Blue Skies

by Ali Vali

  Her crew snapped to attention when she stepped in and she quickly put them at ease. “Call up Vader and Killer and tell them to report deckside. Have Mike bring up six planes and get them in the air now.”

  “Where do you want them to head, ma’am?” one of the crew assigned to communications asked.

  “Don’t waste time asking questions. Get it done,” Aidan snapped as she put her binoculars to her eyes. The sky was clear in all directions, but she concentrated on the Korean coastline.

  “Captain.” Vader’s voice came on over the intercom and the decks opened to bring up the jets she’d ordered. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Did you hear the message?” Aidan asked him.

  “Yes, I did, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “If she’s on a radio I’m guessing she’s in the air somehow, so take a team southwest and, Killer, you sweep up the northwest but stay clear of the northern coastline.”

  The two men saluted in the direction of the bridge as they buzzed off the deck one after the other.

  “Ma’am.” One of the other crewmen who kept watch at the door came up and waited to be acknowledged. Aidan felt like she would miss something if she looked away, but she turned and faced him. “Blazer’s outside and wants to talk to you.”

  “Inform him that the best thing he can do right now is to return to his bunk and wait. If he doesn’t take that advice, I want you to carry him there and cuff him to the bed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Anything else?” she asked Luther.

  “Not yet, but I’ve got the line open.”

  Aidan nodded and thought, and I’ve got the light on.

  *

  “How’s it coming, Junior?” Berkley asked as she scanned the skies around her. The plane felt like it had been put together with rubber bands and duct tape, but they were maintaining a good altitude over what she assumed was South Korea. She was still using the compass to navigate.

  “I think that last message went through, but then the damn thing went dead again.”

  “Do you think it’s fixable?”

  “Considering we’re in a plane with North Korean markings flying over the south, I’m promising you that I’ll fix it. Like I said, one downing is enough to convince me that I don’t ever want to go through the experience again. How’s the fuel situation?”

  “Depending on where the captain put down anchor, we might get there on fumes.”

  “You can land this on the Jefferson?”

  “I didn’t say that, did I?” She glanced at the horizon and saw a beautiful sight. The water meant that they were that much closer to getting home. “But I’ll figure something out.”

  “Good to hear. Is that water I see?”

  “Take one look at it and then get your eyes on our ass. Is there anything back there?”

  “Clear so far. Shit,” Junior shouted.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, not a bogey, I just shocked the hell out of myself. Try it again on the same frequency.”

  “This is Commander Berkley Levine calling the USS Jefferson. Do you copy?”

  “Cletus.” Aidan’s voice came through her headset. “Where are you?”

  “I wish I knew, but before this radio craps out again tell the birds you probably put up that we’re in a borrowed plane, and if they shoot me down they’d better pray I actually die this time.”

  “Can you give us a hint?”

  “I’m over land at the moment, but I’m about twenty minutes away from the water. If my compass is correct I’m over the southern territory now, so send them a note that we’re not the enemy.”

  “I’m on it, but how are you going to find us if you don’t have the ability to pinpoint our coordinates?”

  “I can’t land onboard even if I could find you, so you’re going to have to radio the South Koreans and tell them I’m going to have to land somewhere onshore. Once you find out where, I need Killer or Vader to find me and guide me in.” Berkley scanned the horizon again and saw three planes heading toward her, but from their outline they were off the Jefferson. “Radio the planes that three of them are about to wreck into me, so give me a wide berth.”

  “It’s Vader,” Aidan said after Luther confirmed it for her. “They’re going to buddy with you until we locate someplace for you to land.”

  “Thanks, Captain, and if you could do us one more favor—arrange for a boat escort to the ship once we’re on the ground, and get sickbay ready for Junior.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “Broken leg and laceration from our original crash. I want him taken care of before the infection I’m sure he’s got gets out of control.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Aidan said. “What?” she asked someone obviously standing close to her. “Cletus, tell Junior to stay on the line. We’re switching you so you can communicate with Vader and his team.”

  “Cletus,” Vader’s voice came over her headset. “Keep flying toward the water and keep your head down. There’s a bogey on your ass and they’re trying to lock.”

  “I am over South Korea, correct?” Berkley asked.

  “You are, but this fucker doesn’t seem to care,” Vader said and Berkley figured it was him flying the lead plane that streaked past her.

  Before she could concentrate on who was flying on Vader’s wing, a missile from the enemy plane shot him down in an impressive explosion that made Berkley want to turn around and hunt down the enemy craft. The only thing that kept her from doing it was that she had no weapons on board, and the only comfort was that Vader had avoided any collision with the flying debris.

  “There’s more coming in from the north,” Vader said. “Killer, break away from your route and get your team over here.”

  “Cletus,” Junior said. “One of the planes has broken off and looks like it’s painted a target on us because they aren’t backing down.”

