward time, Kate finally spoke,
“So, what exactly are these FNWA ladies like? I need to know so I don’t accidentally get mistaken as one when I’m at The Hard Deck.” The pilots laughed and the tension cleared from the room.
“Well,” Rooster began, “Since I’m the expert, let me tell you...they are easily identifiable by one major characteristic--”
“FAKE TAN!” Hangman blurted. The trio erupted into laughter.
“Oh, and they all wear the same things, patterned V-neck shirts that are too tight and cut too low.” Rooster added.
“What was that one’s name? Brittney? Bethany?” Hangman tried hard to remember Rooster’s most recent exploits.
“BETHANY!” Rooster burst, “She was something else.”
“I remember,” Hangman recalled, he turned his body directly to address Kate, “We were all playing darts and Rooster here was sitting in a chair, waiting for his turn—this woman walks up to him and just sits on his lap!” He mimicked the event, and continued, “Then—as if that wasn’t bad enough—she told Rooster she’d give him a--”
“Okay, Hangman, that’s enough.” Rooster uncomfortably pushed back.
“I was just going to say, she was offering you a ride back to the barracks.” It was clear to Kate, that that was not the accurate portrayal of the story.
“Melissa was the worst.” Rooster quickly tried to change the subject.
“She stole your flight jacket!” Hangman barked, “That is an unforgivable sin.”
“Flight jacket?” Kate asked.
“The green ones with the patches.” Rooster informed Kate by pulling up a picture of his jacket on his phone.
“Did you get it back?”
“I did. But Pete had to send the MP’s after her because she had snuck onto base and taken it out of my locker.”
“She snuck onto base!?” Kate was floored by that, “Is she in jail now?”
“Actually…” Hangman chuckled, “She is.”
“She was arrested for theft of materials from a military installation.” Rooster filled in the details, “Needless to say, she and I didn’t work out.”
“Sounds like you are batting at zero.” Kate giggled lightly, teasing Rooster somewhat.
“For now…” Rooster’s eyes met Kate’s before she shyly glanced away; she was so captivating. Even having come back from an early morning run on this day, to meet him at the door and let him help her unpack boxes of kitchen trinkets. She didn’t know anyone, she was new to the area, but she was kind, and—he wagered—somewhat lonely. Perhaps that was why she had been so willing to include he and Hangman. Moving to a new place, halfway across the country, to take a job that was filled with high expectations and little guidance—she was a remarkable person.
“So…” Hangman began, “What’s your story, Kate? You move all the way across the country, basically, to work for the Navy? Who broke your heart?” He teased.
“Funny you should say that…” she became very quiet, “I did end a long-term relationship.” She didn’t seem very willing to share more details, but Rooster wanted to know,
“What happened?”
“That’s a story for when I’ve known you both longer than a day or so.” She climbed to her feet and took the last of the kitchen trinkets to the odds-and-ends drawer. Hangman and Rooster exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected her to shut them down so effortlessly.
“Well,” she said with a gentle smile, “I do have a lot of work to do in preparation for Monday. I suppose I’ll see you both on base sometime.” Rooster and Hangman knew their welcome had been worn out. They respectfully made their way out the front door and watched Kate close the door behind them.
“Way to go, dingus.” Hangman hissed.
“What? Me?! I wasn’t the one bringing up her broken heart!”
“But you asked what happened!”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Maybe next time, you shut up, let her volunteer the information.” They both got in their vehicles and drove off toward base.
Kate had watched them bicker from her spot in the front room. She had a strange feeling about the two of them; a feeling she couldn’t quite describe. Was she attracted to both of them? She barely knew them! No. This had to be a rebound syndrome. In truth, Kate had been in a long-term relationship—4 years—he was an administrator with Roosevelt University in Chicago. They had met at one of the Chicago Symphony concerts—both wound up going solo, but bumped into each other during intermission. They hit it off immediately. Both had a love of music and science—his was psychology, and hers computational biology. One date led to another, and another, and a year later, they had moved into a condo in Chicago’s Gold Coast, just off Lake Shore Drive, with spectacular lake views. Everything was going so well, until one day—not that long ago—Kate had to borrow his car while hers was in the shop. She thought her phone had paired with the car, but it was a second phone her boyfriend had never told her about, and he kept it in the glove box of the car. She had pulled into the lot of her building at Northwestern when a slew of explicit text messages came in, asking if he was there, and if his girlfriend was gone. These messages displayed on the 10-inch display on the dash board. One after the next. If they were going to meet at Kate and his place or at this mystery woman’s place. Kate was in disbelief at discovering the phone. She tried the usual code to his phone and it worked, the text messages went back years with multiple different women—most of whom were students at local universities—UIC, Columbia Chicago, U of Chicago, etc. She’d had no idea. He had hidden it so well. She found connections between text chains—he would tell Kate he had a meeting—but in actuality, he was meeting one of these women.
Kate walked into the building that day, a shell of a person. She couldn’t teach, she couldn’t research, all she could do was cry in the basem*nt bathroom where only the janitor and odd graduate student could hear her. She spent that night in her office, sleeping in the chair her students usually sat in when they sought out her help during office hours. She called out sick the next day and drove home when her boyfriend was at work—he could take a taxi over to his office if it was too cold. She packed all her things with the help of her family, and was gone that night. The landlord had graciously removed her from the lease after she explained the situation. She moved in with her sibling that lived just outside of Chicago.
Kate had brought him to family dinners, and on family vacations, and all the while he was cheating. When he discovered her gone, he sent one simple text:
“I take it you found out I was cheating.” She never responded, and he never reached out again. He was unapologetic, unremorseful, and it was apparent he had done this before. He used a relationship with a professional, put together woman, to hide his questionable messing around with 19 and 20 year old college girls who were baristas and waitresses. Shortly after the implosion of her relationship, Kate received a phone call from a Colonel with the DoD; he was interested in her use of qrtPCR in quick detection kits that she had developed. Kate scheduled a virtual meeting with him and a few other DoD folks, and the rest is history. She was offered the civilian contracting position almost immediately. Eager for a change of scenery—mostly to avoid bumping into her now ex—she accepted.
---
Kate had been working on her computer and server set up for most of the afternoon when a knock fell upon her door. She reluctantly paused her cord management task, and crawled out from underneath the desk to answer the door. Still in her running gear from earlier, she realized she smelled a little like dried sweat. Oh, well. Pulling open the door she saw Hangman standing there,
“Jake?” She was surprised to see him there, but moved aside to welcome him in her new home. He paused,
“I don’t want to take up your time—I know you’re busy, but I felt awful about how we left things this morning. It wasn’t our place to pry, and you are 100% correct that you’ve only known Rooster and me for a day. And in that time, however short that it is, I know that you are a remarkable woman.” She smiled gently,
“Thank you, Jake.” He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck nervously. This was not like him, but she didn’t know that. Usually, he was the picture of confidence and perhaps a little too co*cky at times as well. Some might have even labeled him a jerk or worse. He felt his nerves begin to make his heart race and stomach churn. What was happening to him? He was like a nervous teenager trying to talk to his crush.
“I hope it’s not too forward of me, but I’d like to ask you out—tonight--nothing formal yet, just a nice evening at The Hard Deck. Maybe we play some darts—not pool, because you’ll wipe the floors with me.” She laughed.
“Alright.” She agreed. He couldn’t help but smile. She was gorgeous, inside and out.
“But…” she started, “I do need to get some reading done tonight, and I think you might be the right person to help me. Can I bring it with?” He raised a brow and she explained further by scooping up a thick text manual from her tote bag by the door—a book that he knew all too well with its sky-blue cover and open binding.
NATOPS FLIGHT MANUAL
NAVY MODEL
F/A-18 E/F
165533 AND UP
AIRCRAFT
“So, this is a work date?” He asked slyly. She chuckled,
“Only if we don’t have fun.”
“Believe me—there is nothing fun in the NATOPS manual. It’s all technical language.”
“And that’s part of what I need to know for my work. I can handle calculations, and understand the physics of flight, but I don’t know the first thing about piloting and handling the aircraft. You do. You know when there is an uneven stream of air on your wings or if you experience a strong headwind, you can feel it in the way the plane behaves—none of that is covered in the technical manual.”
He marveled at her. Sure, he had dated women before, but most of them were purely for satisfaction, fulfilling a loneliness need. He was never fully taken by them. One might have had a nice figure or pretty hair, a tolerable face. But Kate—no--Kate was the complete package. Here she stood before him, still in her morning running gear, hair stringy and greasy from sweating under her baseball cap, skin beginning to show the soft sun kissed glow after one day in the California sun. Her figure was lean, but toned, and her face—gently angular, with the perfect balance of feminine features—pink cheeks and lips, soft brown eyes, and best of all, a brilliant mind to keep up with.
“Jake?” she asked after a moment of him staring.
“Sorry…” he whispered, “PTSD from reading NATOPS.” he laughed it off.
“Oh.” she lightly laughed, “It’s definitely a hard read.” she admitted as she placed the manual back in her tote bag.
“Since you used the word date…” he began, “How about I pick you up around 6, we grab a bite at the hotdog stand down the way—keeping it casual--” he reminded, “and then head over to The Hard Deck for a little light reading and some drinks out back by the fire pit, maybe play a round of darts when the rest of the topgun crew gets in, and end the evening with a walk down the beach before I drive you home.” Kate glanced at her watch; it was already 4:30.
“That sounds good—I better get cleaned up.” And with that they parted ways and Hangman trotted down the porch steps with a pep in his step.
At 6 pm sharp, Hangman knocked on Kate’s front door. He had seen her sitting on the couch when he walked up and now, he watched her hop up and open the door. She stood before him, casually dressed in a pair of white, mid-thigh, chino shorts that showed off her toned and tanned long legs, and a denim blue chambray button down shirt that was haphazardly tucked into the left hip side of her shorts and the sleeves carefreely rolled up her mid forearm. Her hair was pulled back into that classic messy bun, and her makeup was only done to subtly enhance her features. It would have been completely undetectable if not for the gentle enhancement the mascara gave her already long eyelashes. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.
“Wow.” he breathed out, “You nailed the work date look.” She nervously brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Quickly, she slid her feet into a pair of tan leather flipflops and stepped out onto the porch to lock the door behind her. Jake offered her his arm, like a gentleman, and she took it with a smile. The pair headed down the front walk, where he quickly opened the passenger side door of his white Camaro and helped her in.
They drove down Ocean Street past the hotdog stand and parked in The Hard Deck’s lot, before getting out and backtracking on foot to the stand for their dinner. They sat on a bench that faced the cool Pacific Ocean. The breeze was refreshing as they enjoyed a casual meal.
“So, Jake,” she began after she finished a bite of her Chicago Style Dog, “What made you choose Naval Aviation?” He wiped the ketchup and mustard from the corner of his mouth with the brown paper napkin,
“I come from a long line of sailors.” He said, “Revolutionary war—long.”
“Oh wow.” She took a bite as he continued,
“There was never any doubt in my mind. My dad served on a destroyer during Desert Storm, my grandfather was in Korea, great grandfather fought in the first world war—so, I suppose you might say it’s genetic.” He took a quick bite to finish his hotdog and then asked her a question,
“What about you, why did you choose—what was it—super computer biology engineering?”
“Biosystems Engineering and Bioinformatics.” she corrected, “I like computers and I like biology. I never thought I’d contract for the Navy, but I knew early on in my masters program that I wanted to teach. So, after I came to that realization, it was a matter of checking the boxes to get me there. When I finished my doctorate, I started a post-doc with a research group at MIT, and two years later, I got the job at Northwestern.”
“What are you most proud of—in your career?” He asked. It was a genuine question; he saw the way she spoke about teaching and knew she had a heart of gold.
“I would have to say...I’m most proud of the Nature paper I published with a student of mine. She was the first in her family to go to college, and we put together an amazing bioinformatic web tool to find transposons in mitochondria--” she stopped suddenly to gauge his level of understanding,
“Oh—I have no idea what you are saying—it sounds like a different language—but I enjoy the passion you have while saying it.” he smiled.
“Sorry…” she sheepishly finished, “So, we wrote a great paper and after a few rounds of revisions, it was published in Nature—probably one of the most prestigious journals.” They finished their meal and started walking back to The Hard Deck. Since they were already heading down the beach board walk, Jake suggested,
“Why don’t you grab us a seat at one of the picnic tables out back, and I’ll grab the drinks and meet you.”
“Sure.” She turned to head to the ocean facing side of The Hard Deck where the patio was, and she felt Jake grasp her hand and squeeze. She looked at him, and although he wore a pair of mirrored aviators, she knew that this was the genuine him. They smiled at each other and temporarily parted ways. Kate dropped her tote bag on one of the picnic tables and sat with her back facing the table on the bench. She stared out at the cool ocean and let the breeze wash over her. The lazy sun hung lower on the horizon, but not so low that there wasn’t enough light for reading the NATOPS manual.
Inside, Jake hurried up to Penny at the bar and ordered two bottled beers,
“I’ll have to run to the back and grab them out of the fridge if you want them cold—I just gave the last two to the FNWA over there.” Penny gestured to a group of 6 women sitting around a prominently positioned table in the center of the bar. They all wore boldly patterned, low cut V-neck tops and tight jeans with rhinestones on their back pockets (no doubt to draw attention to their backsides). As soon as Penny headed toward the back to grab his order, the FNWA started whispering about him. He could hear every word because the bar was relatively empty this early on a Saturday night.
“...god he looks good…” one said.
“...that charcoal t-shirt...mmmmmhmmm” one commented on his fitted charcoal gray t-shirt.
“...that sexy tan!”
“...those jeans!”
“I wonder if he is a sailor…”
“Girl—please--he is ALL sailor…”
“Look at his watch—pilot!”
“I wonder if he’s single and ready to mingle!” After a few more minutes of loud whispering, one finally announced,
“...I’ll go find out.” Up stood a curvy woman with heavily bleached blond hair that looked overly flat ironed to the point that her hair was more straw like than actual hair. She adjusted her wildly patterned top and gave her hair a quick flip over her shoulder before wagging her hips left and right as she approached Jake, no doubt to get is attention.
Jake stood straight on with the bar, his elbows plastered to the shiny oaken surface, his eyes glued to the dual swinging door, waiting—praying--that Penny would reappear quickly with the beers he had just ordered.
“Hey there sailor.” the woman leaned on the bar; she was so close that her elbow intentionally brushed against his arm. He quickly recoiled, and slid away.
“I’m Demi—like Demi Moore.” the woman was nothing, if not persistent, “What’s your name?”
“Hangman.” he replied with a deadpan tone, and barely a glance in her direction.
“Hungman?” she flirtatiously teased, making poor sexual innuendos.
“Alright, Penny—any time now.” he prayed under his breath. Demi reached up and tousled his sandy blonde hair,
“You have gorgeous hair. You know? I’m a hair dresser just off Center Street. Come see me and I’ll take good care of you.”
“Sorry, Ma’am, I am loyal to the Navy barber on base.” he hoped she’d get the hint. But unfortunately, she didn’t, and he was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.
“Are you gonna buy me a drink, sweetie?” she touched his arm, and once again he pulled away. This woman repulsed him. He glanced back to see Kate sitting with her back to The Hard Deck, loose strands of her hair fluttered about in the breeze. Demi grabbed his hand, demanding his attention,
“I said, are you gonna buy me a drink—I’ll make it worth your while.” She reached toward his belt. He quickly stopped her hand,
“Ma’am…” he warned.
“I’m not old enough for you to call me Ma’am.” she scolded in a voice that sounded like something from a romance novel. She reached for his belt again and this time Jake took a leap back from her.
“Ma’am please.” he held his hand out, palm facing the woman, as if he were a traffic cop telling her to stop.
“I like you, hungman.”
“It’s Hangman.”
“You must be a pilot.” she tried to seductively whisper in his ear, and he jolted further away. They had managed to move a good two feet further down the bar.
“Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“And that smoooooooth southern drawl you have!” she bit her lip, “So hot!” Jake nearly gagged. Just then, Kate’s cool tone, cut through the tension,
“Jake?” He immediately turned to her, his face exhausted from Demi’s sexual harassment. Demi leaned over and gave Kate the age old once up and once down look over, and it was immediately apparent that Demi felt threatened by Kate. The FNWA member stood up straighter and put her hands on her hips, as if to say bring it on, sister.
“Who are you?” Demi crowed.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Kate replied, her dark eyes peering into the woman.
“He didn’t say he was taken…” Demi trailed off, as if she were the innocent party. Kate took an imposing step toward the woman, and Jake felt his heart leap. Kate was nearly a head taller than Demi,
“He shouldn’t have to.” Kate whispered dangerously to Demi. The FNWA member shirked back somewhat,
“Well, woman to woman, your man was flirting with me and didn’t say he was single.” Kate looked back at Jake, and knew this was not the case. Jake watched the satisfied look of successful meddling wash over Demi’s face, but even he couldn’t have predicted what happened next. Kate took his hand and stepped in close, so close that he could feel her body pressed against his. Instinctively, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and rested his hand on the small of her back. Kate looked up at him, and he felt his heart leap out of his chest. This was love. That was what it was. Love at first sight. She winked at him, and he couldn’t help but smile. Then, she turned back to Demi,
“I’m not worried.” She said cooly, “I know he’ll never stray.” She pressed her hand into his chest, and he reached up to cover her delicate hand with his own. Kate looked back at him,
“I’ll be outside at the picnic table.” And with that, she stood on her toes and brushed a sweet kiss on his already blushing cheek, before heading out the door to the back patio.
Demi stood there in partial shock, knowing she had been thoroughly beaten by Kate. Jake felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Kate was everything he had dreamed of. He had never felt this way about a woman before.
At this exact moment, Rooster was calling Kate’s phone; he was hoping he could ask her out to The Hard Deck this evening. Little did he know that her phone was nestled in her tote bag, placed on the picnic table, while she was inside The Hard Deck with Jake. Rooster grabbed the keys to his Bronco and decided to swing by her place before heading over to The Hard Deck.
Penny eventually returned with an apology to Jake,
“Sorry—Pete and Jimmy were unloading kegs—I had to hold doors.” She plunked the two light beers on the counter and Jake paid,
“Keep the change, Penny, my dear.” he grabbed the beers and turned toward the patio; he practically bolted outside to sit with Kate. As he sat down beside her and he saw that she had pulled out the NATOPS manual. She had a pencil tucked behind her right ear, and there were post-it notes plastered around the edges of the pages, creating little tabs.
“I think we’re going to need some of this,” he handed Kate one of the beers, “before we dive into the NATOPS manual…” They clinked beer bottles and then started their work date. Kate began asking questions almost immediately,
“How accurate are the tolerance ranges for airframe flexibility?”
“Not very.” He gestured to the plane diagram on the page, “Wings are more flexible than the body, but the body can take more force than the wings.”
“Six of one, half a dozen of the other.” She mused as she pulled the mechanical pencil from behind her ear and she started to scribble some notes. Another post-it note with the label tolerances was quickly placed on the edge of the page. She flipped through a few more pages and started asking some more questions,
“Payload drag…”
“What about it?” he leaned in as he straddled the picnic table bench. Kate mirrored him, turning her body, and throwing a leg over the bench. They sat straddling the bench, his knees touching her knees, the NATOPS manual sat between them.
“How noticeable is it...for you as the pilot and how does it affect your ability to control the plane?”
“Minimally noticeable. A heavy payload is worst when there’s a strong side wind.” He took another swig of beer and placed his hand, inadvertently, on Kate’s knee. She didn’t flinch or pull away, she was lost in the NATOPS manual, scribbling in the margins, placing her post-it note tabs. He could see how focused she was. Every now and then she would bite the eraser on the pencil while she was thinking. It was her tell. The tell that she was deep in thought and that her brilliant mind was churning.
“Let’s talk physics—payload and G’s.”
“Now you’re talking nerdy to me!” Jake chuckled. She gave him a look, and if looks could kill, she would have pierced him through the heart. He was thoroughly enjoying himself.
“Payload is affected by Gs. We also have to be mindful of when we fire a missile, what its trajectory is, and how quickly it will arc—that is a completely different manual though.” He raised his beer bottle, “And we will need a lot more of these to get through that one—believe me.”
“HANGMAN!” Came a booming voice from the patio doors. Kate jolted with surprise as Rooster stalked through the doors and right up to Jake.
“What are you doing, man?” Rooster was clearly upset. Jake stood up and both were inches away from each other—face to face—ready to brawl.
“Gentlemen.” Kate said cooly, “Let’s all calm down.” She positioned herself partially between them, separating the pilots. Phoenix, Bob, and Payback hurried out and pulled Rooster back. He stalked inside. Kate glanced over at Jake,
“Let me talk to him.” she touched his arm and started inside after Rooster.
Rooster was already up at the bar, draining a bottle of beer. He slammed the empty bottle onto the counter and beckoned Penny over for another, which he quickly started emptying into his mouth. Kate stepped up next to him,
“Is this seat taken?” she asked. He scoffed,
“Bagman doesn’t mind you talking to me?” Kate sat down on the bar stool and spoke softly,
“I don’t know what has upset you this much--”
“You, Kate. You...being here with Jake, and not me.” Kate’s heart raced,
“It’s not a competition, Rooster.”
“Everything is a competition with him. He’s using you to piss me off. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’m a big girl, Bradley...I can take care of myself.” He ran a hand through his caramel brown hair,
“I like you, Kate. I called you to see if you wanted to go out with me tonight. I even swung by your place before I came here. And when I saw you here with him…” he trailed off, then downed the last swig of this bottle before eyeing Penny for another. He was beginning to act inebriated.
“You know…” he started before taking a long gulp from the fresh bottle, “I’ve never met anyone like you, you’re smart, gorgeous, funny...I thought—what the hell, Rooster—shoot your shot. Who knows—she might like you back. It figures Bagman would be the one you choose. He’s always been the ladies’ favorite.” Penny’s jaw dropped and she covered her forehead with her hand out of embarrassment for Rooster. She prayed he was drunk and could explain this away tomorrow. Kate placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear,
“Let’s talk tomorrow when you’re less drunk.” As she stood and began to walk away, he grasped hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him; she fell back down onto the bar stool.
“What do you see in him?” He demanded.
“You’re drunk—I’m not doing this here or now.” Kate wrenched her wrist from his grasp and this time Rooster wasn’t fast enough to catch her. He tumbled over, and to the FNWA watching the scene unfold, it was like sharks smelling blood in the water. A drunken sailor was future husband material. All they had to do was go to bed with him, get pregnant, and it was an instant proposal. The FNWA women began circling and all Rooster had tunnel vision for was Kate walking away from him.
“KATE!” he yelled as he climbed to his feet, “KATE!” Demi and the other FNWA were already there to caress his fractured ego.
“Don’t worry about her...she’s a stuck up bitch anyway.” Demi said coldly. She helped him to his feet, and started grabbing at him. He shook her off,
“Get away from me.” As he did that, Demi tumbled back into another FNWA member, and it was like watching dominoes-- they all tumbled down onto the floor of The Hard Deck.
One of the sailors sitting at the bar, witnessing the event, reached over and rang the infamous you bought the bar a round bell. As the sign says, ‘Disrespect a lady, the Navy, or put your cellphone on my bar, you buy a round.’
“He disrespected the lady!” the sailor shouted. The bar erupted into a fit of cheers as Jake peeked through the patio doors to see Kate walking away from Rooster, who was now on the hook, paying for a round for the bar.
Not much later, Jake and Kate made their way back through the bar. Rooster’s eyes never left Kate; his gaze followed her through the crowd. Jake wrapped his arm around her, to guide her through the sea of sailors, but also to protect her from an unwanted butt-cheek squeezing, or boob-brush (as they called it). They made it to the front door and Kate looked back, her eyes met Rooster’s and she smiled lightly while mouthing the words good night, Rooster. But he was drunk, and he wouldn’t remember much after that.
Jake beckoned her to his car, opened the passenger door for her and helped her in. He drove a nice white Camaro with black leather seats and a wide sunroof. His license plate said: HNGMN. So, it was apparent when he was parked on base exactly whose car that was. The pair drove out of the lot and back toward Kate’s house. They laughed a little in the car over the absurdity of how the night unfolded, but mostly, Kate couldn’t get Rooster out of her head. He was so candid. It was hard to believe that anything he said was said with malicious intent toward her—he certainly had his beef with Hangman though.
“What’s the deal with you and Rooster?” Kate finally asked. Jake parked in front of her house, the porch lights were left on, illuminating Kate’s face with a gentle glow. She was neutral, but wanted to know.
“Pilots are competitive, egotistical, asses.” Jake admitted, “A few years ago, we were selected to train for a dangerous mission in NoKo. We were ALL at each other’s throats, and when that happens, it becomes a mental game. I knew that Rooster and Maverick had a history, because Rooster HATED him. So, I dug and I dug until I figured it out. Rooster’s father was Maverick’s backseat—1986--when they were at topgun. They got caught in the jetwash from another plane, and wound up spinning out of control. The eject malfunctioned on Goose’s (Rooster’s dad) chair and the canopy deployed a second after the eject blasted his chair up. His neck was crushed against his chest, and his cervical spinal cord was severed—he died instantly. When the recovery and rescue team came, Maverick was clutching Goose and wouldn’t let him go. Rooster was three years old when he lost his dad. His mom was never the same after that. She remarried to a man who had nothing to do with the Navy. That’s where Rooster’s step sister came from. Maverick stayed close all those years, and helped to raise Rooster...but when he joined the Navy, and began pilot training, Carol—Rooster’s mom—begged Maverick to never let him fly jets for the Navy. She was terrified that Rooster would be killed like Goose. So, Maverick pulled Rooster’s papers. That’s why he’s older than most pilots---he’s four years behind the rest of us.”
“I had no idea.” Kate whispered.
“But to answer your question.” Jake quickly sensed that she was sympathetic to Rooster, and that was the last thing he wanted in that moment, “the Beef that Rooster and I have is because of NoKo.”
“The country?”
“Yes. We were training for a mission, Rooster was selected and I was put on reserve. The mission went well, until Maverick got shot down protecting Rooster. Then Rooster got shot down protecting Maverick...THEN—get this—they snuck onto an air base and STOLE an F-14, shot down two fifth gen fighters--”
“Wait...WHAT?”
“I know...insanity!”
“They stole an old plane and managed to shoot down TWO fifth gen fighters?!”
“Yep. But that’s not even the best part.” He was so excited he could barely contain himself, “So, they make it ¾ of the way to the carrier, and a fifth gen fighter comes at them from in front. They are out of missiles, gun is out of rounds—Maverick tells Rooster to eject and he tries, but the handles don’t function and he’s stuck.”
“Oh my god!” Kate was entirely absorbed in the story.
“The fighter has them locked, and then--” he took a long pause for dramatic effect.
“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Kate grabbed his hand and shook, “Don’t leave me hanging here!”
“They don’t call me Hangman for nothing.” She playfully smacked his elbow,
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know. You just hit me. I won’t tolerate this kind of abuse in a relationship.” She rolled her eyes and opened the car door. Before he knew what was happening, she was nearly halfway up the front walk. He bolted after her, up the front steps and onto the porch. She had her key in the door and he quickly braced his arm against one side of the door frame,
“Alright—you win. I’ll finish the story tonight.” She turned to face him with a look of eager anticipation. She was so beautiful, so different from the women he had “dated” before. He turned back and sat down on the top step, she followed and sat beside him, so close they were touching. It felt right.
“The fighter had just locked onto Maverick and Rooster. They thought this was the end. The fighter fired, but...I had fired first, and before the missile ever left the fighter’s payload, I blew him to bits. I had launched from the carrier and high tailed it to their position just moments earlier.”
“You saved them.” she nudged him with her elbow.
“I did.” he beamed, “I saved them both. And I damn near got court
martialed for it.”
“You weren’t supposed to launch?”
“No. Cyclone didn’t want to risk anyone else. But I couldn’t let either of them go out like that...in an F-14...that is no way to go…”
“Cyclone?”
“Admiral Simpson.”
“I met him.”
“He’s a dick.”
“Actually, he seemed very nice.”
“Oh, yeah—if you’re female—he’s nice. Otherwise, he’s a dick.” Jake advised, “Just watch out for him.”
“Noted.” She slowly stood up, “I should call it a night.” Walking to the door she turned her key the rest of the way and unlocked the deadbolt. Jake met her at the door. She turned back to him,
“Thank you. This was a fun night—AND--I did get some work accomplished, so thank you for lending your expertise.”
“Anytime.” They gazed at one another for a moment before Jake started to lean in. He decided he was going to go for that first kiss. His eyes closed, he was almost there, and then—he felt her hand on his chest, gently pushing him back,
“Jake,” she said softly. His face was inches from hers. He lingered a moment as she spoke again,
“I don’t want to disappoint you, but I’m old fashioned. I don’t kiss on the first date—or do anything else--” To his surprise, he wasn’t disappointed. He was glad. She respected herself and knew her value. That was incredibly attractive. He leaned back and smiled,
“I’m a bit old fashioned myself.” He took her hand in his, and raised it to his lips. Gently, he brushed a kiss onto her knuckles, before looking up into her dark eyes,
“Good night, Kate. I’ll see you again soon.” And with that, he trotted down the steps, across the front walk and got into his car. Kate waved to him from the porch before disappearing into the house. Jake waited until she was safely inside before heading back to his on-base dorm.
Inside her house, Kate latched the door and hurried to her room. She collapsed on the bed, heart racing, head pounding. She clearly knew she had feelings for Jake, but Rooster too! This defied all logic. She was supposed to be a logical person. And why did she develop feelings so quickly? An internet search on her phone while she lie on her stomach on the bed produced the answer:
Military men move fast. Some even propose on the first date.
Kate couldn’t help but laugh. After two days of being around these pilots, she had never felt the intensity of emotions in her entire life that she now felt. She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling fan. Obviously, she needed to make things right with Rooster, but she also wanted to pursue Jake. However, the ominous thought crept into her mind: What if things ended as badly as her last relationship? No. This time it would be different. She decided to wait until she had at least had her first day on base before deciding how to proceed with the pilots. She did decide though, that she should reach out to Rooster tomorrow and make sure he is alright.
Quickly changing into her pjs, she crawled into bed and set her alarm for her Sunday morning run.
Rooster hung around The Hard Deck until closing, and the FNWA were circling like vultures. He was clearly too drunk to drive, and Penny had taken his keys. So, he stumbled outside and that was where Demi offered him a ride. He knew it was against his better judgment, but due to his drunken state, he accepted anyway. Instead of driving him back to base, she drove him to her apartment and ushered him into her cheetah print adorned studio abode. Rooster was confused as he walked inside; he hadn’t paid any attention to the scenery on the drive over and had no idea where he even was.
Demi practically shoved him down on her bed, and flopped on top of him.
“Whoa!” He pushed her back, “I don’t think we should--” She shushed him,
“I know you were thinking about doing this all night--”
“Well, yeah. But I wasn’t thinking about having you on top of me.” Demi swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and went straight for his jeans. He resisted,
“Okay—I should go.” He scooted off the end of the bed and stood up. Suddenly, the room seemed to spin and he twisted back around and fell face first into her plush, decorative pillows on the bed—he had blacked out.
Demi rolled her eyes before stripping down to her bra and panties and climbing into the bed next to him, hoping he would wake up soon.
At 5:15 am on the dot, Rooster woke up with a start. He was still lying on his stomach, but there was a woman next to him. His eyes were blurred for a moment, but he blinked until they moistened up and his vision focused better. There was a head of blond, straw-like hair on the pillow next to him. He slowly pushed himself away from the woman. He had no idea where he was, or how he got there. The last thing he remembered was Kate walking away from him and then looking back to say goodnight to him as she left The Hard Deck--with Hangman.
Rooster pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen—out of battery. He quietly slid toward the edge of the bed, when it creaked and squeaked. He froze, but it was too late, the woman, whom he now recognized as Demi, rolled toward him,
“Hi sleepy head.” she pretended to yawn and stretch. Rooster could see she was only wearing her bra and undies.
“What’s going on?” He asked, “And how did I get here? And what did we do last night?”
“What didn’t we do?!” She giggled with an over exuberance seen only in desperate women. Rooster felt his stomach drop. Had he slept with this woman while he was drunk, and now he didn’t remember?
“I’ve got to go.” he quickly slid into his shoes, checked his pockets to make sure Demi hadn’t stolen anything or kept a souvenir as an attempt to reconnect later, and then hurried for the door. She wrapped herself in a robe and frantically tried to persuade him to stay.
“You told me you loved me.” she whined, “That we were going to get married after you got back from sea on your destroyer.” Rooster nodded, catching the lie she told. Inevitably, the FNWA members would resort to manipulation to get a sailor into bed.
“That might be difficult.” Rooster admitted.
“What? Are you married? I didn’t see a ring.” Demi harped.
“Nope. Not married. But I’m a pilot, I don’t regularly go to sea on a destroyer. So...awkward...” With that he opened her apartment door and hurried down the hall and out the front door of the complex. The sun was beginning to rise, and it cast a dim red glow across the sleepy little apartment complex. Rooster walked to the main street and tried to get his bearings. He started briskly walking down the street toward the base and as he turned a corner, he plowed directly into a runner. The woman who had been running, stumbled over him and caught her balance, but Rooster (with his hangover) tumbled down onto the hard sidewalk.
“Rooster?” Kate’s delicate voice snapped him back from the pain throbbing through his leg and wrist.
“Kate? What are you doing out here?”
“I’m going for my morning run.” She pulled an ear bud headphone from her ear and helped him to his feet. His knee was bleeding through the rip in his jeans and he was pretty sure his wrist was strained.
“You look like hell.” she dusted off the sleeve of his shirt.
“I feel like I just escaped from hell.”
“Yikes.” Kate grimaced, “Listen, we’re not far from my place, why don’t we walk back and I’ll get your cut cleaned and bandaged up?”
“Sure.” And with that the pair hobbled back to Kate’s house where she promptly cleaned up his wound and put an ice pack on his wrist. She plied him with water, and even made some eggs to help with his hangover. When all was said and done, they both collapsed on the sectional couch and turned on the tv to watch whatever was a good distraction from the painfully awkward conversation they both knew had to happen.
After a few channel switches, Rooster finally muted the tv,
“Kate…” he started, “whatever I said last night, I’m sorry. I was drunk, and stupid.”
“You were honest.” She said softly.
“Hangman and I have a history, and for most of it—we’ve hated each other. It wasn’t until recently that we’ve started getting along. And then you come into the picture...and I never dreamed I could hate him any more than when I saw him put his arm around you last night.”
“Bradley, I have to be completely honest with you.” She paused and drew in her breath, “Jake told me the full story of when you and Maverick took that F-14 and--”
“He saved us. I’m alive today because of him, so I owe my life to him.”
“He didn’t just tell me that. He told me about the trouble he stirred up between you and Maverick during that training. Rooster, he is a good man—he shows you the side of him he wants you to see, so you don’t see the other side.”
“Do you love him?”
“I don’t know.” She looked down at her hands for a second, “In the spirit of full honesty, I have feelings for both of you. For different reasons. And it defies all logic—I’ve only known the two of you for a weekend...” He was silent, wanting her to elaborate.
“I like Jake because he is fun and protective. I like you because you are sweet, and you make me feel taken care of—safe. My father once told me men are either puppies, snakes, or lions.” Rooster raised a brow,
“Puppies, snakes, or lions…?”
“Puppies are the cute charity cases, snakes—don’t really need an explanation there-- and lions are the men who are strong, so strong and loving that you feel unafraid with them and they bring out the strength in you.” She sighed,
“The whole reason I’m here, is because I had to get away from my job, and my situation back in Chicago. It was a constant reminder that I had spent four years in a bad relationship with a snake. The saddest part was that I didn’t know he was a snake until the very end.”
“Oh no, Kate.” He slid over next to her on the couch, and pulled her into a hug. She felt the tears begin to sting the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them dry,
“He had been cheating on me with college girls for years. I found out because I borrowed his car while mine was in the shop. He kept an extra phone in the glove box and the car’s display screen started showing the explicit texts from these girls. I felt so stupid. All that time I thought we were happy. I moved out of our condo while he was away at work—my whole family helped so we could do it in a day. When he got back and saw I was gone, he sent me a text that said so you found out I was cheating.”
“Kate, you tell me where he is and I’ll call in a drone strike.” She smiled lightly,
“He’s not even worth that amount of effort.” At that moment, Rooster held her in his arms, he looked down at her. The smell of her hair, the glisten on her skin, the warmth of her body. He gently pulled away and brushed a strand of hair from in front of her face. This was it. It was now or never. He placed a hand on the side of her cheek along her jaw, and leaned in. Their lips touched, and he kissed her softly. She didn’t recoil or move away, she lingered for a moment and then pulled back slightly,
“We shouldn’t…” she whispered.
“If you don’t want to--”
“It’s not that I don’t want to…” she trailed off, “It’s just so fast, and I get it—the military is unpredictable and so you all move at the speed of light, because you live in the here and now, but...I can’t live like that…”
“Then we take things slowly.”
“Bradley, I still have the emotional mess from when my ex cheated on me. That was only 4 months ago.” She slid off the couch and walked to the kitchen island, leaning against it, she sighed heavily,
“I’m not ready for anything serious. I’m not capable of loving anyone but myself right now. That’s why I took this contract. It was supposed to be my escape—a year away in sunny California to reinvent myself.” She laughed, “And somehow, the one place I never thought I’d find anyone—I find two exceptional Navy pilots!” She threw her hands up as if she was exhausted with the situation.
A loud rumble grew in the distance and soon, Jake’s white Camaro roared up in front of Kate’s house. Rooster looked out the window to see his rival trotting up the front walk and then a light knock landed on the door. Kate hurried over and opened the door,
“Hey Jake!” She beamed.
“Good morning, darling!” he crooned back. His face changed, however, when he saw Rooster on the couch.
“Rooster.” He nodded to his fellow pilot.
“Hangman.” Came the reply from Rooster. Kate stood between them. She could feel the tension.
“Rooster and I literally ran into each other this morning while I was out on my morning run.” Kate quickly filled in the main details—leaving out the kiss, of course.
“Walk of shame?” Jake teased Rooster who shrugged his shoulders,
“You’ve been there too, Hangman…”
“With a bit less frequency than you, Rooster, my friend.”
