Red Bull

fourteen

"Dagger defending!" I yelled, hitting a red button to release more countermeasures, hoping that the missiles wouldn't hit us.

"On your 9! Bank right Red Bull!" Bob yells, and I dodge a missile narrowly.

Everything was in utter chaos in the air, as the second group made it over the mountain, and SAMs recognized 4 enemy planes within reach.

We all shouted at each other, watching each other's back and our own, telling where the missile were and when to deploy flares.

Two missiles went after Rooster, and I yelled, "Rooster, on your 6!"

"I'm out of flares!" He yells, and my heart drops. He's going to get shot down.

Maverick mutters, "I'm sorry, Rooster."

I'm confused by his sentiments, but then I realized what's about to happen. "Maverick, no!" I scream, but I'm ignored. But I should know better, the one thing reliable about Maverick is that when he makes up his mind about something, he never changes if.

Maverick makes his split second decision, and covers Rooster with his own plane. He blocked the missiles from hitting Rooster, and his F-18 falls in pieces to the ground.

Maverick was dead.

I didn't see him eject.

Tears fall down from my eyes, as I remember the bird strike, when Maverick told me and Bob to eject. I sniffle, but I hold them back, I couldn't be emotional right now. I couldn't let my mind wander, I had to focus with what I could control. I could always mourn later.

"Maverick! No!" Rooster yells, as we finally make it out into open territory. We're safe.

"Dagger 1 is hit. I repeat, Dagger 1 is hit. Maverick is down." Dagger Comanche informs Mission Control on the air craft carrier, all of whom are safe from danger.

We all flew forward, but Rooster asks, "Does anybody see him? Does anybody see Maverick?"

"I didn't see any parachutes," I confirm in a soft voice. Nobody contradicts me.

"Comanche, bandits inbound. Recommend Dagger Team flies south."

Bob tells me how many degrees to turn south, and I do, with Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy following my lead.

"All Daggers back to the carrier." They inform again, and we follow orders.

Mission accomplished, I think sarcastically.

Maverick was only officer trying to ensure and teach us how to make it home after the finish. It seems like a cruel twist of fate that he's the only one who won't make it back. I can only imagine what Rooster is thinking.

Speak of the devil, "What about Maverick?" Rooster asks desperately.

"Dagger Two, you are not to engage. Repeat, you are not to engage." Mission Control commands.

"Rooster, we can't go back. Bandits are closing in. We can't go back." I say, my shaky voice stating reason.

"Rooster, he's gone." Bob adds, and Rooster stays silent, but we can almost hear the internal war he was having.

I wanted to go back and search for Maverick, and I would've, if Bob wasn't in my backseat. We owed Maverick our lives, he was the only one who could get us through this course. But orders were orders, and I didn't want to kill Bob in the process. I kept a straight course for the air craft carrier.

However, Rooster suddenly banks, and turns around, heading back into enemy territory.

"Rooster!" Payback yells, but Rooster still zooms back after our instructor and team leader, because that's the closest thing he has to a father.

My grip tightens on my central flight stick, but we continue forward.

"Are we going back after them?" Fanboy asked.

"If we go back, we'll get shot down and die. Orders are orders," I finish, but I sound like I'm trying to convince myself more than anyone.

"It doesn't feel right," Bob says behind me.

I take in a deep breath, taking off my oxygen mask. It was risky to do mid-mission, but I felt like it was suffocating me, too tight to my face. "I know. It never feels right leaving someone behind."

We hit the ocean, flying back to the air craft carrier, which will be visible in only a few moments.

"Dagger Comanche, Dagger Two is down. I repeat, Dagger Two is down."

Rooster was dead.

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