Dark Wings

Chapter 3

The Colonel smiled a cruel smile when he saw me and called the room to order. The room did not immediately go quiet until one of the MPs in the room flicked out his baton as a warning. Then the sound immediately died down, the Colonel stood up and made his way to the board pulling out a marker and drew the tail of an aircraft. "Now pilots I want you to meet your newest squadron member. His TAC sign is Mute and as of now he is assigned to the 336th Sparrow Squadron. He is our new Sparrow-6, now which of you lucky criminals can guess how bad Mute is? Who can guess how many Strikes are on his tail?"

The room was quiet until the small redhead stood up, she couldn't have been taller than 5'2. She stood up and looked me up and down walking over and studying me closer. "Well with a callsign like Mute. I don't think he has more than two strikes." There were murmurs of agreement around the room as she walked away and sat down. The Colonel laughed but it was a cruel humorless laugh. "Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Captain Mute here is infamous and has four strikes on his tail." I could immediately feel every set of eyes in the room was glued on me. "Mute here is the former Squadron leader of Bandit Squadron, the most prestigious unit in the Osean Air Defense Force." The more the Colonel spoke the more I could feel these other pilots and aviators studying me closely.

"Mute then betrayed and killed his entire squadron a few days ago on an intercept. He killed all four of the pilots under his command without remorse and without a second thought." As he spoke a I clenched my fists tight knowing that he was just baiting me. I refused to rise to the bait and instead looked down at the floor. "Now that we have met our new wingman, Mute your new aircraft is an F-14D Tomcat, so you will need a Radar Intercept Officer (R.I.O.)" he looks around the room. His eyes stop on the petite redhead, "Huntress, you don't have a pilot. He's your responsibility. Mute you have Midnight patrol, if you don't find a wingman you go up alone. Dismissed." He called as he left the room. Once the door shut, it was just us since the MPs had filed out as well. No one said anything and I walked over to a chair in the back corner. The same one I had always sat in while in my last ready room and take a seat closing my eyes to memories.

I listen to the sounds of the room as the conversations are now held in whisper tones over who will come approach me and who will be my wingman. Suddenly I hear the quicksteps of feet and feel a presence crouching in front of me. I open my greenish grey eyes and look up to see the Redhead that the Colonel had called Huntress. I guess she was supposed to be my backseat.

"Hey Mute, let's go get up. Time to meet the squadron." She kicked my boots after I remained sitting in my seat and just stared up at her. "Please don't tell me they call you Mute because you're actually mute." I shook my head chuckling, "No that's not why they call me Mute. I'm just not good at meeting people." She stared at me with a spark of curiosity in her eyes as I reluctantly get up and follow her over to the group.

"Alright let's get introductions out of the way," she gestured to the guy in his thirties she had been sitting with, "This is Timothy callsign is Viper. He is in here for stealing intel from the base commander's office, for what no one knows he never said." Viper holds his hand up in greeting and chuckles, "I just like to know the plan and I got sloppy." She then pointed to the brunette female she had been sitting with "That's Brittany callsign is Luna. She's in her for some gambling problems." Luna shrugged, "Not my fault the commander's wife doesn't lose with grace." I smiled silently and nodded at them both.

Next, she pointed over to the guys playing cards, "Over there with the tattoo is Cliffton callsign is Jackal. He is in here for murdering a man who had raped his squad mate." Jackal offered me another kind smile. "His friend is Mike callsign is Hazard. He is in here for recklessly flying his aircraft through the capital and even buzzing the Capitol building while Congress was in session." Hazard looked up at me and eyed me up and down before looking at his cards.

Lastly, she pointed to the guy sitting by himself in the far corner, "Lastly by himself is Josh callsign is Pyro. He is in here for burning an airbase to the ground after they grounded him." Pyro ran his hands through his hair and stared at me a look that could freeze stone. I look down at Huntress, "And You?" I asked her. She looked slightly surprised, "Me? Names Olivia Callsign is Huntress. I'm in here for trying to steal food shipments from the military to feed starving refugees. What about you?"

I chuckle, "Names Caden callsign is Mute. I'm in here for murdering my entire squadron which just so happened to be the best squadron in the Air Defense Force." She looked me up and down regarding me like a predator, "I need to know who is in my front seat, did you do it?" she asked me. I was taken aback by the bold question. "No, they were my family. My systems started to malfunction and I lost control." She nodded, "Alright, it's time we find you a wingman too." I looked at her a shook my head, "I fly best alone. Besides I have you to watch my back." I smile and stand-up walking out of the squad room and back to my "room" if you could call it that.

Awhile later as I was laying on my bed reading there was a soft knock at the open door as I looked up to see Huntress with Luna in tow. I set my book down on my chest and look up smiling, "Well hello ladies, what can I do for you today?" they look at each other and then back to me, "Mute I found you a wingman. Luna has volunteered to watch your back." I chuckled looking up, "I told you I fly best alone. I don't want to take someone's wingman away" she nodded, "Well here in Sparrow Squadron we all do what's in our best interest and I think it's in mine to stick with you." She looked me up and down with a curios gaze, "Why do they call you Mute?"

I look up, "They call me Mute because after I enter combat I don't leave until the enemy has been muted and the skies are silent." She nodded her head, "Interesting, they call me Luna because I fly best at night." I nod and I look over at Olivia, "And why do they call you Huntress?" she smiled and looked at me, "Isn't it obvious? I am the best Radar Intercept Officer there is. I help my pilot hunt enemies out of the sky with precision." I nod, "Good, I trust the two of you to have my back."

They nodded and I smiled, "Now ladies if you will excuse me, I should probably shower and change. I've been in these same clothes for the last three days since everything happened." I lean over the bed unlacing my boots before pulling them off rubbing my feet softly. My flight suit was down around my waist showing only my t shirt underneath. I looked up and saw the doorway was empty now, so I got up and closed it. I started the shower in the small bathroom and began to strip away my old grimy uniform as I stepped in the warm water letting it wash over my body.

I ran my hands through my wet hair slicking it back to comfort myself as I start to wash all the dirt and sweat from the last few days off my body. Once I got out of the shower, I found a brand-new set of clothes sitting on my bed and briefly wondered who brought them before dressing up in my new flight suit and undershirt. I sat on the bed and smiled feeling somewhat better as I picked my book back up and started reading silently.