John was sitting in the lounge with some of the other pilots. He talked and laughed with them as he drank his Coke, but inside he felt only worry. His laughter was forced, and one of the other pilots could see it.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWWIyjRs7W
“Ranger, what’s wrong?” Marshall asked.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbTYVzn6rm
“Nothing,” John said quickly.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLsrO3zwGm
“Harper, I can see it in your eyes.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6gbb9rme4
John looked down at the Coke can in his hand. “Williams went on a mission tonight,” he said.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwuJ41bYMt
“And?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzwB1c2bzS
“He said he felt like he shouldn’t go on it. He said that he felt afraid. And you know him; he’s not one to admit that he’s afraid. But he did. And I…well, I feel like he shouldn’t have gone either.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKEmzZR6iT
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Marshall assured.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZQeIdJWv1
“I hope so.” John took another drink of his Coke uneasily.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW4XG82wSt
Just then Anderson walked in. “One of the pilots on tonight’s mission just got shot down,” he said.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdUTFbRlOp
John tensed and looked at him. “Who?” he demanded.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1PxVkCY7w
“I don’t know. They said it was an Air Force pilot. In an F-16. Which one of our guys sent up tonight anyway?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt4hF0edXR
John froze, and a sudden sickness came over him. He paled, and his breathing became ragged and faint. “Oh, God…No…” he whispered.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUy8rfJjEA
“What is it?” Anderson asked.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOV8nqsr0Oy
“Williams. He was the only Air Force pilot on that mission. He was the only one in an F-16.” John jumped from his chair.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYxbZNb898
“Harper, what if it was a mistake?” Marshall asked.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0weoukwU4r
“Then I will find out.” John ran out the door.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtyBijuiAa
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWTpiWuDhi
He waited now at the runway and watched the planes land, hoping, praying, that one of them would be Chris’ F-16. However, when the last plane had landed, not one of them had been an F-16.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qHiQDaZCl
John ran to the hangar where the pilots were getting out of their planes. He stopped one of them and asked, “Who was it that got shot down?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXTsXrHqD2
“The Air Force pilot,” the pilot told him.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGNDgRYtWu
John’s heart wrenched. “Williams?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TL8uQKlVY
“Yeah, I think that was his name.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiRHPr0BPd
Oh no. “Were you able to get a rescue crew out there?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0EVJRIFqU
“No. There was more air defense than we had planned for. Tracers, flak, SAMs, other planes. We wouldn’t have been able to get a rescue chopper in there. We were barely able to get out of there ourselves. There was no way we could send anyone else in there.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ3bbrlhUk
“How hard did his plane go down?” John asked quietly.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4ZrPYVDwl
“I’m not sure. I saw it on fire, but I don’t think it exploded.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yac3qamVY
“How did it go down?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkSkxCE7Kx
“He took two missiles to the right wing. Then he came over the radio and said his ejection seat wasn’t working.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbx4ZiiOhwd
“He…he didn’t eject?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGwP2T4wYR
“N-no...” John could see the pilot felt uneasy and had not wanted for John to find out like this. “He…didn’t eject.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTOjwzgBtK
No. John paused, then whispered. “So…is he dead?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDI3dK7HkxH
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ113jlVDpr0
God. Why? “Not your fault…It’s not your fault...” John turned and walked away quickly before the tears started falling down his face.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uod7Y8Xwa
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJEVL5sO42
John ran into his room and slammed the door behind him. He let out a loud cry of grief and sorrow. “No! NO!” he cried over and over, pounding his fist on the back of the door. He was unable to say anything else. His face was already soaked with tears he was unable to hold back, and now he let loose and wept bitterly and uncontrollably.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZiVVbrp7z
He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. It was several minutes before he looked up and saw the letter Chris kept on the corner of his desk. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he reached over and picked it up. Still on his knees, he carefully opened the envelope. There were three papers inside. Two were the same letter. The third was a note asking for one of the letters to be sent to James Williams, Chris’ father. John took the letter and held it with trembling hands. It read:287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L0Su3ZHyz
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPE9FoR1RH
To Whom It May Concern: This letter is to be opened only at the time of my death.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqrb2CKEyC
Most likely, I have died in a plane crash. Let me just tell you not to be sad; I died doing what I love most. Please, do not let my death affect you. Know that I was happy to die serving my country. I would not have had it any other way.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNKvYSqpkY
To John: I have known you for several years now. Over that time, you have become like a brother to me. You are one of the most important people in my life. Please, do not be sad about my death. Like I said, I died doing what I love most and serving my country.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXktMTzPDm
You are probably going to be in charge now. I know that you will be a good leader. I wish you good luck, and, God willing, I hope to see you again one day.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoOOUuSn45
To James: Vati, I am sorry for making you angry. I know you wanted me to join the Navy, but see what the Air Force has done for me? I just hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. Know that I did not mean to hurt you; I just did what was in my best interest. I am truly sorry. But, God willing, I hope to see you again one day as well.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SZWCrhw2G
May God be with you both.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCxu2TIRhB
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptpS3YNhqD
With love,287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo9KWLFKdl
-Kristoff Chris Williams287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUmxEY6y96
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKwU95uFOr
John held the letter and wept. He could not control the tears or his sobs. Chris had been like a brother to him as well. Now he was gone. Gone. 287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4l7dLktsX
John cried and cried. “No…no...”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzHc3XaFPE
____________________287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8fKREnWzn
287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrs2TyfQu3
John was called into Colonel Kelly’s office the next day. Kelly looked him over before saying anything.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7LKVT6h5W
“Harper, you look like hell,” Kelly told him.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdQDqBSgDP
John didn’t say anything. He knew he probably did. He felt tired. His eyes were red and they stung. He had been up crying all night. His hands were shaking, and his nerves were shot all to hell.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFYXsSNmpq
“Sit down.” John did as he was told. “Are you going to be okay through all this?” Kelly asked.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytro8uQI0M
“I…I don’t know yet,” John answered honestly. His voice was quiet and shaky. His throat still hurt from crying all night.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BwNcjtFTI
“I know this must be hard on you.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BbSQWCR2f
“Yes sir. He…he was like a brother to me.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnG6obi6s7v
“I know.” They sat in silence for a moment, then Kelly spoke again. “Harper, the truth is, I don’t know if Williams is coming back. In all honesty, I don’t think he is even still alive.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7tdrwGg5W
The words hit John like a fist in the face, but he knew them to be true. As much as he wanted to believe that somehow Chris had made it, he couldn’t make himself. He fought back the hot tears forming in his eyes.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84dJrFPt5E
“Harper, you are next in the chain of command. I need to know if you can handle being in charge. At least until we find out anything further about Williams. If he is still alive or anything like that. Can you handle it?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KurL5pi5M
John looked down at the floor for a moment, wiping a few tears from his eyes. He remembered what Chris had written in the letter. You are probably going to be in charge now. I know that you will be a good leader. I wish you good luck.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMMpruJu67
He looked up at Colonel Kelly. “Yes. Yes sir, I can.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXjvjch98L
“Good. Then you can assume the responsibility as the wing commander as of now.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WfF1zQIM6
“Thank you, sir.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik31hJRnm2
“That is all.”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSSqnC8FjM
John stood and turned to leave.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVi1IugDRTe
“And Harper,” Kelly called after him.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy84QTag3zv
“Yes sir?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EJXB9kDjr
“Take it easy, alright? I’m sorry he’s gone, but you’ll just have to accept that. Don’t go off on any vengeance missions, understood?”287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05sduA0Sha
“Yes sir.” John turned and left.287Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7xQPdTDJc
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