“Gentlemen…” Kate wanted the confrontation to end. Jake quickly took the hint,
“Well, I stopped by to see if you wanted to swing by the marina and grab lunch with me.” Kate looked back and forth between the two men,
“I’d love to, but...I have so much to prepare for tomorrow—it’s my first official day at work, and I’m going to have an entire military lab to oversee…”
“Fair enough.” Jake said, “Then how about dinner tomorrow to celebrate a successful first day at work?” Kate smiled,
“Sure.” Rooster drew in his breath sharply, and looked away from the pair. Jake instinctively knew Kate saw Rooster as more of a friend and so, taking a huge risk, he extended the invitation,
“Why don’t we invite the whole crew?” he offered, “Rooster, Phoenix, B.O.B., Payback—everyone. Then Kate, you can get to know everyone on the team.”
“That’s a great idea.” she said sweetly. Rooster smiled lightly as he stood up from the couch, his injuries on full display,
“For once, Hangman, that is a good idea.”
“Jesus, Rooster!” Hangman crowed, “Kate must have really run you over this morning. Come on, man, I’ll give you a ride back to The Hard Deck to get your Bronco. I saw it in the lot as I was driving over here.” With that the two men left Kate to prepare for Monday.
Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Mondays come too early
Chapter Text
Chapter 3. Mondays come too early.
Kate and Hans were already hard at work in their respective laboratories by the time the pilots reported to the training hangar at 6:30 am. As they entered the main hangar, there were two rows of double seats with writing desk attachments. To the right of that, were the built-in laboratories. Both labs were attached by a single door that ran between them. There were two big automatic sliding glass doors—one for each respective lab. A row of glass windows ran down one side, so that the pilots could see people entering and leaving the labs, but not see much of the work going on in the sterile rooms.
The pilots all wore their dark green flight suits, and carried small clipboards with notepads and pencils to take notes as needed. They would have to leave the notes at their desks, due to the classified nature of the mission. Rooster was struck by how scientific Kate looked in a lab coat, gloves, and safety glasses. She was certainly in her element, moving back and forth between her laptop and a few machines that were doing who knows what. Hans still looked like Mr. Rogers, just in a lab coat and with glasses.
Every now and then Hans would enter Kate’s side of the lab, seemingly to just chat. He put his hands nervously in the pockets of his khaki chino pants, as he spoke with Kate and this bothered Rooster. Both he and Hangman spent more time with their eyes focused on the laboratory than Admiral Simpson who stalked up to the podium followed by Admiral Bates and Rear Admiral Cain.
“Pilots, welcome to day one of your training. You are familiar with the pilot who has been brought in to serve as your instructor and guide. Captain Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick will be coming out of his retirement to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary for your successful completion of not only this training, but the upcoming mission. This mission is unlike any other mission you’ve flown, as the main goal is to collect information and do so at low altitudes and quickly.” He paused to look at the pilots before continuing,
“You will train for however long Captain Mitchell feels is appropriate—there is no urgent timeline for this mission, but it will take place within one year of your posting here at topgun. We have contracted with two experts to handle rapid identification of biological and nuclear elements present in the suspect regions.” He gestured with a nod to Admiral Bates who, in turn, quickly trotted off to the laboratories and ushered Kate and Hans out for an introduction.
“Doctors Mueller and Norris are two of the top experts in their fields and they are quickly devising the most efficient external attachment probes for use on the F-18 frame. Dr. Mueller, could you please explain to the pilots, what exactly your probe will be used for?” Hans stepped forward, his lab coat buttoned up, but beneath, the unmistakable cardigan, polo shirt, khaki chinos, and even the slip on Keds sneakers Mr. Rogers wore. Harvard, Yale, and Coyote chuckled as the scientist stepped forward.
“Thank you, Admiral. I am Dr. Johann Mueller, an MIT research scientist in nuclear engineering. What Dr. Norris and I are working on is a probe that can be deployed during flight while attached to the F-18’s airframe. My probe detects a multitude of widely used nuclear materials: Uranium 235, Cesium 137, et cetera. This probe can do so by sampling the air near suspected nuclear enrichment sites, or weapons storage, and other places.” He glanced back to Kate and beckoned her forward to help explain the next part, she was the professor and much better at lecturing to lay people.
“Dr. Norris can elaborate.” he said as he placed his hand on the small of her back to gently edge her to the podium. Kate stood tall at the podium and queued up a presentation slide that brilliantly showed the mode of operation for the probes.
“Thank you, Dr. Mueller.” she turned back to the pilots, “My name is Dr. Katelyn Norris, I am a professor of biosystems engineering and bioinformatics at Northwestern University—in short, I like computers and I also like biological systems.” A light chuckle rose from the audience.
“In recent years, and particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, the threat of engineered microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, are a very real threat, not just to public health, but national security and continuity of government. The ability to detect biological components from waste water near known, and suspected bioweapons facilities has become the utmost priority in the years following the slow leak of declassified Covid pandemic information.” She gestured to the slide on the projector screen depicting an F-18 aircraft with a nearly 3-foot-long pill shaped probe attached to the center belly of the aircraft.
“Enter the B.A.D.-1.” she smiled lightly, “That stands for Bio Anomaly Detector—we computer nerds like our acronyms.” Another light chuckle rose from the hangar-classroom. Hans nearly snorted, and then adjusted his tortoise shell glasses quickly to allay suspicion.
“This probe conducts qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction tests while deployed and transmits the data via blockchain encryption to DoD satellites for near synchronous, real-time sequencing detection of potential bioweapons. Functionally, as the wastewater takes part in the water cycle, the water vapor near a bioweapons facility contains traces of microorganisms, we can sample that vapor and determine the threats in real-time.” The pilots all nodded with impressed smiles on their faces, especially Hangman and Rooster.
“The B.A.D.-1, is a fixed probe that requires skilled pilots to remain airborne for a finite amount of time at a low altitude—this is the greatest flaw of the system--” She advanced the slide to show the parameters for operation, and it wasn’t very good news for the pilots,
“As of right now, the probe can only operate no higher than 600 feet, and no faster than 350 knots. That makes you a sitting duck if you are piloting a plane with one of these attached. So, our goal is to move from the 3-foot B.A.D-1 to, the newer platform B.A.D.D.I.E—the Bio Anomaly Detector Dual Individual Elements.” The room burst into laughter.
“You laugh, but we needed a catchier name. These are mounted under each wing and are half the size of the B.A.D.-1. It will deploy a fan shaped collection unit that will sample particulate in the air, run real-time qrtPCR, and transmit the information directly to DoD.” Kate advanced the slide and it simply read Questions?. Hangman burst into applause and soon the entire hangar was following suit.
“Aviators!” Admiral Simpson bellowed, and everyone settled down, “Does anyone have any questions for either of the doctors?” Phoenix raised her hand,
“You said the aircraft has to stay in the air for a definite amount of time—why is that, and how long is that time?”
“The reason the probe requires a minimum amount of airtime is to ensure that a sufficient sample has been taken, and right now, I’ll be candid, the time needed is nearly 7 minutes” The pilots’ excitement faded. They were now realizing they would have to evade danger for 7 minutes of airtime. Kate spoke again,
“I do believe it is completely possible to add more sensors to the unit and decrease that time below 3 minutes—with the ultimate goal being around 1 and a half minutes. Preliminary tests in the laboratory have shown promising results.” Harvard raised his hand.
“Yes?” Kate called on him.
“Will the altitude and speed requirements change from the B.A.D.-1 to the B.A.D.D.I.E?”
“Yes. We are adjusting the altitude up to 3000 feet or below and the speed to a maximum of 600 knots. However, we will need to run real world tests—unfortunately the wind tunnel cannot simulate those conditions with enough accuracy to provide usable data.” Coyote raised his hand, and started asking his question,
“Does the pilot deploy the probe or is that done remotely?”
“Both systems are built in to the B.A.D.D.I.E. probe. The pilot can deploy using a hardwired connection should the satellite connection for automatic deployment fail.” Coyote was impressed, and it showed on his face. He sat directly behind Hangman and leaned forward to whisper to him,
“Your girl is damn fine and damn smart.” Admiral Simpson noticed the whispers and immediately pounced,
“Gentlemen, do you have something you’d like to share?”
“No sir.” Coyote stammered.
“Good. Then keep quiet.” Rooster had overheard the comments, and could feel his cheeks sizzling with anger.
“Any other questions for the doctors?” Admiral Simpson asked. Phoenix raised her hand,
“Why not use an unmanned drone or spy balloon—seems like those might be better options?” Kate nodded,
“Good question—we thought of both those options—unfortunately, drones are not as maneuverable as the F-18, and balloons are too slow.” Everyone was impressed with Kate’s knowledge of the notably complex subject matter. She seemed to navigate the technical specifications well, but also the logistical ones.
“Any other questions?” Admiral Simpson asked once again. The crew was silent, “Very well then, Thank you Drs. Mueller and Norris, you are dismissed.” Kate and Hans headed back to the laboratory and both Rooster and Hangman noticed the uncomfortable manner in which Hans always found a reason to touch her. He touched her elbow or her shoulder, or the small of her back. The two pilots glanced at one another and instantly knew there was a third man chasing Kate, but this one was more of a stealth pilot than a fighter pilot.
“Aviators,” Admiral Simpson commanded their attention, “It is my pleasure to re-introduce Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell to you. Captain Mitchell was gracious enough to return from retirement to spearhead this mission.” Admiral Simpson gestured to the back of the hangar where Pete came walking up in his green flight suit,
“Welcome back to Topgun, aviators.” He smiled as he took to the podium, “It is good to see some familiar faces, and some new ones. I’ll get right to it, this mission is dangerous, not because of the flight patterns, but because of the altitude and speed requirements. Over the next months, we will be preparing for every scenario, as well as flying the patterns routinely so that it becomes muscle memory. We will also work closely with Drs. Mueller and Norris, and they will also undergo training so that they can ride along with you during real-world probe testing. This is not regularly done in active-duty aircraft—that should indicate to you how dire this mission is. As Admiral Simpson stated, there is no immediate deployment date set, we will wait on the greenlight from the doctors as to when the probes are fit for deployment.”
The pilots faces lit up at the mention of being able to take a civilian up in their aircraft. Pete smiled deviously,
“Now, suit up, we are going to dust off your skills with a two-team dogfight, guns only, first to tone advances in the brackets.” He flipped over a chalkboard at the front of the classroom area, exposing a tournament bracket set up with each first round pairings already scribbled in.
Round 1:
1. Phoenix/B.O.B & Rooster vs. Yale/Dreamboat & Harvard
2. Batman/Robinhood & Dexter vs. Vampire/Mr. Big & Sumo
3. Yorkie/Patches & Jagger vs. Whip/Odin & Cornhole
4. Halo/Tsunami & Hook vs. Payback/Fanboy & Hangman
5. Dingus/Talon & Serpent vs. Casanova/Sweetie & Omaha
6. Dragnet/Wilson & Muffinman vs. Spark/Claymore & Squire
7. Tagalong/Angel & Volcano vs. Volt/Martian & Viperion
8. Suds/Lightning & Halfpint vs. Twix/Hammerhead & Venus
All of the pilots eyed down their opponents and readied for the first round of training exercises. The groups suited up and prepared for their chance to display their skills for Maverick, in the hopes that they might be lucky enough to be chosen for the mission. The first groups climbed into their F-18 planes and readied for takeoff. As each of the four planes deployed, Maverick radioed to them,
“As is tradition, each losing pair must do 200 pushups when they touchdown.” The remaining pilots waited around the radio for the first sounds of the scrimmage in the sky.
From the laboratory, the sound of the planes taking off rattled the glass panes that separated the two halves of the research. Kate peeked up over the machines she was working on and peered out to see Phoenix and B.O.B. swooping up into the sky, leaving the runway behind.
Once the planes were in position to begin the exercise, Maverick explained the rules. There was to be no breaching a hard deck of 3000 feet, guns only, first to target lock tone would be declared the winner. Maverick counted them in,
“3, 2, 1, Fight’s on, Aviators.” Immediately, their voices came over two separate radios. Phoenix and her backseat, B.O.B., came over the radio with Rooster. They were trying to find Yale, Dreamboat, and Harvard.
“I don’t see them, and they’re not coming up on radar yet.” B.O.B. said. On the other radio frequency, Harvard announced,
“I see them. Coming around, right. I’m going to leave you and pursue.”
“Copy that.” Yale replied, “We see them now.”
“They’re on radar.” B.O.B. announced, “400 knots and 12 miles closing, just off back left wing.”
“I’ve got them.” Rooster replied, and soon there was the unmistakable tone that sounded with a targeting lock.
“sh*t.” Harvard hissed. Yale and Dreamboat broke left and pulled up,
“Rooster, they’re just ahead of you, you’re closing fast.” B.O.B. informed.
“Almost have a lock.” Rooster was concentrating, but Yale was weaving left and right, pitching the nose of his plane up and down to avoid the targeting lock.
“Rooster,” Phoenix came on, “I can pull back and get him.” She slowed in mid-air and turned the nose of her aircraft straight up, they climbed nose over tail and flipped back around, coming up directly on Yale and Dreamboat’s back end.
“Gotcha, boys.” Phoenix chuckled as the tone sounded. Maverick’s voice came over the radio,
“Phoenix/B.O.B. and Rooster advance. Yale/Dreamboat and Harvard, come see me about your pushups.”
A few more match ups took place with Vampire/Mr. Big and Sumo, and Whip/Odin and Cornhole advancing in the brackets. Now it was time for Payback/Fanboy and Hangman to square off against Halo/Tsunami and Hook.
“...take me home...country roads...to the place, I belong…” Hangman sung playfully over the radio.
“Hangman, Hook is off your right wing, about 1500 feet below you.” Fanboy announced.
“I see him, moving into position now.” Hangman nudged his plane directly above Hook to seem undetectable on the radar.
“Watch your six, Payback!” Hangman shouted, “Hook is right behind you.” Payback outmaneuvered Hook while Hangman closed in gaining a target lock,
“That’s a kill.” the smile came through in his voice.
“Oh, it’s on.” the feminine voice of Halo came cutting through the other radio. Not long after that, Fanboy radioed directions to Hangman,
“Halo is down to 3100 feet—nearing the bottom of the hard deck. She’s trying to drop out of range.” While trying to out run Payback and Hangman, Halo descended below the 3000 foot hard deck and Maverick disqualified her,
“Halo/Tsunami, you dropped below the hard deck, you’re out.” Halo sputtered some profanities and turned her plane back.
“Payback/Fanboy and Hangman, advance.” Maverick radioed. The remaining match ups went head-to-head and half the teams advanced in the brackets. Maverick dutifully filled out the brackets with the new pairings for the next round of air combat training, before giving a break-down of what was good, or bad about each scenario.
“Those of you who did not advance today, you know what you could have done better.” He turned to Yale, Dreamboat, and Harvard,
“As a prime example, Harvard, you left your wingman. And in some cases, it is better to do that, than make you both a bigger target, but in this case, Rooster was able to quickly bring you to tone, and Phoenix was able to outmaneuver Yale for tone.” The defeated pilots hung their heads in disappointment, while the victorious trio exchanged high fives.
Maverick worked his way through the remaining match ups, ending with Halo/Tsunami and Hook versus Payback/Fanboy and Hangman.
“This was a good example of utilizing the limitations of technology to your advantage. Radar is good these days, but not good enough at differentiating between two objects stacked on top of one another.” Hangman smiled, proud that he had received praise from Maverick. He glanced over to the laboratory to see Kate hard at work, peering into a microscope, and he realized he couldn’t wait to take her to the marina tonight for dinner—even if everyone else had been invited—he only wanted to be there with her.
“...I am impressed, aviators.” Maverick spoke solemnly, “I wasn’t sure what I’d see from all of you, but you brought your A-Game. Tomorrow we will review evasive maneuvering. Dismissed.” And with that the pilots went to their respective locker rooms to change back into their tan uniforms. Hangman extended the invitation of celebration at the marina to everyone when they reemerged from the lockers. He and Rooster waited outside the hangar for the laboratory workers to start filing out. As they stood in silence, both men knew they were enraptured by Kate, and they both knew only one of them would get the girl.
“Listen, Hangman, whom ever she chooses—let’s not let that get in the way of our friendship—however rocky that has been over the years.”
“I agree, Rooster. It’s the lady’s choice.”
“Man, did you see the way Hans keeps touching her?” Rooster was perturbed thinking of a third suitor vying for Kate’s affections.
“I saw—what is wrong with that guy? He looks like Mr. Rogers.”
“That should be his call sign.” The pilots burst into laughter.
“Rooster,” Hangman began, “When it comes to her, I’m not holding back.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“Then, may the best man win.”
“I intend to.” Rooster smirked. At that moment, the hangar doors opened into a narrow hallway and a handful of white coat-clad lab personnel hurried out. The pilots looked over the crowd for Kate, but she was nowhere to be found. Both men felt like salmon swimming upstream as they hurried for the doors and peered in. Kate and Hans stood at the entrance to the main lab and were discussing something far over the pilot’s pay grade. She held a few folders and a water bottle, and Hans had a leather laptop bag slung over his shoulder like a purse. He continually reached over and touched her hand, and she recoiled politely. Seeing this made Rooster’s blood boil, but Hangman was the first to speak,
“There you are, my lady!” He hurried over and interrupted Hans, “Are you ready for our group date to the marina for dinner? I called and got a reservation earlier, so we have the whole back room. Phoenix, B.O.B., Payback and Fanboy are already on their way.” He turned to Hans,
“Hans. It’s a pleasure.” Jake held out his hand for Hans to shake. The scientist reluctantly grasped hold of the pilot’s hand and shook gingerly. Jake noticed the scientist’s palms were sweaty and his grip was weak.
“I didn’t know you got a reservation.” Kate was surprised.
“It’s a very popular surf and turf place.” Rooster piped up, “You almost have to have a reservation or you wait for ages.”
“Say,” Jake turned to Hans, “Why don’t you join us too? The more the merrier!” There was a method to Jake’s madness. It was more a strategy to keep an eye on Hans and deter any more of this touchy-feely behavior with Kate. Tonight, Jake planned to make it known that no other man had a chance with Kate.
“Thank you for the invitation.” Hans’ German accent was not particularly thick, but was noticeable, “But I have some work to do this evening.” He turned to Kate, “Good night, Dr. Norris, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Rooster and Jake watched Hans leave, and they both turned back to Kate,
“How uncomfortable is it for you when he’s always touching you?” Rooster asked.
“I counted four separate times he touched you today—that I could see!” Jake harped.
“He is very touchy, but he’s like that with everyone. I’ll admit it’s very uncomfortable, and he violates my personal space bubble frequently, but--”
“If it makes you uncomfortable, you shouldn’t have to put up with it.” Rooster said cooly.
“Rooster, women put up with a lot of uncomfortable things just so we don’t rock the boat. Making a stink about Hans’ touchiness is not a priority, getting my work done so the pilots chosen for this mission can rest assured that the equipment I put on their plane, works—and works well—THAT is my priority.” Rooster felt, for the first time, that she was not just a gorgeous and brilliant woman, but that there was a vulnerability that she hid. He saw it when she wiped tears from her eyes as he held her in his arms. The group walked back out into the narrow hallway and Admiral Simpson was waiting for them. Rooster and Hangman quickly saluted.
“Dr. Norris, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, Admiral.” He beckoned her to follow him back into the laboratory. Rooster and Hangman were once again left waiting in the narrow hallway. The admiral led Kate back into the lab and gestured for her to have a seat at one of the tables, he sat opposite her.
“Dr. Norris, I am going to pair you with Lieutenant Natasha “Phoenix” Trace for your flight training. She will help you prepare for your upcoming flight test for the probe system. Next week, we will ground test you and get all required medical examinations completed.” He paused and looked at her, she was intently writing notes on her clipboard, but still listening.
“If you have any questions, come see me directly.”
“Will do.” Kate smiled up at him. She could open doors with a smile.
“Also, I would like you to update me weekly on the progress of both your probe and Hans’.”
“Would you like an email update--”
“In person. I will have my secretary find a regular time in both our schedules.” And with that he stood up,
“I think that’s all for now, Dr.” he paused, “I look forward to your updates.” and with that he walked out of the lab and left Kate to scribble a few more notes on her clipboard. The Admiral passed Rooster and Hangman (who quickly cobbled together salutes), and disappeared through a set of double doors.
Kate came walking through the hangar doors and both pilots beamed,
“Ready for dinner?” Jake asked.
“I am starving.” Kate smiled, “Let’s go!”
The marina had a number of little restaurants dotted down the pier, but the best one, the surf and turf joint called Sebastian’s Surf and Turf was by far the one most frequented by sailors. Jake, Kate, and Rooster all drove separately. They parked and walked in together. The back room was filled with pilots in their Khaki uniforms. Phoenix greeted them when they entered,
“We ordered drinks already; I got a couple of pitchers for the table.”
“Sounds good to me!” Rooster grabbed a couple of glasses and poured for himself and Kate. She took it graciously, while Jake stared daggers at his rival pilot. It was obvious, that neither pilot was going to give the other an easy time.
“So, what’s good here?” Kate asked as she eyed the menu card. Phoenix laughed lightly,
“Everything. You can’t go wrong.” Everyone took their seats around the picnic tables that were covered in the stereotypical red and white checkered vinyl table cloths. The server came around and everyone ordered one by one. Jake and Kate were the last two.
“I’ll have the surf and turf with a side of fries,” and he turned to Kate, “and put this lovely lady on my bill.” she smiled,
“I’ll have the popcorn shrimp with fries.” As they waited for their meals, everyone laughed about the training today. Many of the pilots who didn’t advance had decided they didn’t want to go out and celebrate tonight.
“They’re probably crying in their bunks.” Fanboy muttered. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the mission, the what-ifs, and the unknowns. Phoenix was sitting across from Kate and she decided to strike up conversation with the scientist as the men started delving into the grittier side of naval aviation.
“Admiral Simpson told me I’m going to be your flight partner.” Phoenix said very directly.
“He told me right as I was leaving today. To be honest, I’m a little nervous.”
“Don’t be nervous—once you’re up in the air, it’ll become an addiction.”
“I’m mostly worried about being able to handle the Gs and what not.”
“Women naturally handle that better, our skeletons are lighter than our male counterparts.” Phoenix laughed.
“Well, I’m glad to know I’m partnered with you.” Kate sweetly said. Phoenix smiled,
“I can’t say I wasn’t surprised, Simpson probably thought it’d be best to put the two of us ladies together. But I’m glad—you’re one of the few women I could be friends with.” Kate was taken aback. Rooster, who had been eavesdropping, interjected,
“What Phoenix means to say, is that she has a hard time making female friends, and you are one that she would like to be friends with.”
“I got that.” Kate laughed, “But I’ll warn you, I’m not the friend who goes and gets manicures” she showed her chipped and broken natural nails, “I won’t go shopping with you either. But I will play any video game with you that you want until 3 am.” Everyone laughed. Phoenix nodded in approval, and patted Rooster on the back,
“I like her.”
“Don’t tell me I have to compete with you too?” Rooster whined playfully. Kate blushed as he looked at her and thought back to their kiss the other day. He could still feel her soft lips on his. The server plopped his basket of crab legs on the table in front of him and he quickly snapped back into the moment.
“We lost you there for a second.” Phoenix looked him in the eye, “What’s with you lately? You wind up at the FNWA girl’s apartment, you’re causing a ruckus at The Hard Deck...it’s not like you.”
“I know…” he sighed as he looked over at Kate. Jake was sharing some of his surf and turf with her in exchange for a few popcorn shrimp.
“Oh, I get it now.” Phoenix had an enlightened tone to her voice as she observed Rooster’s voyeurism. She stood up and walked over to the JukeBox. After a moment, Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s girl came on.
“Subtle.” Rooster shot back at Phoenix.
“I call it as I see it.”
“And how do you see it?” Rooster ironically asked with a chilly edge.
“Hangman is Jessie, and you are Rick Springfield.”
“Well, at least I can sing then.”
When everyone had finished eating and drinking, the bills were paid, and the rides back to base were established, Rooster hurried over to Kate,
“So, you have a ride back?” he asked.
“I drove here.” She laughed, “I was right behind you the whole way.”
“That’s right!” He smacked his forehead. While Hangman was in the bathroom, Rooster pulled Kate to the side, and Phoenix kept a close eye on the body language of the two,
“Look,” Rooster began, “I can’t stop thinking about the other day, that kiss…” he trailed off. She looked up at him, her cheeks beginning to flush,
“I...I…” she stammered. He shushed her,
“Kate,” he began, “I’m...I’m falling--” when Jake suddenly interjected,
“Shall we all hit the road? Tomorrow’s another big day on base.” He raised a brow when he noticed Rooster’s proximity to Kate,
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah…” Kate was clearly uncomfortable by Phoenix’s estimation, “You know, I have some work to finish up, I’m just going to head home.” She quickly departed and Hangman turned to Rooster,
“What did you say to her?”
“Nothing you didn’t already know.” Rooster pushed past him and followed Kate outside. She was already pulling out of her parking space on the road and headed home. Rooster sighed as he walked to his Bronco and climbed in. He knew he needed to give her space, but he craved being near her. Everything about her, from her laugh to her smile, to the way she twisted her wrist to read the time on her watch—it all made him fall even harder for her. He started up his Bronco and drove back to base.
Jake, however, curious by what he had just witnessed between Kate and Rooster, decided to drive up the road to Kate’s house. He parked out front and trotted up the front steps, and with a gingerly knock on the door, Kate answered,
“Hey!” she smiled.
“Mind if I come in for a few minutes?” She stood in the doorway for a moment, considering the weight of what he had asked,
“Just to talk.” He clarified. She stepped out of the way and let him enter. The tv was on low volume and she had a few papers and her laptop strewn about the couch. Quickly, she cleared a spot for him on the couch next to her. He graciously sat down and leaned toward her,
“What did Rooster say to you? You looked a little shook up.” She shook her head and looked away,
“He didn’t say anything…” she said softly, “But I knew what he was about to say.” Jake looked at her for a moment. He wanted her to elaborate, but it was clear she had no intention of letting any details slip.
“You know, it’s your choice.” he began, “Rooster and I both have feelings for you. He and I have acknowledged this to one another. Don’t let it weigh on you. Whomever you choose, or if you choose neither of us, we promised each other it wouldn’t change our friendship—if we can even call it that—or our working friendship.” She looked very solemn, sitting on the couch with her work clothes still on, her long bronzed brunette hair cascading down over her shoulders. He reached over and gently squeezed her hand. She leaned back into the couch and sighed,
“I told Rooster that I’m not ready for anything right now...my last relationship ended badly. Very badly, and that has left me a little gun-shy. I also don’t want to just rebound—however cliché that sounds—because you both deserve better than that.”
“I know.” He said, “No one is rushing you...”
“Thank you.” She replied, “It means a lot to hear that.”
“You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kate.” Jake stood up and showed himself out of Kate’s house. She sat in stunned silence, wondering how it was that she had two Naval Aviators vying for her affections. Kate put the papers back in her tote bag, and secured her laptop for the evening, before changing into her pajamas, washing her face, and readying for bed.
As everyone was climbing into their respective beds that evening, no one suspected that there was an active intrusion into the data storage servers in Hans’ lab. As a result, Kate was awoken at 3:30 am by an MP knocking on her door. She quickly answered,
“Yes?”
“Dr. Norris?”
“Yes.”
“There’s a situation on base and you are requested immediately. We have transport to take you directly.”
“Can I put on something more substantial than my pajamas?” He nodded and she quickly went to change. She returned to the door wearing running leggings, an oversized HARVARD sweatshirt, and sneakers; all together with her computer bag, keys, and id badge, and locked the door as she left with the MP. The open top Jeep zipped down the street and straight onto base, then right up to the hangar’s exterior door. Kate hurried in to see a few of the base IT personnel frantically working on laptops to stop the hackers from getting any information.
“Did you just unplug it?” Kate asked quickly.
“It wasn’t necessary. It looks like they were just snooping around, but we detected it twice, once at 12:45 am and the second time at 2:00 am.”
“Where is Hans?” Kate looked around noticing he was absent.
“He didn’t answer his phone, nor was he at his base housing.”
“That doesn’t seem like him.” Kate mumbled under her breath. She sat down beside a few of the IT crew members and started peppering them with questions,
“Did they leave anything? Perhaps a node to gain access again?”
“Not that we’ve found. As of right now, we migrated Dr. Mueller’s server to an isolated bank of storage and we are sweeping all other files and moving over as they’re cleared.” Admiral Simpson stalked into the laboratory,
“This had better be worth waking me up.” He menacingly growled.
“We just traced the intrusion.” one worker piped up, “A small metropolitan area in Nanjing, China.” The admiral hurried over to Kate, surprised to see her in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, he wondered if this was what she wore to bed,
“I see they woke you too.” he initiated conversation.
“They did, sir.” she said, “Nothing quite like hearing an MP bang on your front door…” she mused. He laughed lightly,
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I look forward to our meeting tomorrow.” He alluded to the 9:30 am meeting in his office that they would be having tomorrow.
“I’m sure this situation will give us more to talk about.” She chuckled.
“Dr. Norris?” one of the IT crew beckoned her over. She quickly excused herself from Admiral Simpson, and he couldn’t help but watch her trot over to the desk and lean over the IT person. She was captivating, even without makeup, in leggings and a sweatshirt. Once again, though, the admiral had to tell himself to strike thoughts about her from his mind—she was probably 20 years younger than he.
“...still no word from Hans?” she asked as she looked at her phone, “I’ve sent him two text messages asking him to call me.”
“He wasn’t at his on-base housing, or if he was, he didn’t answer the door.” one of the MP officers said directly.
“Is anyone out looking for him?” Kate asked, “He likes German beer…” At that moment a crackling voice came over the MP’s radio,
“We found Dr. Mueller, at the Schlock Haus pub…”
“I guess that answers my question and solves my hypothesis…” Kate smiled slyly. Everyone remained at the lab until 4:45 am, at which time, Kate was offered a bunk in the dorm so she could get some sleep, since the MP’s had been called back to their stations, she had no way of getting home until later in the morning when the new shift would arrive. Everyone else lived on base. So, she walked into the dorm with a key to a room, all of her things, and a set of sheets in her hands. She wandered the halls for a while before one of the doors opened and she turned to see Jake sauntering out and heading for the bathroom. Had she been given a key to the men’s dorm?
“Jake?” She asked. He turned around to face her with a pleasantly surprised expression on his face,
“Kate? What are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story…” she said wearily, “I’m looking for room 1236.” Jake burst out laughing,
“It’s not in this building—that’s across the base—the women’s dorm.”
“You’re kidding…”
“Are you staying on base?” he asked.
“Just for a few hours—we had an incident and the MP’s had to bring me in to help clear up the issue.”
“You look like you haven’t slept a wink.”
“If I could sleep 10 minutes—all I need is 10 minutes…” She was exhausted.
“Listen, my room is just down there—1002--go in, take the bed, get yourself some sleep.”
“Are you sure?” She asked. He just smiled,
“Most sure I’ve been in my life.” he turned for the bathroom and she walked into his room. His dorm room was neatly organized. Nothing was out of place. She carefully placed the extra sheets she was carrying onto his dust-free dresser and kicked off her shoes, stowed them under the bed beside his shoes, and set her tote bag in his desk chair. She quickly climbed into the bed—it was still warm from where he had been sleeping, and the pillow had his warm, comforting smell. She curled up and pulled the covers over her, right up to her chin. The room was a little cold for her liking, but that didn’t bother her terribly. She set her phone alarm for 6:30 am, when the leaving shift of MP’s would be able to drive her back to her house.
She heard Jake come back in the room. He practically tiptoed around and laid down on the couch, pulling a fleece Navy logo clad blanket over himself. Kate rolled over and looked at him; he was clearly awake,
“Thank you.” she said softly.
“Anything for you, my lady.” he whispered back. She couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but she knew by the tone of his voice he was smiling. She rolled back over, and a moment later she was awoken to a loud thud as Jake rolled off the narrow couch.
“Ow...son of a…” he hissed. She rolled back to face him,
“If you promise to behave yourself, you can have half of your bed.”
“Are you inviting me back into my own bed?” he mused.
“Going once. Going twice.”
“Alright. You have a deal. I’ll behave.” And he crossed the narrow dorm room in one stride, and crawled into bed beside her. Kate’s brain was screaming at her. This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. Get up and go find the actual room you’re supposed to be in. You are inviting bad things by letting him share the bed with you. But she resisted. Instead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the fact that he was a furnace keeping her warm. At one point, he rolled up close to her and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. Not long after, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close against him. Kate was deep asleep by this point, but she was content—and warm.
Jake’s alarm was the first to sound, bright and early at 6:00 am. He hit the snooze button and wrapped his arm back around Kate. She was starting to stir, and all he wanted to do was stay like this forever. All night long he had buried his face in her hair and now, as she was starting to wake, she rolled to face him. Her dark eyes heavy with lack of sleep, slowly opened and a smile found its way across her pink lips,
“Good morning.” she whispered.
“It is a very good morning. Waking up to you.” he replied as he brushed a few unruly strands of her hair from her face.
“Thank you for behaving yourself.” she reached over and took his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, “I’m afraid this is going to complicate things…”
“In a good way, though.” he said softly, “I mean—neither of us are snorers...that’s a great thing. Huge sigh of relief.” She laughed lightly, and raised up on her elbow, bracing on her temple; he mirrored her position. She was more attractive here and now, than he had ever seen her. He reached up and touched her cheek, right where he had kissed her just hours before,
“Can I kiss you?” he asked. His face was solemn, but there was a deeply powerful desire behind his blue-green eyes. He slowly began to lean in, his hand still touching her cheek.
“Yes.” she said softly. He could feel her breath on his lips. His heart was racing, her heart was racing. He gently let their lips touch, and he closed his eyes. He kissed her softly, sweetly. But he wanted to kiss her with all the passion he felt right now. She leaned in and he couldn’t help himself, he took hold of her waist and they tumbled back down. He kissed her harder, more passionately. She responded in kind. Before he knew it, he had rolled on top of her. He kissed her neck, then back to her lips. Her hands lifted his white t-shirt off over his head. He let her roll on top of him, and he helped her remove that heavy Harvard sweatshirt, exposing her sports bra. He sat up, and she straddled him. They kissed again, now with more intensity. They tumbled back down and he rolled on top of her. The sheets were a lost cause at this point. He wanted her more than any woman he had ever pursued. He pressed his hips into hers, signaling where he wanted this to go. She arched her lower back and pulled him closer. He could feel the electricity between them as he kissed her, this time with such a passion that they nearly tumbled off the bed. He braced and they rolled back onto the bed.
“Kate…” he breathed, “Kate…I...”
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT. His alarm shrieked in the darkness. He reached forward, pulled the blaring clock off the night stand, and threw it across the room with a loud crack.
“Where were we?” He mused, “Oh, I remember.” As he leaned in to kiss her, that alarm he thought he had taken care of shrieked once more. BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT… and on it went, clearly broken. He dropped his head against her heaving chest,
“We can’t catch a break, can we?” slowly he rolled out of bed and shut off the alarm by removing the batteries. He looked at his phone screen for the time and sighed,
“I have pre-flight checks, and I can’t be late.” She grabbed the waistband of his sleep shorts and pulled him over,
“If you’re late for pre-flight checks, this…” she referred to what they had been doing, “won’t ever happen again...so get a move on, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, ma’am.” he quickly pressed his lips against hers before throwing on his white t-shirt and grabbing his showering supplies.
“I’m going to sneak out, while you’re showering.” she informed him as she put her sweatshirt back on. He drew her in close one more time and kissed her,
“I’ll see you sometime today.” he said as he hurried out the door and headed toward the showers which were filling the hall with not only a gentle rushing sound, but a thick humidity.
“Hangman—what the hell were you doing in your room this morning?” Payback, whose room was adjacent to his, caught him in the hallway, “I heard a sh*t ton of noise—crashes, bangs, squeaking…”
“I’m redecorating, Payback…”
“Man, you’re a sh*t liar...you know that. What’s her name?”
“A gentleman never kisses and tells.” and with that the men entered the showers. Meanwhile, Kate borrowed one of Jake’s Navy logo baseball caps to cover her unwashed hair, she grabbed her things and hurried out of his room. In the hallway, she could hear Jake and Payback singing loudly in the showers, and a laugh escaped her. She made her way through the dorm doors and out into the connecting building, unseen. Her mind was a whirl. What was she doing? What was she thinking?! What had she just DONE?! And more importantly, how was this going to affect things with Rooster—which were rocky to begin with since that night at The Hard Deck, and then she let him kiss her. She practically galloped over to the MP’s station and quickly requested a ride. They were more than happy to accommodate her and so Kate arrived home at 6:38 am and she promptly showered, and readied for the day.
Kate arrived, on time, at 8 am to the laboratory. Hans was right on her heels. As she walked into the lab, Jake’s eyes met hers, and he winked. She smiled lightly and hurried into the back research lab and started on her work immediately. Although, Jake noticed her yawning repeatedly throughout the morning, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d have the opportunity to see her again this evening. Maverick noticed the intensity with which Rooster and Hangman were focused on the laboratory and he decided to make sure their attentions were back on him,
“Aviators,” Maverick announced, “Today we are finishing out the brackets. The winners of the final round will be given top picks for the next exercises starting early next week.” The pilots fought hard all morning and so did the scientists in the laboratory. At her 9:30 am meeting with Admiral Simpson, Kate brought Hans to speak about what had happened with the intrusion into his servers.
“I have the finest security measures in place.” Hans defended himself, “This is clearly a failing on the security systems in place on base.”
“We have just completed a full security sweep, and found no other attempted intrusions anywhere else. They were after your material, Dr. Mueller.”
“I can’t blame them. I am a nuclear physicist and engineer. Much of what I study and research is of interest to many nations, both hostile and benign.” Admiral Simpson looked to Kate,
“Dr. Norris, Do you have any recommendations?” Kate cleared her throat,
“I think we should remove any storage servers from internet access temporarily, until we understand the nature of this threat. Once we have a better grasp of what they are after, perhaps we can trap them in a virtual environment.”
