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CHAPTER 1
INFERNO
Welcome to Tyler, Texas. The current temperature is eighty-seven degrees outside with sixty percent humidity, and we’ll be pulling into gate 17-A, using baggage claim ‘C’ for all you travelers arriving today. If you are meeting a connecting flight, the current time is…
Max saw Outfield look up expectantly and still couldn’t get over the hidden wave of relief deep inside of him that his friend and coworker was actually sitting there after going through a true ordeal a week ago. Max still had nightmares about Greene’s Falcon going down a few years ago. It had been shocking to hear the pilot’s sudden radio silence after he announced he was bleeding – much like Outfield’s own statement.
‘I’m hit and bleeding…’
‘Mayday! Mayday!...’
At least Outfield got to eject, but seeing it, hearing it, and watching the entire moment unfold really brought back some hard memories that Max thought he’d buried. He felt real fear and saw it reflected in Reaper’s eyes – whereas Panic, the only other pilot who had been there long enough to have carried Greene’s empty casket to the plane during a ceremony after his death… well, Panic was living up to his call sign.
The man was completely freaking out, puking, crying, irrational, and then he just got quiet.
Freakishly quiet.
Panic sat there on his bunk later, staring at the wall, with tears streaking down his face as he made noises deep in his throat. Copperhead and Ricochet managed to get him up and out of the barracks, taking him to talk to someone, but he hadn’t been the same since returning.
None of them were.
He dreamed four nights ago that he had to eject, and his parachute didn’t open. The sensation of falling and the fear that came with it had been overpowering, waking him up almost immediately. He stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the shower to hide his crying, and ended up puking everywhere. Thankfully, no one said anything, and they all seemed to be in shock as well, waiting and biding their time to see if Outfield was injured or even alive.
He'd seen the pararescue team bringing the helicopter down as Outfield was helped out and quickly brought into the clinic. In fact, seeing the man alive had caused him to run wildly into the building, bumping into several people and skidding into Reaper’s office – who happened to be in the middle of a meeting with Colonel Bradford.
“They got him!” he exclaimed breathlessly before snapping to attention as he realized that the audience around him was the upper brass. “He’s in the clinic… sir.”
It had been a long few days before his vacation, which he was pretty certain was going to end up being canceled, only to be pulled aside by Reaper.
“Outfield is flying out with you for some R & R. Can you keep an eye on him?”
“Is he okay?”
“Yes.”
“Then why am I playing nursemaid?” Max retorted automatically and was surprised to see the worry in Reaper’s dark eyes as he stared at him, his lips pressed into a flat line. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I’ll watch him.”
“Thank you.”
Leading him to this moment.
Outfield was fine – and Max was no babysitter.
As the plane unloaded, Pete hefted his bag onto his shoulder but didn’t scream out in pain or make a noise. The man winced, and he realized he was going to be just fine and slapped him on the gut, just like normal.
“Really?” Outfield snapped hotly.
“Oh, quit being a baby about it,” Max chuckled. “So you’ve got a few stitches, bangs, and bruises, ya’ big pansy. Sheesh, you’ll be fine, you know. Quit whimpering, and let’s get moving. My brother and his wife are gonna be waiting to pick me up. Not everyone gets preferential treatment like you, buddy.”
“It’s not preferential treatment,” Outfield grumbled.
“Dude, your wingman is the boss - and his wife is picking you up. If that isn’t preferential treatment…”
“Quit saying that, Inferno.”
“I’m just sayin’ that ol’ Reaper is taking care of his main man by arranging for you to have a nice, cushy arrival. Plus, they offered you up some bunks for free at Flyboys?”
Outfield could argue all he wanted to, but facts were facts. His wingman, their boss, never arranged a vacation for any of them, nor did he offer his wife as a shuttle. The last time Max flew into town to see Reese and Eileen get married, he’d taken a cab from the airport to the Justice of the Peace building.