  Berkley turned her head to the left. The way the plane’s wings dipped a little before they banked in that same direction made her think of the plane that had shot them down. That pilot had that little habit as well.

  “I can’t tell if they’ve locked on us, but they’re closing in,” Junior said.

  “Hang on because it’s not like we can shoot back.” If she could reach the water she’d feel better about their survival if for no other reason then they were that much closer to the Jefferson. “Captain,” Berkley said to Aidan.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Get a fix on us and send us some backup. I’ve got an unwanted friend on my tail that I can’t shake.”

  “Try to stay up there, I’ve already sent them out.”

  A few bullets hit the right wing but didn’t cause enough damage to impede their flight, but Berkley rolled under the attack and came so close to the water that if the hatch had been open she would have had no problem smelling the salt water below them. As she reached the bottom of her dive she banked hard to the right and picked up enough elevation so that she could just as quickly bank in the opposite direction.

  “Talk to me, Junior.”

  “Still on our tail, but you’re moving enough for them to be missing. They’re still using their guns, though.”

  “There’s no way they keep missing me,” Berkley said to herself. Without something like the cover of the mountains back home there was nowhere to hide, and it wasn’t that hard to hit the target you were after. “What are you up to?” she said to the pilot behind her.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “What are you waiting for?” Lowe asked and sounded angry from the back of the plane Jin was flying. “They’re right in front of you in a stolen plane. If you want to live, you will bring it down. If you want your family to live, you will bring this bastard down.”

  “This is something I know, Comrade, so please let me do my job.” Her opponent was doomed, but Jin still admired his ability in the sky. He flew like no one Jin had ever seen in the North Korean forces.

  As the American broke in the other direction Ji
n let loose another round of bullets, but this time none of them found their mark and instead hit the water. After only one encounter Jin thought she knew her quarry and instead of waiting for the American to make his next move she anticipated it and banked to the same side again and momentarily lost sight of him when she regained some altitude. When Jin leveled out she almost laughed when she lost them.

  The only place the American could’ve gone was back into the air fight going on back over the coast. One minute Jin had him in a position where she could toy with him, and then the enemy pilot had changed the game of hide and seek in plain sight. In the fray it wouldn’t be impossible to pick him out, it would take time—time that she would have to take in the company of the other American pilots who were fighting to reclaim their dominance in the sky.

  Wouldn’t it be ironic that it’d be one of the people their quarry served with would take away the honor of what Lowe wanted most. Jin turned toward the coast and flew in a waiting pattern, trying to figure out which one of their planes was the stolen one.

  “What are you waiting for?” Lowe screamed and it made her jump in her seat since she’d forgotten he was there.

  “Would you like me to shoot down everyone, including ours?”

  “I want you to do what I asked you, because if you don’t our deal is off.”

  “None of that matters to me anymore,” Jin said and continued to watch the action in front of her. “So try and keep your comments to yourself until we finish this.”

  “Start shooting or I’m going to—”

  “What?” Jin was at the end of her patience. “You’re going to do what? Sit and shut up, and think about the mistake you made in getting in this plane with me this morning.”

  “What are you talking about, Captain?”

  “That I’m going to get this done and then I’m going to meet my mother.”

  There was a long pause as Jin spotted one of their planes being chased by an American pilot, but the F-18 wasn’t firing at it. “Your mother is dead,” Lowe said finally.

  “You’re not the top aide to Kim Jong Il for nothing, are you?” Jin said and laughed. She turned off the intercom system in the cockpit. She then took her mother’s necklace out of her flight suit and kissed the jade piece. “I’m young, but I’m tired, and you always said there was a chance for us to start over and live in peace. If that’s true then I’m ready for that.”

  *

  “Cletus,” the pilot behind her said.

  “Hang in there and don’t lose me,” Berkley answered back. Two more planes had gone down, but this time it was the North Koreans that had lost. The fighting was frenzied and the only reason the South Koreans hadn’t sent any planes up was because Aidan had convinced them it was a bad idea. “And once we’re clear, take point and lead me to the landing location the captain’s looking for.”

  “You got it,” the pilot answered.

  “There’s another plane behind us,” Junior said as they were back over the water.

  “Besides the one that’s supposed to be following us?” Berkley asked. A quick glance back and the plane that had first shown up on the scene was behind them, the call letters on the tail were the same.

  “Ma’am, keep going south and I’ll take care of this,” the pilot said.

  “Peel off and try and get behind it,” Berkley said. “It’s us they’re after, and if we’re going to get out of this I need you to get in the most defendable position.”

  The Korean plane brought down a barrage of bullets but Berkley’s order had saved her escort from getting hit. Her good wing was now full of bullet holes and a few had hit the flaps so that she’d lost control of that part of the aircraft on the left side. The only good thing was that she’d gained enough altitude that if they had to bail out again they wouldn’t just crash into the water before the chutes opened.

  “Are you ready to take a shot?” Berkley asked her escort.