“I have no idea what any of that means, but I will relay that to our technology staff.” Admiral Simpson said coolly.
When Kate returned to the laboratory with Hans following behind, she looked frustrated and annoyed. Hans tapped her shoulder and she turned to him with a brow raised.
“Dr. Norris, please understand, this is not my fault.” he said apologetically.
“It is an unnecessary setback, and now we have to transfer files manually.” She turned away quickly and hurried back to her side of the lab. Hans let his head hang as he walked to his side of the lab, like a sad puppy.
During the dogfights, a few more teams were eliminated, but at long last, the final head-to-head was decided:
Phoenix/B.O.B. and Rooster versus Payback/Fanboy and Hangman.
This was going to be an absolute bloodbath; the eliminated pilots could not wait to see the outcome of this match up. As they neared their lunch break, Maverick wound down the excitement,
“Everyone flew well this morning, some better than others. If you have not seen me for your 200 pushups, please do so before 1700 tonight. And with that we will break for lunch—but first,” He looked at Rooster and Hangman,
“I’d like to have a private word with Rooster and Hangman.” And just like the middle school cafeteria when a chair had been knocked over, a loud oooooooh rose from among the other pilots. The two aviators looked at each other then back to Maverick. Fortunately, Maverick ushered them out of the hangar and down to his temporary office. He welcomed them to a pair of seats on the opposite side of his desk as he sat.
“Please close the door.” Rooster did as he was asked, pushing the door shut gently until it clicked.
“Gentlemen,” Maverick began, “Please don’t think me naive. You spent more time with your eyes on Dr. Norris today than you did with them on the white board, or me, or any of the training materials on your desk.” Both Rooster and Hangman shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Maverick continued,
“I want to caution you both. Your duty is to this mission and your fellow aviators, some of whom you may be flying with, and they will depend on you to come home.” He sighed, “I speak from experience when I say this, Naval Civilian Contractors are temporary positions, and Dr. Norris will be leaving after her contract ends. She will return to Chicago, and you will continue to have postings and missions until the Navy sees fit to discharge you from your duty. One day you will drive by and the lights on her house will be on, she will be inside, and the next day there will be a For Rent sign on the front lawn, and she won’t have even said goodbye.” Rooster shook his head and looked Maverick straight in the eyes,
“Permission to speak, sir?”
“Granted.”
“Is this about K—Dr. Norris, or you and Charlie?”
“Both.” Maverick leaned forward. Hangman was clearly interested now.
“The purpose of my warnings is not to say that the pursuit won’t be fun,” a sly smile found its way across his aging face, “but to say that nothing should ever interfere with your duty here.” He pointed his finger harshly into his desk, indicating their duty was to the Navy and their air squadrons.
“Now,” Maverick said like a father washing his hands of the situation, “I don’t care if either of you pursue Dr. Norris, I don’t care if she falls madly in love with either of you, I don’t care what you and Dr. Norris do in your spare time, but…” his tone became menacingly dark,
“...but whatever you do, it had better not EVER interfere with your performance as an aviator. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir.” both young men spoke in unison.
“Dismissed.” Maverick looked away, and both Rooster and Hangman hurried out of his office. The walked in silence down to the cafeteria, passing by the lab as they did. They couldn’t help but look at Kate, whose face showed the anguish of an impossible situation. She handed a stack of papers to a lab assistant and thanked them for their reports. It looked as if she was running back and forth without any time to reboot. She looked up to see them passing by, and smiled lightly. That was enough for them. They headed into the cafeteria for their mid-day meal.
After lunch, they reported back for the final match up. Hangman, Payback and Fanboy climbed into their F-18 aircrafts, and prepared to take off. Rooster, Phoenix and B.O.B. did the same. Hangman taxied to the runway first and received the green light from the tower, he throttled up and released his brake, the plane jolted forward and in a short distance on the runway, he pulled up on the throttle and he was in the air. He banked left and came around to head for the engagement zone to the north. Right on his burners was Payback and Fanboy together. Once they were steadily in the air, the banter over the radio came through loud and clear,
“So, Hangman, you gonna tell us who that girl was you were making all that noise with last night and this morning?”
“No, Payback, I am not going to tell you.”
“Oh, come on man!” Fanboy begged, “We’ve gotta live vicariously through you.”
“I bet it was that cute scientist...Kate?” Payback wagered. Hangman didn’t respond, he didn’t know how to respond. If it were any other woman, he would be up there shooting the breeze with the boys, but this one was different. When he looked at Kate, he saw his future wife, the future mother of his children. All they had done was fool around this morning, and he was practically ready to call home and ask for his grandmother’s ring so he could propose.
“Hangman? You there?” Fanboy snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Yo. Sorry, what did you say?”
“We were guessing who your mystery woman was last night...so far we have Dr. Norris, Demi from The Hard Deck, and that one blond from last July…”
“Jennifer.” he reminded. That was all it took. Payback and Fanboy erupted,
“It was Jennifer!” they incorrectly assumed.
“Aviators,” Maverick’s voice came over the radios, “Both teams are within the engagement zone, standing rules apply, but this time, the first team to get tone using guns will eliminate all members of the opposing team.” Sudden death if one teammate fails.
“3, 2, 1, Fight’s on!” Maverick announced. Hangman pulled up,
“Let’s get higher to see where they’re at.”
“They’re not on radar yet.” Fanboy informed. Payback pulled up and the team rocketed higher into the sky.
“I see them.” Hangman announced, “10 o’clock, just above the mountain, at the bottom of the hard deck.”
“They just popped up on radar.” Fanboy said.
“That means we’re on theirs.” Hangman warned.
“How do you want to approach?” Payback asked.
“Let’s watch for now. See what their strategy is.” came the reply. The planes seemed to float in the air like balloons, despite flying hundreds of miles per hour. It felt like an eternity, and yet, all Hangman could do was think about this morning. He could feel her soft skin under his hands.
“Hangman!” Fanboy screamed into the radio, “Get your head in the game!”
“Sorry.”
“What is with you, man?” Payback growled.
“Man, that girl got him bad…” Fanboy muttered. Hangman took a deep breath, win this, and see her tonight, he reminded himself.
“Follow me, boys...it’s time to cook that chicken.” he made a reference to Rooster’s callsign. With a hard push to the stick and kick of the throttle, Hangman, Payback and Fanboy increased speed and prepared to move nose down once they were directly over their targets. Hangman was hoping the sun glare would prevent Rooster, Phoenix and B.O.B. from seeing them before it was too late.
On the other team, B.O.B. alerted that the two opposing planes were headed for their position, and fast.
“550 knots, 9 miles and closing.”
“Rooster,” Phoenix asked, “What do you want to do?”
“I’m guessing they’re going to drop from above, so we need to be prepared to catch them as they do.”
“But the sun…” Phoenix cautioned, “They clearly have the better position right now. Should we climb and try to give them less distance? Less advantage?”
“Negative, Phoenix.” Rooster pushed back. Phoenix switched channels on her radio and spoke clandestinely to B.O.B.,
“He’s going to get us eliminated.”
“When did he become the new Hangman?” he replied.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” she switched back to the team channel. She and B.O.B. followed Rooster along course.
In a handful of minutes, Hangman, Payback and Fanboy descended from above, the two opposing teams twisted and turned, looped, and spiraled through the sky, trying desperately to achieve tone. Rooster pulled up hard, leaving Phoenix and B.O.B.
“What the hell are you doing, Rooster?!” Phoenix screamed as she spun out of the way of Payback’s radar lock, and pulled up hard to follow him.
“We’ve got to draw them apart!” Rooster replied. He was hell bent on chasing Hangman, obsessed with getting into the weapons envelope to get a lock. The two aviators whipped through the air pushing their planes past 600 knots. Hangman twisted upward, inverted, and came back down behind Rooster. Both planes were bobbing and weaving so much that the radar couldn’t get close to a lock.
Then suddenly tone sounded. Payback and Fanboy cheered loudly. Phoenix and B.O.B. had been eliminated, which meant Rooster had been eliminated. Maverick’s voice came over the radio,
“Congratulations Hangman, Payback and Fanboy. You have won the bracket challenge. Please see me to get first pick on next weeks’ exercises. Rooster, Phoenix and B.O.B., see me about your push-ups.”
That night Jake waited outside of the lab for Kate. He had driven up to Sebastian’s Surf and Turf and gotten an order of popcorn shrimp to-go for her. At 9:22 pm, she walked out of the lab with her tote bag, and phone. She was dressed in a pair of navy blue wide leg trousers and a simple white button down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to her mid forearm.
“Hey there!” He stood up and walked over to her. He held up the bag from Sebastian’s, “What do you say, we hit up the cafeteria, and I tell you about my killer date idea for this weekend?” She smiled and wrapped him up in a hug,
“Thank you. I needed this.” She snatched the take-out bag from his hands and peeked inside,
“Popcorn shrimp.” he said sweetly. Her heart leapt. He had remembered what she ordered. He was still in his flight suit. He had greasy helmet hair, and smelled like—well—like he had been in a dogfight this afternoon. She stowed her phone in her tote bag and took hold of his hand. They walked like this to the cafeteria, and then sat beside one another at the picnic table benches.
“I have to admit, I was waiting a while for you—I may have snacked, and it also may be a little cold.” She laughed,
“I’m not picky.” she dropped a popcorn shrimp into her mouth and let out an mmmmm. He handed her the lemonade he had gotten for her and she nearly drank the whole thing in one gulp.
“Long day.” she said softy.
“You didn’t look too happy with Mr. Rogers…”
“Who?”
“That’s what we call Hans. I was assigned to him, by the way. I have to take him up in my plane when you do the plane mounted test.”
“Wait...you call Hans, Mr. Rogers?”
“Yes—don’t you see it?” He drew the parallel between Hans’ style and Mr. Rogers classic children’s television.
“Now that you mention it…” she shrugged her shoulders.
“We’re making it his callsign and painting it on his helmet.”
“Great—now I’m afraid to know what mine is…” He leaned in close,
“Yours is good. I’ve been sworn to secrecy...but...for the right price…” She held up two popcorn shrimp,
“How about two shrimp…”
“You drive a tough bargain.” He opened his mouth and she tossed them in with surprisingly good accuracy.
“Alright.” She said, “What’s my callsign?” He leaned in to whisper in her ear, and instead kissed her cheek. She felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter. A pair of footsteps interrupted them as Admiral Simpson stalked into the cafeteria. Jake quickly slid back and stood to salute.
“At ease, Lieutenant.” the Admiral looked at Kate, “Good evening, Dr. Norris.” She nodded to him,
“Admiral.”
“I didn’t know you and Lieutenant Seresin were so close…” he muttered as he retrieved a pop from a vending machine. Kate finished chewing before responding,
“The Lieutenant brought me dinner. I was working late.” Admiral Simpson smiled at Jake,
“I didn’t take you for the romantic type, Lieutenant.”
“Hopelessly romantic, sir.” Jake responded cheekily. The admiral paused before walking back out the cafeteria doors,
“Good for you, Lieutenant.” and with that he disappeared down the hall.
“He’s my boss!” Kate hissed.
“Mine too!” Jake chuckled, “Don’t worry about him.”
“You told me he was a dick.”
“Oh, he is. But he won’t bother us, it’s Maverick who will bother us.” Kate raised a brow,
“Maverick?”
“He pulled Rooster and me into his office earlier and gave us a talking to...about you.”
“Me?” Kate suddenly looked worried.
“Don’t worry.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, “Maverick laid the ground rules, and I’ve already broken them.”
“Jake…” she warned, “You are going to get me in trouble.” Then she smiled mischievously as she held up the last shrimp,
“For the last shrimp...what is my callsign?”
“Oooh—it’ll cost you more than that shrimp if you want to know.” He teased.
“Fine...I’ll let you take me on a proper date on Saturday. Just us.”
“Deal. And I’m going to make you wait until the date to find out what your callsign is.” He smiled mischievously right back at her.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The hardest choice
Chapter Text
Chapter 4. The Hardest Choice.
The Saturday that Jake had planned a spectacular date for he and Kate, she was called into the lab for another server intrusion. This one clearly originated from China. And it went on like this for weeks straight. Finally, Kate demanded that a secure internal network be established. It took another week to get that set up, installed, and accessible, but this seemed to stem the intrusions for the time being.
Things began to settle into a routine on base and off base. Phoenix regularly trained with Kate for their plane mounted probe tests that would be coming up in the next month, and Jake worked with Hans. Phoenix was impressed with Kate’s strength and athleticism; Jake was less than impressed with Hans.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon, Phoenix met with Kate in the flight school room to go over concepts like pitch and yaw. Kate was incredibly smart and could calculate rates faster than most people. At that same time, Jake would be in the flight center, using the gimble mounted simulator to prepare Hans. Inevitably, as the simulator would pitch and roll, Hans would grab for the paper air sickness bag and hurl. Then, the teams would switch rooms and this was the one chance each of those days that Jake had to see Kate. He had started passing her clandestine notes as they walked by one another, and she would return them later. The first one read:
Dinner tonight, Sebastian’s? Check yes or no.
There were two little boxes beside the yes or no. It hearkened back to middle school, but they were enjoying the courtship. Kate and Jake continued to see each other, but so did Kate and Rooster—despite their rocky start to their friendship, and they had grown closer too.
Late one Friday night, she and Rooster found themselves curled up together on top of an old plaid blanket he kept in the back of his Bronco. Jake had been held back on base by Maverick to handle some plane maintenance and cleaning (Kate believed this was coordinated with Rooster, so he could invite her out). They had watched the meteor shower from a secluded section of the beach. Lying on their backs and staring straight up into the pre-dawn night sky, the Milky Way dust showed faintly on the dark backdrop of the sky. The meteors began to streak across the sky, and this was the first time she had seen them in person. It was a marvel to behold.
“Look!” she had pointed as one seemed to cut its way across the sky. Turning to him, she noticed he hadn’t taken his eyes off of her the entire time.
“You haven’t seen any of them?” she had asked.
“Sure, I have—I’ve seen them through your eyes…” Her heart melted in that moment, and he kissed her. This time, it was not gentle or soft, it was full of passion and desire. They found themselves tangled up in each other’s arms, and the blanket. They were tearing clothes off. His shirt and ribbed tank top, her button down. He slipped one strap of her bra over the edge of her shoulder, so he could kiss her neck and collarbone, then over to her shoulder. The gentle glow of the campfire embers kept them warm in the cool ocean breeze. He grasped at the clasp on her bra and as he finally managed to unhook it, a wave crashed over them, spilling into the campfire pit, causing it to hiss and steam. Kate squealed as they were soaked from head to toe. Needless to say, their clothes went right back on.
Early this Friday morning, Kate was dressed in a flight suit as she walked into the laboratory. The aviators, already in the hangar, were listening to Maverick explain defensive loop flying, which would be a necessary maneuver for the probe flight plan. Both Jake and Rooster saw her out of the corner of their eyes, and they couldn’t help but look. She looked like a dream come true to both of them. Tall, slender, but with the right curves. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun like Phoenix’s hair always was. She didn’t have any squadron patches on her flight suit, but her last name was emblazoned on a patch over her left chest.
“Rooster, Hangman…” Maverick recalled their attentions, “You can ogle Dr. Norris later.” Both men blushed, they had been caught. Phoenix laughed loudly,
“Hey Mav, can we actually make her a pilot—she’s taking this training better than anyone I’ve seen?” Maverick chuckled lightly,
“I believe the question to ask is, whose backseat will she be? Rooster’s? Or Hangman’s?” The room fell deathly silent, no one dared speak. Finally, Phoenix spoke,
“Or maybe mine…” B.O.B. glared at Phoenix,
“Thanks Phoenix.”
“Oh, B.O.B., you know I could never get rid of you.” But the tension in the room had been dissipated and everyone returned to their lesson.
Kate was firmly fixed in front of her computer in the lab when Hans walked in wearing his flight suit.
“I feel like a green bean.” he muttered as he sauntered up to her. He patted her elbow,
“How are you Dr. Norris?”
“I’m well, Hans.” she typed rapidly on her laptop.
“Are you nervous for our dunk test today? I am told that this is one of the last hurtles for us to clear before we can be airborne.”
“Not really.” She said coolly.
“I’m afraid I will run out of air and drown!”
“Just take lots of rapid breaths before you become submerged.” She said kindly, “That will decrease the carbon dioxide in your blood and trick your body into thinking it can operate for longer without a breath.”
“Human physiology is fascinating.” he mused. The doors to the lab opened and Maverick walked in,
“Doctors, can I borrow you for a moment?” Kate closed her laptop and she and Hans followed Maverick into the hangar. They walked up the aisle between the rows of aviators at their desks and chairs. Maverick faced them out to the aviators at the front of the hangar,
“Today, you both will be graduating from your flight training. You will go through the dunk test and take your first flight this afternoon with your trainers. Phoenix and Hangman, you have done an admirable job training these two and although they are not pilots, based on their rapid progress, they should be proud. Civilians are not often allowed in our aircraft, but this is a necessary step in the success of this mission.” He smiled with a crooked little smile, “Let’s head to the tank!” Everyone cheered. Kate and Hans looked nervously at one another. Phoenix and Hangman hurried up to their trainees.
“We’ve got to get you in your full gear.” Phoenix said to Kate. The two women headed off to the ladies’ lockers while Hangman, Hans, and the rest of the male pilots crowded into the men’s lockers. Hangman tossed a blank white helmet to Hans,
“If you pass, you’ll get your callsign. Typically, you get your callsign when you get your squadron assignment. So, make me proud, Hans.” Then he proceeded to help Hans get all of his flight gear on before they walked out of the lockers. Kate was already in full gear, helmet on, gloves, vest. Hangman admired her as she stood at the edge of the pool. She had already completed the 50 laps in full gear weeks ago, he had watched her determination as she fought the heavy soaked fabric as it tried to pull her down. Hans managed to get all 50 laps in, but it took him 2 hours—it took Kate half that time.
“You’ll go in together.” Maverick announced as he entered, “So, jump in.” Kate smiled as she gracefully stepped off the pool deck and slid effortlessly under the water. She bobbed back up wiping the water from her mouth. Hans sat down on the edge of the pool and lowered himself in like a child. Above them, a large cylinder, meant to represent the size of a plane’s fuselage, descended toward them. Inside were two chairs with seatbelts to strap the scientists down.
“The barrel will descend halfway down so you can strap yourselves in. It will raise up, the water will run out and then it will descend quickly to simulate a water landing. You will have to unbuckle and swim out—keep in mind, it may roll and up may become down very quickly. Your job is to get out, do not help the other person. There is a red button attached to each of your seats, if you cannot get out, punch that button and the barrel will raise up out of the water in 10 seconds. Good luck.”
The barrel dropped into the pool and filled halfway with water. Kate swam in easily and belted herself in. Hans doggie paddled and eventually got himself strapped in,
“If I die, Dr. Norris, please ensure that my remains are sent back to Germany…”
“Hans, you’ll be fine.” She gave a thumbs up to the operator on the opposite side of the pool. Even though she was nervous, she was ready to be done with this training. Three long beeps sounded and the barrel raised up out of the water, up and up it went. Kate peered out the open side door and down at the clear blue pool below. They must have been 8 or 10 feet above the water. A long beep sounded and then they were free-falling. It felt like an eternity before it smacked into the pool water, jarring them to the bone. Water began surging in through the open doors. Kate instantly felt the barrel pitch and roll to the side. She grabbed her seatbelt and waited to unbuckle until it stopped rolling. The water was up to their waists, now their shoulders. Kate took 5 quick and deep breaths and held the last one as the water rushed over her head and helmet. She unbuckled and opened her eyes. The water made everything blurry, but she could see Hans struggling. She swam over to the nearest door and looked back at Hans; he still couldn’t get his buckle off. The instructions were clear—get out and do not help the other person—but Hans was panicking.
On the pool deck everyone was watching, it had only been a few seconds. Kate appeared on the surface of the water,
“Something’s wrong with Hans!” she shouted, “I’m going back down for him.” She disappeared under the water.
“sh*t!” Rooster readied to jump in after her.
“No.” Maverick ordered, “Stand down. She can do this.”
“Damn right she can.” Phoenix beamed with pride.
Under the water, Kate swam back into the barrel to find that Hans was frantically tugging on his seat belt. She grabbed the buckle and it unlatched easily. She grasped hold of the strap on his vest and tugged him toward the door. He was heavy, but she was stronger than she looked. He was still coherent, but panicked. His arms and legs were flailing desperately. She pulled him through the door and helped him to the surface. As he broke the surface, he gasped for air, sputtering and coughing. Kate helped him over to the edge of the pool; she was breathing heavily herself. She lifted herself up out of the pool and everyone was impressed by her strength, the weight of her water logged gear alone probably doubled her weight. She collapsed onto the pool deck in a puddle of water,
“Did I pass?” she asked.
“Twice.” Maverick beamed, “Hans!” He turned to the other scientist, “You will retest when you are ready. Reset the barrel!” Maverick shouted to the operators. The barrel rose up from the water, with a waterfall pouring out and back into the pool. Phoenix walked over to Kate and extended her hand to help her up,
“Good job, Katie.” she said with a smile, “You did me proud out there. I’ll take you as my back seat any day.” She helped the soaked scientist to her feet, and a wash of water poured out of Kate’s helmet onto her shoulders.
“Thanks, Phoenix. I’d be honored—that is—if B.O.B. wouldn’t mind sharing you.” She glanced over at him and he nodded,
“After that performance, I’ll cede to you any time.”
“Kate, you can head to the lockers and clean up.” Maverick instructed. Kate nodded and hurried out of the tank room. She stepped into the women’s locker room with a weight lifted off her shoulders. The wet gear was harder to remove than she had anticipated, but she had a fresh set of dry clothes and Navy issued garments in her locker. She pulled open her locker and a dozen roses wrapped up in a bouquet fell out at her. Catching them quickly, she looked at the card,
To the most amazing woman I know. There was no signature on the back. The handwriting looked like Jake’s, but she wasn’t sure until she heard his voice behind her,
“You rocked that test.” he whispered. She turned,
“You’re not supposed to be in here.” a smile found its way across her pink lips.
“Well, I had a special delivery to make.” He pulled her close and kissed her.
“I’ll see you back out there—I told them I was headed to the bathroom, so…” he trailed off and squeezed her hand before sneaking back out. She dried off, and dressed in fresh clothes and a dry flight suit before heading back into the tank room. As she walked back in, Hans was still resting on the edge of the pool.
“You’ve got this Hans.” she walked over to him, crouched beside him, and gave him a supportive pat on the back. He smiled lightly,
“I am not the athlete you are, Dr. Norris.”
“This isn’t about athleticism, it’s about survival.” she said softly as she stood up, “That makes all the difference in your mindset. Calm yourself down. It’s peaceful under the water.” He nodded with a new found outlook on the test.
“I’m ready.” Hans slid back into the pool and tread water until the barrel was in position. He swam in and buckled himself in. And like before, the barrel rose up, and then dropped into the water. In moments Hans was submerged, but this time, he was less panicked. He calmly felt the buckle and unlatched it, assessed the easiest way out of the barrel and appeared on the surface of the water in under 30 seconds.
“Pass!” Maverick shouted, “Phoenix, Hangman, this afternoon, you will take your scientists up for their first flight to familiarize them with the standard maneuvers of the planes and get them accustomed to the speed and intensity of these maneuvers.”
While Hangman and Hans were talking, Rooster hurried over to Kate and gave her a huge hug.
“You showed us all up. None of us went back for the other guy when we were trainees.” He kissed her cheek so no one would see. She smiled at him and his heart nearly beat out of his chest,
“I’ll admit though,” he said, “When you said you were going back in for Hans, I was ready to dive in after you.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.” she giggled. Phoenix sauntered up to them,
“Rooster, you don’t mind if I borrow Kate from you? She and I have some girl talk to get to…” Phoenix led Kate back into the ladies’ locker room and shut the door.
“So…” Phoenix began, “We are going to a club downtown tonight to celebrate. It’s a Friday, and we’ve decided we’re going to get wild...will you be my wingman tonight?”
“Absolutely.” Kate beamed. It was an honor to get asked that by a real aviator.
“Good.” Phoenix opened her locker and pulled out a black sequined dress with spaghetti straps and a black satin romper,
“Which one do you want to wear? We probably won’t have time to run back home, we’ll have to leave straight from here... Oh, I have shoes too…” she rummaged through her locker, “You and I are literally the same size, you’re just taller…” She pulled out two pairs of strappy black heels, and two push-up bras.
“You pick.” Kate said.
“Fine. You snooze, you lose. I’m taking the dress.” She tossed the romper to Kate who stowed it in her locker and then handed her a pair of black strappy heels. Kate looked at them,
“These are Stuart Weitzmans!?”
“Yeah, I thrift shop outside of Beverly Hills, and got those—practically new in the box—for $50…”
“You’re kidding!” Kate burst.
“Come with me some time.” Phoenix offered.
“Yes—100%, I will!”
After lunch in the cafeteria, everyone returned to the hangar where two painted helmets sat on the front table. Maverick proudly stood at the head of the room as everyone filed in.
“Kate, Hans, please join me up here with Phoenix and Hangman.” The four stepped up to the front with Maverick.
“Kate, Hans, you will receive your callsigns today. Each sign is your identifying name so wear it with pride. We all had a say in your name, although pilots typically chose their own—you are civilians—so we decided to pick yours. Traditionally, these names have struck fear into the enemy—names like Slayer, or Killer. But today, these names echo our unique personalities.” Kate had been waiting so long for her callsign. Jake had refused to tell her.
“Hans, Hangman. Step forward and present the helmet.” Hangman picked up the helmet that read Mr. Rogers,
“Hans, for your impeccable style choices, we have chosen the callsign Mr. Rogers for you.” He plopped the helmet on Hans’ head. The paintings mimicked Mr. Rogers red cardigan, and along the back it read Welcome to the neighborhood, Motherf@#$*&! Everyone laughed, even Hans, who was surprisingly pleased with his callsign.
“Kate, Phoenix.” Maverick gestured to the two women.
“Kate,” Phoenix began, “You have been a dream to have as a trainee. You are smart as a whip and I’ve learned so much from you. I could tell from the first time I met you, that you were an educator and a lover of learning.” She picked up the chalkboard themed helmet, painted to look like a classroom with scribbling across the front of the helmet,
“We have chosen the callsign Professor for you.” She gently seated the helmet on Kate’s head and everyone erupted in applause.
“Phoenix, Hangman, get you and your trainee geared up, and do pre-flight checks, then let’s get them airborne!” Maverick instructed.
Kate and Phoenix, with their gear on, carrying their helmets, walked out on the deck to inspect Phoenix’s plane. The pilot explained what she was looking for, any leaks, puddles of fluid, issues with the wings, loose weatherstripping—it was a massive list. Kate marveled at the F-18 before her.
“It’s smaller than I thought…” she mumbled.
“And even smaller in the co*ckpit.” Phoenix replied, “We’re about to get real cozy.” Phoenix climbed up into the pilot’s seat and Kate followed into the backseat. They put on their helmets, belted in, and performed the last checks. Maverick came out and checked in with them both,
“Everything looks good from my stand point.” He snugged Kate’s seat belts and checked her mask seal, “Enjoy the ride, Kate. Phoenix will show you a good time.” He winked and Kate laughed lightly behind her mask. Phoenix radioed to the tower and taxied into position on the appointed runway. She throttled up and Kate could feel the power of the engines behind her, only held back by Phoenix’s foot on the brake.
“Green light, go.” was the last thing Kate heard on the radio before the engines roared and Phoenix let her foot of the brake. The plane seemed to hurl down the runway and before she knew it, they were in the air and banking around.
“What do you think, Professor?” Phoenix asked.
“I think this is the coolest experience of my life.” Kate replied. The canopy was nearly all glass and gave her a fabulous view around. Phoenix rolled the plane and pulled up, running through many of the basic maneuvers before Hangman and Hans joined them,
“Good afternoon, lovely ladies.” Hangman’s voice came over the radio. Back in the hangar, Rooster rolled his eyes hearing Hangman address Kate and Phoenix that way. The two planes flew in formation and ran through a basic set of aerial maneuvers and speeds. Kate took careful mental notes of how the plane felt and what g-forces she could informally assess. When they all landed and started to climb out of the planes, Rooster came running out to see Kate. As she dropped down to the ground, he scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around. Phoenix climbed down and poked fun at Rooster,
“Too bad neither you or Hangman got to pop her first-flight-cherry...that was all me.”
“I’m a little jealous, Phoenix.” Rooster admitted as he released Kate and tucked his arm around her waist. Hangman and Hans climbed out next and it was clear their flight had not been nearly as fun as the women’s.
“He puked all over my co*ckpit!” Hangman grumbled as he dropped down to the deck and walked over to where Kate, Rooster, and Phoenix were standing, “I’m covered in it!” He shook his arms and headed inside to clean up, not noticing how close Rooster and Kate were standing.
“So,” Phoenix turned back to Rooster, “Are you and Hangman coming tonight? Payback and Fanboy are in, Harvard is a yes, Yale—no. Coyote and B.O.B.—maybes. Hans…”
“We need to at least invite him.” Kate said sympathetically. She looked over to Hans who was struggling to walk back inside the hangar, his mouth had a crusty ring of vomit around it. She started toward him when Rooster caught her hand,
“I’ll go invite him.” He trotted over to the weary scientist and helped him. Phoenix looked at Kate,
“He really, really likes you. I’ve never seen either him or Hangman like this.” Kate blushed, but Phoenix continued,
“So...you’ve been kind of seeing them both for a month or two...who are you going to choose, because I have money riding on this…” Kate looked surprised,
“I don’t know. Honestly...the crazy thing is I can see a future with each of them…”
“Personally, I’ve known Rooster for a long time. He is not the most open about his feelings, but he also can’t hide them. Everything he shows you is genuine. Hangman is a smooth operator...he shows you what he wants you to see.”
“It’s interesting to see your take of them. You’ve trained with them, gone into combat with them…They really are so different.”
“Okay, okay...I’ve gotta know, who is better in bed?” Phoenix had to know. Kate blushed,
“It hasn’t gotten that far...I think if it does—then that’s who I choose. I don’t think I’d sleep with them both.”
“Kate! Please! It is the 21st century, I don’t think they’d bat an eye if you slept with them both at the same time.” Kate’s eyes grew wide,
“Oh, I couldn’t...no…”
“Don’t be such a prude. What happens if you sleep with Rooster and he’s just okay...but then you miss out on Hangman because you don’t think you could sleep with them both? They don’t care. MEN don’t care.” Kate’s cheeks were on fire from embarrassment,
“Well, when I make my decision, you’ll be the first to know so we can split the money you win betting on it.” she said with an uncomfortable laugh as Rooster trotted back over,
“Hans is not coming; he says his stomach is in knots.” The women seemed very quiet and Rooster noticed,
“What? Is there puke on me?” He twisted around to look at his boots and flight suit. Phoenix leaned in to Kate,
“I’ll see you in the ladies’ locker room…” She hurried off leaving Rooster and Kate to saunter back into the hangar alone. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close,
“Your voice was so happy on the radio.” he said softly. She smiled,
“It was amazing. I’m a little jealous that you get to do this for a living.”
“If I could take you up every day, I would.” He kissed the top of her head as he walked her to the entrance of the ladies’ lockers. She grabbed the collar of his flight suit and pulled him in for a kiss, before disappearing into the locker room.
Kate walked over to her locker and sat down on the bench. She was exhausted and laid down along the bench. Phoenix sauntered over,
“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.” She said to Kate.
“You didn’t...you just got me thinking...I’ve been putting it off because I can’t hurt either of them, but putting it off is actually hurting them…”
“Well, tonight would be a good night to get that ball rolling…” Phoenix smiled slyly.
The men had gone back to their dorms to change since they had relatively little distance to walk versus the women (whose dorm was almost 3 miles away). Rooster, Hangman, and Payback had cars on base and were automatically volunteered to drive to the club. Kate and Phoenix walked into the cafeteria and the men nearly fell out of their seats. Both women were naturally beautiful, but now, they stood before them, like models.
“Boys, pick your jaws up off the floor—I told you we were going clubbing tonight.” Phoenix twirled in her sequin dress with spaghetti straps. Her hair was down and wavy, and her make up a little more than she usually wore, with bright red lipstick. The heels gave her a little height, but not enough to overcome Kate. The scientist was towering in heels, and the satin, V-neck, camisole style romper accentuated her legs. She put a black blazer over top and rolled the sleeves a little. Her hair was long and wavy, little flecks of bronze trailed down her back, her hair had a multidimensional shine. Her dark eyes were rimmed by a smokey eye shadow and long lashes. But her lips stayed that same soft pink. The men all wore button down shirts and jeans—nothing fancy. Jake stood first and walked up to Kate,
“Wow…” Rooster elbowed him out of the way,
“She’s riding with me.” Jake squared off,
“I’m driving too. The lady can decide for herself.” Phoenix piped up,
“She and I are riding with Payback.” Phoenix took Kate’s arm and pulled her away from Rooster and Hangman’s squabble. And soon enough, they were on the road to the night club called Frixion. Apparently, it was pronounced like “friction.” By the time they arrived it was dark, and no one had eaten since lunch. Everyone paid the cover charge and headed inside. The club music was thumping so loudly that Kate could feel it rattling her chest. She could barely hear Phoenix who was barking to her about getting a table and drinks. Kate pointed to a large table that was just vacated by a group of college age kids. Phoenix hurried over and everyone else followed shortly behind.
“Boys, get us some drinks, Kate and I are going out on the dance floor!” She pulled Kate out onto the dance floor while the strobe lights and lasers illuminated their silhouettes. Rooster came over with some shots and the three downed them quickly before dancing to the driving beat. He pulled Kate close to him and she wound her arms around his neck.
“I bet every guy in here is jealous of me right now.” he shouted down to her. She could barely hear him.
“What?!” He leaned into her ear,
“Every guy in here is looking at you—and I’m the lucky one who has you.” Coyote and Payback joined the trio on the dance floor while the others stayed over at the table. Jake watched Rooster carefully.
“Man,” Fanboy leaned over to Hangman, “If I was watching Rooster with her like that, I’d be right up there to pull them apart.”
“Naw, I’m not worried.” He watched as Rooster tried to pull Kate’s hips against his and she turned away, “It’s all in the hips.” he mused as he took a swig of his whiskey. More shots made their way to the group on the dance floor. Kate was beginning to feel more comfortable. They danced for—what seemed like—hours, but was only about 5 or 6 driving songs. Rooster twirled her around and then dipped her on the dance floor and leaned in to kiss her. The music was loud and everything was overstimulating. Her head was suddenly throbbing as Rooster raised her back up and she felt the room begin to spin.
“Whoa…” Kate felt a hand on her waist, steadying her, and pulling her away from Rooster who was headed over to the bar. It was Jake. He quickly pulled her through the crowd and to a quiet table near the back,
“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked.
“My head is killing me.” she rubbed her temples.
“Well, you’ve had two big shots and nothing to eat since lunch.” he reminded.
“Let’s go.” she gave the order, and he helped her up. His strong arms bracing her as they walked to the dance floor. He tapped Phoenix on the shoulder,
“Kate is not feeling so well, I’m going to take her home.” In truth, Kate felt sick. Phoenix hugged her,
“You are a total light weight, but I love you—feel better.” Rooster was over at the bar getting more shots, and Jake knew it. He ushered Kate out the door and helped her to his car before Rooster could try to intervene. He handed her a plastic bag in case she felt sick and drove carefully back to her house. She handed him her keys as he helped her out of the car. Stumbling, she leaned against his car.
“Here. I’ve got you.” He scooped her up and carried her to the front door. Without even setting her down, he got the door unlocked and carried her inside. As soon as he set her down, she felt her stomach churn. She bolted for her bedroom and the en suite bathroom. Jake hurried after. She flipped up the toilet lid and hurled right into the toilet, just in time. He pulled her long wavy hair back and sat beside her, rubbing her back.
“Get it out.” he cooed.
“Ugh..” she wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushed the toilet, “I hate liquor...beer is fine...liquor and I do not get along.” He laughed lightly,
“That’s why I frequent The Hard Deck and not clubs like Frix-ion...however the hell that’s pronounced.” Kate laughed lightly, before quickly turning back to the toilet for a second round of vomiting.
Two more times she puked, and by the time it was over, she was wiped out. She slid out of Phoenix’s borrowed shoes and pulled off the blazer, dropping it on the bench at the foot of her bed. Jake followed her as she wavered around the room. She pulled a sweatshirt and shorts out from the nightstand and turned to him,
“No peeking.” He turned back to the bathroom in an attempt to make good on his no peeking, but in the facing bathroom mirror reflection, he could see her stepping out of the romper, wearing a pair of black lace panties that were rather cheeky on her toned behind. He could only see her back, but it was clear she had no bra, her back was bare as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head and pulled it down. He wanted to turn around, to let her know he saw her, that he wanted her. Just do it! His brain screamed. He turned and walked over to her as she tried to step into her shorts. She sat down on the edge of the bed and he knelt down in front of her, helping her get into her shorts, and pulling them up around her waist,
“I peeked.”
“I wanted you to.” She was so candid. The liquor was like a truth serum.
“I want you, Kate.” he said softly, “I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours.”
“Then make it happen.” she urged.
“Believe me…” he breathed, “I want nothing more than to make love to you right now. I’ve wanted this for months.” he rested his hands on her thighs, “But you are drunk, and my parents raised me right—I am a gentleman, despite what Rooster and Phoenix would have you believe.” She touched his cheek,
“Thank you.” Her dark eyes met his blue-green eyes. He knew that if she wasn’t drunk, he would have, in a heartbeat, made love to her.
“I am starving…” she mused. He smiled back at her,
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m also a chef.”
While Kate relaxed on the couch, watching the Collin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice (her favorite drunk, comfort movie), Jake cooked up his tried-and-true hangover cure: the hamburger. He found some ground beef in the freezer, thawed it, seasoned it, and cooked it to perfection on the stove. He served it up on a plate with some fried potato skins and made a second plate for himself. He plopped down on the couch with Kate and he watched her take the first bite of the hamburger. She chewed slowly, deliberately. When she had swallowed, he looked at her expectantly.
