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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L84Pao3am
“Ranger, what’s wrong?” Marshall asked.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CNRmHbQCo
“Nothing,” John said quickly.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZvEWu46dj
“Harper, I can see it in your eyes.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAvE5ORlpC
John looked down at the Coke can in his hand. “Williams went on a mission tonight,” he said.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCNGIDou18
“And?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKRZ498ZCK
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjcb49N0YY
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Marshall assured.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qgsVFQPD3
“I hope so.” John took another drink of his Coke uneasily.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPGXH1kc26
Just then Anderson walked in. “One of the pilots on tonight’s mission just got shot down,” he said.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1MZnDSEuW
John tensed and looked at him. “Who?” he demanded.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmbkihGqIB
“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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHc39Ex26z
John froze, and a sudden sickness came over him. He paled, and his breathing became ragged and faint. “Oh, God…No…” he whispered.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXSFYjSObU
“What is it?” Anderson asked.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GCIUzeRo2
“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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dB3k6hTju
“Harper, what if it was a mistake?” Marshall asked.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSjcSu9uw7
“Then I will find out.” John ran out the door.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfRU0eCPCQ
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH7CimudcD
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-16.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUt2NoFry5
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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡag6NnjoSVO
“The Air Force pilot,” the pilot told him.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvlSJVWLVR
John’s heart wrenched. “Williams?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMKh8jRNNY
“Yeah, I think that was his name.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84dSStzTLD
Oh no. “Were you able to get a rescue crew out there?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZypmEz6Da
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9qBemuhjB
“How hard did his plane go down?” John asked quietly.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9DZnUbuFg
“I’m not sure. I saw it on fire, but I don’t think it exploded.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAN4AVvVZn
“How did it go down?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo48lBj4FQ1
“He took two missiles to the right wing. Then he came over the radio and said his ejection seat wasn’t working.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDnnqBPaWK
“He…he didn’t eject?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1YPJeBDsF
“N-no...” John could see the pilot felt uneasy and had not wanted for John to find out like this. “He…didn’t eject.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4zVOHguZq
No. John paused, then whispered. “So…is he dead?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAqlAos5TO
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUM0Gnoux0f
God. Why? “Not your fault…It’s not your fault...” John turned and walked away quickly before the tears started falling down his face.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLIcnBDUEq
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ALGKkG7mN
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F2e5KvftN
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:331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxx6iBQfVk
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77dgRnaab2
To Whom It May Concern: This letter is to be opened only at the time of my death.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3QmsN0XKr
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4d6UoCIOL
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBueOvgOd9r
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmuuSjMW5a
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRd5JjIt2Nn
May God be with you both.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2K7FBEi5A
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScJ3Cc7MpS
With love,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf5jb917Hq
-Kristoff Chris Williams331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwptGk9c6oi
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w2KlcgitJ
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. 331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZPKYH96MN
John cried and cried. “No…no...”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbekBKRpxnM
____________________331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ebUTZnWdr
331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFuOoZNYG6
John was called into Colonel Kelly’s office the next day. Kelly looked him over before saying anything.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjJjix3W06
“Harper, you look like hell,” Kelly told him.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKD8Ttb8OO
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpDqnyCVeB
“Sit down.” John did as he was told. “Are you going to be okay through all this?” Kelly asked.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYjAiR6pJL
“I…I don’t know yet,” John answered honestly. His voice was quiet and shaky. His throat still hurt from crying all night.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChlSBGLuUF
“I know this must be hard on you.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RSdyDhaBC
“Yes sir. He…he was like a brother to me.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7wwnV6Va9
“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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qj5eF466b
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl20HYJNAhP
“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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMF9RzsITw
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnbHgcxMrn
He looked up at Colonel Kelly. “Yes. Yes sir, I can.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvZIEiVHEE
“Good. Then you can assume the responsibility as the wing commander as of now.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHzFbbaPN6
“Thank you, sir.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cf4xZ2UAo
“That is all.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN90HFXAP2
John stood and turned to leave.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLiWoshXTo
“And Harper,” Kelly called after him.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEAj3Gvz67
“Yes sir?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkHTaWoSvX
“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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1JOxJKz1n
“Yes sir.” John turned and left.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO57Vk65zT
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