  “In a minute, we’re coming about now.”

  “If I had a minute I’d be enjoying the scenery, but this son of a bitch’s on me like a tick.”

  “On my mark break to the left,” the pilot said.

  “Take the shot. I can’t break anywhere. My left wing is stuck in this position.” Berkley’s mind ran through a couple of scenarios—the best one would leave them the most open for a direct hit on the cockpit, but she had no choice. As her finger went to press down on the radio button, an alarm went off.

  “What is that?” Junior asked.

  “We’re almost out of gas. We’re about to have a dramatic water landing, so start getting yourself ready.” The engines weren’t sputtering yet, but once the alarms sounded she knew she had ten minutes tops to find a landing spot.

  “Cletus, can you move at all? If I take the shot now I’m going to hit you as well,” the pilot came on again.

  “Are you familiar with the Fourth of July?” Berkley asked.

  “On my mark,” he responded.

  “Roger that,” Berkley fanned her fingers out and regripped the stick.

  “Mark,” he said suddenly and Berkley pulled back, gaining altitude quickly like a firecracker being shot on the Fourth of July. Her chaser followed with his finger on the trigger, but the angle left him open for attack from the F-18 behind her, which hit the mark from behind the cockpit to the tail.

  When they all leveled out, both Russian MiGs were spewing black smoke and were losing altitude slowly. The sudden burst of power needed for the climb had used the last of Berkley’s fuel, and the engines were now missing. Below them, all she could see was open water.

  “Aidan,” she said into her mike.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Do you see us on radar?”

  “I have you and two other planes about ten miles west of us.”

  “Send out the rescue boats,” Berkley said and the engines went dead. “Junior, try to stay in one piece this time.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he said and laughed, but it sounded more like a nervous gurgle.

  She pulled the release lever and the top blew off, then the seats disengaged from the floor of the plane. As they started up, she prayed that whatever soldier had packed the chutes didn’t have some grudge against their air force and they would actually open. The fear ended and her stomach roiled as she stopped going up and started her descent. One second they were hurling through the air and the next they stopped abruptly when the chutes opened.

  Berkley maneuvered as close to her partner as she could without hitting him. “Junior,” she yelled.

  “I’m okay,” he yelled back.

  “Grab hold of those controls and hit the water as soon as you can. The last thing we need is for someone to cut us in half before we start swimming.” In the distance she saw the plane that had been shooting at them fly past with its right engine on fire and one of the American jets on its tail.

  Berkley twisted around. What seemed like miles from them the Korean plane went down. She squinted against the sun and thought she saw two parachutes gliding down over the crash site. For the moment, they were safe. She turned to find Junior and used her parachute controls to get closer to him.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Don’t worry. I ducked this time, so no new injuries.”

  The water was icy cold when she plunged in, and she kicked to the top feeling like there was only a little time before this would be over. Up to now she’d been anxious to get back, but for the first time she was totally impatient to see Aidan again. She’d gone through the motions of her life for too long and it was time to get back to enjoying it with someone who was willing to share it with her.

  At the surface she found Junior and came up behind him and slipped her hands under his arms to pull him to her chest. “Let me do all the work to keep us afloat. That leg is bad enough and I don’t want you to get it any more out of whack.”

  “This will definitely make a good story, don’t you think?”

  “You bet, and once I get my hands on Blazer and
beat the shit out of him you’ll have your ending.” She kicked slowly to keep them both afloat trying to conserve her energy, not knowing how long it would take a rescue crew to find them. “You did good throughout this whole thing, which is something I want you to promise me you’ll tell your dad.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be impressed that you carried my ass out of there.”

  “You had it over me on the horse. Without that we’d still be making our way through there, and I’m not sure how much longer we’d have lasted without getting caught.”

  “You hear that?” Junior asked and turned his head to the side.

  “Hopefully, it’s the good guys.” Berkley looked in the same direction the boat motor was coming from and waited. There were three boats in the area and they were skimming the water in a zigzag pattern with two men at each bow with binoculars sweeping the area. “I’ve never been so glad to see khaki in all my life,” Berkley said. “Lift your arms up and wave them over.”

  *

  Northern Virginia

  “Sir,” the guard at the security prison where Drew Orr was holding Jerry Teague and Adam Morris said into the phone. “We’re ready to bring Mr. Morris up whenever you are.”

  “I’m waiting with Rooster in interrogation room three. Bring him in.” Drew had stopped to take a radio call from Aidan to hear the latest developments. With Berkley Levine about to be rescued, he figured it would make his end of the investigation that much easier now that Cletus would be able to tell them everything.

  He’d left Jerry alone even though the guards had said Jerry was pacing his cell like an agitated tiger demanding to see his attorney or the president. After hearing Aidan’s report, Drew told her to lock Blazer back up and they’d sort out what had happened together, but he didn’t want to give Blazer any more freedom to do further damage if he was working with someone other than Alan Lewis.