“That is amazing.” she took another huge bite. He was thrilled,
“It’s my mom’s recipe. She is an amazing cook. Good ‘ol Texas cookin’” He exaggerated his accent on purpose. Kate finished the burger before Jake had really even started on his. She devoured the potato skins just as quickly. He was astonished. She laid back on the couch and turned to the tv,
“This is my favorite part…” she said softly as she turned up the volume. In the scene, Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy was pouring out his heart to Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett, despite her being below his station and not a suitable marriage partner. Jake never understood the movie nor women’s fascination with it. Kate sat up and paused the show as if she knew he was confused by everything,
“At this moment, Elizabeth hates him. He ruined Jane’s match with Mr. Bingley, he (although it turns out Elizabeth is wrong about Mr. Wickham) took away Mr. Wickham’s inheritance, he is the worst man—worse than Mr. Collins. Elizabeth would rather die an old spinster than ever consider a match with Mr. Darcy…”
“Wait—I thought every woman was madly in love with Mr. Darcy—he sounds like a jerk?”
“He’s proud—which in the regency era—was jerkish. Hence Pride and Prejudice. Darcy is pride and Elizabeth is prejudice at the beginning and then they switch roles here. She has wrong opinions and so does he. And don’t get me started on Lady Catherine…” He looked at her, she was drop dead gorgeous. Her make-up hadn’t smudged, her hair was perfect, and those dark eyes sparkled at him. She smiled softly and turned the movie back on. He wondered if he had ruined his chance with her by pulling back tonight. But he knew he wanted them to both be sober, coherent, and engaged when that moment arrived. Jake finished his meal and settled in to watch the movie, kicking off his shoes and pulling a throw pillow up on his chest and crossing his arms over it.
The scene on the tv showed Elizabeth visiting her aunt and uncle, they were traveling in a horse drawn carriage and talking about touring Pemberly, Mr. Darcy’s estate. Elizabeth was clearly nervous, but reassured that Mr. Darcy was not home at the moment.
Jake continued watching, and before he knew it, he had watched the end as the credits began to roll.
“That wasn’t bad, actually.” he mumbled. He looked over at Kate and she was fast asleep. She lie on her back, covered by a warm blanket, with one arm over her stomach and the other propping up her head which was turned toward the tv. He smiled to himself as he watched her sleep. Slowly, he pulled himself up from the couch and stretched his tired body. The truth was that piloting fighter jets was not easy on your body. He twisted his body trunk around and let his back crack a few times. Glancing down at Kate, he felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest.
He scooped her up off the couch, blanket and all, and carried her into the bedroom to tuck her into bed. She nestled into the cocoon of pillows on the bed and her eyes flickered open,
“Hey…” she whispered as she reached for his hand, “Stay…” she patted the empty side of the bed. He couldn’t say no. He turned off the lights in the house and made sure everything was locked up. As she fell back asleep, he took off his jeans and socks to slide into bed in his boxer briefs and t-shirt. Inching toward her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and dreamed of falling asleep beside her every night and waking up to her every morning.
It was 3:00 am and the remaining pilots at Frixion decided to call it a night. No one was in good enough shape to drive, so they grabbed some greasy food at the food stand down the street to sober up, and walked back to their cars where they promptly climbed in and fell asleep.
At 7:00 am, Jake rolled over and looked up at the ceiling fan in Kate’s room. The sun poured through her sheer curtains, creating a gentle morning glow. Kate slowly stirred; she placed a hand on her head as if it was pounding horribly. Jake rolled back toward her, putting his arm around her, under the covers. She smiled, and stretched. As she did, Jake felt her sweatshirt shift and his hand explored her bare abdomen.
“How’d you sleep?” she asked,
“Best sleep I’ve ever had. You?”
“Same. Although, I think I might need something for my headache…I haven’t been that sick since undergrad.” She slid out of bed and into the bathroom. Jake decided he was going to make her an omelet for breakfast. He threw on his jeans and got to work in the kitchen while she was in the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Kate washed her face, and as she looked into the mirror, she asked herself: is this what you want? If you do this with Jake, you are done with Rooster. You can’t keep leading them on like this. They deserve better.
“Yes…” she said aloud. This was what she wanted. She had made the hardest choice. She brushed her teeth, thoroughly and fluffed her hair, put some concealer over the dark circles under her eyes, and pinched her cheeks so they would be a nice rosy hue.
“It has been a hot minute...just like riding a bike…” she gave herself some last minute courage and walked out of the bathroom to find Jake sitting on the bed with an omelet on a plate and a glass of orange juice. Another plate and glass were on the night stand for him. She felt her heart melt for him. He must have seen the look on her face,
“I just thought you might be hungry.”
“I am.” she smiled as she sat down next to him. They curled up in the bed and ate the omelets before falling back asleep in each other’s arms.
The other pilots had a much different night. They woke up in shifts to climb out of the cars and puke in the parking lot. Rooster, opened the door on his Bronco, leaned out and barfed,
“Whose idea was this? And where is Kate?” He leaned his head against the closed door and fell asleep.
Jake woke up, face-to-face with Kate. She was sleeping so serenely, he didn’t want to wake her up, but he longed to kiss her soft pink lips. Gently, he brushed his lips against hers. She stirred slowly. He kissed her sweetly, and she kissed him back. He rolled on top of her, and she wrapped her legs around him. He pressed his hips into hers, and as he did, a loud knock came from the front door.
“Seriously?!” he croaked, “If that is Rooster...so help me…” Kate climbed out from under him and peered out the window,
“It’s an MP...I’ll answer it.” She hurried to the front door in her sweatshirt and shorts,
“Hello?” Jake could only hear part of the conversation.
“...yes...I’ll drive over now...I just need to change clothes.” The door closed and the MP walked back up the front walk to his jeep. Kate stormed into the bedroom,
“Another Chinese hacker got into Hans’s server!” she fumed as she pulled a pair of leggings out of a drawer, and tossed them on the bed, “I have to go deal with it on base again.” He hurried to her and immediately drew her close,
“I’ll make Hans pay for it on Monday when I take him up for a practice flight.” Kate laughed,
“Good.” He kissed her,
“We’ll pick this up again soon.” He was already formulating a plan for a spectacular date for next weekend, while Kate was beginning to wonder why the universe was pulling them apart.
Once they had both dressed and gathered their things, they headed out the front door. Kate locked up and they walked to their cars on the street. Jake pulled out first and sped to base, followed by Kate.
Driving onto base Rooster saw Kate following Jake. He was immediately incensed.
“That son of a…”
“Take it easy on him.” Payback said as he rubbed his aching hungover head.
“He is always with her!”
“No. He. Is. Not.” Phoenix grumbled, “You have driven her away…with your jealous attitude...That’s all she sees is you being pissed at Bagman and he has his eyes on the target, you have your sights set on him—I bet if you actually showed her who you are, she’d pick you in an instant...”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Rooster rolled up to the gate and showed his ID badge, everyone else held theirs up to the windows of the Bronco.
“Hey Rooster.” the gate guard greeted him.
“Hey, Carlson. Did Kate and Hangman drive through here a bit before us?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just curious…” Rooster waited for the gate to swing up and he accelerated through.
The conference room was a buzz over the latest intrusion to Hans’s server—which was supposed to be on a closed local network.
“An open, global network-connected device must have access to his server.” Kate said coldly. Admiral Simpson was none too keen to have been called in to work on his day off, and neither was Kate. As the meeting wound down and no further solutions to the issue were discussed, the tech staff were dismissed. Admiral Simpson stopped Kate before she left,
“Dr. Norris? A word, please?”
“Yes, sir?”
“I wanted to commend you. Both for your efforts here with the probe development, and I am told, you performed better than most pilots during your training. Maverick had especially glowing reviews about your dunk test. I don’t think, in all my years, I’ve ever seen someone go back for their partner during the test—it’s always a competition for the fastest time. You showed true grit and loyalty to the team.”
“Thank you.” Kate smiled.
“On a more related note, what security measures are in place on your server? Our head of IT security mentioned your server has gone without intrusion so far.”
“I have my own set of firewalls and checkpoints. It’s more than just a password that everyone knows.” She pulled up her ID badge and attached to it was a small key fob with a screen, she pressed a button and a series of numbers and letters appeared for 30 seconds.
“What is that?”
“A form of multi-factor authentication. It generates a key that is required for access to my server.”
“Does Hans have that?”
“No, we discussed setting it up for his server and he was very adamant that he would lose the fob or someone would take it.”
“Nonsense. I am going to insist he secure his server with...whatever you said that was.” Kate laughed lightly,
“I’ll expect an email from your aide for the details?”
“You know me well, Dr. Norris. Thank you.” And he watched her leave with a heavy sigh. If there was some way he could get her a permanent posting, he would find it.
As Kate was leaving, Rooster caught her by the door,
“Kate!” he almost startled her.
“Rooster...you look...good?” he looked like he had been run over by a truck and he smelled like road kill too.
“Last night was rough...I missed you—Phoenix said she saw you take off with Hangman.”
“Yeah, Jake drove me home. I was pretty sick…”
“I think it was the drinks in that place. They messed with everyone’s stomach.”
“I’m glad you made it home alright.” she said sweetly.
“Hey, what are you doing this afternoon?”
“Today?”
“Yeah.”
“What time?”
“Like now.” he said, “Well, give me 10 minutes to shower and change clothes...there’s something I want to show you off base.”
“Okay…” she was intrigued, and walked back inside, “I’ll be in my lab, come get me when you’re cleaned up.” It felt like she had just sat down at her workbench when he came walking into the lab,
“That was fast.” she was clearly surprised.
“You learn to shower fast when you live on a boat.” They walked outside and Rooster led her to his Bronco. It survived the puking fits of last night just fine,
“I can drive.” he said coolly as he opened the passenger door for her. They sped off base and out toward the desert. Their conversation was light, mostly about the previous night. Rooster couldn’t help but tell Kate how stunning she had looked. The roads were long and you could see for miles. In the distance an old Navy hangar came into view and a runway. Rooster pulled in and drove down an old dusty lane to the hangar. The building’s white paint showed its age with long streams of rust appearing over top from the water runoff.
“What is this place?” Kate asked as he shut off the engine. They stepped out of the Bronco and the dry, hot, desert heat hit them full on. Hurriedly, they entered the hangar which felt cool and damp.
“This is one of Maverick’s hangars. Since he and Penny are married, and live together, he gave me the living space here…” He flipped a huge breaker, and the overhead lights slowly began to kick on with a dim glow and faint buzzing sound. Kate could see an old P51 Mustang, WWII fighter plane.
“No way!” she dropped her tote in a chair and ran to the plane, “Is this Maverick’s?”
“Yep. He and I work on it.” Behind the plane was a wall of photographs, trophies, awards. Kate looked and she saw Maverick and Rooster celebrating on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
“That was after we stole the F-14…” Rooster walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she looked at the pictures. Kate leaned into him,
“Who are all these pilots?”
“Iceman—he was the former commander of the pacific fleet for aviation. That’s Hollywood, Wolfman, Merlin, Lonestar. I think that’s Viper and Jester—the instructors...” He paused and pointed to his father and Maverick, “That’s my dad, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.”
“I bet he is so proud of you.” Her voice was sweet and sincere. Rooster kissed her cheek. Her eyes fell upon a picture of Goose holding a young boy and a beautiful blonde woman beside him,
“Is that you?” She pointed to the toddler.
“Yep.”
“You were a little blondie?” He laughed,
“Yeah, that’s my mom.” Kate knew that both his parents were gone. She turned to face him, drawing her arms up around his neck,
“Why show me this place?”
“Because, I want you to see...me…” He leaned down and kissed her. sh*t, her mind thought. Now what do I do? Hangman or Rooster…She closed her eyes and saw Jake. Instinctively, she kissed harder. Rooster wanted her in the worst way. He kissed her more passionately, running his hands through her hair. She pressed her hips against his, and he grabbed her, pulling her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her back to the camper parked inside the hangar and opened the door. Climbing the stairs, he carried her inside and they toppled onto the bed. He pulled his white t-shirt over his head and helped her remove her Navy emblem sweatshirt revealing her lacy bra underneath. His lips found her neck, and chest, her abdomen before returning to her petal soft lips. She ran her hands through his hair as he traced the curve of her hips with his hands. He unbuckled his belt and slid his jeans off, before slipping the waistband of Kate’s leggings down to expose her black lace underwear. She quickly kicked the leggings off over the edge of the rickety old bed, and pushed him down onto the mattress. She climbed on top of him and leaned down to kiss him with a wild abandon. He was mad with passion as he grabbed her hips and twisted her around underneath him.
“...god, I want you, Kate…” he heaved as he pressed his body against hers. She kissed him deeply,
“...don’t stop…” she breathed as they removed the last barriers between them, and they made love, passionately, feverishly. They were tangled up in each other all afternoon, finally falling asleep as the evening sun dipped low on the horizon. Her head lay on his bare chest as they were hardly covered by the threadbare sheets of the camper mattress. He could feel her soft breaths on his skin and he looked down at her as she slept,
“Someday…” he whispered, “I’m going to marry you.” and he kissed the top of her head. She stirred slightly, but remained asleep in his arms.
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: It's Complicated
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: It’s complicated.
Monday morning saw Rooster practically dancing into the hanger for the early briefings of the day’s exercises.
“Someone’s chipper.” Hangman grumbled. Rooster glanced over to the laboratory and saw Kate working hard at her bench. She didn’t look up at either pilot like she usually did when they entered.
After the events that transpired on Saturday afternoon in Rooster’s camper, Kate realized she had inadvertently made a miscalculation, one that she couldn’t fix. Her heart had chosen Jake, and her desire chose Rooster, and sleeping with Rooster meant she had to quit Jake—cold turkey. She was not someone who slept around. She had one boyfriend at a time. So why did she feel like she was making a mistake?
“Damn it…” she hissed under her breath. She pulled up a line of code on her computer screen and tried to figure out why the probe wasn’t beginning the automatic qrtPCR protocol. Quickly, she identified the issue, it was a missing bracket.
“Five brackets on this, not four.” she rectified the issue and went back to her tumultuous mind.
During the 10:15 am break, Phoenix knocked on the glass window, and Kate stepped out into the laboratory vestibule,
“Hey...is there a reason Rooster is as happy as he is today? He can’t stop talking about you. I’m pretty sure Hangman is going to pop in a second.”
“Nat…” she referred to Phoenix by her first name shortened from Natasha, “I...I…”
“You two slept together, didn’t you? How was he?”
“Yes. God. I shouldn’t have.”
“Bull sh*t—yes you should have. Now get back out there and sleep with Hangman.”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?!”
Outside the laboratory, the male pilots were watching this interaction and desperately trying to read lips,
“I think she said, I’ll whip you till you’re blue. Rude. Booka de bepo.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s right.”
Inside the laboratory, the two women were still going back and forth,
“I don’t feel right sleeping with one then with the other. They--”
“--don’t care. They. Don’t. Care. Kate.”
“Ooh—they don’t care Kate. I’m like 90% on that one.” Harvard piped up to the lip readers.
“...it feels like a mistake.” Kate sighed.
“I don’t think Rooster feels that way. He walked in to the hanger like he won the lottery.” Kate shifted uncomfortably,
“sh*t… that makes me feel worse.” Phoenix stepped toward the scientist,
“Look, sisters before misters, I’m here for you, but Rooster is my friend, and I’ve never seen him happier than he is right now. Give him a chance.” Kate nodded,
“Okay. But I need to talk to Jake. The sooner the better.”
“Sounds like you need me to distract Rooster this evening?”
“That would be great.”
“I’ll see if Freddy in the guard shack has any leftover sleeping pills I can crush up and put in his beer.” Kate laughed at Phoenix’s apparent joke,
“Oh.” The pilot reacted, “You thought I was joking.” Kate’s face became sullen,
“...god...what have I done?” she hissed as she paced back and forth. Phoenix glanced over her shoulder to see a group of the male pilots peering through the windows,
“We have an audience...can we sneak into the ladies lockers?” The two women exited the lab and hurried down the hall to the ladies’ locker room. Phoenix shut the door and immediately turned on the radio to the pop station.
“For grown men, they are terrible eavesdroppers.” She mused, “So, what the hell happened?” Kate sighed,
“He took me to a hangar in the desert...and showed me all these pictures of him, his mom and dad...He said he wanted me to see him...I don’t know—it all happened so fast.”
“Trust me, you’ve been trying to sleep with them both for months—there is nothing fast happening here…”
“I don’t get it. Everyone says the Navy pilots are so fast—meet at the bar tonight, married tomorrow—fast.”
“They’re fast when they want it to be over fast. They’re slow when they want long term.” Kate flopped down on the locker room bench,
“This is a disaster.”
“I don’t think that’s the reaction Rooster was hoping for. Look, you can’t un-sleep with him, so just move forward. Be honest with him. If you want casual with no strings, tell him. If you want his Golden Retriever energy, then tell him.”
“Golden Retriever energy?” Kate was amused by this description, but it drew her back to the puppies, snakes, lions lesson her father once gave her.
“Kate, he is the biggest Golden Retriever you will ever meet. Loyal, loving, protective—and that’s just with his family and friends.” Phoenix looked at her watch,
“sh*t. Gotta get back.” She patted Kate on the leg, “You’ll figure it out.” She turned off the radio as she left, and the silence of the locker room bore down on Kate’s mind like a drill.
Kate sat up and quickly left, as she was walking down the hall, she saw the hallway doors open quickly and Jake stepped out into the hall, as soon as he saw her, he smiled and hurried toward her,
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you.” sh*t! Her mind was thrown into a tailspin. Jake immediately saw her tense up,
“What’s wrong?” He asked as he clasped her shoulders gently. She drew in her breath sharply and took his hand,
“Follow me.” she said quietly as they walked into the ladies’ locker room. She shut the door and turned the radio on to prevent eavesdroppers, just as Phoenix had.
“Okay, Kate, you’re scaring me…I’ve never seen you so tight wound.” He reached for her and she took a step back,
“Now you’re really freaking me out, what’s wrong?”
“I am.”
“What?”
“I’m the problem—I’m what’s wrong.” she said suddenly. He co*cked his head to the side like a dog hearing a strange sound that it couldn’t comprehend.
“You are making ZERO sense right now.” She looked up, closed her eyes, and felt a tear roll down her cheek,
“I slept with him.” she whispered. Jake felt his heart stop. He toppled down onto the bench with his head in his hands. He was enraged as he closed his eyes and refused to cry. He was not angry with her; he was furious with Rooster. His body was shaking with rage as he stood up. He opened his eyes and saw her sitting on the floor, back against the locker, eyes closed with tears streaming down her cheeks. Did she regret it? What happened? Did Rooster take advantage of her? He had a million questions he wanted to ask her, but couldn’t find the words. Even as distraught as she was, she was beautiful, and he knew he loved her. He knew he would forgive this, in fact he already had. But right now, he couldn’t stay here. He walked out the door, and down the hall, back into the hangar and to his seat as the rest of the pilots watched him with concerned silence. No one had ever seen him so angry. He always kept his emotions close to the vest, but now, he was radiating hatred. Even Maverick saw it. There was no way he was sending Hangman up in the air today, not like this. He would get himself or someone else hurt.
“Aviators, wheels up in 15.” As everyone started to stand up and head for their gear, Maverick stopped Hangman,
“Lieutenant Seresin? A moment, please?”
“Sir.” Hangman stood and stared straight ahead.
“Follow me.” Maverick walked him back to the enclosed private classroom at the back of the hangar. The men walked in and Maverick shut the door behind him,
“I’m grounding you for today.”
“Sir?”
“I don’t want an explanation, but whatever just happened during the break, has had a very noticeable effect on your attitude today. Until you have stabilized your emotions, I am grounding you. You need to have your head in the game 100% today.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why don’t you go back to the dorms and take a load off?”
“With all due respect, sir, I’d rather not be alone right now.”
“Of course.” Maverick felt for him, and he had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with Rooster’s request to visit the desert hangar this weekend, “I’ll assign you to flight maintenance, head over to the maintenance hangar.”
“Thank you, sir.” and Hangman stalked out of the hangar without another word. Every other pilot stood in stunned silence. Phoenix knew exactly what happened as she glanced over to the laboratory and saw her unofficial wingman, Kate, noticeably absent. Immediately, Phoenix realized the gravity of the situation.
“What could have set him off like that?” Coyote pondered, “I’ve known him forever and never seen him that pissed.”
“Guys, I’ll be right back.” Phoenix hurried out of the hangar and down to the ladies’ locker room. She pushed open the door and saw Kate sitting on the floor in her white lab coat, tears cascading down her cheeks.
“Oh, sh*t.” Phoenix dropped everything and ran to her friend. They had become like sisters during training, and Phoenix had a deep respect for Kate and her stoic strength. But seeing her so broken on the floor twisted the pilot’s stomach into knots,
“Did he hurt you?” Phoenix dropped to her knees, thinking the worst.
“No. No. He’d never lay a hand on me in anger…” Kate sobbed, “I hurt him...I told him, about Rooster…”
“What did he say to you? Jesus...Kate?” Phoenix handed the sobbing scientist a few paper towels.
“Nothing.” she sobbed as she pressed the brown paper towels into her face.
“What?”
“He didn’t say a word after I told him.” she bawled, “I never wanted to take something back, more, than I do right now.” Suddenly, Phoenix realized Kate really did love Hangman, and he loved her. Rooster had been the catalyst to show them both that, and now it might be over before it even began. She had to fix this because she felt partially at fault. In her dislike of Hangman, she pushed Kate toward Rooster.
“It’s going to be alright.” Phoenix hugged her friend, “We’ll fix this.” She helped Kate to her feet, “When you’re cleaned up, go back to the lab, get your things—I’m going to tell Maverick you’re sick, and I want you to go home.” Kate nodded.
Phoenix grabbed her things and bolted back into the hangar to Maverick,
“Sir, can I speak with you in private?”
“Sure, Phoenix.” He beckoned her into the private classroom, “What’s up?” He asked as the door shut,
“I need to ask you for a favor…”
“Ask first...then I’ll decide.”
“I messed up, royally.” He did not look pleased,
“Go on.”
“I pushed Kate and Rooster together, and tried to keep her and Hangman apart. Bradshaw is my friend and I wanted him to be happy, and sh*t just hit the fan.”
“So that’s why Hangman looked like he was about to put a hole in a wall…I’m afraid I’m as guilty as you. We all were hoping Kate and Bradley would find each other naturally, but it looks like it was always meant to be Kate and Jake…I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, I think you better check on Hangman, take Coyote with you. He’s in the maintenance hangar.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Phoenix rushed out the door and over to Coyote,
“Hey, Coyote, drop your gear and follow me.”
“Why?”
“We’re headed over to the maintenance hangar, and fast…” she took off at a run and Coyote bolted after.
Kate slowly walked to the sink to look in the mirror at her disheveled appearance. She looked like she had just walked through hell and at this point, she figured she deserved to be there. Turning on the faucet she splashed some cold water on her face. It felt numbingly cold. The redness in her eyes had mostly disappeared, her nose stopped running,
“Get it together, Kate.” She stared back at her reflection in the mirror, “You have a job to do.” There was no going home. She tossed the paper towels into the garbage can from across the locker room and walked out the door.
Phoenix and Coyote burst into the maintenance hangar to find Hangman sitting on the floor, leaning back against a tool chest with one knee pulled up to rest his arm on. He looked like a wreck.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked with a menacing tone. Phoenix crouched down and looked him in the eye,
“I know what happened, and if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me—not Kate.” He laughed,
“I couldn’t be mad at Kate if I tried, Phoenix.” he said softly. Phoenix stepped back, she had to find Kate, hopefully, she hadn’t left yet,
“I’ll be back.” she signaled to Coyote to take over as she ran out of the maintenance hangar.
Phoenix ran to the ladies’ locker room first, Kate was not there. sh*t. Back to the lab then. Fortunately, Kate was hard at work on her computer in the lab. There was no trace of tears or turmoil. She held a deep focus. Phoenix knocked on the glass one more time and Kate stepped into the lab vestibule,
“Follow me.” Phoenix had an intensity that only a woman on a mission could have. Kate closed her laptop and gracefully stood to follow. They made their way hastily toward the maintenance hangar, but before Phoenix opened the door she stopped and turned to Kate,
“Jake is in there.” Kate immediately tensed, “He’s just as hurt as you are. Wait here.” Phoenix propped open the door so they could hear the conversation.
“Man,” Coyote spoke, “What is this moping around? Other than Mav, aren’t you the only Topgun grad on active duty in the last 20 years to have two air-to-air kills? And you’re letting Slowrider walk away with your girl? Get your ass back in the fight.” Hangman leapt to his feet and closed the distance between himself and Coyote. He gave his friend a shove,
“You don’t get it, because you don’t know what happened…” He walked back and flopped down against the tool chest once more,
“I choked, and Rooster didn’t…which is a first.”
“Man.” Coyote was clearly frustrated, “Stop with the pity party. Do you love her?”
“More than anyone or anything on earth.” Kate’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest hearing his words.
“Then tell her.” Phoenix said as she pulled Kate through the door with her. Jake immediately climbed to his feet.
“Let’s go, Coyote.” Phoenix beckoned him over, “I think our work here is done.” She gave one more glance back at Kate and Jake before closing the door.
The pair slowly walked toward one another, not knowing what to say. They looked at each other and Jake held out his hand. She took it and he drew her into him, wrapping his strong arms around her. They embraced for a long moment.
“I’m sorry--”
“Shhhh…” He hushed her.
“No. I need to explain.” She pulled away.
“You don’t have to.” He whispered.
“I owe you that much, and after, you can decide--”
“There is no decision here, Kate, I love you.” Hearing him say that made her melt into his arms, she looked him directly in the eyes,
“I love you too.” He kissed her,
“But let’s get one thing out of the way,” he smiled, “we are exclusive, from here on out.”
Rooster walked back into the hangar after his practice flight and the mood was very different from when he left.
“What’s happening?” He asked. Phoenix and Coyote were giving each other a high five and Maverick was nowhere to be found. Phoenix looked at him, and her face changed. She hurried over,
“I think you should take a load off. It’s been a day, and I have some news you are not going to want to hear…”
“I think I’ll be the one to tell him, Phoenix.” Hangman’s voice echoed off the hangar’s tall ceiling as he strutted in. He walked straight up to Rooster, the two men were practically nose-to-nose,
“It’s over between you and Kate. What happened is in the past and--”
“I think Kate can tell me herself. Until then...” A gasp rose from the peanut gallery of other pilots beginning to congregate around and listen to the brewing conflict.
“I said it’s over.” Hangman growled. Rooster leaned in and lowered his voice so only Hangman could hear,
“She seemed to enjoy herself when I wa-” before Rooster could even finish his sentence, Hangman let his fist connect with his adversary’s jaw, and Rooster was down on the floor, shaking his head to make it stop spinning.
“Stay down.” Hangman warned. Rooster had never been hit that hard before, he was still seeing little stars floating in his periphery. He shook his head and climbed to his feet, stumbling somewhat, he regained his footing and rubbed his jaw.
“I said stay down.” Hangman swung again and Rooster was ready this time, he grabbed his rival around the waist and the two wound up on the floor, swinging and grappling. Maverick came bursting through the hangar doors,
“ENOUGH!” He and Payback, B.O.B., Harvard, Omaha, and Fanboy pulled Rooster and Hangman apart. It was clear that Hangman had done more damage. Rooster’s face was swollen and a trickle of blood ran down the edge of his eyebrow.
“Both of you in my office. Now.” Maverick snapped.
“I warned you both.” Maverick shouted, “You could not keep this love triangle away from your professional duties.” A knock fell on his office door, “COME IN!” he bellowed. Kate stepped in and Rooster quickly straightened himself up.
“Dr. Norris. Please have a seat.” She quietly sat down while both Rooster and Hangman stood behind her.
“As I was saying, this behavior will not be tolerated any longer. You are all to be professional while on base at all times. I don’t care what you choose to do with yourselves off base, but while you are on my turf, you will behave. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.” Hangman and Rooster spoke in unison.
“Yes.” Kate said softly.
“Good. Rooster, Hangman, you are dismissed, and I recommend you take different routes back to your dorms.” Rooster stalked out of the room immediately, while Hangman stepped outside and waited for Kate.
“I’m letting you know, Kate, as a friend, that Bradley has been recalled to his carrier for a mission. He will receive his orders tomorrow.” He sighed, “We can’t keep the pilots indefinitely for this training, it leaves the carriers short staffed—so to speak—so the training will change here soon.”
“I understand.” she said solemnly.
“Don’t leave things like this between you two.” He urged her to speak to Rooster before he left and smooth things over. Kate thanked him and excused herself. As she left the office, Jake took her hand and they walked back toward the lab,
“I have to stop and speak to Admiral Simpson for just a moment.” Kate said, “We have two planes retrofitted with our first prototype probe, and I want to know when they’ll be delivered.”
“Do I get to fly one?” Jake asked.
“Yes—with Hans as your backseat.” Kate knocked on the Admiral’s door,
“Come in.” was the muffled reply. Kate opened the door and he smiled brightly,
“Kate—a lovely surprise. What can I do for you this afternoon?”
“I was wondering if you had a delivery date for the planes fitted with the new probes?”
“Next week sometime—last I heard. I will call and check this afternoon and update you.”
“Okay, thank you—I appreciate it.” She walked back to Jake and they took their time getting back to the hangar.
“You really punched Rooster for me?” she finally asked as they entered the long hallway that led directly to the hangar.
“Yep.” he held up his swollen fist and she grimaced,
“Ow! There are better ways to defend my honor…”
“Like jousting?” he laughed.
That evening, as everyone was leaving, Rooster waited for Hangman to leave the hangar before he sauntered up to the laboratory. He stepped through the sliding doors and into the lab vestibule, but he was not allowed further access so he knocked on the glass doors and Kate hurried over. Her ID badge triggered the doors and she stepped out.
“Hey.” he said coldly.
“Hey.” she replied. He stepped toward her, his eyes gave away every emotion he was feeling right now. Hurt, confusion, frustration, desire. She drew in a slow breath, and looked at her feet.
“Please tell me you don’t regret it.” He said suddenly, “Being with you was...amazing...I…” he trailed off briefly, composing himself, “Kate...I love you.” Their eyes met and she felt her heart begin to pound,
“Bradley, I can’t regret it.” He sighed with relief as he moved closer to her,
“Then why is he telling me you and I are over?”
“Because we have to be.” she said softly. He stroked her cheek,
“Please don’t…” he begged, “when we made love…I saw you as my future…I’ve never felt so complete, so happy...so sure.” He leaned in to kiss her and she pulled back,
“I love him.” She could see the heartbreak become a visible expression on his face, and she felt that hurt too. He stepped back and nodded,
“And you don’t love me…” She looked away, breaking eye contact,
“Not in the same way I love Jake.”
“Please, Kate…” he gently reached forward and touched her lips, “Don’t do this...he will hurt you. I’ve seen him do it a thousand times…” She leaned over and kissed his cheek,
“I’m sorry. I know this changes everything, so I understand…” As she pulled back, he kissed her with every last ounce of passion he could muster,
“Goodbye, Kate.” he breathed as he lingered with his lips touching hers. Letting go of her was the hardest thing he had ever done, and as he walked away from her and out of the laboratory doors, he saw flashes of their passionate afternoon cross his mind. He could still smell her skin and feel her hair brushing against his chest as they entangled themselves. The way she smiled down at him, the way her body moved against his, how her hips felt against his. At least he had these memories of her, and he would never forget every last detail. He promised himself that he would replay that afternoon over and over in his mind until it was a part of him permanently.
Kate walked back into the laboratory and exhaled slowly. It was done. She had destroyed a friendship in less than 72 hours, and that saddened her most of all. As she typed away on the lines and lines of code she was working on for the probe, the intercom into the lab sounded and Admiral Simpson’s aide spoke over the loud speaker,
“Dr. Norris, please report to Admiral Simpson’s office as soon as you are able.” Kate saved her file and shut her laptop before leaving the lab. Hans met her at the door,
“Dr. Norris, I am having trouble with my software to deploy the probe, perhaps you and I might be able to sit down tomorrow and have a look?”
“Sure, Hans.” Kate smiled gingerly, “I can fit that into my schedule. If you’ll excuse me though, I have to meet with Admiral Simpson.” She slid past Hans and out of the lab. He watched her leave and seemed to have the same puppy dog eyes that Rooster and Hangman had when they looked at her.
“Dr. Norris!” Admiral Simpson beamed, “I am pleased to tell you that I just received notice that Lockheed is delivering the outfitted planes early.”
“That’s wonderful news!” She glowed.
“Tomorrow.” He burst with excitement.
“Wow! That is far ahead of schedule. I thought you said they were due next week.”
“Well, you may have heard, we are starting to take heat from some of the carriers in service that they are operating with fewer pilots than usual due to the length and nature of this mission and its required training. So, we will be returning some of the pilots back to their squadrons for short tours—three weeks at a time—starting tomorrow. Since you and Hans will be running on-board diagnostic testing during the test flights, I will need both of you to prepare for the test flights, as you will be flying with Phoenix and Hangman.” Kate nodded. He continued,
“I will get the flights scheduled with Maverick for this week. Are you and Hans prepared with samples, and equipment—anything you need to ensure these probes are ready to go?”
“I will check my list and get back to you.”
“Perfect.” Kate thanked him and hurried back to the lab. Everything was quiet and most of the staff had already left for the evening. After such an eventful day, Kate only wanted to go home, and climb into the old clawfoot tub in her bathroom. She began to pack up her tote bag when she noticed the door to Hans’ server bay was open.
“Hans?” she called into his side of the lab. No reply. She started to walk in and stopped,
“No, I should call IT.” Quickly she paged the IT staff and in a few minutes, they arrived to check on the servers.
“The door was open like this when you came in?” one of the staff asked. Kate nodded,
“Yes, I decided to call you because those doors are supposed to be shut and locked now.”
“Right.” the staffer said as he looked around it. He suddenly pulled out a wifi dongle and everything changed in a second.
“This shouldn’t be connected to the internet.” he said as he held up the wifi dongle. Kate’s mind began to spin. Were the intrusions deliberate? She had scratched her head to figure out how a server connected to only an internal network could have had a Chinese hacker gain access. Now she knew. Someone had inserted a wifi dongle to give access.
All night, Admiral Simpson, Kate, Hans, and the IT staff were trying to figure out who had put the wifi dongle on Hans’s server, giving it internet access. Kate had collapsed in the conference room in one of the large leather chairs when Admiral Simpson entered, just as exhausted,
“Well, I appreciate that you brought this to our attention. We have handed it over to the MP’s now, and they will hunt through security footage to see who was going in and out.” he said as he sat in the chair directly beside Kate. She swallowed hard knowing they would see the interaction between herself and Rooster.
“You’d better get home and get some rest.” He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Tomorrow will be an early day.” She nodded and pulled herself to her feet, gathered her tote bag, ID badge, keys and walked out the door toward the parking lot.
By the time she arrived at home and parked her car, she felt like she could simply sleep in her car for the rest of the night. But she forced herself out and into her house. Locking the door behind her, she stepped on a letter that had been shoved under the door. She stooped down and picked it up before dropping her things on the couch, sliding out of her shoes, and walking into the bedroom. The envelope only read: Kate
She peeled the envelope open and pulled out a single-page letter. Collapsing on the bed, she began to read it.
Kate,
I’m sorry. Today when you spoke to me in the lab, I couldn’t articulate my feelings. Jake and I have always had a rough history as competitive aviators, but I am happy for the two of you, even if it means I have to accept the hardest loss I’ve ever been dealt. When I first saw you, the day you moved in to your house, I remember my heart stopping the second you smiled at me. No matter what happens, I will love you always. I will cherish those stolen moments we had, and I will never forget that day and night we spent together in the desert hangar. Please understand that, as much as I want our friendship to remain despite the complications, I need time to lick my wounds and someday, perhaps we can try again to re-ignite our engines—so to speak. I will always hold out hope that you could still love me the way you love Jake. Thank you for giving me the greatest love I’ve ever experienced; I know when I go to war, I’m fighting to return to you. You alone will bring me back from the brink. Jake is a lucky man.
Love,
Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw
Tears streamed down her cheeks after reading his words. She folded the letter, placed it back in the envelope and stowed it safely in her nightstand. This was a letter she would keep forever, both physically and emotionally. That night she slept fully and when she woke in the morning, there was a text on her phone from Jake,
Good morning, beautiful! She smiled and felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter. There was no question that she felt at ease now. She slowly rolled out of bed and showered before getting ready for the day.
The base was buzzing today as two new aircraft were delivered, outfitted with the probes. After the planes were run through the maintenance checks and everything looked good, within a couple of days, the pilots would take them up for their first flights. Only the pilots would go up on the first flight, to evaluate the plane handling and whether the probe mountings effected the balance and stability of the plane in flight.
Around 10 am, Rooster, Omaha, Harvard, and Yale were given their orders to ship out for their carrier assignments. They would be gone for 3 weeks. Rooster was surprisingly glad, he needed to be off the base and away from Hangman, and this was the welcomed break he craved. He closed his eyes and Kate flashed across his mind. He saw her lying on the camper mattress underneath him, her dark eyes glittering. With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and went to his dorm to pack; the pilots were due to leave via a carrier transport flight out to Japan and then they would be moved over to the carrier on a smaller flight. Everything was scheduled to leave at 2200 tonight. He left without saying goodbye to anyone but Maverick.
Kate and Hans were buried in work and meetings as they neared the flight tests. Jake brought dinner every night and he and Kate ate in the cafeteria together, growing closer, more connected. On Friday, Kate went through flight checks with Phoenix and Hans did with Hangman. Everything looked good, so they were scheduled for short flights in the late afternoon.
Phoenix and Hangman were up in the air in no time and everything went well. The probes seemed balanced, and had little effect on the handling of the aircraft. As Phoenix was landing, she radioed,
“I have low hydraulic fluid warning.”
“We’ll check it out after landing.” Maverick radioed back. The planes taxied over to the maintenance hangar for post-flight evaluation. The crew inspected both aircraft for any loose rivets, or bolts, and even Phoenix’s low hydraulic fluid. Everything looked fine, and they topped off the fluid, parked the planes and the pilots left for the evening.
