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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifhH4nLlu8
“Ranger, what’s wrong?” Marshall asked.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufJ5MtlZMD
“Nothing,” John said quickly.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GlsPAcIKQ
“Harper, I can see it in your eyes.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNNQz66ney
John looked down at the Coke can in his hand. “Williams went on a mission tonight,” he said.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxnUK4sVau
“And?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zHZhetrn0
“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.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSITNhABPhR
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Marshall assured.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7NTvNgRvL
“I hope so.” John took another drink of his Coke uneasily.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvB8xbfhSK1
Just then Anderson walked in. “One of the pilots on tonight’s mission just got shot down,” he said.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5U4YifZcg
John tensed and looked at him. “Who?” he demanded.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7XRdqjMPl
“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?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9Q1JH9HYY
John froze, and a sudden sickness came over him. He paled, and his breathing became ragged and faint. “Oh, God…No…” he whispered.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2karTEBie7
“What is it?” Anderson asked.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL24V5FfHih
“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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRzqmqkig0
“Harper, what if it was a mistake?” Marshall asked.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ac19EHmyX
“Then I will find out.” John ran out the door.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkrJ2O3Gr9
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLD2Ndmhgd
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-16.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9QPojzGto
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?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitERf6DbuZ
“The Air Force pilot,” the pilot told him.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZaGAlK0Ey
John’s heart wrenched. “Williams?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gCNLIlKBo
“Yeah, I think that was his name.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRrtDlICVd
Oh no. “Were you able to get a rescue crew out there?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu3cLwoDk9
“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.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FzBrJ4aW3
“How hard did his plane go down?” John asked quietly.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMW81RuL1B
“I’m not sure. I saw it on fire, but I don’t think it exploded.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pEIkruHKM
“How did it go down?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTu4a2yfm2
“He took two missiles to the right wing. Then he came over the radio and said his ejection seat wasn’t working.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDeBVIy6n7
“He…he didn’t eject?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEHJ14dvqe
“N-no...” John could see the pilot felt uneasy and had not wanted for John to find out like this. “He…didn’t eject.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NiljCDduJ
No. John paused, then whispered. “So…is he dead?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2MUZP5SFo
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8WspbkG7D
God. Why? “Not your fault…It’s not your fault...” John turned and walked away quickly before the tears started falling down his face.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZWargiIqK
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaqCaRTS8x
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuwGRwg9wJ
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:269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LKkqkV2Rp
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlQm4MImUs
To Whom It May Concern: This letter is to be opened only at the time of my death.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU1EXOR5Ju
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc842Yjv7ws
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxpsFNMQLz
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBNVfvA05r
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZcjJtDYrP
May God be with you both.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8Fi64TLDw
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO0ASLV8Qv
With love,269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5uc29wNOA
-Kristoff Chris Williams269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjUwV0mhbw
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5p4BkIS5u
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. 269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuZ1GQ6DYA
John cried and cried. “No…no...”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2VruzbHue
____________________269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIUAYjeNof
269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo2kyayt53
John was called into Colonel Kelly’s office the next day. Kelly looked him over before saying anything.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H6v7ORed2
“Harper, you look like hell,” Kelly told him.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5fma4Up7e
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZdh0kVZGw
“Sit down.” John did as he was told. “Are you going to be okay through all this?” Kelly asked.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaapl0Lf7SI
“I…I don’t know yet,” John answered honestly. His voice was quiet and shaky. His throat still hurt from crying all night.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpngRZm1Kcb
“I know this must be hard on you.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLzc9RNtcq
“Yes sir. He…he was like a brother to me.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzXLhBAEDZ
“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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FrJDL7Ha3
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWuB2nh4WN
“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?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4N99lwaMC
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.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Oq0pQPDNg
He looked up at Colonel Kelly. “Yes. Yes sir, I can.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGizeFCGnK
“Good. Then you can assume the responsibility as the wing commander as of now.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrRZpA5Txk
“Thank you, sir.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4Z2TpIGZO
“That is all.”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm2GFyo9RF
John stood and turned to leave.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvk72muF4RO
“And Harper,” Kelly called after him.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbEh6aaLm3
“Yes sir?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8q6OYFGto4
“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?”269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdd9GhixyR
“Yes sir.” John turned and left.269Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi20oza4QTb
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