Siren In The Sky // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter 12

I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Beads of sweat form on my brow. 

"Dagger 1, up and ready on Catapult One."

"Dagger Spare standing by."

"Dagger 3 up and ready."

"Dagger 2 up and ready."

I slide my mask over my mouth. 

"Dagger 4 up and ready." 

One by one the catapult launches us into the sky. Going higher and higher we stop once we're above the clouds. I always knew I belonged up here. My dad took me for a ride once, when I was a kid. I remember seeing the world from high up in the air for the first time. All the people, the houses, the roads. They were all so small, so minuscule compared to everything else. I had a feeling in my chest- the kind you get when you ride a roller coaster or fall in love for the first time. Anxiety and fear mixed with excitement and freedom. Every sunrise my feet are planted firmly on the ground itching to get back to the sky before it sets. It's a utopia, my castle in the clouds.  

The six of us begin to descend below the radar, flying meters above the ocean. "Enemy territory up ahead. Feet dry in 60 seconds. Comanche, Dagger 1. Picture." Maverick's voice rings over the radio. "Comanche, picture clean. Decision is yours." "Copy." Maverick pauses for a second. "Dagger attack." That's the queue to launch the tomahawks. Striker and I raise our heads to watch as they fly over us, soaring swiftly through the air. "Daggers, assume attack formation." There's no turning back now. I grip the stick and move into formation, the four planes making a line. Maverick and Pheonix are first, Rooster and I follow. 

"Dagger set. Proceeding to target. Two minutes and thirty seconds in 3, 2, 1. Mark."

"Two mark."

"Three mark."

"Four mark."

And so it begins. I'm in the back of the pack, watching each plane in front of me maneuver side to side as I do the same. We round the first bend. "First SAM sight overhead." I can't help but hold my breath as we fly under it, letting it out as soon as we pass undetected. "Looks like we're clear on radar, Mav," Phenoix announces. "Let's not take it for granted." Maverick ups his pace, Pheonix doing the same. Rooster doesn't, however. "More SAMs, 3 o'clock high. 2 minutes to target," Striker reports. "Copy. We're a few seconds behind Rooster. We gotta move," I say to him. He doesn't answer. 

A transmission from the ship echoes on the radio. "Dagger, Comanche. We're picking up two bandits. Single group, two contacts." Shit, where'd they come from? "Comanche, what's their heading?" Pheonix asks. "Bull's-eye 090, 50, tacked southwest." I let out a sigh of relief, they aren't headed for us yet. "They're headed away from us. They don't know we're here." Bradley gabs. "For now. When the tomahawks hit the air base the bandits are going to move to defend the target," I interject. "We have to get there before they do. Increase speed," Maverick orders. He speeds up and Pheonix does as well. Rooster stays the same. Please don't tell me he's freezing. It happens to the best of us, but he really can't be doing this now. "Rooster, we're falling behind."

The tomahawks hit, destroying the runways. "The bandits have changed course and are headed this way. They'll arrive at target in 2 minutes," Striker declares. "Rooster, we got to increase our speed. If we don't the bandits will be waiting for us when we arrive." I have an edge to my voice, anxiety beginning to creep in. "Talk to me dad." My heart softens at the words he whispers to himself. I change the tone of my voice from Siren barking orders at Rooster to Selene talking to Bradley. "You can do this," I say quietly. 

He pauses for a moment and then increases his speed suddenly. "Damn Rooster, not that fast!" Striker exclaims as he begins to exceed 800 knots. I grin under my mask. Good job baby. "Let's go." We reengage, catching up with Maverick and Pheonix. My attention is hyper-focused on my surroundings. We've never flown the course this fast before. "Watch your heads," Bradley warns. I turn sideways, flying under the bridge just behind him. "Siren, you with me?" He asks. "Always."

We listen as Maverick, Bob, and Pheonix approach the pop-up. They successfully make it in between the peaks. Bob has trouble with the laser for a moment but gets a lock. Mav releases the missiles. I hold my breath for a few seconds, waiting to hear the result. "We've got impact! Check, direct hit! Direct hit!" I let out my breath. Miracle number one. 

"Dagger 2, status?" Maverick questions. "Almost there." We approach the pop-up strike and effortlessly invert over the rocks. Straightening out the target is in sight. "Where are my eyes, Strike?" Rooster yells. "Stand by! Almost got it!" The alarm rings. "Captured!" "Target acquired. Bomb's away." We don't wait to see if the missiles hit, immediately beginning our G-climb over Coffin Corner. I made fun of my dad for the name but looking at the steep mountainside buried under snow, the name seems rational. 

My muscles are tense and I'm gasping for breath, the force weighing on me. Come on, come on. "Bullseye! Bullseye!" Striker exclaims. Miracle number two. We've completed our mission, but we are far from done. For we still have the unsaid miracle number 3: getting home. Mav and Pheonix are screaming over the radio as they defend each other from the SAMS. I strain to keep my eyes open as we climb higher and higher, the seconds feeling like an eternity. We're almost there. 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10. 

Rooster and I fly over the final rocky edge, freeing ourselves from coffin corner. The relief, however, doesn't come. The SAMS immediately launch after us. "Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!" Rooster screams. "Break right Siren! Break right!" I follow Strikers' instructions. The radio fills with orders, all of us communicating as one. 

"Rooster you have two on your 6!" 

"Deploying countermeasures!"

"Siren, SAM on your nose!"

"Dagger 4 defending!"

"Maverick! Tally, tally. 7 o'clock!"

"Dagger 2 defending!"

Countless missiles zip through the air. I have both hands on the stick- flying for my life. "Shit! I'm out of flares!" Rooster screams. My heart drops into my chest. I see two missiles heading toward him. "Evade! Evade!" I yell. "I can't shake them! They're on me!" Oh god no. Not him. Please not him. I still have flares, I can save him. Rooster is right behind me. I know the move. I've seen my dad execute it countless times, but I'm not the only life on this plane. "Do it, Siren." Striker says, reading my mind. Pulling up and falling back I release my flares as Rooster goes under me. The flares destroy both SAMS. "Nice Siren! Let's get out of here," Striker says. Before I can respond a third one suddenly appears at 8 o'clock. 

"WATCH OUT-" 

It rips into our left wing, sending us spiraling. 

"WE'RE GOING DOWN! WE'RE GOING DOWN!"

The plane is in flames around us, heading directly into the mountains.

"EJECT, STRIKER! EJECT."