Jake waited outside of the lab for Kate to finish up, then they drove to her house. They ordered carryout from Sebastian’s Surf and Turf and spent the night watching one of Kate’s favorite old movies, “Operation Petticoat,” about a submarine crew in the 1940s during the war in the Pacific. Cary Grant and Tony Curtis headlined the movie.
“They painted it PINK!” Jake roared as he watched the scene where the submarine appeared pink while repainted. He and Kate were wrapped up in each other’s arms on the couch as the movie continued with close calls from enemy and ally attacks, because no one knew who the pink submarine belonged to. A few minutes before the end of the movie, Kate’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Phoenix,
'Are you busy?
Watching a movie with Jake. What’s up?
Need my wingman! ASAP!
Where are you?
The Hard Deck. I’m losing pool.' Kate immediately laughed and showed Jake the texts,
“I think she needs my pool shark skills.”
“Do you want to drive up there for a bit?”
“Well, when your wingman calls for you--”
“You answer the call!” He jumped to his feet and pulled her up into a kiss,
“Let’s go.” He slipped on his boots and she slid into her flip flops. They were out the door in no time and when they arrived at The Hard Deck, Phoenix was in desperate need of Kate’s pool sharking. Jake grabbed a couple of beers from Penny and Kate joined the game. A couple of Air Force boys were playing against Phoenix, and she was down three stripe balls to their one. When the pilot saw Kate, she beamed,
“Professor!”
“Phoenix!” The women hugged and Jake felt left out,
“No love for Hangman—I delivered Professor to you, Phoenix…”
“Thank you, Hangman…” One of the Air Force pilot’s eyes widened,
“Wait—Hangman?” Jake nodded,
“That’s me.” The pilot extended his hand to shake Jake’s.
“It’s a pleasure, sir. I’m Lieutenant Aaron Daniels, and this is Captain Mark Swan. We’ve heard about your mission to NoKo two years ago—you saved that crew. Two air-to-air kills is very impressive, sir. Instructors at the academy are still using your kills as examples of what to do.”
“Aw, shucks.” Jake took a swig from his beer.
“We are here overnight with our mid-air refueling rig. You’re the nearest air station with the right maintenance equipment for our rig.” Phoenix snapped her fingers and the airmen returned their attention to her,
“Now that I have my wingman, let’s finish this game.” she winked at Kate, who immediately took the cue and dropped all three striped balls into their pockets, one after the other. Jake beamed at his girl; she was remarkable. He saw the way her eyes focused on the 8 ball, how her hand braced the pool cue. There was no question he was in love with her; he couldn’t take his eyes off of her and neither could every man nearby the pool table.
“8 ball, left side pocket.” Kate called as she hit the cue ball into the black 8 ball and it careened into the left side pocket.
“Game!” Phoenix shouted. The airmen threw up their hands in defeat and dropped a pair of $20 bills on the pool table,
“A bet is a bet.” Mark said. The airmen hurried off to the bar while Phoenix pocketed the $40.
“Thank you.” She said as she squeezed Kate’s arm, “I didn’t have the money on me if I had lost.” Jake laughed,
“Sure...use Kate to win your bet.” Phoenix took a drink from her beer,
“So, it looks like Jagger, Whip, Odin, Talon, and Hook were sent orders today. They were recalled to their carriers.”
“We’re dropping like flies.” Hangman mumbled. Phoenix nodded,
“I think we’re safe, since we’re flying the test probes…” Kate sat down on Jake’s knee and he wrapped his free arm around her waist. The trio spoke about the carrier recalls, the mission, and eventually, as the evening wore down, they parted. Phoenix took an Uber back to base and Kate and Jake drove back to Kate’s house.
Before Kate and Jake got out of his Camaro, he leaned over and kissed her,
“I have a surprise for you…” he whispered. She raised a brow.
“Tomorrow, we are going to get up early and I’m taking you on a special date. This is the date I’ve been trying to take you on for a month.” he smiled at her.
As they sauntered into the house, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. After everything that had happened this week, they were ready to enjoy an evening together. They tumbled back onto the bed and Jake kissed her passionately. She sat up and pulled her shirt off exposing her lacy bra, he removed his shirt, now bare chested. His hands explored the soft skin of her chest and abdomen, as they kissed with power and passion. He kissed her neck, and she sighed softly. She unbuckled his belt and he kicked off his jeans with little effort. Her jean shorts took a little more effort to remove, and they were promptly thrown across the bedroom. He marveled at her lacy panties, and he kissed her navel while she ran her hands through his sandy blonde hair. She pulled him back up to kiss her lips and then pushed him over and she rolled on top of him. He was captivated by her beauty. As she kissed him, he reached up and unlatched her lacy bra. That too landed in a corner of the room. Their bodies pressed together; he ensured that the last of their undergarments also landed on the floor. He pressed his naked hips against hers, and she exhaled softly onto his neck.
“I love you…” he breathed as he gazed down at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
“I love you too.” she brushed his hair from his forehead and smiled softly. He kissed her with a feverish and loving passion,
“I’m yours, Kate.” he whispered.
“...and I’m yours…” she replied, breathlessly. With one powerful kiss, she wrapped her legs around him, and they passionately, wildly, deeply, made love. Jake had never made love like this before. His body shook with every movement, as she writhed beneath him, and then on top of him. He never wanted this to end. They gazed into each other’s eyes as they felt the moment grip them. They both cried out and collapsed beside each other on the stripped bed, as all the sheets had been kicked to the bottom of the bed. Jake rolled over to face her and he pulled her up against him. They were both heaving, and out of breath. She touched his cheek and gently kissed him. His fingertips ran up and down the curve of her waist and hip.
“Where have you been all my life?” he whispered.
“Chicago.” she replied softly as she sat up. He rose with her and leaned in to kiss her neck. She smiled as she drew his lips up to hers. He fell back on top of her and they made love once again. Every bit as much energy and power as the first time. They continued to make love off and on throughout the night, until they finally fell asleep, legs wound around each other, Kate’s head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. As he briefly awoke, he kissed the top of her head and whispered,
“I’m going to make you my wife, and we’ll have a herd of beautiful and brilliant children.” He looked up at the ceiling and sighed with satisfaction. Never had he felt that kind of passion and love before. He knew she was the one, and in many ways, he was glad for everything that had transpired to bring them together finally.
They slept until the sun began to pour into the room and cast a glow over their naked bodies pressed against one another, the sheets barely covering them. Jake woke first and he leaned down to kiss her forehead,
“I love you so much.” he whispered. Kate stirred and stretched, her toned body, flexing against him. Her dark eyes slowly flickered open and she smiled at him. They kissed sweetly, then with more passion. Kate’s hips pressed into his, and it wasn’t long before they made love once more in the gentle morning’s glow. As they breathed heavily, Jake kissed her again and again, and she matched his intensity. His lips explored every inch of her neck, collarbone, chest, abdomen, before he disappeared below the single sheet, and Kate drew in her breath sharply. She moaned softly as he explored between her legs,
“Jake…” she breathed, “Yes…YES!” She gasped and her body shook with pleasure. He reappeared from under the sheet with a beaming smile on his face.
“As much as I’d love for this to continue all day and night, we have a date today…” Her chest heaved up and down, and she smiled,
“I better shower...if we’re going on a date…” She slid out from underneath him and as she started for the bathroom, she stopped and beckoned him to follow,
“Are you coming?” In an instant, he was on his feet, and his arms were wrapped around her. Kate turned on the shower and they stepped under the streaming water only to make love once more under the warm waters.
Once they were finally dressed and ready to go, Jake helped her into his Camaro and produced a blind fold,
“You will have to put this on when I tell you.” She looked at him with a confused look,
“I didn’t know you were into that...but okay…” He laughed,
“We can try that...I’ll borrow some handcuffs from the MP’s.” She shook her head,
“No handcuffs—I’ve heard so many EMT stories from my cousin about handcuffs and sex…” And they started driving toward their destination. It was a little chilly today, so Kate wore some jeans, white sneakers, and a cream-colored sweater with navy blue horizontal stripes. Jake kept to a white t-shirt, jeans, and brown work boots. He wore his olive-colored flight jacket with its many patches and aviator sunglasses. It was a classic pilot look.
Their conversations never ceased throughout the drive over the hills and through valleys. About 15 minutes from the destination, Jake instructed her to put the blindfold on. As she sat in the passenger’s seat, blindfold over her eyes, they continued to speak about their families, hopes, dreams. Jake let her know his parents would be visiting next week and he wanted them to meet her.
From Kate’s perspective, they took a couple of right hand turns, stopped at a gate, pulled forward, and drove around at a low speed before coming to a stop.
“Wait a second…” Jake instructed, “I have to open a door.” Kate listened to the slow squeaking roar of a loud door sliding on its tracks. She knew right away this was a hangar and they were at an airport. Jake hopped back into the car, and they drove a short distance before he turned off the car.
“We’re at an airport, aren’t we?”
“Did you peek?”
“No, the hangar door—it sounds just like the ones on base.” He sighed,
“You are too smart for me.” She laughed and pulled the blindfold off. They were parked in a hangar and there was a small single engine plane with a blue and silver art-deco paint job parked in front of them with its wheels chocked. She was clearly impressed.
“This is a rental plane. A Cirrus SR22. And I’m going to show you how to fly it.” Kate’s eyes went wide,
“What?” He leaned over and kissed her,
“Ready for our date?” She nodded and they exited the car. Jake helped her up into the cabin of the SR22, before he hopped in on the pilot’s side. He loaded in a few bags, and took out a small rectangular wrapped box.
“This is for you. You have to open it before we go.” he handed her the box, and she tore into the paper. It was an identical pair of aviator sunglasses as his pair.
“I’m official!” She smiled as she put the sunglasses on over her dark eyes, “How do I look?”
“Perfect.” he beamed. They put their headphones on and Jake radioed to the tower before hopping out of the cabin to pull the wheel chocks and manually maneuver the plane out of the hangar. It was fueled up and ready to go. Jake hopped back in and started the engine; the propeller began to spin slowly and then instantly picked up. They taxied to the end of the runway and waited for the green light from the tower. Once they were cleared for take-off, Jake throttled up the engine and let the plane quickly gain speed down the runway. Nearing the end of the tarmac, the plane’s nose lifted and they were airborne. Kate marveled at how the world seemed to fade away below them as they rose up into the air. It wasn’t nearly as fast or as maneuverable as the F-18, but it was just as magical to be flying through the air.
Jake reached their cruising altitude and looked over at Kate,
“Ready to learn how to fly?”
“Are you serious?”
“100%. Take the stick.” he instructed. She reached over to the right-hand side and took hold of the co-pilot’s stick.
“See this?” he pointed to one of the digital gauges, “This tells you if your nose is up or down, or if you’re banking left or right. The goal right now is to keep it centered.” She nodded. He released his stick and the plane barely shifted as she took over.
“Good!” he smiled at her, “See, you’re a natural!” Kate flew the majority of the short 3-and-a-half-hour trip, and when it came time to radio their arrival to their destination airport, Jake took back control. He cleared their landing, circled the plane, and lined up with the proper runway. The plane descended smoothly, and Jake touched down on the runway with barely any jarring that Kate had come to expect from commercial flights. They taxied to a hangar and stowed the plane. Jake grabbed their bags and they headed into the small airport.
“Hey! Hangman—good to see you, man! I heard you were landing this morning.” Jake clasped hands with the man behind the counter,
“Good to see you too, Blackjack!” They men clearly knew each other from their time in the Navy together.
“You still flying up with the squad?”
“Yep. But I’ve been at topgun for the last 3 months—training.” Kate peeked around Jake and Blackjack caught sight of her. He was instantly floored by her beautiful features,
“Well, hello.” He extended his hand to her, and she graciously shook it.
“Blackjack, I’d like you to meet Kate, my girlfriend.” Jake introduced her. The other pilot’s jaw dropped,
“Girlfriend? She must be pretty special.” Jake nodded as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders,
“The most amazing woman in the world.” Kate was still letting the butterflies in her stomach flutter at the mention of being Jake’s girlfriend. It was concrete, serious.
“So, Kate, how did you and this stick jockey meet?”
“At Topgun—I’m a civilian contractor on a related project.” Blackjack nodded in approval,
“You know, I taught this kid everything he knows. When he came to topgun, he was a hotshot without any skills.”
“I believe…” Jake corrected, “You were the one without any skills…” They bantered back and forth before Blackjack smiled,
“Well...I’ve got the rental car out front. The plane will be ready for you tomorrow morning for the return trip. Flight plan is already filed with FAA.”
“I owe you, man.” Jake shook his friend’s hand. Blackjack leaned in and whispered,
“Does she have a sister?” Jake laughed,
“No, a younger brother.”
“You’re a lucky SOB. Don’t mess this up.”
“I almost did, and I got a second chance, so I don’t plan to.” He looked back to Kate who was a few feet away, glancing at one of the area maps plastered to the wall in a large poster frame. They were in Napa Valley. Jake hurried over and took her hand,
“Shall we?” She nodded and they climbed into the rental sedan. Jake set the GPS to a small bed and breakfast on a vineyard and away they drove. It was a short 15 minute drive and they pulled down a long, tree lined, winding driveway. The scenery reminded Kate of Tuscany, Italy. As they arrived in front of the Mediterranean styled house, Jake parked and grabbed the overnight bag. They hurried inside to check into their room, which was huge, with a king size bed, private bath, and a secluded balcony with a hot tub. They dropped their things and went on a tour of the vineyard, sampled a few varieties of wine, and even found a photo booth. Kate drug Jake into the booth and selected the 5-picture roll with 2 copies. For the first picture, they smiled at the camera, cheek to cheek. CLICK. The second picture, Jake playfully put his index finger over her upper lip like a mustache, and they giggled. CLICK. The third picture, Jake looked into her eyes, his thumb gently parting her lips. CLICK. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He leaned in. CLICK. Their lips pressed together, eyes closed, locked in a passionate kiss. CLICK.
Thank you. Enjoy your pictures! The photo booth automatically said as the printer started. They were locked in a deep kiss. A couple of vineyard tourists passing by saw the printed pictures and cooed,
“How cute! What a cute couple!” Kate and Jake emerged and scooped up their two rolls of pictures.
“Here.” Kate smiled as she handed him one of the rolls, “Your copy.” She put hers into her purse. He stared at the pictures and a smile danced across his lips. He knew exactly where this photo roll was going to go. It would be the picture he kept in is plane, up beside the instrument panel, so he could always fly with her.
They grabbed a bite to eat at the vineyard’s restaurant before returning to their room. There, Jake presented Kate with a second present in a small gift bag,
“This is for you—well, more for me, but…” she laughed lightly as she accepted the bag and peeked inside to see something red and lacy.
“Give me a second, and I’ll put it on.” She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. Jake quickly peeled off his clothes and laid down on the bed, excitedly waiting for the bathroom door to open, and when it did, his heart skipped a beat.
That night they barely slept; they made love every chance they got, they skinny-dipped in the private hot tub, and finally, when their bodies were too exhausted, they collapsed on the bed and finally fell asleep in each other’s arms.
When the sun began to peek from behind the Napa Valley hills, the pair roused themselves, climbed in the shower together, and then dressed for their return trip home. Kate wore her same pair of jeans and sneakers with a light blue sweater. Jake put on a warm quarter-zip sweater in gray with his same jeans and brown work boots. When they checked out the morning air was brisk and chilly, so Jake gave her his flight jacket. As she put it on, he couldn’t help but smile affectionately.
“What?” she noticed his expression,
“Nothing...you look good in that jacket.” She smiled lightly and he felt his heart beat race. He was truly in love. They hopped in the rental car and headed back to the small airport. Blackjack greeted them when they arrived and helped them get everything in order for their departure. The two men said their goodbyes and Kate expressed her pleasure in knowing someone who had trained with the young Hangman. As Jake headed for the plane to stow their bags, Blackjack spoke candidly to Kate,
“I’ve never seen him happier than when he’s looking at you.” She smiled sweetly before shaking his hand and thanking him for everything.
The flight back was just as smooth and they touched down before noon. It took a bit of time to get the rented plane checked over and pile back into Jake’s Camaro, but they were soon back at Kate’s house, and despite the enjoyment of the weekend, they were exhausted. As soon as they were in the house, they flopped down on the couch for some afternoon naps.
Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Trust your training
Chapter Text
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…”
“sh*t…”
“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…”
“f*ck 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 co*ckpit 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 sh*t 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.
Chapter 7: Chapter 7: 2-weeks to mission-go
Chapter Text
Chapter 7: 2-weeks to mission-go
There was a more serious tone around the hangar as the two-week countdown began. Excursions to The Hard Deck were less lively, and now filled with focused conversations about the mission. Jake spent every second he could with Kate. He kept his grandmother’s diamond ring close by in the nightstand, waiting for the perfect moment to drop down on one knee and ask Kate to be his wife.
Rooster was in one of three places: the camper in Maverick’s desert hangar, the dorms on base, or he could be found at Maverick and Penny’s house for dinner most nights. On this Sunday night, Rooster was seated at the table next to Maverick and across from Penny and Amelia.
“Thanks for having me again.” he said to Penny.
“It’s no trouble, Bradley.” she replied, “We do enjoy having you over.”
“Are you going on the mission?” Amelia asked suddenly. She had grown to see Rooster as her older brother.
“I think so.” he looked over to Maverick.
“We haven’t decided who will fly the mission yet…” Maverick informed. Penny shuffled some food around her plate with her fork,
“As long as you’re not flying again, Pete.”
“I will not be flying.” he smiled at his wife. The routine that they had settled into was comforting, but it would be thrown into chaos again when Maverick and Rooster shipped out for the mission.
“What about Kate?” Penny asked suddenly. Hearing her name, Rooster drew in his breath sharply.
“What about her?” Maverick asked.
“Well, Hans has gone back to MIT, when does Kate leave?”
“I haven’t heard.” came the reply. Rooster listened intently.
“I’m going to miss her.” Penny said as she took a bite of her brussel sprouts, “I should grab coffee with her soon.” she mused to herself.
“Pen…” Maverick’s eyes shifted over to Rooster who was clearly uncomfortable at the mention of Kate. Penny realized her mistake,
“Sorry...I didn’t realize…”
“It’s okay, Penny.” Rooster said softly.
“We were all hoping you and Kate would work out…” Penny inadvertently said. Again, Maverick’s eyes nervously shifted to Rooster for his reaction.
“Yeah...I was too…” came the reply.
“Well, you never know—life has a weird way of bringing two people together if they’re meant to be…” her eyes met Maverick’s and he gave her that look.
“Don’t give me that look, Pete.” she warned.
“It’s the only one I’ve got.” he smiled back at her. Rooster found a warmth and belonging in their dining room that evening.
Kate and Jake were curled up on the couch watching the Dallas Cowboys play against the Chicago Bears. As of halftime, the Bears were winning by one touchdown, and Jake was almost inconsolable. Kate, as a die-hard Bears fan, was thrilled.
“Listen…” she sternly began, “Don’t be a sore loser...the Bears are not usually the winning team. So, this is a momentous occasion for me.” He flopped on top of her as she wrapped her legs around his waist,
“Sore loser? Wow! Maybe you might be a sore winner…” he smiled down at her. Was this the right time? Was this the moment he should get his grandmother’s ring? Her phone buzzed and she quickly glanced at it.
“It’s Nat…”
“Is she okay?”
“No...Last week, Maverick grounded her as medically unfit…”
“Well, she is. She has a broken ankle.” Kate tilted her head as she looked at him with a raised brow. He realized that his comment was perhaps a little insensitive.
“I don’t say that to be mean…”
“I know, but she is clearly upset. She asked if she could come over?” He smiled,
“Do you two need a girl’s night?”
“I think so.” He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly,
“Then...I will let you two ladies enjoy your evening.” He slowly stood up, stretched, and put his shoes on, then grabbed his keys off the counter. Kate met him at the door,
“Are you headed back to the dorms for the night?”
“Yep—the boys won’t know what to do with themselves when I show up.” He kissed her one last time,
“I’ll be lonely without you.” Truthfully, he didn’t want to leave, but he understood how close the two women had grown during training and after the crash. He trotted down the steps and to his Camaro. As he climbed in to the driver’s seat, Phoenix came racing up in her black Honda Civic hatchback, a recent addition on base since she broke her ankle. She pulled a U-turn and parked right behind him. Hopping out, she hollered to him,
“Thanks for lending me Professor for the night.” He nodded,
“You two behave yourselves.” She laughed, locked her car and hurried up to the porch where she hugged Kate. As they turned back to the house, Kate blew a kiss toward the Camaro, and Jake honked the horn before driving off toward base.
The two women plopped down on the couch and Phoenix wrapped herself up in the warm fleece blanket,
“Thanks for letting me come over—I’m such a mess.” Kate felt for her,
“You just have to focus on getting back to 100%.”
“But it’s not fast enough.”
“Healing can’t be rushed.”
“That’s the worst part. I’m not patient—so this is miserable.” Kate grabbed the remote and pulled up one of her favorite movies: The Original Parent Trap with Haley Mills. Phoenix looked at it,
“Are you serious? Isn’t this the one with Lindsay Lohan?” Kate laughed,
“The Lindsay Lohan one is the remake—it’s good, but this is the original and it is OUTSTANDING.” Phoenix laughed,
“Alright—let’s watch it.” Kate got the movie started and then hurried to the freezer, she pulled out two pints of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate chip cookie dough, grabbed two spoons out of the drawer and brought them over to the couch. Phoenix happily accepted the ice cream,
“This is my favorite.” She peeled off the lid and dug in. They settled in and watched the classic movie about two twin girls separated at birth after the divorce of their parents, and they meet at a summer camp, only to discover they are actually sisters. The pranks were met with laughs, the love story was met with tears, and eventually, both women fell asleep on their respective sides of the sectional couch as the tv transitioned from the end of the movie to the screen saver.
Back at base, Hangman entered the dorms and his fellow pilots were shocked. Payback poked his head out of his room when he heard Hangman’s door open in the room adjacent to his,
“Kate finally wised up and kicked your ass out, huh?” Hangman laughed,
“Sorry to disappoint, she and Phoenix are having a girl’s night.”
“Well, we have a poker game going right now—we’ll deal you in--$20 and under, bills only.” Hangman smiled,
“I’ll be right over.” He quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and his white t-shirt, shoved his feet into his slippers and walked next door. The poker game was dealt out around a small card table. Fanboy, Payback, Sandman, Martian, and B.O.B. were all deep in concentration when Hangman walked in,
“Deal me in, fellas.” he said with a sly smile.
Phoenix woke up around 1 am with a massive headache—no doubt from the ice cream—she nudged Kate,
“Hey...sorry to wake you, I have a headache, do you have any aspirin?”
“Yeah—if it’s not in the bathroom cabinet, check one of the nightstands…” Kate was barely conscious, she was exhausted. Phoenix sauntered into the en suite bathroom and flicked on the light; she opened the cabinet. There was Pepto-bismol, Robitussin, Mucinex, Carmex lip balm, a box of condoms—she cringed thinking about Hangman and Kate being intimate, and slammed the cabinet shut. Kate had mentioned the nightstand, so she sauntered into the bedroom and pulled open Kate’s nightstand, it was impeccably organized, but there were no pill bottles. She shut the drawer and walked to the opposite side of the bed, opening the night stand, she saw a bottle of Tylenol beside a small black box. Curiosity got the better of her and she picked up the box, opening it slowly, she gasped as she saw the 2.5 carat oval diamond ring set in a yellow gold band. There was a small slip of paper fitted into the lid and she pulled it out carefully, unfolded it, and began to read it in the dim light coming from the bathroom.
Grandma Francine (Parker) Seresin’s ring from 1951. Grandpa Joe Seresin bought it before he was drafted for the Korean War. He saved every penny and spent $1200 on it in 1951. It is 2.5 carats, nearly flawless. Worth well over what he paid for it in today’s money. They married two weeks before he was sent to basic training for the Navy in June of 1951. Grandma moved back home with her parents while he was away at war. She decided to go to nursing school while he was away, and wound up graduating top of her class just after the war ended and he came home. The rest is history. They were married for 67 years with four children and 13 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Grandma passed first, and two years later, Grandpa passed. We hope this ring brings you and Kate as much love and longevity in your marriage as it did Grandma and Grandpa. Couldn’t be happier for you son! Love, Mom and Dad.
Phoenix was moved by the sweet note. Despite how co*cky and frustrating Hangman was, she realized he was a good man, and she was thrilled for the eventual engagement of her best friend, Kate and fellow pilot, Hangman. Carefully, she tucked the note back into the lid, pulled out her phone, and snapped a picture of the ring in its box, sitting in the nightstand, to send to Hangman with the text:
Find a better hiding place or she’ll find it…like I did…
Hangman’s phone buzzed and he set his hand of cards down to look at the screen. His face paled and the other noticed,
“What’s up? You look sick?” Payback noticed, “Bad hand of cards?” he teased. Hangman immediately stepped away from the table and called Phoenix. As he entered the hall, he prayed Phoenix would answer the phone.
“Bagman!” her voice was excited on the other line.
“What are you doing going through my things?” he demanded.
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I’m actually happy for you.”
“Well, make sure you put it back, and cover it with one of my t-shirts. I don’t want her to find it.”
“Are you going to surprise-propose?”
“Of course. I’ve been trying to find the right time…”
“How long have you two been dating now?”
“Almost 8—no—over 8 months…” he corrected himself.
“When did you know she was the one?”
“The very first time I spoke to her at The Hard Deck…”
“Well, you have my blessing.” Phoenix said softly, “You seem to make her happy...I can’t understand that...but...take care of her, and I swear to God if you hurt her—I’ll bomb your ass.” He laughed,
“Gee—thanks Phoenix. It warms my heart to know I have your blessing...now put the ring back where you found it and make sure Kate doesn’t find it.”
“Already done.” And with that they hung up, and Hangman walked back in to the poker game.
“Sorry, fellas, a little hiccup—where were we?”
Phoenix took her Tylenol and went back out to the couch where she curled up under the warm blanket. She glanced over to Kate, who was nestled under her own blanket, fast asleep. Phoenix could see Kate’s phone illuminate on the coffee table. She didn’t mean to pry, but she could read the text on the screen from where she was lying on the couch, it was Hangman:
Missing you too much tonight. Sweet dreams, my love.
Kate shifted when she heard the buzz and grabbed her phone off of the table. Phoenix could see her smile in the glow of her phone screen as she responded. Kate’s phone began buzzing repeatedly, and she quickly hopped up off the couch and trotted into the bedroom.
“Hey.” Phoenix could hear her whisper.
“Good! We watched the original Parent Trap…” The bedroom door shut, Kate clearly didn’t want to be too loud for Phoenix, yet some of the conversation could be heard by Phoenix out on the couch.
“Glad you didn’t lose all your money--” Kate laughed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow—I need to get to sleep.” She said after a moment.
“Love you. Goodnight.” The light that shone from under the bedroom door turned off and it was clear that Kate had climbed into her own bed for the night.
The next day, as the sun poured into the living and bedrooms of Kate’s house, Phoenix stirred slowly. Kate was already up and readying for her day on base. She was dressed in a sharp pair of black wide leg trousers and soft lavender blouse with a ruffled neck. Not wanting to wake Phoenix, she was shuffling back and forth in her bare feet. She pulled her hair back into a bun and worked on breakfast for herself and Phoenix. Eggs, bacon, toast with avocado spread, orange juice—it was better than the food on base. The smell roused Phoenix, and she stretched as she climbed to her feet.
“You can stay as long as you like.” Kate said as she fixed a plate for her wingman.
“No, I won’t stay, I have to be at training today. Even if I’m grounded because of my ankle...I want to be there.” Kate smiled at her,
“You are dedicated—something I’ve always admired about you.”
“Aww shucks.” she took the plate heaped with food from Kate and sat down at the kitchen island. The food was delicious. Every bite was a comfort to Phoenix.
“You are a great cook—honestly—is there anything you don’t do? You are a brilliant professor, you created an amazing detection probe, you’re a great pool player…” Kate laughed lightly,
“What about awesome wingman?”
“Add it to the list.” They both laughed as they ate at the kitchen island.
“I’ll drive you to base.” Phoenix offered, “I figure, Hangman will drive you home?”
“Thank you—I appreciate it—I’m guessing he’ll bring me home.”
“So…” Phoenix wanted to broach a delicate subject, “I don’t want to be nosy, but...you and Hangman seem serious…” Kate nodded with a smile,
“I think so.”
“You know, I never would have guessed he could be the way he is with you…”
“What do you mean?”
“He cares about someone but himself, he puts you first...I think he really loves you.” Kate blushed,
“I really love him.” Phoenix smiled back,
“What would you say if he proposed to you?”
“WHAT?” Kate looked completely flummoxed.
“Well, you two have been dating for—what—8 months or so? No one has ever seen him this head over heels before...we’ve all been wondering...so...what would you say if he popped the question?”
“I’d say yes.”
“Oh my gosh!” Phoenix blurted, “That’s so exciting!” Kate was still trying to hide her rosy, blushing cheeks,
“Well, don’t tell anyone--”she said suddenly, “I don’t want to scare him off…”
“Pshhh…” Phoenix waved off her worry, “I don’t think you could scare him off if you tried…” After breakfast, the two women climbed into Phoenix’s car and headed for base shortly before 8 am.
The lab was bustling with activity when the pilots arrived at the hangar just before 9 am. Kate was rushing back and forth between a couple of different stations, and the lab assistants were all either, nose deep in their laptops, or bouncing between microscopes, 3D printers, and entering or exiting the lab. The mood was more somber with the aviators as they found their seats. Written on a big white board at the front of the hangar was a note reading:
13 days to mission-go.
Phoenix made a point of sitting directly behind Hangman,
“Hey.” she whispered to him. He turned slightly to hear her, but said nothing. She continued,
“I asked Kate what she’d say if you proposed…”
“You what?” he hissed.
“Don’t worry—she said yes…” He suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him from head to toe. Hearing that Kate wanted to be his wife, that she would accept his proposal whenever he found the right time to ask—was a weight off his soul.
Maverick walked to the front of the hangar, commanding the pilot’s attention,
“We are now under the two-week mark to mission-go.” he said matter-of-factly, “This means we will now be running drills in addition to the probe routes, to determine which of you will be flying the mission. From here on out, you are in competition not with each other, but with yourself. Your job is to excel, to anticipate, to be the picture of perfection as you fly each route. You will gain or lose points based on your daily performance. So, you had better make sure your head is in this.” He looked directly to Rooster and then over to Hangman, making his point perfectly clear.
“You will eat together as a team, you will be on base as a team, you will become a team that fights together, and survives together, starting now. This mission is dangerous, there is no sugar coating that. So, we will train as a single unit and therefore, operate as a single unit. When the points are totaled, the four aviators at the top of the board will be selected for this mission. Fifth and sixth will be alternates. Everyone else will return to their squadrons.” His words hung in the air, the final say on who would fly the mission, and it was a definite and powerful motivator to all the pilots.
The first drills were low altitude dogfights in teams of two. First pilot to achieve target lock tone received one point, the other received no points. To start, Payback and Fanboy, took on Rooster. By now the numbers of aviators recalled by their carrier squadrons had left the pilots training at Topgun at a dwindling number. There were 9 total pilots left to vie for the mission spots, one of which was Phoenix, and she was declared medically unfit. However, Maverick guaranteed her that he would do everything in his power to make sure she could be on the carrier for the mission.
Rooster guided his plane over a hill, hugging the contours of the ground as he flew at 600 feet above the land. It was dangerous. On radar, he was nearing Payback and Fanboy. If he was going to win this bout, he would need the element of surprise. The other F-18 was attempting to take the advantage by reaching for the ceiling of the low altitude training at 3000 feet. Rooster spotted his opponents only seconds before they saw him. He pulled up and pursued. The jet groaned under the stress as he arched upward into the sky. Both planes weaved right and left, dipping their wings in an attempt to out run and out maneuver the other. Rooster was in the perfect position after twisting through the air, and following Payback and Fanboy in a steep dive back down toward the desert ground. Rooster followed the red targeting diamond back upward as his opponents pulled up once more, rolling the plane as they did. The tone sounded.
“Tone!” Rooster called out as his targeting system locked onto Payback and Fanboy.
“Dammit!” Payback grumbled, “Acknowledged.” he said as he turned the plane back toward base. Rooster followed, rather pleased with himself for winning this round.
Hangman went up next against Sandman and Martian. Again, it was an intense drill. Once the planes appeared on each other’s radar, they went hard at one another. They rolled and arced upward into the sky in pursuit of each other. Hangman looped overhead and came up on the tail of Sandman and Martian. The other plane tipped its wings quickly to avoid the target lock, before rocketing upward to the 3000 foot ceiling for the exercise. The two planes dipped and rolled, pulled up, then nose dived. It was a visual spectacle. Finally, Hangman pulled upward, and rolled left, the nose of his plane whipping back into position for the final kill.
“TONE!” he bellowed as it sounded, indicating the targeting lock on his opponent. Sandman slowed his plane and came up even with Hangman’s wing,
“Good one. I thought we were going to pull it off—but…” he trailed off.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, you didn’t make it easy.” Hangman paid his fellow pilots a compliment. The planes landed shortly after and as the pilots entered the hangar, it became clear the last of the match-ups were going to be rather intense.
Sandman/Martian vs. Payback/Fanboy, and Rooster vs. Hangman. That would be the main event. Phoenix hobbled over to the laboratory and signaled to Kate. As the scientist stepped into the vestibule, Phoenix delivered some sobering news,
“Looks like Hangman and Rooster are going head-to-head tomorrow…” Kate’s sweet expression fell and was quickly replaced with concern,
“That’s not good.”
“Let’s hope they keep it professional.”
“I highly doubt that…” Phoenix raised a brow,
“Would this have anything to do with Rooster’s little visit to you in the ladies’ lockers?” Kate nodded slowly,
“This is a mess…”
“Well...just remember what you told me this morning...there’s only one you’d say yes to…” Kate smiled and glanced over to Jake. He was deep in conversation with Sandman, but as if he could feel Kate’s eyes on him, he glanced over and gave her a gentle nod to let her know he saw her. Phoenix smiled at the sweet admiration between the two.
“You guys are so stinking cute.” Kate instantly blushed, and Phoenix teased her mercilessly as Rooster passed by the lab. His eyes never left Kate until he was through the hangar doors. Tomorrow both Hangman and Rooster would square off for the top position, and every other pilot had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be as straightforward as a simple dogfight for dominance of the skies. There was no doubt they would also be using their time to display every ounce of masculinity as if they were a pair of peaco*cks trying to win over the peahen.
Hangman sauntered slowly over to the lab, and as he entered, Phoenix quickly excused herself.
“See you tomorrow, Prof!” she gave a quick wave as she exited. Jake smiled at Kate,
“Guess what?”
“Hmmm...you are going to fly for top spot tomorrow?” Kate took his hand and pulled him close. His smile beamed from ear to ear,
“YES!” He picked her up and twirled with her in his arms, “Let’s go home.” he kissed her cheek sweetly.
“I have a few more things to finish up here, it’ll take me about 30 minutes…” He sighed,
“Alright, how about this. You finish up, and I’ll go get us some dinner, come back and we’ll go home?”
“It’s a plan.” And with a kiss, they parted ways temporarily.
Kate sat down to work on the last few lines of code for the probe. She double checked that, when executed, the program ran flawlessly. And it did. Then, she double checked Hans’s probe software, since he was officially done with his contract and she had oversight over his work now. It seemed to work just as well, but the files were twice as large as Kate’s. She didn’t seem too puzzled by the excess code. Hans was particularly thorough, and she wrote off the extra file size as simply his insurances that nothing would go wrong. He had written some beautiful code, she marveled as she scrolled through the first few hundred lines.
“What is that?” she noticed a sub command, and it appeared to be an encryption for data transmission. She gave it one more look before deciding Hans simply had a different method of encrypting data than she did.
Thirty minutes on the dot, Jake walked back in, and knocked on the lab doors. She packed up her things and closed the laboratory for the night.
“So, I grabbed some Sebastian’s—your favorite.” he said with a sweet smile.
“Popcorn shrimp!” she was elated. The pair headed out to the parking lot, hopped in the Camaro, and were quickly on their way to Kate’s place.
Jake parked out front of the house and they sauntered slowly up and into the house. The smell of Sebastian’s take-out was more than welcome after the long day, and they wasted no time getting in the house, and flopping down on the couch with their meals. They ate in relative silence, both exhausted from training and preparing.
“You’re awfully quiet.” he finally said as he wiped his mouth with a Sebastian’s branded napkin and set about picking up the remains of his meal.
“Yeah, today was a very long day...and when Phoenix told me you and Rooster were going head-to-head tomorrow…” she stopped mid-sentence as if to collect her thoughts.
“Are you worried?” he interjected.
“Yes.” she looked him directly in the eyes, “Be careful tomorrow.” He sighed,
“I heard about what he did in the locker room—he pushed you against the lockers…why didn’t you tell me?” Kate looked surprised that he knew,
“I didn’t want you to feel like you had to defend me…”
“But I want to defend you.”
“To what end? The two of you will get reprimanded and pulled from the mission?”
“If that’s what it takes. He’s out of line.” He began to raise his voice.
“I can deal with him on my own.”
“Not when he’s getting physical with you.”
“He didn’t hurt me. I don’t think he ever would hurt me.” He threw his hands up in frustration,
“That doesn’t matter. The fact is, he keeps forcing these encounters with you, and it is disrespectful to me—more importantly—it’s disrespectful of our relationship.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Don’t let him corner you like that. He has a talent for getting you alone.”
“Easier said than done…” she said with a sarcastic tone.
“I’m serious, Kate. He acts like he’s trying to win you back, and I don’t like it.”
“He never had me to begin with, so there’s no winning me back.”
“He doesn’t see it that way…” She scooped up the trash from their meals and walked into the kitchen as he remained firmly affixed to the couch. He was beginning to feel a jealousy creep in. Why was she protecting him? It felt like there was more to the story, and suddenly he wanted all the details he couldn’t get from eavesdropping on Maverick and Rooster’s conversation. He stood up and turned to her in the kitchen as she was separating out recycling from trash.
“Did he kiss you?” he blurted. She dropped a handful of freshly rinsed take out containers into the recycling bin and looked up at him with a frustrated expression,
“Yes.”
