Skylar's Wish • Rooster

Chapter 15: Missing

"Sir, we’re receiving a signal from Rooster’s esat." I lift my head off of Hondo's chest. My eyes meet his, his eyes dark, trying not to get me any hope. I turn to the two admirals, then to the tech guy. "But there seems to be a malfunction." My heart drops. "Have you lost him?" Admiral Simpson asks. "No, sir." I feel my heart slowly restarting. "He’s supersonic." Wait... What? "He’s airborne." Admiral Bates says. What the hell is he in? "Sir. Overwatch reports an F-14 tomcat is airborne and on course for our position." Rooster has no idea how to fly an F-14. "Can’t be." Warlock says in disbelief. A small smile forms on my face. I know only two people that can fly an F-14. One was my father and the second one was just shot down.

"Maverick."

The name spilled my mouth. Maverick is flying an F-14 back to the carrier. And Rooster's esat sent a signal. That means... Both of them are in that plane. And I'm making sure they make it back home. "Skylar," I look back at the man, I still have my arms wrapped around. The look in his eyes says, go get them. I unwrap my arms from Hondo's chest and quickly walk out the door as fast as I walked in them.

The path from the control tower to the deck is engraved into my head. My legs started to walk faster and faster until I was running. I ran past tech guys, crew members, and other pilots. All of them were staring at me. My tear stained face and red eyes. I look horrible, but that's the last thing on my mind. All I can think about is how there is an F-14 in route to this carrier, and it was picked up by Rooster's esat.

As I run past the "break room". I feel a hand wrapped about my arm and pull me through the doorway. "Wow!" I say, stumbling through the doorway - looking like a drunken sailor. I look around and find the eyes of my fellow pilots staring at me. "What's..." I start to say, but Phoenix cuts me off. "Are you okay? I mean, Sky. Maverick and Rooster just got shot down. When I tried to be there for you in the locker room, but, you ran." I try to interrupt Phoenix, but she isn't having it. She gives me the look that your momma gives you when you interrupt an important phone call. I shut my mouth and continued to listen to her ramble on and on about how worried she was when she couldn't find me. Then, seeing me run down the hall, she was even more nervous. She ended her ramble by saying that I can talk to her and giving me the 'you better start talking look'.

"I'm sorry," I say looking at Phoenix but saying to everyone in the room - Bob and Fanboy. "I'm sorry, I ran, but I was so caught up in my head. I still am. I was just so angry and hurt. I needed to break, slam, or throw something. And I did that. Once I felt like I was able to breathe again, the only thought I had was to see Hondo."
"Hondo? Why him?" Bob says, sitting at a table. "We grew close while training for this god awful mission. I felt comfortable around him. I don't understand why I need to see him and let him hold me, but I need it." I pause for a second, it seemed like the first time I've done that in a while. I feel my heartbeat and breathing steady. My mind starts to clear. The F-14.

"Rooster and Maverick are alive, and they are heading this way. That's why I was running." I look at the shocked look on their face. I would laugh at the looks on their faces if it was the correct time, but it's not. "How?" Fanboy asks. "Hondo was up in the control tower. So, when I was hanging out there, one of the tech guys said they got a signal for Rooster's esat. Then Comanche said that an F-14 was heading this way." I got confused looks from Fanboy and Bob. "What?" I ask. "How do you know it's both of them?" I open my mouth to answer, but Phoenix cuts me off, "Rooster doesn't know how to fly an F-14."
"And Maverick does." I add.

They don't look 100% convinced, but I don't have time for this. I look at Phoenix, silently telling her I have to go. She nods. We look back at the two backseaters, who are arguing about their card of cards. I shake my head, before I could leave, I hear Phoenix yell my name. "Be safe." I nod before running to the deck.