Not the bad guy

Chapter 4

It was now Friday and Louise was getting ready for their last day before the weekend, she slipped into her work clothes and ran downstairs to grab an iced coffee before leaving. As she was making her coffee her housemates made their way into the kitchen themselves.

"Hey Rex, can I interest you in a ride to the base?" Hangman asked politely.

"Sure, thank you!" she replied. He had been nothing but kind since their argument a few nights ago, and Louise really thought that she would appreciate it. But she didn't for some reason. Yes, she loved that he was being nice, but he was now boring. Without the teasing or the flirting, he was just another guy. But going back on what she said would be the last thing she would ever do.

Once they had arrived at the base they sat down at the desks, Louise found herself sitting next to Rooster who gave her a warm smile as she sat next to him.

Maverick strolled in and began his speech as usual. He lectured them on the new rules, the lowered hard deck, the ridiculous time, the impossible target and the steep climb. Most believed that this challenge was impossible, not Rex and Hangman though, they were cocky.

Maverick let the pilots pick their own teams in order to fly. Louise thought but then realised, there was only one option: Phoenix and Bob, Fanboy and then herself as team leader. No one had made it alive so far, Rooster was too slow, Hangman killed his wingmen and the rest made errors in other ways. It was now Louise's turn and she was determined to get this right.

The pilots looked at each other before hopping in their planes, she signalled a thumbs up to both other planes and lifted for take off.

She set the time for 2 minutes and 30 seconds and looked at her wingmen, "you guys ready?" she asked, and both planes echoed back 'ready'. "Let's do this shit," she said cockily.

The time was racing but so were they, Louise made sure to keep communicating with her wingmen and inform them of any changes. Once they had arrived at the target with 2 seconds to go she called for them to aim, she herself aimed and hit the target. Bullseye, she thought. She looked behind and Bob had missed, it was unfortunate but at least they had made it there.

Once completed they made their steep climb, Louise was flying like she had never flown before. She made it up and out of the climb looking back at her fellow pilots, she could tell they were struggling. She wanted to hang back and help them but she knew if this were the real mission this would get her killed. She continued to fly but kept communicating and encouraging them. Once they had near enough made it out they all returned to base and back to the classroom to review the day's events.

"Why are you dead?" Maverick demanded looking at Phoenix, Bob and Coyote.

"The SAMS took out our plane-" Phoenix was cut off before she could finish her sentence.

"No," Maverick snapped, "why are they dead?" he said looking at Coyote.

"I slowed down and didn't give them any warning," Coyote said disappointed.

"And why didn't you communicate with your team?" Maverick asked.

"I-" Coyote began.

"An excuse you can tell their family," he interrupted. He then moved on to Hangman, "Why are they dead?"

"I made it to the target, I flew like my life depended on it!" He defended himself smugly.

"Leaving your wingmen for dead, have fun explaining to his mother why you only brought back his foot because that's all you could find of him." Maverick savagely replied. "Why are you dead?" he said moving on to Rooster this time.