“Goddammit, Kate!” he hissed, “Why did you let him?”
“You think I let him kiss me? Jesus, Jake!”
“Tell me what happened.” he demanded. She sighed as she dropped the last of the trash items into the steel garbage can at the end of the island,
“He caught me in the hallway and explained how worried he was after hearing about the crash...I let him have that, because it was traumatic for all of us. He touched my cheek. I don’t know why he did, but I walked into the ladies’ locker room thinking he’d leave me alone, and he followed me in.” Jake was irate now, he stalked up to the kitchen island and slammed his fist onto the marble,
“You should have come to me!”
“You were in training with Pete! Was I supposed to just barge in there and say can my boyfriend be excused for a second?” She matched his intensity for the first time, and he was wildly surprised by her powerful rage. She was a beautiful and dangerous force to be reckoned with.
“No!” she continued, her dark eyes wild with anger, “He followed me into the locker room and proceeded to back me up against the lockers and ask me if I felt something between us still. And I told him there would always be something because of what happened—but then I told him I love you! I want to be with YOU! NOT HIM! I told him I can’t hurt you like I did before…” Jake felt his heart melt. What had he done? Picking a fight with her wasn’t what he intended, he just wanted her to tell him what happened.
“And he kissed me...right after I told him that...I pushed him so hard he fell down on the bench.” Jake stepped up to her and she took a step back, for the first time ever, he felt her put space between them. He knew he had messed up now.
“After that, he shot up and kissed me again. I pushed him away and as I was leaving…” she paused and drew in her breath, “He told me he’d never stop loving me.” All he wanted to do was hold her now. He took another step toward her and again she stepped back, clearly avoiding his attempt to hold her in his arms.
“I’m sorry…” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to…”
“To what? Make me feel like sh*t?”
“Kate…” he reached for her hand, and she jerked it away.
“There you go...now you know what happened.” She side stepped him and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
“Our first official fight as a couple…” he whispered as he walked back to the couch and plopped down, “And it is one for the books…” A moment later he heard the shower turn on and he considered his options: 1) do nothing and let her calm down or 2) see if “make up sex” is really worth the hype. He decided on option 2, and hurried into the bedroom. He undressed and with a quick prayer, opened the bathroom door to see Kate already in the shower, eyes closed and rinsing the last of the shampoo out of her hair. He quietly stepped up to the shower door, pulled it open and stepped in beside her. As the steamy water rolled down their bodies, he leaned down and kissed her,
“I’m sorry…” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that...I just wanted to know, and I understand why you didn’t want to say anything…Rooster and I—well, let’s just say there’s no love loss between us...” She glared at him for a moment, and he was worried that perhaps he should have gone with option 1, but then she wrapped her arms around his waist and drew in close to him.
“Thank you.” she whispered, as she looked up to him. Their eyes locked and in that moment, Jake wondered if he should ask her to be his wife, right here, right now. But the ring was in the nightstand, and a proposal isn’t as exciting without the ring. He tabled the idea for now.
“Kate…” he breathed as their lips met and soon, they discovered the power and pleasure of “make up sex.”
Early the next morning, Kate and Jake untangled themselves from each other and the bed sheets. Their mood was much improved despite the argument from the evening. Each hurriedly dressed and prepared for a busy and nerve-wracking day. Kate put on a nice pair of gray trousers and a black button down shirt. Jake dressed in a fresh flight suit. As he sat on the bench at the end of the bed, tying up his brown boots, he glanced behind him to the nightstand. Is now the time to propose? The thought crossed his mind, but Kate quickly raced past him in her stocking feet, hurriedly packing up her laptop and hopping on one foot as she put on one of her heeled shoes, then the other. He couldn’t help but smile, but now was not the right time for a proposal. They had overslept by a few minutes, and he knew that was his fault—he kept her up quite a bit last night. The pair grabbed a light breakfast before rushing out the door and diving into his car, headed at a fast pace toward the base.
The remaining pilots were all congregated in a small group, near the front of the hangar when Hangman walked in. The volume level rapidly and sharply decreased and he knew everyone had been gossiping about his dogfight with Rooster today.
“Don’t stop chatting just because of little old me…” he said as he strutted up to the group. Phoenix laughed,
“We are taking bets. That’s all.”
“Odds on...who?”
“No clear favorite, just yet. I’ll have to get Kate to bet…” Hangman smiled,
“Well, you know who she’s betting on…” he gestured to himself. She rolled her eyes, just as Rooster stalked into the hangar. He came right up to the group and with a serious look on his face said,
“Well, should we get this over with?” Maverick stepped out of the classroom and stood at the front of the hangar,
“Today’s the day...Sandman, Martian, and Payback, Fanboy—suit up. You’re wheels up in 15. This will decide 3rd and 4th positions. After they finish, Rooster, Hangman, you’re up in the air.”
“Yes sir!” came the unison reply.
The bout between Sandman/Martian and Payback/Fanboy was longer than anticipated. They were equally matched as they rolled, pitched, dove, and climbed away from each other’s target lock. Eventually, Payback and Fanboy were victorious, catching Sandman and Martian as they came around from a steep climb away, only to find that their opponent had drifted into the correct alignment rather fortunately.
“Hey, Payback—nice flying.” Sandman was always one to complement and maintain a positive attitude. As soon as they landed, Hangman and Rooster were airborne. Phoenix hurried into the lab and pulled Kate into the hangar’s radio room,
“They’re going up now…” Kate bit her lip, a nervous habit.
The bout started much faster than the previous one. Rooster and Hangman were out for blood. At first Rooster seemed to have the advantage, sliding into the perfect weapons pocket, but Hangman dove and rolled out of the target lock. He flew low to the ground, at the bottom of the exercise’s hard deck, exactly 600 feet. Rooster’s targeting system couldn’t keep up with the trees and dust kicked up by Hangman as he turned on the burners to increase his speed. He pulled up rapidly and Rooster followed, but he was able to pull all the way around and come right up behind his opponent. Rooster weaved back and forth, slipping just out of the target lock with each pass left or right. Hangman was beyond frustrated, he sped up and flew over top of Rooster and inverted, flipping him the bird as he did. This only aggravated his rival, who spiraled up after him. Their planes came within inches of each other, and they were lucky neither contacted the other. Hangman dove once more, and Rooster pursued. He almost had target lock. Just a little closer. Rooster pushed the burners, and the plane groaned as it sped up. Hangman was a notoriously fast flyer, and Rooster was not.
“They’re so quiet.” Phoenix mentioned to Kate.
“I don’t think that’s a good thing…” her friend and wingman responded.
Rooster brought the nose of his plane around and nearly got a lock, but Hangman once again pulled up and looped back behind him. Again, Hangman gave chase, they bobbed and weaved, pulling up, then diving down, rolling and banking sharply. Finally, Rooster’s voice came on the radio,
“She still loves me.” there was an air of dark confidence, meant to incense Hangman. Kate’s face went pale. This was it. What she had feared—that they would pull her into this match up and emotions would run high and tempers—hot. Hangman didn’t respond, but Kate knew his blood was boiling. Phoenix hugged her friend,
“It’ll be alright.”
The planes suddenly seemed to take on a new edge as they flew faster and closer. The maneuvering was sharper, and more dangerous than it had been just moments ago. Hangman came around behind Rooster, this time he was determined to get a lock. Rooster banked right and pulled up, the airframe of his plane creaked and groaned as the forces pulled at it. Hangman followed, right on his burners, but this time he broke left and came around, pushing the throttle to its maximum, the plane broke the sound barrier with a bang. He hit Mach 1. The plane lurched forward and he turned in a large arch coming around nose-to-nose with Rooster. They were headed for a very fast game of chicken. The planes flew past one another, a mere foot or two apart. Rooster’s voice once more came on the radio,
“She told me that, Hangman, she said she still loved me…”
“You know, Rooster, I feel bad for you. It must be hard to watch the woman you love with the man she loves…” Back in the radio room, Phoenix’s eyes went wide,
“sh*t…” Kate began to pace,
“This is bad…” she hissed. Maverick burst in,
“Are you hearing this?” Both women nodded. Kate looked mortified.
Rooster’s plane turned nose up and he flipped over Hangman, coming up right behind him. Hangman spiraled out of the targeting system’s lock before diving down and banking sharply right. This was going to go on until they ran out of fuel if someone didn’t think quickly. Hangman looked up at the sun and remembered how Maverick had blinded him using a similar tactic. He shrugged, it was worth a shot at this point. He pitched the nose upward, hard, and made the steep climb directly into the sun. Rooster followed. After a few seconds they neared the 3000 foot ceiling of the exercise, and Hangman let his plane come fully over, as he did, he spied Rooster and as the nose of his plane came into alignment with his opponent, Hangman achieved a target lock on Rooster. The tone sounded in both plane’s co*ckpits. Rooster slammed a fist into the canopy and cursed. Hangman happily announced,
“That’s a kill.” Rooster pulled away and headed back to base to land first. Hangman followed triumphantly.
Rooster burst into the radio room in a fury and Maverick quickly put him down,
“Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again!” He gestured to Kate,
“There are more hurt feelings than just yours today…” Rooster’s eyes met hers, and suddenly he realized the damage he’d done.
“Kate…” he took a step toward her, “I’m sorry…” She turned and walked out of the radio room. Phoenix hurried after.
“sh*t…” Rooster collapsed into a chair, “I didn’t know she was in here.”
“That shouldn’t make a difference, you took the exercise to an inappropriate level. You’re lucky Hangman has enough composure to put you down gracefully. You are second, he is first. He will be team leader for the mission. Get cleaned up and report back to the hangar immediately.” Maverick stormed out of the radio room leaving Rooster to feel the full weight of his comments about Kate. Despite the veracity, it hurt her, and now he felt as though there was a weight crushing his chest. The guilt was almost unbearable. He had to find her and apologize.
Kate was in the laboratory, beginning to pack up some of the extra probe parts, in preparation for the mission. These parts would accompany her and the pilots on the air craft carrier for any repairs or replacements as needed prior to the mission. She was finding it hard to concentrate, so she stepped back and took a seat. Sighing heavily, there was a part of her that was glad for the mission because it meant that her time here was going to draw to a close. In many ways, she was proud of the work she had done, and all that she had accomplished. The opportunity had brought out a strength and resilience in her that she had sorely needed.
A soft knocking on the glass lab doors brought her back from her thoughts. She turned to see Rooster.
“Can we talk?” he asked through the glass. She didn’t know what to do. After the argument with Jake, she knew he didn’t want to deal with Rooster on her own. But no one else was around. She looked away for a moment, trying to decide what to do.
“Please, Kate…” his voice spoke through the glass. She sighed once more. They had to speak. She pulled out her phone and sent Jake a text message:
Rooster wants to talk. Are you alright if I speak with him now? In laboratory. She waited for the response.
“Kate…” Rooster rested his forehead against the glass door, “I’m sorry.” Leaving her ID badge on the table to avoid triggering the doors, she walked to the glass. Standing before him, but behind the doors she spoke loud enough for him to hear,
“Why did you say what you did?”
“I’m an idiot.” He pressed a hand against the glass, “I don’t have any control when it comes to you…”
“This needs to stop…” She was clearly frustrated.
“What do I need to do, Kate? I need you back.” She shook her head,
“There is nothing you can do…” He was hurt, visibly, his features twisted into a pained expression,
“I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you…” She sighed,
“Please don’t say that…we’re just going around and around in circles.”
“BRADSHAW!” came Jake’s booming voice as he entered the laboratory vestibule. He stalked right up to Rooster,
“I told you, you and Kate were over months ago...what are you still doing pestering her?”
“f*ck off…” Kate grabbed her ID badge and waved it in front of the door, as it opened, she stepped out and forced herself between the pilots before a fight broke out.
“Enough.”
“Kate…” Rooster took her hand. Jake quickly pulled her away from him. She felt like she was the rope in a tug of war game.
“Stop it!” she hissed as she pushed back from Jake, “I’m so tired of the two of you fighting like this. Bradley,” she turned to him, “Jake and I are in a serious relationship. Period.” she turned to Hangman, “Jake, Bradley and I have a complicated history, you need to understand that. Now, I cannot do this with either of you anymore. I’m tired of the fighting and the jealousy.” she looked back to Jake, “I’ll be waiting by the car.” She gathered her things and walked with a fiery anger out through the hangar doors.
Both men stood in a deafening silence. Jake was the first to speak after a moment,
“She’s a handful sometimes…but she’s right.” both men laughed lightly.
“You’re lucky.” Rooster said.
“I know...I’m going to propose soon.” Rooster felt his heart sink, there was a certain finality about a proposal, as if she would suddenly disappear off his radar,
“Well, I wish you the best then...if she says yes, you’ll be the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.”
“Listen, Bradshaw, I know what I said up there—it was in the heat of the moment--”
“Me too, Hangman...look, we both love her. Let’s put this aside until after the mission.”
“Fair enough.” Jake extended his hand to his rival and they shook jovially. This was the first time, in a long time, that they were willing to set their differences aside.
Jake walked into the parking lot to see Kate leaned up against the hood of his Camaro. Her long brassy brown hair was caught blowing in the misty ocean breeze. She was a picture out of a car magazine. Her arms were folded across her chest, sunglasses hiding her dark eyes. He felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest as he walked up to her. He reached up and rested his hand along her neck and jaw. Gently, he drew her near him and their lips touched. This kiss was different. It was deep, but gentle; passionate, but soft.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kate.” he said suddenly. He couldn’t see her eyes behind those dark sunglasses, but he knew they were locked with his. He didn’t have the ring, but he didn’t care. He stepped backward and took her hand. Just as he started to bend his legs and begin to kneel, the MP jeep drove up, and stopped with tires squealing, right before them,
“Lieutenant Seresin, Admiral Simpson has requested a meeting with you immediately.”
“Seriously!?” he croaked as he stood up straight, “You have terrible timing…” he muttered. He passed Kate his car keys,
“If you need to go home, take the car—I’ll call you when I’m done.” He leaned in and kissed her. The MP’s looked at one another then back to Jake with impressed looks on their faces. It was clear they thought he was a lucky man too.
“Lieutenant, Captain Mitchell has informed me that you will be team leader for the mission.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That is quite an honor, coming from Maverick.” He looked down to a stack of papers on his desk and continued,
“These are the orders I am filling out for the remaining pilots. I have Rooster, Sandman, Martian, Payback, Fanboy, B.O.B., and Phoenix. Who will be wingman?” Hangman drew in his breath,
“Rooster.” he hoped he wouldn’t regret that decision.
“And your team?”
“Payback and Fanboy.”
“Rooster’s team?”
“Sandman and Martian.”
“Standby?”
“B.O.B. and Phoenix—if she’s able.”
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t be. She has made great progress in physical therapy...and was given the green light just today. She will do her first flight tomorrow, and if all goes well, she’ll be on standby.” He scribbled a few notes on his pad of paper, and looked back to Hangman,
“Your team will fly the nuclear route. Rooster’s will fly the biological.” Hangman nodded.
“Dr. Norris will be on the carrier as well for technical support.” At that moment, Hangman was elated. He knew where and how he was going to propose, and it was going to be perfect. The admiral continued,
“She will be monitoring the probes remotely from the operations room during the mission. Afterwards, she will disembark in Japan and fly home a civilian. I think we will all be sad to see her time here end.” Hangman nodded,
“Yes, sir.”
“I know the two of you are...close. But I do need to remind you, the mission comes first.”
“Of course, sir.”
“That is all, you are dismissed.”
Jake turned and left the admiral’s office, and walked back toward the parking lot as he dialed Kate on his phone. She picked up right away,
“Hey.”
“Hey—you still here?”
“Yep.”
“I’m on my way out.” He trotted outside and saw her sitting in the driver’s seat. The Camaro looked good on her in his opinion. He hustled up to the open passenger’s window and leaned in,
“Hey sugar, you lookin’ for a date?” he quoted Julia Robert’s first line to Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. Kate smiled brightly,
“No, I want to find Beverly Hills…Can you give me directions?” she replied with Gere’s line. Jake smiled,
“Sure...5 bucks.”
“Highway robbery.” Kate chuckled as he climbed into the car and leaned over to kiss her.
“I don’t think Julia Roberts kissed Richard Gere when she got in the car…”
“I’m improvising.” he said with a wink.
“What did Simpson want?” she asked quietly.
“He has our orders, and he wanted me to select the team…” he gently tucked a stray hair of hers behind her ear, “You’re coming too…”
“I know.” She smiled sweetly at him, and all he wanted to do was remember this moment forever.
“Shall we?” she asked, insinuating that they should head home.
“Yes. Let’s go home. I’ll make dinner tonight, we’ll fill that big old tub and add one of your bath bomb things that smell so good, and then we’ll climb into the tub and relax…” She started up the car and with a cheeky smile said,
“I bet this car corners like it’s on rails…” As she shifted into drive and pressed down the accelerator, the Camaro responded immediately, and they zipped out of the lot and toward her house for their relaxing evening.
Chapter 8: Chapter 8: One week to mission-go
Chapter Text
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 co*ckpit 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 sh*t 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 co*cky, 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 sh*t…” 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.
Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Mission-go
Chapter Text
Chapter 9: Mission-go
Everyone was ready to go by 2:30 am. Kate wore a pair of olive green cargo jeans, a light gray long sleeved t-shirt, and a set of brown steel toed boots she had been issued when she boarded the carrier. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun, and shoved an extra pencil behind her ear. She had also been issued a set of navy blue coveralls so she would be able to operate on the flight deck and check the probes prior to takeoff. At 3 am, she reported to the operations command, she was given her own station with three computers (two of which were her own laptops). Commander Whitlowe greeted her,
“Dr. Norris! It’s an early morning, but a good one! The cloud cover is holding, we have perfect wind conditions, I think today will be a fabulous day for this mission.”
“Good to hear it.” Kate said while forcing a smile. She was terrified for Jake.
“I’m going to have you start out on the flight deck, we’ll give you a white helmet and vest—you have your coveralls?”
“Yes.” She patted her backpack to indicate she had brought the navy blue coveralls with.
“Good...good. I’ll have you head up to the flight deck with Captain Mitchell in just a moment. First, though, I’m going to be meeting with the pilots, and that is where everyone else is. So, why don’t you and I head over to their briefing room.” She nodded and she and Whitlowe hurried down the hall to the briefing room.
As soon as Kate walked in, her eyes met Jake’s. He sat in the front row beside Rooster (whose eyes were also on Kate). All the pilots sat quietly in their flight suits and gear, helmets resting on their desks. Whitlowe directed her to a seat along the side of the room. Maverick slid in next to her,
“How are you doing?” he whispered.
“I’m a mess—but holding on.” she replied. Whitlowe took to the front of the room,
“Well, good morning aviators!” he smiled, “The weather is a balmy 61 degrees, with a layer of low lying cloud cover to keep you sufficiently hidden from radar if you fly low enough. We don’t anticipate the temperature exceeding 70 degrees today. Wind is light 9 miles per hour out of the West, so you won’t have to worry about a head wind or tail wind. The surveillance plane—callsign Excalibur—is already up and has been running reconnaissance since 1 am. We have a clear picture from satellites, and everything at this time, is a go. You will launch from the carrier at approximately 4 am, at 600 knots, you will arrive over land within 8 minutes. Seargent Grenburough will pass out your maps, these are a 75-mile diameter around the site and include the coastline. If you are downed, get to the coast. That is the only extraction location. We do have Seals on standby for extraction, but if you are captured,” he sighed, “There are not many options aside from diplomatic ones…” He lifted a packet into the air,
“This—is everything you could possibly need to know about the mission. The flight paths have not changed from your months of training at Topgun. Dr. Norris will accompany you to the flight deck and personally certify your plane mounted probe prior to launch.” Jake looked over at her and smiled. He had every confidence in the equipment because she was not just good at her job, she was a brilliant mind.
“Once you are over land, you will drop down to 600 feet above sea level and follow this river system North.” He gestured to a map on the screen behind him, “About 7 miles inland that river will split and one branch will continue north—this is leading toward the suspected nuclear research facility. Lieutenants Seresin, Fitch, and Garcia will follow the northern route and deploy the probes at these coordinates.” He pointed to a small spot on the map just ahead of the nuclear facility that was situated on the bank of the river for access to the cool water.
“Lieutenants Bradshaw, Lewis, and Drake, will bank westward and trek an additional 3 miles north-northwest, deploying their probes here.” again he gestured to a spot on the map just before the planes would be over the facility.
“From there you will fly for 1 minute and 30 seconds in the pattern from 600 feet up to 1000 feet and back down to 600 feet before turning tail and heading home. I don’t think I need to stress that speed is your friend at this point in the mission. Mind your fuel—we don’t want any Bingo situations. Keep an eye on your joker levels.” To Kate the phrases that Whitlowe was speaking were almost a foreign language. Maverick leaned over and explained,
“Bingo refers to fuel being too low, Joker is the safest low level of fuel to make it back.” Kate nodded,
“Thank you.” she smiled.
“It is like learning a different language.” he mused quietly. Whitlowe continued,
“It will be a miracle if you are in and out and face no air defenses. These could be anti-aircraft guns, SAMs, other aircraft—we know their capabilities, they have stealth fighters akin to our F-22 raptors, and the last thing you want is to find yourself in a dogfight with one of those. So…” he paused and everyone in the room held their breath it seemed, “use your head, fly on instinct when you have to, and get home safely. Carrier will coordinate landings based on need—if you have mechanical issues—radio ahead so we can get you queued to land first, and if needed, we will deploy standbys and reserves. Dr. Norris will physically pull hard drives out of the probe once you are parked, chocked, and chained.” He looked around the room for a moment,
“Any questions?” No one spoke. Everything was clear cut. The danger was enormous, the data was needed, and the mission had to succeed.
“Alright then, wheels up in 30.” Whitlowe glanced at the clock which read 3:30 am. The pilots grabbed their gear and started for the flight deck to perform their flight checks and queue up for launch. Hangman would launch first, followed by Rooster, then Payback and Fanboy, and finally Sandman and Martian. Maverick guided Kate to the flight deck crew equipment room where they both put on white vests and helmets. Each colored vest and helmet had a different job on the flight deck. Red: ordinance, purple: fuel, green: catapult crew or the “cat” crew, brown: plane captains, white: accessory, yellow: plane crew and launch, blue: assistants and trainees. The vest was a bit big on Kate, but she didn’t care, she pulled on a pair of gloves and she and Maverick stepped out onto the flight deck. It was organized chaos. The wind whipped past them, and Maverick took her elbow to help her navigate through the sea of flight deck crew and over to the planes. She started with Sandman and Martian’s plane. Moving with rapid precision in the darkness, illuminated only by a handful of spotlights, she turned the probes on and certified that it was functional for remote or manual deployment. She and Maverick hurried over to Payback and Fanboy’s plane and did the same thing. Rooster was checking the missiles on his plane and walking back toward the co*ckpit when she arrived. She quickly opened the small mechanical cap on the probe and flipped a switch. The probes lit up and everything checked out. She punched in the ready code as she had with the others and it confirmed both deployment methods were functional. The wind stirred up and the ship dipped into a deep wave trough. Kate tumbled over onto her knees, and Rooster quickly scooped her up.
“YOU OKAY?” he shouted over the noise.
“YEAH—I DON’T HAVE ANY SEA LEGS…” she laughed lightly. He smiled, but inside his heart ached for her. They looked at each other for a moment, and she finally shouted,
“BE CAREFUL—COME HOME SAFELY, ALRIGHT?” He nodded and grasped her hand, squeezing hard,
“I WILL.” Maverick patted his shoulder,
“YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.” Rooster nodded as Kate and Maverick hurried off to Hangman’s plane. He closed his eyes for a second and remembered her looking up at him from that night they spent together in his camper. He couldn’t get her out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Touching her just now brought it all rushing back. Her breath on his neck, the way they moved together, her long legs wrapped around him. He opened his eyes and she had disappeared behind Hangman’s plane. Sighing, he climbed up into the co*ckpit and let the darkness of the pre-dawn hour surround him.
Kate quickly got to work on the last probe. She popped open the mechanical cap as Jake walked up to her. She felt his hand on her back, steadying her in the relatively gentle seas. With the flip of a switch, and few other steps, the probes were certified operational for launch. Maverick radioed to operations command for her, to let them know everything was a green for go with the probes. Without thinking, she threw her arms around Jake’s neck and held him for a second,
“COME BACK TO ME.” she shouted over the deck and ocean noise.
“YES, MA’AM!” he smiled, and in one suave move, he twisted her around and dipped her as if they were dancing. He pressed his lips against hers and a few hearty cheers and whistles rose up from the deck crew who witnessed the moment. He brought her back upright and turned to Maverick,
“SIR, CAN I HAVE A WORD WITH YOU IN PRIVATE?” Maverick guided Kate over to a door,
“I’LL BE RIGHT OVER, KATE.” and she stepped inside quickly, glad to be away from the roar of the ocean and flight deck. Hangman turned to Maverick and handed him a small black box,
“I PLAN TO PROPOSE TO KATE AFTER I LAND, CAN YOU KEEP THE RING SAFE FOR ME?” Maverick smiled,
“IT’LL BE MY PLEASURE, LIEUTENANT. CONGRATULATIONS!” Shaking Hangman’s hand, he took the ring box and carefully stowed it in his zippered pocket before hurrying off after Kate. Hangman felt a weight off his shoulders as he climbed into the co*ckpit and began flipping switches to bring the plane up to ready.
Kate and Maverick, having shed their white vests and helmets, returned to the operations room and they both sat at her station. Maverick put on his radio headset and helped Kate with hers. This would keep them in constant communication with the pilots or operations staff in different rooms. She pulled up the probe interfaces on her screens—one for Hans’s nuclear probes and one for her biological probes. Everything looked good.
“Kate, Maverick!” Cyclone called across the room, “I’d like you to join me on the bridge for launch.”
“Come on.” Maverick smiled, “This will be a treat. It has been a long time since I’ve just watched a launch.” They hurried after Cyclone to an elevator that brought them straight up to the bridge level, and they stepped through into a room with large glass windows on three sides. Cyclone welcomed them over to a spot along the glass where they could look down on the flight deck. Jake was taxing toward the left runway, and Rooster was following him.
“Final checks clear.” came a voice over the radio, “Set to launch Talon 1.” The yellow vested Shooter stood and Kate could see Jake salute him, then give him the “hang loose” hand sign. The Shooter knelt down beside Jake’s plane and waited for the go from mission command. Whitlowe’s voice came over the radio,
“Launch.” Kate’s eyes watched as the Shooter stood, confirmed the launch, and then lunged forward extending his arm toward the end of the short runway. Jake grabbed the handle on the co*ckpit side and braced himself, then released the brake and the catapult propelled him and his plane forward with break-neck speed. The glow of the engines on his plane were the only indication that the plane was even there, as he rose up into the sky, off the end of the runway. The Shooter followed the same motions as he prepared Rooster for launch.
“Set to launch Talon 2.” This time Whitlowe’s confirmation was not needed. Rooster glanced up at the bridge as if he knew Kate was watching. He saluted and gave a thumbs up. The Shooter lunged forward and just as it had with Jake, the catapult propelled Rooster off the runway and into the air.
“Set to launch Talon 3.” Payback saluted, gave his thumbs up, the Shooter indicated launch and the catapult sent them off the end of the runway and upwards after the others.
“Set to launch Talon 4.” Sandman saluted, gave the “rock on” hand signal, the Shooter sent them on their way. Kate watched as the glow of all the engines disappeared into the darkness.
“There they go.” Cyclone muttered, “God be with them.” Kate felt her heart begin to race. Jake was leading that team into a hostile nation to get her data. She silently prayed for their safety.
“We’d better get you back to your station.” Maverick said as he touched Kate’s shoulder, snapping her out of her worry.
“Yeah.” she followed him back into the operations command and to her station. They put on their headsets and could hear only static and the occasional distance and time markers,
“Approaching land.” came Jake’s voice. Kate watched the screens in front of her and noticed that, while her biological probes were not transmitting data yet, Hans’s nuclear probes were. She raised a brow as she watched the scrolling screen. The probe was transmitting location data. She quickly typed away on the laptop and Maverick watched her with interest,
“What’s going on?” he whispered.
“Hans’s probes are transmitting and I don’t think they should be yet…”
“Is something wrong?”
“That’s what I want to figure out.” She typed quickly across the keyboard and got her answer,
“What frequency is 401.2 mHz?” she asked suddenly. One of the communications assistants hurried over,
“UHF—It’s not one we regularly use.” He signaled another sailor to look it up and within seconds they had their answer,
“Chinese military uses that frequency.” Kate’s heart nearly beat out of her chest,
“sh*t.” Everything suddenly fell into place, all the hackings of Hans’s server, finding the wifi dongle, but never seeing who put it there. It was him—Hans—this whole time. And he just accepted a pay off in the form of a $12 million grant from the CSA for doing it.
“You have to call them back!” she grabbed Maverick’s arm, “It’s Hans...I didn’t see it...I...I..I’m such an idiot! All the server hackings—I think it was HIM.” Maverick’s eyes went wide, he leapt to his feet,
“Abort!” he shouted, “They’re flying into a trap!” Whitlowe ran over,
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kate pointed to the screen,
“Talon 1 and 3, their positions are being broadcast on UHF 401.2 mHz every 2 seconds. That frequency is Chinese military use…”
“Why would Dr. Mueller use that frequency--”
“--if he wasn’t handing our pilots over to them?” Kate snapped. She threw up her hands, furious with herself for not catching it sooner. Jake was flying right into the jaws of a dragon.
“Probes are deployed.” Came Jake’s voice over the radio, “Splitting off to nuclear and biological facilities.” Kate felt herself almost on the verge of hyperventilating.
“Nothing is coming up on radar yet…” Whitlowe acknowledged that it seemed they might have a chance here at going undetected.
“This is madness—we know that Hans--” Maverick began before he was cut off.
“We don’t know anything just yet. We have a hypothesis, but we don’t know for sure if the message has been received by our adversaries.” Whitlowe shot back. Kate shook her head and pointed to the radar screens,
“They’re receiving it…” Sure enough a few radar contacts appeared aiming toward Talon 1 and 3 at a high rate of speed.
“sh*t!” Whitlowe bolted for the radar screens. The surveillance plane radioed to the pilots,
“Talon 1, Talon 3, five bogies closing on your position from a northern course at approximately 900 knots, intercept in 1 minute. Recommend return course.”
“They’re coming in hot!” Fanboy radioed to Hangman.
“Let’s finish up here—we have 10 seconds left on the probes.” he replied, “We can turn and burn before they get close.”
Kate heard this and shook her head,
“Get out of there.” she whispered. She glanced back at her screens and saw that the nuclear probes were still transmitting gps data. I have to stop the probe from transmitting their locations—otherwise the enemy will have missile coordinates good enough to shoot them out of the sky… she thought. And then it hit her—reboot the probes—that was the only command she could force through—a full shutdown was not possible remotely. They’ll be offline for 5 minutes and that should get the planes in range of the carrier. She dropped down into her chair and quickly started typing on the computer for the nuclear probes.
“What’s going on?” Maverick asked.
“I’m rebooting the nuclear probes. We have enough data, and who knows if we can trust the data from Hans or not…that will at least stop them from transmitting locations.”
“Return course!” Jake shouted, “I see five bogies on our tails!”
“Talon 2 and Talon 4 return course!” Rooster radioed.
“SMOKE IN THE AIR!” Fanboy yelled.
“Bank left!” Hangman shouted.
“Talon 2 coming for intercept!” Rooster hollered. It was chaos in the room, but Kate’s fingers flew across the keyboard, instructing the probe to shut down and then restart—a long five minute process. Within a second the screen stopped scrolling with data and an ominous reboot screen materialized. It was a skull with the accompanying eerie message: Fast thinking. Kate waved Whitlowe over,
“Still think it was just a hypothesis?” He looked at the screen and his face turned red with rage,
“That son of a bitch…” he hissed.
“SMOKE IN THE AIR!” A second warning from Martian this time.
“FLARES!” Rooster screamed.
“Break right, break right!” Hangman screamed back, “I’m in the pocket—locked—firing…” there was a long pause as Hangman took a shot at one of the bogies. Cheers erupted from the other pilots,
“Got ‘em!”
“Bogie down!” Now it was an even fight four on four. Maverick looked at Whitlowe,
“We should notify Phoenix and B.O.B. that they will need to launch for support when the others are inbound.”
“Get it done.” Whitlowe barked. He was furious with Hans’s attempt to sabotage the mission. Cyclone radioed to the deck to prepare Phoenix and B.O.B.--who were no doubt listening to the chaotic communications coming through.
“sh*t—HE’S LOCKED ON ME!” Sandman screamed.
“SMOKE IN THE AIR!” Fanboy called.
“Break right!” Hangman screamed. There was silence, then,
“Missed!” Payback sighed.
“FLARES!” Rooster shouted again. Kate couldn’t listen, but she also couldn’t remove her headset because she had to listen.
“sh*t! I’m taking gunfire!” Payback yelled.
“I’ve got you!” Hangman shouted, “I’m coming right at your nose, bank right!” Kate could hear the snare drum roll-like sound as the gun fired.
“Contact!” Rooster shouted, “You got his left engine! He’s turning back north.”
“’Bout damn time!” Jake hissed, “We have to get back to the carrier—we don’t have fuel for a long fight!”
Out there, in the thick of the dogfight, they had downed one plane, and damaged another enough that it had to retreat. The surveillance plane radioed,
“Three bogies inbound on your location.”
“sh*t.” Hangman cursed, “We have to get out of here…” All he could think about was Kate, but he knew he was team leader. He was responsible for the other five members of his team.
“Let’s get out of here! If they pursue, we’ll deal with them en route!” he commanded. The other three planes turned South for the carrier, and pushed their engines hard. Hangman knew he had to buy them a few more seconds, so he lagged back for a moment and continued the dogfight.
“Hangman! What the hell are you doing?” Rooster snapped.
“Just go! I’ll catch up!” He pulled his plane up and skimmed the bottom of the clouds, the three remaining bogies followed him. He twisted around and came back down right at them, locking onto one, he fired his last missile and it contacted with the plane in a flash of flames. He banked away from the flames only to find himself taking gunfire on his right wing.
“sh*t!” Luckily, it was only surface damage. There were two planes pursuing. He dove down low and flew right above the tree line, barely 80 feet above the ground. The planes tried to lock onto him, but their targeting systems couldn’t differentiate between his plane and the swaying treetops. His right wing took a few more bullets,
“Dammit!” he shouted as he pulled back up and headed for the coastline. He rolled his plane to avoid more gunfire, but a few rounds punctured the wing and now alarms were sounding in the co*ckpit.
“Heavy damage to my right wing!” he radioed.
Kate’s heart began to race, hearing the distress in his voice. Cyclone and Maverick looked at each other then back to Kate. Her normally rosy cheeks were pale and her eyes were wide, listening to Jake’s strained voice.
“I see coastline!” he said. Then his voice became choked up,
“Multi-system failure! And I’m bleeding fuel! I won’t make it back!” Kate closed her eyes and just listened.
“I’m going to have to eject!” he shouted.
“Notify search and rescue, and put the Seals on standby.” Whitlocke shouted over the commotion. Jake’s voice came over the radio again,
“Tell Kate I love her!” Kate shot up from her seat and hit her radio button,
“I love you too—just get back home!”
“Kate?! Kate! I love you! I promise--” static. He must have been hit or ejected. Either way, the radio was unable to transmit his words. Kate tore off her headset and stepped back from the station. Everyone was shocked that she was as composed as she looked, but inside she was screaming, her mind was racing, her chest was tightening around her heart. Had she just listened to Jake’s last words ever?
“Talon 2, green light for landing.” came the radio message from the flight deck, piercing the silence of the room. They could hear the jet engines screaming as the planes began landing one after the other. The recoil of the arresting cable and the sound it made when it smacked back against the deck, rattled them to their core. Maverick hurried over to Kate,
“We need to get the hard drives out of the probes.” he whispered. She nodded,
“I know.” and with that they went back to collect their white vests and helmets, and step out into the organized chaos of the flight deck. Kate worked methodically, first with the two biological probes that she created, she forced open the hard drive case and slid the data storage unit out carefully, then transferred it into a metal briefcase that Maverick held. Each slot was labeled Talon 1, 2, 3, and 4. She felt her heart ache as she placed the third hard drive into its slot and there was still one empty space for Talon 1—for Jake’s plane.
“I’ll take these up to the intelligence officers…” Maverick said as he beckoned Rooster over, “You take her back to operations...she shouldn’t be alone.” Kate was numb, she didn’t even register where she was or what she was supposed to do—nothing made sense. Maverick disappeared up a flight of stairs and Rooster took her hand. She looked at him, his mouth was moving, but she couldn’t make out the words he was saying.
“...Kate?” she finally heard her name, “Kate? Talk to me.” Rooster shook her hand slightly. Was she in shock? He led her into an elevator and she slumped back against the wall, eyes closed, teeth clenched.
“KATE.” he grabbed her shoulders and shook her, “Kate—say something…” She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. He was clearly concerned. She opened her mouth to speak and her vocal chords tensed up, barely anything came out, but a couple squeaky words.
“Is he…” she felt the lump in her throat close off her larynx, and she couldn’t form the words let alone make them come out.
“He ejected, he’s on the ground and alive—that was the last I heard…” In an instant, every emotion she had been holding back came bursting to the surface with the relief that she felt, and the worry of what would happen to Jake. She nearly collapsed, but Rooster caught her and they landed together on the floor of the elevator. The tears streamed down her cheeks, as she sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tightly,
“Shhhh.” he cooed as he let her tears land on the arm of his flight suit, “He’s going to make it...for you...I know he will…” She buried her face in his shoulder and tried to calm herself. He had ejected and was alive. She repeated that to herself internally. The elevator doors opened and a few flight deck crew members stepped in. One of them looked at Rooster and gave a sad nod to Kate. Everyone hated the feeling when one less came back. It was a rarity. The elevator went down first, the flight crew stepped off, and then returned to the flight deck level. A few more minutes passed and finally Kate pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. She leaned back against the stainless steel elevator wall as he sat beside her. He looked over to her, and he saw the vulnerability, the fragility, the pain, and he wanted to take it away, to make her feel safe and assured that everything would be alright. He slowly reached his hand out, and his knuckles brushed against her fingertips.
