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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLdrSbYacK
“Ranger, what’s wrong?” Marshall asked.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4C2OV7cdQ
“Nothing,” John said quickly.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0F4giooEv
“Harper, I can see it in your eyes.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUgBtLUuj6
John looked down at the Coke can in his hand. “Williams went on a mission tonight,” he said.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0pk9rCiSR
“And?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS18ESxAPea
“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.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd2pslGXlD
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Marshall assured.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2Hn7FL81a
“I hope so.” John took another drink of his Coke uneasily.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInd46JnFXs
Just then Anderson walked in. “One of the pilots on tonight’s mission just got shot down,” he said.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuOD3kuOss
John tensed and looked at him. “Who?” he demanded.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJwM9tEf8A
“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?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgO9DKPHZ6
John froze, and a sudden sickness came over him. He paled, and his breathing became ragged and faint. “Oh, God…No…” he whispered.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbIOfZFtQe
“What is it?” Anderson asked.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdAk16MoEl
“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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh49BmgMVE
“Harper, what if it was a mistake?” Marshall asked.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZNI0HSknk
“Then I will find out.” John ran out the door.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01VaLVT7x6
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJADfOiOWHo
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-16.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQyuOsf2RM
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?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmBOav5ef2
“The Air Force pilot,” the pilot told him.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5Q91CtJbw
John’s heart wrenched. “Williams?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04udq2AHfQ
“Yeah, I think that was his name.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEF7NF5fM1u
Oh no. “Were you able to get a rescue crew out there?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJemEm2lmOb
“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.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXozZUkE4c1
“How hard did his plane go down?” John asked quietly.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi7rKEzsCN
“I’m not sure. I saw it on fire, but I don’t think it exploded.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzn8ATrM6A
“How did it go down?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMTOcsz63X
“He took two missiles to the right wing. Then he came over the radio and said his ejection seat wasn’t working.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpNXHspiIf
“He…he didn’t eject?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq4eNbruN7
“N-no...” John could see the pilot felt uneasy and had not wanted for John to find out like this. “He…didn’t eject.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGfCZlYmFk
No. John paused, then whispered. “So…is he dead?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvktBmtSQS
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87NZydutcT
God. Why? “Not your fault…It’s not your fault...” John turned and walked away quickly before the tears started falling down his face.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhe9oFVDsM
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr96wxE2g1A
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgPS0FcB7g
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:268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMgmKPVbOy
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHK5p8ZZI3
To Whom It May Concern: This letter is to be opened only at the time of my death.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLgXfOti0T
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN10xRXNes
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmA4Ot6Soy
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7FEkRd6jk
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40qtLkEml7
May God be with you both.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0Np2UF2w5
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbgSvsfUFp
With love,268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqH3baF6O5
-Kristoff Chris Williams268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqhjqRZ816
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGcGXis7Nr
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. 268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X4kfwwXP0
John cried and cried. “No…no...”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRU7ngDLyyj
____________________268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AqsJxczNJ
268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYFkf2EIKf
John was called into Colonel Kelly’s office the next day. Kelly looked him over before saying anything.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUysiKZmcg
“Harper, you look like hell,” Kelly told him.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmkl7VepQq
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUc8yLh9fO
“Sit down.” John did as he was told. “Are you going to be okay through all this?” Kelly asked.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNx1mpkZ5o
“I…I don’t know yet,” John answered honestly. His voice was quiet and shaky. His throat still hurt from crying all night.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOwog3rDn0
“I know this must be hard on you.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2l5BUxGtrx
“Yes sir. He…he was like a brother to me.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupT9pew5q9
“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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6b1zpn4Xt
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGY88mOdbkk
“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?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgZ5hy7lOE
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.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TOE3fbw57
He looked up at Colonel Kelly. “Yes. Yes sir, I can.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQu71wa9As
“Good. Then you can assume the responsibility as the wing commander as of now.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cbOIXsbyY
“Thank you, sir.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDoakYUYpy
“That is all.”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAVNaQyG3Q
John stood and turned to leave.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHn0htFYrNe
“And Harper,” Kelly called after him.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzSl5cb6vN
“Yes sir?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs39gRhIAVx
“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?”268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXHOrEeZnl
“Yes sir.” John turned and left.268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNZcmtXeE7
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