“Hey…” he said softly, “It’s going to be alright.” She pursed her lips and drew in her breath slowly.
“I should get back…” her voice was finally coming back, somewhat strained though. He stood up quickly and held out his hand. She took it and he gently helped her to her feet. The boat lurched, and they both stumbled back into the wall. He looked at her with a longing he couldn’t suppress, and she gently pushed him back.
“Sorry…” she said softly.
“You’ll get your sea legs…It takes a couple of days.” he smiled as he helped her back from the wall. He pressed the operations floor number and the elevator started upward before coming to rest a few floors above, when the doors opened, Maverick and Cyclone were waiting for her.
“Whitlowe has been asking for you…” Maverick said quickly.
“Sorry.” Kate stepped out of the elevator and Rooster held his breath. Look back at me. He prayed. He knew it was selfish to want her, knowing what she was going through, but he knew he’d never be able to stop loving her. Before she walked into the operations room, she glanced back at him and mouthed the words,
Thank you. And then she disappeared into the operations room. He leaned back against the elevator wall and smiled. No matter what happened, the moments he just had with her filled his heart. He felt that their strained relationship was somewhat repaired.
The mission had taken place just as the sun was rising, by now it was late morning. Hangman had been running for a solid hour toward the coastline. He could hear helicopters and planes searching for him, so he kept well under the tree lines. Luckily, the olive green of his flight suit, kept him relatively well camouflaged. He had a small backpack with a radio, some small rations, water, and he still had his tracking beacon, but hadn’t turned it on yet. Referring to his map often, he followed the contours of the land, paying special attention to the topology, and any specific landmarks. He was about 25 miles away from the coast based on his estimation. That was just less than a marathon, and he was loaded down with gear. He figured he was about 4 and a half hours away from the coast, which would put any rescue attempts close to evening, and that was probably the ideal time, to be shrouded by darkness. Nearly out of breath, he closed the next two miles as fast as he could before climbing under a low pine tree to drink some water. As he did, he pulled out the picture roll of himself and Kate from the photo booth in Napa. Before he ejected, he plucked the picture from his instrument panel and clutched it in his hands. It was a bit wrinkled from the eject, but her smile was everything he needed to see right now.
Whitlowe escorted Kate, Cyclone, and Maverick into a secure operations room. He shut the door behind them and stepped behind a desk. There was a single folder filled with a heap of papers, pictures, and printouts of emails.
“I’m not going to sugar coat this…” Whitlowe began, “We have a sh*t situation on our hands thanks to one asshole…” Kate looked down. This was her fault. She should have seen Hans’s betrayal a mile away.
“Dr. Norris, look at me.” he demanded, “This is not your fault.” He knew every single thing she was thinking. Kate’s dark eyes met his.
“Now, we’re done feeling sorry for ourselves, and we are done worrying about Lieutenant Seresin. He is alive, and he is moving fast toward the coastline. He will check in when he is able, and Excalibur has been keeping eyes on him.” He flipped the folder and its contents around to show them,
“This is everything on Johann “Hans” Mueller we could scrape together in 4 hours. Our surveillance in Beijing took these pictures this morning.” He slapped three pictures of Hans with a coffee cup in his hands, walking into a university building, down on the desk.
“He has accepted a professor position at Beijing Technical University. We currently have no extradition with China for people like Hans. He is a German national, on a green card—that makes for a sticky situation because we have to coordinate with the German government…” Kate looked at the pictures of Hans, he looked so relaxed, so calm. It was strange to know what he had done to them, and then to see how he had no remorse, it made Kate’s blood boil. She clenched her jaw and tapped her fingers against her thighs as a nervous and rage filled tick.
“We are going to bank on the fact that Hans doesn’t know you are on the ship.” he pointed to Kate. “I want you to bring him in so we can charge him, formally.” Kate looked up with surprise,
“What?”
“Absolutely not.” Cyclone cut in, “She is a civilian, not trained, and would be operating in a foreign country—a foreign country!” Whitlowe shrugged,
“I think Kate can decide.”
“What would I have to do?” she asked quietly.
“We have two options. 1) you try to get him to come to Japan (the harder option) or 2) we put you into Beijing and you suggest a meet up.”
“He’s too smart for both of those.” she shook her head, “No...you’ll have to dangle me like a piece of meat in a lion’s den…” Whitlowe raised a brow.
“How quickly can you put together a fake conference?” she asked.
“Give us a few hours…”
“We lure him over to Tokyo...on the premise that I’ll be giving a keynote address to discuss my work on a top secret DoD project...He’ll want to meet and know why he wasn’t invited…” Whitlowe smiled,
“You might be cut out for an intelligence officer, Doctor…” he mused.
“Kate,” Cyclone cautioned, “This is extremely dangerous. He will have handlers that will be lurking, and you are not trained to identify them…”
“Then you’ll have to keep an eye on me.” she shot back, “I want to—no—I have to catch him…”
“Don’t make this decision quickly...take time to think about what you are considering. This is dangerous—almost as dangerous as what Lieutenant Seresin is neck deep in right now.”
“Jake is in the spot he’s in because I didn’t catch Hans soon enough…” she was angry, firey. Cyclone and Maverick could see that her mind was made up. If she could bring Hans to justice, she was going to do it—come hell or high water. Whitlowe smiled,
“So, what do you say, Dr. Norris?”
“I’m in.”
“Then we’ll get to work on your faux conference and key note address.” As she, Cyclone, and Maverick exited the secure room, Cyclone grabbed her elbow,
“Kate, you’re making a mistake here.” he said. She nodded,
“I know. But I can’t just sit here and do nothing while Jake is running through a hostile nation, trying to just get home.” She was persuasive.
“I’m not going to tell you not to do this.” Maverick stepped in, “But please, let us come with you.” She nodded,
“Okay.”
“We’ll teach you how to think like an intelligence officer, and you have to teach us to look like scientists.” She smiled,
“Deal.” Finally, at long last, she felt better about the situation. She was still worried about Jake, but hearing the news that he was alive and moving fast for the coastline, made her feel better.
As Kate sat down at her station, she listened to the radio messages come crackling through.
“Talon 1, moving south.” It was reassuring to know Jake was running.
“Southbound patrols, two helos, one fighter jet, armored truck on ground.” Whitlowe came tearing into the operations room,
“Where are we at with the Seals?” he bellowed.
“They are taking the last of the intelligence and satellite reports…”
“Good. Tell them to get me their extraction plan by 1500. We won’t move until cover of darkness, but I want to know what their timeline is.”
“Yes, sir.” He walked up to Kate,
“Look, you’ve had quite the day. Why don’t you grab a bite to eat, and relax in your quarters?” She nodded. In truth, she was exhausted. And all she needed was a moment to rest, but she also didn’t want to miss any news about Jake,
“Commander?” she asked quickly, “Could you please let me know if anything changes with Lieutenant Seresin on the ground?” He nodded,
“Of course.” Reluctantly, she stood up and headed for the main cafeteria. As soon as she walked in, Phoenix rushed over to her. Her friend and wingman hugged her,
“Kate—I’m so sorry—Rooster said he’s okay. I know him, he won’t stop until he’s back to you.” Kate sighed heavily, trying to hold back the tears. Phoenix helped her to a seat beside Payback and Fanboy,
“He saved everyone sitting at this table—some of us he saved twice.” Phoenix nudged Rooster’s side, “He’s tough. He’ll make it.” Rooster’s eyes were locked on Kate. He knew he shouldn’t—or rather couldn’t—love her, but he still did, and holding her in his arms in the elevator, unlocked everything he had tried to bury deep inside after their encounter in the locker room.
Kate, however, couldn’t eat anything that Phoenix brought her from the buffet. She poked at the lasagna with her fork, jiggled the jello with her spoon, rearranged the green beans about 30 times, and barely sipped from her glass of water. It was obvious she was a wreck, but no one wanted to say anything.
“So, I was thinking about going to the gym to play some three-on-three basketball...” Fanboy broke the silence.
“You know I don’t play…” Martian said as he waved them off.
“You can referee…” Fanboy turned to Kate, “How about you, Kate? You want to play?” She started to shake her head no, when Rooster answered,
“We all need a distraction—what do you say?” he looked at her and smiled, his mustache turned up with the corners of his mouth. Kate sighed. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be too far away from the operations room should something happen. Phoenix grabbed her elbow,
“Come on, Katie!” Kate smiled lightly,
“Alright—but it has to be short—I need to get back to operations…”
The basketball courts were flanked by pallets and storage of plane parts too. Fanboy dribbled the basketball between his legs and back and forth. The bounce of the ball echoed in the massive bay, as the group sauntered onto one of the courts. They divided up into two teams: Rooster, Phoenix, Sandman versus Payback, Fanboy, and Kate.
Payback and Rooster squared up for tip-off. Phoenix tossed the ball in the air, and Payback (who was a couple of inches taller than Rooster) easily tapped the ball over to Fanboy, who passed it to Kate. She dribbled like a professional, and made an easy layup. Two points in the bag. Her teammates hurried over and gave her high fives. Phoenix tossed the ball in to Sandman and he dribbled up to the basket. Payback blocked him, rebounded the ball, and sent it over to Fanboy.
Rooster covered Kate as Fanboy passed her the ball. She easily dribbled past Rooster, and he played his defense close to her. She dropped her shoulder and pushed him back as she swiveled around and gave a hard bounce pass to Payback. He lined up and shot, but the ball bounced off the rim. Kate and Rooster both leapt up to rebound the ball, but they collided and both tumbled down onto the floor. Kate shifted out from under his leg, and he quickly helped her to her feet.
“Sorry…” his voice was quiet, almost timid. She turned away and there was a competitive air about her. His heart began to race, not because of the physical exertion, but rather the emotional monsoon he felt for her. The ball was back in play before he realized it. Kate had it and she dribbled past him. He turned to chase her. Quickly, she passed the ball to Fanboy, who passed to Payback. The ball went back to Kate, and she lined up for a three-point shot. She stepped back and jumped, letting the ball loose from her delicate hands. Rooster leapt up and tried to block her. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her focused gaze. She watched the ball fly through the air, and fall directly through the center of the hoop.
“SWOOSH!” Payback called out. He hurried over and gave her a high-five. Rooster was amazed by how good at basketball she was. He did everything he could do to just be close to her, guard her, defend her. Phoenix threw the ball hard at him, and he missed it. Kate retrieved the ball and again, passed it to Fanboy who made an easy two point shot.
“ROOSTER!” Phoenix growled, “Get your head in the game!” He was busy guarding Kate. Their bodies were close together, and to him, it was exhilarating. It made him feel like they were back in the camper. She was fast, and able to slide past him. His hands touched her back as she forged a path to the basket. He reached for the ball over her arm.
The loudspeaker roared to life, and echoed painfully against the walls,
“Kate Norris to operations.” Kate’s heart nearly stopped, and she dropped the ball. She felt a sense of dread. What news was she going to receive? What was she going to find out? In an instant, she started for the small door to the hallway that would take her past the cafeteria and to a flight of stairs. Rooster immediately followed,
“Kate?” he asked. She didn’t reply. Her mind was spiraling with “what-ifs.”
“KATE!” he shouted. Spinning quickly, she turned to him,
“I—I have to go…” He took her hand in his,
“You know where to find me if you need to talk, or cry, or vent.” she nodded, and was gone up the stairs in an instant. Phoenix sauntered up to him,
“It’s hard to watch you pine after her like a lovesick puppy…”
“It’s hard to be in love with her when she loves someone else…” he replied softly.
Kate walked into the operations room and Whitlowe met her at the door,
“Kate. We have news. Jake just radioed.” She bit her lip; she had missed him, and she wished she could kick herself for having been playing basketball when he radioed.
“And?” she urged Whitlowe to give her information.
“He’s about 7 miles from the coast. Tired. Sweaty. And he wanted me to tell you he loves you. He wouldn’t shut up about you.” Kate smiled as tears filled her eyes.
“He’s going to radio back in an hour when he makes it to higher ground after nightfall. We’ve got the Seals preparing to launch for the extraction.” Kate was determined that she was not going to leave the room.
“I’d like to sit down with you and go over the details on how we get Hans to Tokyo.” He beckoned her to a small room off the main space. Closing the door behind her, he helped her into a chair.
“We have the fake conference website, and social media up and going. Everything looks legitimate. Even if none of it exists.” He held up a phone and showed her a profile they’d created just for her, showcasing a fun day at Tokyo Disney while she was in town for the conference. There were a number of pictures posted, going back years, but none of them were real—despite looking completely authentic.
“A.I. is an amazing thing, isn’t it?” He asked her as she scrolled through photos of her on the beach, her at a coffee shop, her at a bookstore—none of them were places that she had ever been, or things she had done. It was eerie to see the ability for these programs to make something out of nothing, and have it look so completely real.
“And here’s the kicker…” he took the phone back and scrolled to the messages, “Hans has viewed the fake profile 12 times in the last 5 hours...and he just sent this message: When did you arrive in Tokyo? We should meet up—I’m in Beijing—permanently relocating in a few weeks.” Kate was surprised. Whitlowe could read her like an open book,
“Surprised?”
“Very.”
“He has been searching for information about you, daily, for the last two weeks.” Kate raised an eyebrow,
“You knew this before you even asked me to help bring him in, didn’t you?”
“Of course.” he leaned back in his chair, “He views you as his equal...there is a respect that he has for you—intellectually and romantically…” She nearly gagged. The man who was the reason Jake was running a marathon through hostile territory right now, had a romantic interest in her?
“Not the most palatable thought, huh?” She shook her head,
“Considering what he did to my boyfr—Lieutenant Seresin…”
“We have a great opportunity here...now, I won’t ask you to be a honeypot, but I need you to give him something—flirt with him, see if you can’t get him to come to Tokyo, leave Beijing. You might not even need to be there if he steps foot outside of the airport—we’ll just grab him.” She nodded,
“What do I even say to someone that I hate this much?”
“What would you say to Jake? When the two of you were first figuring out how you felt about each other?--then say some version of that…” Kate pulled up the note app on the phone and began drafting a response she could copy and paste.
It’s good to hear from you. Congratulations again on your grant and professional appointment. Whitlowe leaned over and shook his head,
“Too dry.” She erased what she had and tried again,
You’re moving to Beijing! That’s exciting!
“Nope.” Whitlowe interjected. He waved his hand for the phone and she gave it to him. He typed away:
You’re right, we do need to meet up. I have missed our great chats. When are you available? I’m free tomorrow. I hear the flights from Beijing to Tokyo are cheap and short. I could pick you up at the airport and we could grab a bite?
Kate cringed. It didn’t sound anything like her, and Whitlowe’s amazing deducing skills knew what she was thinking.
“It doesn’t have to sound like you. It has to sound like what he wants to hear from you.” In the other room, Jake’s voice came over the radio, and Kate immediately heard it. She and Whitlowe bolted back into the operations room to listen.
“I’m at the brush line. About 1000 yards from the coast. There are enemy planes flying low, patrolling. I’m currently well hidden.”
“Can you provide approximate coordinates?” one of the radio operators asked.
“Based on my map, I’m south west of the river in sector G4.”
“Excalibur? What is your coordinate for Talon 1?” the radio operator switched channels to the surveillance plane.
“We have Talon 1 at G4.”
“Get that info to the Seals.” Whitlowe barked. He turned to Kate, “We’re going to be bringing him home...it might take all night, but when we have an opening between the coastal air patrols, we’re going in to get him.”
“Is Kate there?” Jake asked suddenly. Whitlowe handed her his headset and she switched it on,
“I’m here.” His voice instantly changed, from a strong aviator behind enemy lines, to a man who longed for his love,
“Kate! God, I’m so sorry. I love you.” She felt tears sting her eyes,
“I love you too. It’s okay...It’s alright—just come back safely to me, okay?”
“I’m trying.” he said softly, “I can hear dogs barking, maybe across the river, that’s where the plane went down. It’s still smoking.” He had gone back to providing intelligence for the Seals. Then he paused,
“Kate?”
“Yes?”
“I have to turn off the radio for a bit, don’t worry about me. Just promise me, when I get back, you’ll meet me on the flight deck.”
“I promise. I’ll be there.”
“I love you.” he said right before he shut off the radio.
“I love you, Jake…” she trailed off, realizing she was speaking to static. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Everyone felt her heartache, and how she yearned to have him back on the carrier. Whitlowe took his headset back from her and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders,
“Hearing your voice keeps him going.” She nodded, and they walked back into the tiny room where they continued to discuss the daring mission before them: catching Hans.
Chapter 10: Chapter 10/Epilogue: To catch a traitor
Chapter Text
Chapter 10: To catch a traitor
The next 6 hours were planned out, almost obsessively, down to the second. The extraction was going to take place while the coastal patrol aircraft had to refuel, which gave a short window of about 45 minutes where nothing would be in the air. The Seals would be dropped via helicopter off the coast and they would swim over 2 miles to a coded rendezvous point with Hangman. From there, they would swim back out with the pilot in tow and the helicopter would return to pull them back up. There would be F-18s circling in the event any hostile aircraft were detected. Rooster, Phoenix and B.O.B., Sandman and Martian, and Payback and Fanboy were notified that they might be wheels up at 0300.
Kate, Whitlowe, Cyclone, and Maverick were locked away in the tiny operations secure room, watching Hans book a flight to Tokyo for the following morning. Unfortunately, Whitlowe wanted Kate to be in Tokyo so they could lure Hans out of the airport. As it was, international airports were difficult places to apprehend criminals that were not part of the judicial system. Hans’s forced extradition was slightly more extrajudicial, but nonetheless a necessary one. Whitlowe had been given the green light from the US government, and the Germans were playing ball—for now—with Hans (who was a German national) because of the overwhelming evidence stacked against him.
“We’ll get you on a flight out to Tokyo as soon as possible,” Whitlowe said to Kate, “It looks like his plane will arrive at 9:30 am.”
“How soon, is as soon as possible?” she asked.
“Probably before dawn…”
“I--” She started, but Cyclone interjected,
“I think she needs to be on the carrier for Lieutenant Seresin’s arrival.” Whitlowe looked down at the papers on the desk,
“We have an opportunity--”
“Commander Whitlowe, may I have a word in private?” Maverick suddenly piped up. Whitlowe nodded and the men stepped out of the room and shut the door behind them.
“What is this all about, Captain?” Maverick pulled the tiny black box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful oval diamond ring. Whitlowe’s eyes widened.
“Lieutenant Seresin entrusted this to me, he is going to propose to Kate when he lands on the flight deck, and after everything that has happened—trust me—this flight to Tokyo can wait…” Whitlowe nodded,
“Well, we’ll get her to Tokyo on a military transport, so...we can cut it a little closer…”
“Good.” Maverick patted the commander on the back and stowed the ring back safely in his pocket. They both stepped into the secure room,
“Change of plans—we’re going to leave after Lieutenant Seresin is back.” Kate breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She couldn’t miss being there for Jake’s return. Knowing that Cyclone and Maverick had pulled the strings to keep Whitlowe’s leash tight, she nodded in thanks to them.
As the sun set, Jake cozied up against the trunk of a pine tree and concealed himself beneath the branches. He felt the wind come from behind him, so he knew he was safe from any search dogs by staying downwind. He pulled the picture roll from his pocket and looked at Kate. Her smile soothed him. In all this mess, this chaos, she was stability. She kept him sane, focused, and determined to get back to her. He put the photos back in his pocket and waited to radio in for instructions at the top of the hour. The planes were still patrolling the coastline, flying a long circular pattern. Jake could hear their engines fade into the distance as they flew to the east and then banked back around, and the sound of their engines would steadily grow as they neared, then fade as they moved away to the west. He checked his watch, 5 more minutes until he could radio to the carrier, and find out more details about the extraction. As the time ticked down to the top of the hour, he thought about hearing Kate’s voice again. His body relaxed somewhat, thinking of her. He closed his eyes for a second and thought back to the first time he saw her walk into The Hard Deck, he thought of their first kiss in his dorm bed, the first time they made love. Quickly, he opened his eyes and looked at his watch. It was time to radio. He turned on the radio and adjusted the channel to the one he had been told previously,
“This is Talon 1.” The voice on the other end explained, in sparse details in case the enemy was listening, how the extraction would work, and he was glad to know someone was coming to get him.
Whitlowe stalked back into operations with a scowl on his face,
“We have a problem.” he whispered to Cyclone. Kate could barely hear their voices, so she leaned a little closer and hoped Whitlowe wouldn’t see her obvious eavesdropping.
“The weather is changing and the Seals are thinking the extraction is going to have to be pushed back, AND I just received word from one of our assets in Beijing—who has been keeping tabs on Mueller—that he has not one, not two, but THREE handlers coming with him to Tokyo.” Cyclone rubbed his forehead with frustration,
“This changes things.”
“It absolutely changes things. We can’t get Seresin back before she has to be in Tokyo.” Whitlowe glanced over to Kate and caught her eye. He waved her over,
“You probably heard a bit of that.”
“All of it.” she confessed.
“Well,” he sighed, “Jake is stuck until the seas calm down a bit. A weather pattern is rolling in and the winds have kicked up, hopefully, it will just blow through—at least that’s what I’m told by people who know weather better than me. The Seals are hoping they can get him back, but with only a short delay. They will launch an hour later 0400. This is problematic for us, because you have to be in Tokyo.” She nodded.
“I understand.” She realized that the Seals were going to get Jake no matter what, and she also realized that the only way to get Hans was to dangle her like a piece of meat in front of him. Whitlowe looked surprised, and so did Maverick and Cyclone.
“I can’t just sit here and let Hans get away with this.” Kate said harshly.
“Alright then!” Whitlowe smiled, “Wheels up!”
The C2A flew swiftly to Tokyo. Kate, Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe were the only passengers on board. The sun was up when they landed, and a small van shuttled them from a private runway to the main airport in Tokyo. Kate’s reflection in the window showed a woman who was tired, confused, frustrated, and scared. She pulled her hair back into a fresh bun and leaned her head against the headrest. Cyclone remained on the radio, monitoring the Seals as they took off in a helicopter from the carrier. Whitlowe was on his phone, calling the people who were going to nab Hans—Kate knew these were not your average Navy personnel, but probably intelligence officers who were prepared to apprehend enemies.
The van pulled right up to the airport and the group was met by five intelligence officers dressed in plain clothes. Everything was a blur to Kate. She was told to smile at Hans, greet him as if she knew nothing more of his betrayal—to play along. Cyclone and Maverick would be watching her from inside the airport, and would stay far enough away that they wouldn’t draw attention, but could intervene if needed. When Kate and Hans would exit, the intelligence officers would grab Hans and get him into a big black van with no windows. The remaining group would return to the US Embassy and debrief before returning to the carrier. From there, Hans would be remanded to the US Government with the cooperation of the German Embassy.
Once everything had been explained, they looked at their clocks and realized Hans would arrive in 10 minutes. Kate, Maverick, and Cyclone hurried inside the airport to await Hans.
In the dim, pre-dawn stillness, Jake still sat underneath the same pine tree, well concealed from any of the planes when he noticed flashlight beams illuminating the brush just in front of him. He froze. Afraid to even breathe, he quietly watched as the beams of light from behind him swept left and right across the brush. He could hear voices nearing his position. He couldn’t make out what was being said—there was a language barrier that couldn’t be overcome. Suddenly, shouting erupted and shots rang out. Jake instinctively ducked. Footsteps frantically pounded past him, headed toward the coastline. The Seals had made landfall and the foot patrol was closing in on their position, firing at them. The Seals were returning fire. Jake heard a shot crack off the trunk of the pine tree above him and he toppled over onto the ground. Instantly, he felt a pair of hands grab his ankle and he was drug out from under the tree, and a bright light shone in his face. The words spoken to him were not English. Jake felt fear, true fear, for the first time.
“Up!” the voice screamed. Jake climbed to his feet and the enemy soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into Jake’s abdomen. The pain crippled him and he bent over, falling to his knees. He could feel his stomach churn and he dry heaved. Another shot fired, and the enemy soldier crumpled into a heap on the ground, falling over on top of Jake. Terrified, Jake shoved the gasping solider off of him and frantically crawled on his stomach toward the shore. He had no side arm, nothing, no weapon to defend himself. His backpack was still under the tree and his radio was attached to the pack. All he could do was head toward the shore where the Seals were shouting commands back and forth. They operated as a single unit with many moving parts.
“Hey!” Jake called. He didn’t know what else to do. One of the Seals broke off while the others covered him. Rifle raised and sweeping back and forth, the Seal closed on Jake’s position and knelt by him,
“Lieutenant Seresin? I’m Commander Rice—we’re here to bring you home.” Jake sighed heavily,
“Thank you, sir.”
Kate paced nervously just outside of the secure side of the airport where families waited to see their loved ones, or frequent travelers waited for their rides. She glanced around and saw Maverick sitting at a coffee shop, pretending to read a skymall magazine. Cyclone was casually strolling past a Brookstone, eyeing a travel pillow—perhaps for the flight home.
Suddenly, Kate’s blood ran cold. There he was. Hans, wearing his Mr. Rogers khaki pants and polo with a cardigan over top. He looked around, as he did his leather messenger bag swirled from side to side on his shoulder. Kate took a deep breath, and smiled,
“Hans!” she gave a quick wave and his face illuminated with a beaming smile,
“Kate!” he hurried over and wrapped his arms around her, “It is so wonderful to see a familiar face!” Behind him, three tall, slender, men dressed in suits followed cautiously. Kate’s skin crawled as he hugged her, but she held the ruse.
“Where do you want to go?”
“I was thinking we might grab a coffee in the airport first!” he smiled. She forced her smile,
“Sure, but my car is parked outside in a 30 minute zone.” she lied. It amazed her how easily the lie rolled off her tongue. Hans placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the airport boutique coffee shop where Maverick quickly turned away to hide his identity. Kate selected a booth far enough from Maverick that Hans would never see him.
“As I recall, you are not a coffee drinker—shall I get us a hazelnut cappuccino, heavy cream and sugar?” Kate was surprised he remembered her drink of choice.
“Sure.” she smiled lightly.
“I’ll be right back.” he stood up and hurried to the counter to order. Kate locked eyes with Maverick for a brief second, and he could instantly feel all of her emotions. Hatred, disgust, hurt. He knew that everything Hans had done resulted in Hangman being downed behind enemy lines.
Hans returned a minute or two later with a pair of disposable coffee cups and slid into the booth,
“I want to hear all about how things have been for you...But first…” he reached into his bag and pulled out a letter, “I pulled some strings for you…”
“What’s this?” she asked, taking the letter.
“Open it.” he smiled. She slowly, cautiously opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. It was an invitation to a professor position at Beijing Technical University. Kate raised a brow,
“A job offer?”
“Yes!” he smiled, “I told them about your work and they asked if I’d like to have you in Beijing with me—so...I pulled some strings…and got you a job!” Kate looked back at the paper.
“That’s so sweet of you.” She smiled as best as she could, “Why though? I have to go back to Northwestern—two year minimum after my leave of absence.”
“BTU would be willing to buy out your contract. They are currently courting the most brilliant minds in science that they can.”
“I don’t know, Hans...I’m not sure I can leave my family or Jake…” she trailed off. Hans scoffed,
“The pilot?” Kate’s blood began to boil, but she took a deep breath,
“He and I are very serious.” she said.
“Kate...please.” Hans chuckled, “Do you find him intellectually stimulating? I imagine your relationship is decidedly more physical—and physical relationships do not last.” Kate scowled at him,
“That’s a bit forward…”
“My apologies, I just don’t see what you find attractive in him…” She tilted her head to the side and smiled wickedly,
“Everything.” Hans shook his head,
“I don’t think I will ever understand women.” he laughed lightly as he took a sip from the steaming coffee.
“Well, that’s one thing you share with every man on earth…” she said with a sly smile. He laughed loudly,
“Kate, you have such a wit!” She still had yet to sip her coffee, mostly because she didn’t trust him, but he noticed,
“Do you not want the cappuccino?” he gestured to her cup.
“Oh, I just let it cool quite a bit. That’s all.”
“You are a box of mysteries.” he mused, “Well, I hope you consider the offer from BTU, they will pay you handsomely—they exceeded my current pay by almost $80,000.”
“That’s—wow—very generous.”
“Like I said, they are courting the best and brightest. I am told there is a Harvard researcher who will be joining us to work on nanotechnology!” She nodded, feigning an impressed attitude.
“You would be a most welcome addition to the research faculty. Would you continue your current research project? Remind me what that is…” he asked as he patted her hand. She recoiled quickly, and that seemed to catch him off guard.
“Sorry…” she laughed shyly, “I’m still jet lagged…um...I don’t know, my research at Northwestern is still tied to my grant. I’m building a web tool and database for anyone to access and use to predict viral strains and mutations based on currently available genomes.”
“How exciting! See! You’d be a perfect fit at the university with us.” Kate’s phone dinged with a text message, she pulled it up quickly to read so Hans couldn’t see it.
If he asks, say it’s a family member. You need to get him outside the airport, we can’t apprehend him inside unless there is a warrant for his arrest—which we don’t have. Kate read the message from Maverick. She quickly typed a response,
I’ll do my best, he doesn’t want to leave yet.
“Who was that?” Hans asked as he leaned over to peer at her phone. She slid the phone into her pocket,
“My little brother. He’s a lawyer in Chicago and asked me about an old acquaintance…that’s all.” she found that lying to Hans was easier than she realized. She viewed him as having no shred of humanity given what he’d done, made it much easier for her to completely fabricate a reality for him to enjoy—only to have her rip it from him shortly.
“What would you like to do today—I thought we might go sightseeing?” he asked.
“Sure—where about?”
“There are some lovely old dynastic buildings not that far away.” he suggested.
“Great! My car is outside.” She stood up and he was alarmed by how quickly she was ready to leave.
“I’m not sure they’re open for tours yet…”
“There’s so much traffic in Tokyo—I think a little lead time is necessary.” He shrugged his shoulders and stood up with her. She tossed her untouched coffee cup into the trash when Hans was not looking and they headed for the exit. Maverick nodded to Cyclone and Whitlowe as they watched the three handlers follow Kate and Hans at a respectful distance.
The three Navy men intercepted the handlers just as Hans exited the first of the airport’s automatic doors. Hans paused as Kate stalked for the second set of doors,
“Where is your car?”
“Oh—just on the other side of that van, I think—it must have pulled up and is blocking it.” Hans nodded, it seemed harmless after all, and Kate was there with him. He hurried to be by her side and they stepped out of the airport and through the last set of automatic glass doors. Kate was relieved, this was it.
“Johann Mueller?” one of the intelligence officers stepped forward and ushered Kate behind him.
“Yes?” Hans asked suspiciously.
“You will need to come with us.”
“I don’t think so.” he tried to signal his handlers and they were now being held up by Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe and were unable to help.
“Get in the van.” the officer growled as the black windowless van pulled up. Hans looked back to Kate with a horrified realization of what was unfolding,
“You set me up!” She stepped up to him, an intimidating presence in and of herself,
“I saw what you did in your code, you are a traitor! And I will never forgive you for what you did. You disgust me.” she hissed. He reached for her throat, and the intelligence officer immediately twisted him around and slammed him into the ground.
“I heard that Hangman got shot down! And when I heard that—I rejoiced! Hoping that he’d be captured and tortured or killed on the spot.” Kate’s brows furrowed and she looked at Hans with a dangerous hatred,
“Don’t worry, Hans—you’ll be lucky if you wind up in Gitmo for the rest of your life…” She turned away and he screamed at her,
“You bitch! I could have given you EVERYTHING!” Kate burst into laughter,
“You couldn’t even give me a functioning probe for the mission—how could you ever give me everything? You had ONE job, Hans, and you failed.” The intelligence officer pulled Hans to his feet, and the scientist spat toward Kate and missed. She rolled her eyes and looked back to Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe who hurried out of the airport. The handlers had now been detained by the other intelligence officers. Hans struggled as the officer pushed him toward the van. Cyclone stalked up to the rogue scientist,
“Just a second.” the intelligence officer stopped pushing Hans, but still held his ziptied arms tightly behind his back.
“Hans, you are now in the custody of the United States Government, although you have not yet been charged with a crime, there is sufficient suspicion and evidence to allow your detainment. The German Embassy has been notified of your detainment and has offered to provide you a lawyer. Should you choose to accept the provided lawyer, you will be given time to discuss the situation with the lawyer, but must do so under supervision of an intelligence officer. Do you understand?” Hans looked Cyclone up and down,
“You know, Admiral Simpson, I hope you and everyone here burns in hell.”
“He’s yours.” Cyclone nodded to the intelligence officer who shoved Hans into the back of the windowless black van. Hans tumbled forward onto his face and the other officer inside the van with him, began to search his pockets. That was the last Kate would ever see of Hans. The doors of the van shut and it rumbled away down the airport arrivals lane.
Commander Rice helped Jake up and radioed to the Seal team,
“Package in tow, need cover.” A hail of gunfire exploded down range, over their heads but toward the enemy positions. The two men bolted down the sandy expanse of the shore. Rice’s feet were steady, Jake’s slid under the shifting sand, making it almost impossible to keep up. He was handed a small flotation device, and was linked up with Rice who had a propulsion device to move them through the water a little faster (it looked like an underwater fan). Two F-18’s screamed overhead, deterring any patrol planes from intervening in the rescue attempt. The remaining Seals began their retreat down the beach and into the water. Rice pulled Jake along, while the others maintained cover. The fighter jets dropped two bombs once the Seals were far enough out to prevent the enemy from following. They bounded through the water until their feet no longer felt the muddy bottom. The propulsion fan moved them along quickly. The rhythmic beating of a helicopter’s blades could be heard in the distance.
“We have a bit more to go before the he-lo can pick us up.” Rice said. Jake nodded as the shloshing ocean waters occasionally covered his face, making him gasp for air. He held on tightly to the strap coming from the propulsion fan as it drug him through the dark waters.
“Are there any sharks out here?” Jake asked the burning question on his mind.
“For sure.” Rice responded.
The US Embassy was hectic when Whitlowe, Cyclone, Maverick and Kate walked in. They were debriefed quickly and sent on their way. Everyone was glad to have Hans in custody. The German Government later cooperated and allowed the US to arrest Hans on suspicion of espionage. He would be transferred to a secure location within the day.
The flight back to the carrier was a quiet one. Everyone was glad to be done with this chapter, but also wanting to know what would happen with Jake. They hadn’t heard any news since they’d left for Tokyo. Kate leaned her head back and fell asleep for the first time in 2 very exhausting days.
The helicopter hovered over the water creating circular waves, jetting out in all directions. A rope was lowered and Jake was raised up into the he-lo. Each of the Seals were brought back up into the helicopter and the aircraft flew back to the carrier. The sun was shining brightly as the he-lo slowly and carefully made its approach. Wind whipped through the open doors, and it was oddly refreshing and stimulating. Jake marveled at the way the sun cast a gentle glow over the flight deck. The helicopter descended down on the flight deck and touched down with a bounce. The Seals piled out one by one until it was just Rice and Jake.
“I’ll let you bring up the rear, Lieutenant.” The commander jumped out and walked across the flight deck with the other Seals. Jake took a deep breath, his eyes scanned the crowd for Kate, and Maverick who had the ring.
“Hey!” one of the flight deck crew shouted to him, “We’ve got another plane coming in—you’ve gotta get out!” Jake jumped down from the aircraft and hurried across the flight deck as cheers erupted from the crew. Everyone was glad he was back and safe. A group surrounded him and he was engulfed in hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back. Rooster even met him and shook his hand,
“You look good, Hangman…” he said with that sly smile of his.
“And damn, do I feel good, Rooster, real good to be back…” Phoenix, B.O.B., Sandman, Martian, Payback, and Fanboy surrounded Hangman and lifted him up in the air. A renewed cheer grew out of the crowd.
“Where’s Kate?” Jake shouted over the noise. The group lowered him down and Rooster pointed up at a plane aiming toward the runway,
“She went to Tokyo to catch Hans.” he said.
“She’s on that plane?” Hangman asked and Rooster nodded. Taking a deep breath, Rooster clapped his rival on the back,
“Make her happy, Seresin.” In that simple sentence, Rooster let go of her. He knew how much Jake loved Kate, and he realized that seeing Kate happy was the best reward—even if that meant she was happy with Jake and not him.
“I promise I will—every day.” Hangman replied to Rooster.
The C2A came rumbling toward the runway and its tailhook deployed. As it touched down, the tailhook caught the arresting cable and the plane slowed rapidly and recoiled. Its wings folded upright for storage and it taxied to an out-of-the-way parking spot where the wheels were chocked and the plane was chained down. The door opened and Maverick hurried out, his eyes moved through the crowd coming to rest on Jake. He hurried over and handed him the tiny black box,
“SHE’S ON HER WAY, LIEUTENANT.” He shook Jake’s hand and stepped out of the way. Jake took a deep breath and opened the box. The diamond shone beautifully in the now-bright sunlight. Cyclone stepped out of the plane, and right behind him, Kate appeared. She made her way out of the plane and Jake could see her eyes looking for him. As soon as their eyes met, she smiled—so genuine, so pure—she instinctively put her hand over her mouth as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes. She bolted toward him, and leapt into his arms. He held her tighter than he ever had before. His face was covered in dirt and scratches, he had stubble across his cheeks, chin, and jaw, his arms were scraped, knees muddied, and his clothes still damp with sea water—despite the breezy helicopter ride back to the carrier. Her hair whipped around in the wind, swirling around her face. She was exhausted and it showed, but she was never more beautiful to him than in that moment.
“Kate--” he leaned over to her in the deafening sound of the flight deck, and spoke directly into her ear, “I have something I need to ask you…” he took a step back, clutched her left hand in his right hand, and knelt down on the flight deck in front of everyone. He lifted the small black box up and displayed the beautiful oval diamond ring that had been his grandmother’s. Her brown eyes went wide.
“Will you make me the happiest man on earth, and do me the honor of being my wife?” he was so nervous, he shook. He knew she’d say yes, but the anticipation of hearing that one word from her lips was agonizing. She smiled and began to nod her head,
“YES!” He plucked his grandmother’s ring from the box and slid it onto her delicate ring finger. It fit like a glove—perfectly. He jumped up to his feet and took her in his arms, kissing her with every fiber of his being. The crew that had gathered around them let out a deafening cheer. Phoenix was the first to rush the couple and wrap her arms around them both, tears of joy in her eyes,
“I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH! I definitely get to be a bridesmaid—right?” Kate nodded, “Of course! I can’t get married without my wingman!” Jake looked over to Rooster,
“And I can’t get married with out my wingman.” He extended his hand to his rival,
“Best man?” Rooster felt honored,
“It’s the least I can do after you saved my life for a second time…” he smiled.
Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe gathered on the tiny balcony overlooking the flight deck, watching the colorful celebration below,
“You know, when Hans and Kate first started, I never thought this would be the outcome.” Cyclone mused.
“I don’t think any of us could have anticipated what happened.” Maverick said in reply. Cyclone gestured to the pilots that were centered in the mass of deck crew and their bright vests,
“I’m just glad I don’t have to call any families…” Maverick nodded at that comment. For a few seconds the three men stood in relative silence. Then, Cyclone spoke candidly,
“Do you know how hard it was for me to NOT punch Hans?” Cyclone burst into a raw laugh. Whitlowe and Maverick erupted into laughter as well.
“I’m telling you—when he spit at Kate--” Cyclone mimed punching the rogue scientist, and the other two nodded in agreement.
“You know, she wouldn’t be a half bad intelligence officer.” Whitlowe quickly seeded the idea in his colleague’s heads, “She really did a good job today, and I could tell it was hard for her. There were a lot of moving pieces and she handled it really well—all things considered, with Hangman and the extraction going on…” The others agreed,
“Do you think she might get an offer for something permanent?” Maverick asked.
“I can see what strings I can pull.” Whitlowe said, “Plus...I can almost guarantee Seresin is going to get a promotion and some flexibility in his assignment now…he might even be a good intelligence officer…”
“You’re not taking one of my pilots, Whitlowe…” Cyclone warned with a hint of levity in his tone.
“Noted.” and the men went back to watching the celebratory crowd-surfing below.
On the flight deck, Jake and Kate received congratulations from almost every one of the flight deck crew. So many asked to see the ring, and gawked at it when she stretched out her hand for them to look at it.
“I’m thinking a June wedding.” Jake smiled at her.
“Anytime sounds perfect.” she replied. Their lips touched once more with the joy of their engagement. Soon they’d be calling their families, picking the date, the dress, the venue, the menu, the dj, getting the invitations and the wording just right. Just then, a booming voice came over the loudspeaker, it was the captain of the Ike,
“I think a swim call is in order.” Another cheer erupted from the flight deck crew. The seas would be warm in the afternoon and everyone would enjoy a swim in the ocean to unwind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Penny shifted in her seat next to Amelia. They both had on lovely floral dresses on this early summer afternoon. Maverick hurried over and slid quickly into his aisle seat. Admiral Simpson, who was now the Fleet Admiral of the Pacific Fleet’s Naval Aviation wing after the retirement of Fleet Admiral Lawson (who had replaced Ted “Iceman” Kazansky two years prior upon his passing), found his seat. The deck of the carrier was a buzz with excitement. About two hundred white chairs were arranged with an aisle running down the middle on this beautiful June 22nd afternoon. The Ike was docked at the San Diego Naval Station overnight. It had taken Admiral Simpson’s authority to make it happen, but today was going to be the event of the season, and he was beyond elated to be taking part.
Just past the rows and rows of chairs, two F-18 planes were parked nose-to-nose with an archway right in front of them. White roses and calla lilies, eucalyptus leaves and lotus seed pods were woven around the archway. The romantic atmosphere was subtle and classy. Phoenix, dressed in a soft sweetheart neck, lavender gown, that flowed gently as she walked, hurried up a side aisle and leaned over to Penny,
“Kate wanted to get a few pictures with you and Amelia while she is getting ready—and Jake asked for Mav.” Penny tapped Maverick’s elbow,
“Jake wants some pictures with you and the rest of the guys.” Phoenix hurried to Admiral Simpson,
“Sir, Jake asked to have a picture with you in the gentleman’s dressing room…”
“Don’t be so formal, Lieutenant Trace—today, we are celebrating.”
Penny stepped into the officer’s quarters that had been converted into the bride’s dressing room. Kate was seated in front of a long mirror as the hairdresser was putting the final touches on her elegant up-do. Her hair was gathered into a lovely bun-like twist. She wore a white satin robe and as soon as she saw Penny and Amelia enter, she smiled brightly to them,
“I’m so glad you are here!” The hairdresser sprayed one last layer of hairspray to cement everything in place so not a strand would slip out on the deck of the carrier. Phoenix popped back into the room,
“Let’s get you in your dress!” She grabbed the long white garment bag with the designer name Pronovias emblazoned on the front, that was hanging from a piece of conduit on the ceiling and pulled the zipper from top to bottom. The white gown inside was long, with a flared mermaid hem. It had all the feel of old Hollywood glamour from the 1930s, but with all the regal and refined grace that typified Kate. Phoenix gasped,
“It’s so gorgeous!” The photographer pulled away the garment bag and snapped some pictures of the dress hanging. It had a beautiful cowl neck with lace underneath, sheer sleeves with lace cuffs, and a lace back with a row of covered buttons that ran from neck to hem. The fabric was flowy and soft. Kate’s shoes were tall white satin pumps with a rhinestone applique on top. Jake’s older sister, Sarah, also a bridesmaid, smiled,
“Oh my gosh! Jake is going to die when he sees you in this!” Kate smiled,
“You know, he wanted to do a first look photo, and I told him, the first time he’d see me today is when my dad is walking me down the aisle.” Kate’s best friend from college, Joanna, helped Phoenix prepare the dress for Kate to step in.
The bride shed her robe, revealing her lacy lingerie under, and the light blue garter wrapped around her leg. She stepped carefully into the gown and Phoenix hurried to button up the back. The makeup artist quickly finished with a tap of blush on each cheek, and some pink lipstick on her soft lips. A final spritz of makeup setting spray and Kate was just about ready. The clock showed 2:45 pm, and the wedding would start at 3:30. Kate looked in the mirror as her mother and father stepped into the room. Barb’s eyes welled up with tears,
“You look so beautiful!” she hugged her daughter gently so as not to wrinkle or smudge a thing. Her father, Charles looked beyond proud,
“Jake is a lucky man, I couldn’t have picked a better life partner for you if I had done the searching myself.” Kate laughed lightly. The click of the photographer’s camera echoed in the room, capturing the sweet moment.
“It’s just about 3--” Barb said, “They’ll be seating me soon.” Charles turned to Kate,
“I’ll be back to give you away—but first, I’ve got to get your mother to the ushers…” Kate nodded. The photographer pulled Penny and Amelia over beside Kate and started snapping pictures.
“Thank you for being here.” Kate said sweetly, “I owe so much to you and Mav…” Penny smiled,
“Congratulations, Kate! We are thrilled to be a part of your big day.” They hugged before Penny and Amelia hurried back up to the flight deck and their seats. It wasn’t long before everyone hurried up to the flight deck, the bridesmaids were lining up to walk down the aisle shortly. Kate felt the stillness around her as she sat in the room alone.
A soft knock broke the silence,
“Who is it?”
“Not Jake.” came Rooster’s voice as he poked his head through the door. His heart nearly stopped seeing her standing in that long white dress with a veil cascading down her back. She held her bouquet of white roses and calla lilies, accented with plenty of eucalyptus leaves and other soft greenery.
“Wow.” He wore his formal Navy uniform with a dark jacket, white vest and bow tie, and his white hat. His patent leather shoes were shined perfectly—without a smudge.
“You look…” she took his breath away, “...like Heaven…” She smiled lightly, but didn’t speak. He walked over to her and pulled out a small box,
“Jake...ummm...he wanted to give this to you...a gift—something new.” She opened the box and it revealed a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. She quickly put them on.
“Something old—the ring, something new—the earrings, something borrowed—my mom’s pearl bracelet. Something blue—garter.” He smiled at her as she quickly plucked a box off the desk and handed it back to him,
“For Jake.” He nodded and paused to take her in. She was stunning. Cautiously, he walked up to her and kissed her cheek,
“If I forget to tell you after, congratulations—I’m so happy for the two of you.” She quickly hugged him,
“It means so much to hear you say that.” She pulled back and he hurried out the door, back to Jake. He was at peace. As he made his way to the gentlemen’s dressing room and he passed Phoenix, with her hair down, she looked gorgeous. Why hadn’t he ever noticed her before? They both turned back to the other briefly on their way to Jake and Kate. Perhaps they both had this sudden realization that they found the other attractive.
Rooster burst into the gentleman’s dressing room and Jake was finishing up taking pictures with his parents. He instantly smiled at Rooster,
“Back from his mission behind the bride line--” Jake chuckled, “Did you see her?” Rooster nodded as he handed him the small box from Kate,
“Jake…” he began, “I was absolutely speechless...she’s gorgeous, you lucky son of a--” he glanced at Jake’s mother Deb standing right there, “...gun.” Jake opened the box and it was a pair of gold cuff links engraved with the F-18 plane. He smiled and quickly started to put them on. She knew him so well! His formal dress tuxedo was sharp, and adorned with all of the colorful bars showing the military engagements that he had been a part of, but the most prominent medal over his heart was the Navy Cross. He was awarded the medal for distinguished heroism against an armed enemy force.
Deb and Jim hugged their son and headed up to the flight deck, leaving the two aviators alone.
“Am I going to pass out when I see her?” Jake asked. Rooster nodded,
“I almost did.” Coyote and Kate’s younger brother, John hurried into the room,
“Ready, man?” Coyote nudged Jake, “B.O.B., and the other ushers are seating parents. Mav is in the second row…” Jake looked back at his reflection in the mirror and then back to Rooster,
“You’ve got the wedding bands?” Rooster pulled the small black box out of his pocket and opened it to show Jake his own gold band and Kate’s glittering diamond band set in yellow gold to match. He couldn’t help but smile. Rooster safely stowed the bands back in his pocket, and the men hurried out onto the flight deck. The Navy string quartet was playing a beautiful classical music interlude. Jake led the groomsmen up to the archway and stood to the right side. Rooster stood beside him, then Coyote, and John. The Captain of the Ike stepped up to the center of the archway and shook Jake’s hand,
“Good to see you again Lieutenant—I hear you are slated to become Commander soon.”
“Yes sir.”
“Couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for a wedding on the flight deck…” the Captain mused, “Perfect, considering this is where the two of you became engaged. I remember it well. Doesn’t happen too often on the flight deck of a carrier.” He looked down at an X taped to the deck. Jake smiled.
The guests all found their seats, both sides were packed with military and civilians alike. The string quartet began playing a gentle tune and the bridesmaids walked toward the aisle in a single file line. Their lavender gowns were gently flowing in the breeze as they walked down the aisle, generously spaced out to give the song time to complete. They filed up to the archway. Jake smiled to his sister, Sarah as she walked up and stood at the end of the bridesmaid line, then Phoenix, and Joanna the matron of honor. Rooster’s eyes met Phoenix’s and they shared a sweet smile.
The string quartet finished their melody and began playing Bach’s Cannon in D—the popular bridal entrance song. A flash of white caught the corner of Jake’s eye and he immediately turned. Charles half blocked Kate as they walked to the aisle. They lined up at the start of the long aisle and Jake gazed at Kate. His heart stopped and he felt his knees go weak. Rooster grabbed his arm to steady him,
“See—I told you…” Jake didn’t even hear him. Kate’s dark eyes locked with his and she smiled softly. Her father walked her down the aisle and the closer she came to Jake, the more he felt his heart was going to beat out of his chest. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was his, forever, from today onward. As she and her father reached the end of the aisle, the Captain spoke,
“Who gives this woman for matrimony?”
“Her mother and I.” Charles recited proudly. Kate hugged her father and he kissed her cheek, he turned to Jake and shook his hand before placing Kate’s hand in the pilot’s shaking hand. She smiled at Jake and he could barely utter a word,
“Wow.” was all he could muster. She guided him to the center of the archway.
“I think we may need to give Lieutenant Seresin a moment to compose himself. He appears to be afflicted with, what so many sailors are, when they see a stunning woman before them.” the Captain joked. The guests let out a light laugh. Jake smiled,
“I’m good.” The Captain raised a brow,
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir. Ready to marry this amazing woman.” Kate blushed as another sweet chuckle rose from the guests.
“Alrighty then--” The Captain smiled as he began, “Today, we are gathered here on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. For many of you, this may be the first time you have stepped foot on a Naval Aircraft Carrier. For others, this has been your operational home for weeks or months, perhaps years. Lieutenant Jake Seresin’s reputation as a Naval Aviator is one of outstanding service and skill. Dr. Kate Norris’s research and talent as a scientist is unmatched—and her service to this country is distinguished. She is an expert in her field and a highly regarded professor at Northwestern University.--We all knew they were a power couple from day one, folks!” he laughed, “But aside from that, their dedication to each other is unmatched, and like nothing I’ve ever seen. Many of you may not know, that Jake earned the Navy Cross for distinguished heroism against an enemy combatant when he was shot down over enemy lines last year. Kate was on the carrier and heard the commotion over the radio. She maintained composure, and continued to perform her duties despite the stress of the situation.” He nodded to Kate,
“The mission was a success, and provided much needed intelligence. But what I saw, when Jake and Kate reunited on the flight deck, was a couple who had overcome some of the toughest challenges, and the utmost stress and strain a relationship can bear—but they remained dedicated to one another. I remember watching them embrace right here.” He pointed down to the X taped on the deck, “We marked this spot based on reference photos and video. And I will never forget standing on the bridge, and watching Jake drop down to one knee to propose to her right here. It’s not often you see that on an active carrier, in the midst of a mission. It was a treat.” He gestured to the couple,
“Both Jake and Kate have written their vows, and I would like them to now share those with each other.” Jake pulled out his paper, and unfolded it carefully. The Captain angled his microphone so all could hear,
“Kate,” he cleared his throat, “Kate, I remember the first time I saw you. Time stood still. To this day I am humbled and honored that you chose me to build a life with. To you, I vow to be your best friend, to cry with you, to rejoice with you, to celebrate with you, and to love you unconditionally until my last breath. Every day with you is a blessing. I promise to love only you, to cherish only you, and to devote every cell in my body to only you.--science reference for the science professor--” he joked, “From today forward, I am yours, eternally.” He folded the paper, and Kate quickly took a kleenex from Joanna to blot her joyously tearful eyes. The Captain shifted the microphone over to her and she began to read her vows,
“Jake, you have the most courageous heart of anyone I’ve ever known. From our first ‘work date’, to this, our wedding day, and into the future, I have and will always love you. I vow to love you in the good, the bad, the easy, and the hard, on sunny days, and on rainy days. I vow to always be true and faithful to you, to honor you, respect you, and support you. I vow to champion your service to our great nation, and to be your greatest cheerleader. I vow that my heart belongs to you, and no matter what turbulence we may encounter, that I will always be your co-pilot.--an aviation reference for the pilot.” she laughed mimicking his earlier joke, and a warm smile crossed his lips,
“Her wit, folks!” he beamed. She handed her paper to Joanna who quickly stowed it with the bride’s bouquet. The guests saw that they were so perfect for one another. The Captain was also quite moved,
“Very lovely vows. Now, as Captain of the Ike, I am given authority to preside over matrimonial ceremonies, which is an enormous honor. Best man, the wedding bands please.” Rooster stepped forward and handed the Captain the two bands. “At this time, I will ask that Jake, you repeat after me as you place the band on Kate’s finger: I, Jake Seresin, give you, Kate Norris, this wedding band as a sign of my love and fidelity, the ring is a symbol of eternity, a circle never ends, just as our marriage will last a lifetime.” Jake gently slid the diamond eternity band onto her bare finger. She moved the engagement ring over from her right hand to her left and looked up at Jake with a sweet smile on her face.
“Kate, please repeat after me as you place the band on Jake’s finger.” Kate took the solid gold band and repeated the same words, finally pushing the band into place on his left ring finger. Their eyes never strayed from each other in that moment.
“Finally,” The Captain began, “By the power vested in me as Captain of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, I am honored to pronounce you husband and wife, Mr. Seresin, please kiss Mrs. Seresin.”
“Yes, sir.” Jake tilted his white cap back slightly and pulled Kate close to him, he pressed his lips into hers and the guests cheered louder than anyone could have imagined. Everyone leapt to their feet, the bubble wands were loosed upon the guests and bubbles started floating through the air. Jake continued to kiss Kate, neither pulled back. He then twisted around and dipped her, causing the crowd to erupt into more cheers. The guests were whooping and hollering, whistling and screaming with enjoyment. The Captain tapped him on the shoulder and playfully said,
“You can wrap this up anytime—that’s what the honeymoon suite is for, Lieutenant.” Jake gently pulled back and brought Kate upright from the dip. He grabbed her hand and she reached back for her bouquet. With beaming smiles, they made their way down the aisle and disappeared into the carrier. The bridesmaids paired off with the groomsmen and followed down the aisle. The bridal party met in a small room just off the flight deck where the Captain signed the marriage license with Jake and Kate, who signed her name Kate Seresin for the first time. Her handwriting was clear, crisp and sure. Joanna and Rooster signed as witnesses.
“Congratulations, you two.” the Captain said as he scooped up the license to file quickly.
On the flight deck, the guests were ushered past the F-18s that were parked nose-to-nose, to a beautiful reception area with one long string of tables nearest to the planes (to be used as a backdrop for the head table). Further out, round tables were covered with tight cloth table covers. A long buffet line had been moved up to the flight deck, and a parquet dance floor was assembled right in front of the head table. A beautiful three-tier cake, white frosting, with an F-18 topper, sat in the center of the dance floor.
Jake and Kate made their way to the flight deck for pictures with the photographer. The guests watched as the pair climbed up into one of the two-seat F-18s parked on the deck. Kate took off her heels as Jake helped her up onto the wing of the plane and she stepped into the back seat of the plane and sat down. The guests applauded, impressed that she could navigate a fighter jet in a wedding dress. The photographer snapped a few pictures of the behind the scenes, before they settled in and took some more formal pictures. Phoenix hurried over with their helmets: Hangman and Professor. They carefully put them on their heads and the guests were loving the adorable couple. After a few more pictures, the newlyweds retreated back into the carrier where they were hidden from view. It was the first moment they were alone together as husband and wife. Jake looked at her as they stood in the empty corridor,
“I love you, Mrs. Seresin.”
“I love you, too, Mr. Seresin.” He kissed her with a new found passion. She shared his last name, and that meant he was her protector, her lover, her confidant, her best friend—her husband.
“Let’s start the honeymoon now.” he said with a mischievous smile. She laughed lightly, and at that moment, Rooster poked his head through the corridor from an adjacent door,
“There you two are—the dj is ready for the bridal party entrance.” Jake sighed, he took Kate’s hand and as they stepped through the door, Phoenix handed them their helmets once again,
“Best entrance ever...when I get married—I’m copying this.” Everyone in the bridal party wore flight helmets—if they weren’t a pilot, they were given a white flight crew helmet. The dj began to set the scene, the lights dimmed and only the glow of the setting sun illuminated the deck until strings of cafe lights ran across the deck switched on. Everyone ooh’d and ahh’d. Lasers from the dj stand swept over the guests as they took their seats, it awe of the spectacle,
“Welcome aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower! Ladies and gentlemen, this aircraft carrier can launch and land planes at a rate of one plane every 1 to 2 minutes depending on the plane, and tonight, we have an incoming squadron—the Seresin Bridal Party!” The song Sirius (the Chicago Bulls Player Entrance Song) began to play and a fog machine swept a low layer across the flight deck. The dj began to play a pre-recorded skit of a radio relay,
“Green for go, we have the bridal party coming in for a landing. Altitude looking good, descent on mark. Chapel 4 coming in with the sister of the groom and brother of the bride, Sarah Klein and John Norris. The pair hustled out onto the fog filled deck and another pre-recorded radio came on,
“Chapel 3 landing with Lieutenants Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, and Javy “Coyote” Machado.” The aviators burst onto the dance floor giving their hand signals for taxiing and pretended to taxi all the way up to their seats at the head table. They held the imaginations of the guests incredibly well due to the accuracy of their performance.
“Chapel 2, with Best man Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, and Matron of Honor, Joanna Gale on board, coming in hot!” The two sprinted in and circled the cake before coming to rest in front of their seats at the table.
“Finally, Chapel 1--”
Jake squeezed Kate’s hand, she even looked amazing in her helmet with Professor painted across the front like it was chalk on a chalkboard.
“You ready, partner?”
“As long as I’m with you, always.” she smiled. He kissed her sweetly.
“--Altitude and airspeed good. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the team leaders as they land, COMMANDER Jake “Hangman” Seresin, and Mrs. Kate “Professor” Seresin!” The guests burst into a frenzy and the music picked up perfectly as they pair swept onto the floor. Jake twirled Kate around and then tore off his helmet and kissed her. Everyone went wild! The two made their way to their seats for the start of the reception.
The photographer took pictures of them as the meal was blessed by Jim Seresin, and shortly after the pair made their way to the dance floor to cut the cake so it would be taken off to the side, cut and placed on a separate dessert buffet table for the guests. Kate noticed a small speck of frosting on the corner of Jake’s mouth and she sweetly wiped it away. Those who saw that moment felt the love and devotion between them.
Penny, Pete, and Amelia enjoyed every moment. Admiral Simpson was also seated at their table. The conversations were continuous and never lagged. When it came time to run through the buffet line, Pete chose the brazed beef, Penny and Amelia took the pretzel crusted chicken, and Admiral Simpson followed Pete’s lead with the beef. Every so often someone would clink a fork on the side of their glass and Jake and Kate would kiss between bites of food. While the dinner was underway, the newlyweds made their way around to every table, to thank their 200 guests for coming. When they arrived at Pete, Penny, Amelia, and Admiral Simpson’s table, they were wrapped up in a hug by Penny.
“You two! This has been an amazing wedding!”
“That is all Kate and her vision.” Jake admitted, “She is a planner par excellence.”
“Well, it has been fabulous!” Pete stood and shook Jake’s hand,
“Congratulations, Commander.”
“Thank you, sir.” Eventually, Admiral Simpson stood and approached,
“Jake, Kate, congratulations. This has been a remarkable event. Listen, I’ve got to jet out of here after dinner, but, I wanted to let you know...I’ve approved Jake’s temporary transfer to the Naval Station Great Lakes for next year, and there is a more permanent civilian position that will be opening up...right about the time your contract obligations at Northwestern end this year.” Kate smiled,
“Thank you, Admiral--”
“Please, call me Beau. After everything—I consider you a colleague and friend.”
The toasts went off without a hitch. First, Joanna spoke about Kate in her maid of honor speech.
“Kate and I met in undergrad at Harvard. We were roommates, and we couldn’t be more different—she was a nerdy scientist, and I was a political science major. But over the course of that year, we became like sisters. She was my maid of honor, and she has been on my speed dial since that Freshman year of college. When Kate called me to talk about Jake, she spoke in a way that made me realize she saw a future with him. And if you know Kate, she keeps most things like that very close to the vest. Jake, you have my best friend, my confidant, the godmother to my kids, and I know you will love her and cherish her like only you can. Let’s raise our glasses in a toast to the happy couple, here’s to your health, happiness, and to your lasting future filled with the best blessings!” Everyone sipped from their champagne flutes.
Rooster cleared his throat and accepted the microphone from Joanna,
“Jake and I didn’t meet in undergrad, we met at the Naval Academy. Both of us were new students, determined to make our mark on Naval Aviation. As you can imagine, the two of us butted heads more than we were friends over the years. To say that we were rivals is a bit of an understatement. After a mission a few years ago, we became friends, and when Kate came into the picture…” he trailed off, “...we became rivals again.” a laugh rose up from the guests, “Getting to know Kate over her time at Top Gun, was a treat. She is a wonderful scientist and friend. Working with Jake, competing with Jake, made me a better pilot. When he was appointed team leader on this most recent mission, he drew enemy fire so that the rest of his team could get away safely. That is the man that Jake is, and that man is the only one for Kate. The only man worthy of Kate. And Kate, your heart is sincere, honest, and loving. Jake is the luckiest man alive.” he smiled at them both, “I love you guys. Let’s toast to Mr.--COMMANDER--and Mrs. Seresin!” There wasn’t a single person at the reception who wasn’t tearing up at Rooster’s heartfelt toast. Jake and Kate stood and hugged him.
Their first dance was to the song “L.O.V.E.”, and Jake sang softly to her,
“L. is for the way you look tonight…”. They slowly rocked side to side, arms wrapped around each other, cheek to cheek, and a part way through the song, everyone was invited to join them. The guests loved it. The father daughter dance went to their favorite song, Glenn Miller Orchestra’s In the Mood. Kate and her father were excellent swing dancers and the fact that they were dancing on the deck of the Ike brought back a 1940s USO atmosphere. All father’s and daughters joined after a few turns of the main theme. Pete even took Amelia up as Penny snapped picture after picture on her phone.
The mother son dance brought the roof down (had there been a roof). Jake had chosen the Phil Collins song You’ll be in my heart from Disney’s Tarzan, because he remembered how much his mother loved that scene in the movie years ago when he and his sister were younger. Deb teared up as they danced across the floor.
“I’m so proud of you.” she said as she fixed his hair, “You and Kate are absolutely spectacular. And you’re going to have beautiful children.”
“Mom...you’re embarrassing me in front of my friends.” he teased. All the mothers drug their sons out on the dance floor, whether they wanted to or not.
Once the traditional dances (Cha-cha slide, Macarena, etc.) had finished, a slow dance came over the speakers. Rooster sauntered up to Phoenix who was taking a swig of champagne from her toasting glass.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“Want to dance?” Phoenix smiled,
“I was wondering when you’d ask me…” They walked off to the dance floor, hand in hand, and wrapped their arms around each other, swaying to the song.
At 10 pm, a helicopter fired up its rotors. It had been sitting on the far end of the deck away from the wedding and reception. It was going to be taking the newlyweds from the carrier out to the base, where they’d get in Jake’s Camaro, and Jake looked at Kate, she was speaking to Penny and Pete. To him, she was perfect. He walked over to her and gently took her left hand. Feeling the rings on her finger made his heart leap. Married! It was surreal, and the whole evening felt like a blur.
“Our ride is getting ready.” he whispered in her ear.
“Oh! Okay. We have to get our things gathered up for Phoenix and Rooster to bring to the hotel for us tomorrow.” She turned back to Penny and hugged her, then hugged Pete,
“We’ll talk soon, you two. Thank you for coming—it meant so much to have you here with us.” Jake marveled at how gracious she was. They interlaced their fingers and walked into the carrier. First, they went to the bride’s dressing room and Jake helped her pack up every trinket, makeup palette, curling iron, perfume bottle. Everything was placed on the desk and Kate grabbed a small white tote bag with her overnight supplies for the hotel.
They then headed back to the groom’s dressing room. Jake gathered up everything for his overnight bag, and the pair straightened up to make things easier for Rooster.
“Shall we, my dear?” he gave her his arm and she took it happily. They walked out onto the flight deck, overnight bags in tow and one of the helicopter pilots hurried up to grab the bags and stow them on the helicopter. The dj announced the last dance of the evening and the new Mr. and Mrs. bolted to the dance floor.
“There you are!” Phoenix beamed as she wrapped her arms around Kate, “I have a secret to tell you.” the pilot was clearly drunk.
“What is it?” Kate asked. Jake tugged at her hand, wanting to dance. Phoenix whispered in her ear quickly,
“I think Rooster and I might be a thing…” Kate smiled brightly,
“That’s wonderful!” she hugged her friend and said, “I’m so happy for you both!” Then she let her husband pull her into his arms as they moved gracefully across the dance floor until the end of the last song.
The remaining guests gathered at a safe distance from the helicopter. They blew bubbles as Jake and Kate made their way onto the aircraft. They put on their headphones and belted in, then waved excitedly as the helicopter lifted off the deck creating a gust of wind that they cheered for.
It was only a couple of minutes until the helicopter landed on base and the newlyweds were transferred over to their Camaro, overnight bags in hand. Jake drove them downtown to the hotel and they checked into their suite. It didn’t take them long to make good use of their wedding night, although Jake had a terrible time unbuttoning the row of fabric buttons and threatened to cut her out of her dress. Despite their exhaustion from the day, they didn’t sleep much that night.
The next day they would leave for their honeymoon in the Caribbean, and the week after they would return to Chicago and Jake would start at the Naval Station Great Lakes, where his job would be mostly administrative. He had been deployed on carrier duty for 4 months at a time during their engagement, while Kate had returned to Chicago to continue teaching and research. The distance hadn’t been easy, but they knew it would be this way, and that helped ease the frustration.
They had been in Chicago for 6 months now, and were settling into a respectable routine. On this evening, just before they were to head out for a date night on the Chicago lake front at Navy Pier, Kate stepped into the bathroom right before they were supposed to walk out the door. Jake waited, and looked at his watch impatiently,
“We’re going to be late for the comedy show!” There was no response. He hurried to the bathroom door and knocked,
“Just a second.” came the reply.
“Hey, we’re going to be late.”
“Just a second.”
“Is everything alright?” The door opened slowly, and she stepped out carrying a pregnancy test,
“Surprise!” His face lit up as he looked at the stick,
“I have no idea how to read this thing…” She laughed,
“It’s positive.” she showed him the two pink lines.
“Wait...I’m going to be a father?” the realization kicked in, “I’m going to be a father!!!” He scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around,
“Forget the comedy show! What do you need? What are your cravings? What can I do?” she smiled,
“Let’s get to the show—it’s Second City! We’re not missing that.”
“But—don’t you have morning sickness?”
“I had some this morning so I stopped by the store and picked up a test after work.” He kissed her,
“You are going to be the best mother.” He paused for a second before saying, “Let’s go—I don’t want to miss the comedy show.” And with that they left for their date night, on cloud nine, knowing that they were going to be starting their family. They spoke about the eventual sound of little feet plodding through their home, and sweet giggles as a baby belly is tickled. He drew her close as they walked down the pier. Placing his hand on her abdomen he said softly,
“I don’t even know this little one yet, and I love ‘em so much.” As they neared the end of the pier, he turned to her and touched her cheek. His lips never had trouble finding hers. He pulled away and knelt, speaking directly to her stomach he said
“I know you’re going to make an amazing naval aviator—just like me, your daddy.” Kate smiled, and pulled him to his feet,
“I don’t know, maybe they’ll want to be a scientist…” They decided to skip the comedy show and instead, walked hand in hand up and down the pier for a bit before heading home.
A few weeks later, Jake accompanied Kate for the first ultrasound at 9 weeks. The doctor pulled up the image on the screen and maneuvered around to show the developing baby,
“Oh my.” the doctor smiled.
“Boy or girl?” Jake asked.
“We won’t be able to identify sex with ultrasound just yet, but the blood test can.” The doctor pointed to the screen,
“Well, this is very exciting.”
“What is?” Jake asked, he looked at Kate who had a knowing look on her face.
“Mrs. Seresin, why don’t you let your husband know…” Kate took his hand,
“Honey, it’s twins—fraternal twins, they each have their own amniotic sac.”
“TWINS!” Jake sat back in his chair, “Oooh Rah!” He kissed Kate and his heart couldn’t be fuller.
“Wait…” the realization hit him, “We’re going to have to register for two of everything! Holy smokes! We’re having twins!”
Epilogue
Pete finally retired for good. He and Penny were driving back home after dropping Amelia off to start her sophom*ore year of college at UCLA, and then tomorrow they had a wedding to attend back in San Diego. They spent most of their time at either The Hard Deck, or the hangar. Pete still flew is old P-51 Mustang, and kept it in top shape. A year ago, they had sold the little rental property on Ocean Street to Jake and Kate (last year upon their return to North Island), who now had two very lively one and a half year old twins: Emma and Reid. Emma was a spitting image of Kate, and Reid was a miniature Jake. Kate had been offered a job on base as a civilian researcher where she worked on securing classified data gathered from environmental probes or monitors. Jake became a Top Gun instructor, teaching fresh faced young pilots how to become skilled aviators with top notch instincts and abilities. Fleet Admiral Simpson also began preparing Jake for bigger and better leadership positions. He fully anticipated that someday, the (recently promoted) Captain Seresin would step into an Admiral position and eventually follow in the footsteps of Cyclone and Iceman, to lead the aviation wing of the Pacific Fleet.
The Seresin house was never dull, nor was it ever spotless. The kids were experts at making a mess from nothing. Today, Grandma and Grandpa Norris had arrived to stay the weekend and into the next week, so Jake and Kate could attend a wedding tomorrow. Tonight, however, they had to move quickly if they were going to make it to the rehearsal and dinner.
“Can you help me zip up?” Kate turned her back to Jake and he smiled, planted a kiss on her bare skin before zipping her into the lovely terracotta hued dress. She smiled while hopping on one foot to get her heeled shoes on. Grabbing a cardigan and her purse, they rushed out the door, giving a few instructions to the grandparents. They dove into Jake’s Lexus SUV, the backseat packed tight with two rear facing car seats, and the scent of Goldfish snacks.
The rehearsal was at a lovely church downtown. Both Kate and Jake were bridal party members. Kate was the Matron of Honor, and Jake, the Bestman. As they walked in, just in the nick of time, Rooster greeted them,
“Hey! It’s great to see you!” Jake shook his hand and Kate gave him a hug,
“Where’s Nat?”
“She’s up front talking to the priest, her parents wanted to make sure the scripture readings were printed out for them with bigger words.” Phoenix heard Kate’s voice and immediately hurried,
“You’re here!” The two women embraced.
“When did you get back from your carrier assignment?” Kate asked.
“Two days ago.” Phoenix said with a hint of frustration. The priest cleared his throat and spoke,
“Shall we get started?” He then began giving entrance instructions. Everyone lined up and Jake took Kate’s hand in his,
“It seems like only yesterday.” he said sweetly, “I will never forget you walking down the aisle.” They stood at the end of the line of the bridal party.
“And I’ll never forget you nearly fainting.” He raised a brow,
“I got weak in the knees...there’s a difference.” She kissed his cheek sweetly. They were instructed to walk down the aisle and then separated and stood on their respective sides of the church’s altar. Rooster stepped out from a door to the side of the altar and stood in front of Jake, who clapped him on the back,
“Congratulations, Rooster—Kate and I are thrilled for you and Phoenix.” Rooster smiled as he watched Phoenix walk down the aisle toward him.
When the Seresin’s returned home that night, the house was quiet, and cleaner. The grandparents had done a wonderful job clearing toys and scraping macaroni noodles off the ceiling. Kate peeked in on the nursery and the kids were sleeping soundly in their cribs, Grandma and Grandpa, who were stuck sleeping on a pull-out sofa bed in the nursery, were also asleep. She closed the door and snuck into the main bedroom where Jake was readying for bed. Shutting the door, she hurried over to him,
“Help me unzip?” He smiled knowing tonight was going to be a good night.
The next day, as the bridal party made their way down the aisle and they parted at the altar, lining up on each side, Kate and Jake smiled at each other. Two of their closest friends were getting married today. It had been a rough road to get everyone to where they were, but a worthwhile journey. Maverick sat with Penny in the front row, they were truly the closest family Bradley had, aside from his step sister (who was a bridesmaid). Rooster stepped out, standing at the front of the line of groomsmen. He wore his white dress uniform, as did the rest of the Naval servicemen. Both he and Phoenix had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander in recent months, and they were both still flying on carriers. As Phoenix entered with her father, the congregation stood. Rooster’s face lit up. She wore a sleeveless dress with a caplet that covered her shoulders for the church wedding and her hair was long and curled, her face hidden behind a veil. Her father escorted her down the aisle with a proud smile on his face. Rooster stepped forward to walk her up to the altar. He shook her father’s hand and pulled back the veil from her face. Jake looked over at Kate and saw her smiling right back at him.
I love you. He mouthed to her.
I love you, too. Came her mouthed reply.
“Dearly beloved, family and friends, today we are gathered to celebrate the holy matrimony of Natasha and Bradley.”
The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a true party at a local ballroom downtown. Everyone had a blast. Rooster and Phoenix left the party early for their honeymoon flight to Cabo. As the last of the guests wound down the evening, Jake and Kate sauntered slowly to their car,
“That was such a lovely wedding.” she said as she took his hand.
“Ours was still better.” He teased as she playfully punched his shoulder,
“Oh, come on.” He smiled and scooped her up in his arms,
“Well, Mrs. Seresin, what shall we do this evening?”
“I can think of something…” she said with a sly smile as they reached the car.
The following week, a new class arrived at Top Gun. Admiral Bates welcomed the class and began his introduction of Jake while Kate stood in the back of the hangar. She would be consulting on data transmission. Jake slipped in behind her and kissed the back of her neck,
“Good to see you back in this hangar again—brings back some memories.” She smiled at him,
“Go whip those kids into shape.”
“Love it when you talk tough.” he smirked. Admiral Bates’s voice echoed off the high ceilings,
“Your instructor’s reputation is unmatched, and you will be pushed to your breaking point by him, it is my pleasure to introduce Captain Jake--callsign “Hangman”--Seresin.”
“That’s my cue.” he gently placed his hand on Kate’s backside and stepped toward the class. His aviator sunglasses hid his blue green eyes, and Kate marveled at her husband. He had confidence, intelligence, and an irresistibly loving attitude. He was the best father and husband she could have ever dreamed of. As he stepped up to the front of the class, a few pilots whispered in the back,
“...I heard he ran 29 miles to the coastline after he got shot down…”
“...didn’t he propose to his wife on the deck of the Ike?”
“...they got married on the deck...”
“...He got the navy cross for that mission—his profile says so…” Jake eyed them for a moment before speaking, a tactic to put them on edge. They all fell silent as he began to speak,
“Thank you, Admiral, for that introduction. Aviators, first and foremost, this will be the most rigorous training of your aviation careers in the Navy, because only the best pilots are invited here, only a handful of you will complete this training successfully...steel yourselves, because the next 6 weeks of your lives will be consumed with nothing but advanced fighter training...aviators,
...Welcome to Top Gun!”
