As high as you can go

Chapter ten

Rooster stood at attention in service dress uniform between Halo and Phoenix and watched as the coffin of Admiral Tom Kazansky callsign "Iceman" was placed next to her final resting place. His eyes recorded the successive stages of the military funeral but his mind was far away. And more specifically - a long time ago.

Rooster remembered very well the first time he met uncle Ice. It was a few days after father's death. He was only three but knew that daddy won't come back and that was exactly the reason why mommy cried until she felt asleep. Little Bradley didn't want to wake up her so he quietly sat on the porch of the rented house. He stared steadily at the path leading to the house and tried to contain his own tears. At one point, military boots appeared in his sight.

-Hey little one, where is your mommy? - A male voice asked and man knelt down beside him. Bradley looked into icy-cold blue eyes but this eyes looked at him with kindness.

-She is sleeping. - He said.

-Okay so I will stay with you until she wake up. - The man said.

-I can't talk with strangers. - Bradley frowned.

Man smiled.

-It's very clever but I'm not the stranger. My name is Tom but everyone call me Iceman or just Ice. Your dad was my friend.

When Carole Bradshaw woke up she found her son playing with his new uncle.

Till this time Tom Kazansky was constant in Rooster's life. Not like Maverick the closest friend Rooster ever had, but almost. Bradley used to spent winter break with Iceman, always got birthday cards from him and listened to lectures about life from him. It was Ice who was with him when Rooster graduated in Naval Academy. It was Ice who was Rooster's emargency contact in his papers.

And now Ice was dead. The constant was gone. He watched as the folded flag was handed over to the widow, aunt Sarah and saluted when salvo of honor was given. Then he looked at the second person who was in his mind. Maverick stepped forward and nailed his own wings into Ice’s coffin. Quiet tears was slipping down his face when he salute his best friend.

Rooster remembered how both of his uncles used to talk to each other, always with bowed heads and soft voices, laughing at jokes only they understood. Now Bradley realised, Maverick was left alone. His parents were dead, his best friends were gone. He has no children, no wife. Just like Rooster threw at him the day before. But this time it wasn't anger what made him think like that. It was grief and shame. Because Rooster knew very well that the second thing he said to Maverick that no one will cry when he will be gone was lie. If Maverick would be the one who lied in this coffin it would be many people mourning him. And Rooster would be the first to do that. He supposed funeral or military cemetery made him bo honest with himself but now, only in his mind, he could admit to himself that he missed his uncle and still loved him.

Bradley realised he was more happy in his life then others- he had three fathers, Nick, Maverick and Iceman. And he lost them all.

Jets flew into the sky above his head and in the noise they made Rooster allowed himself a single tear to run down his cheek.

***

A single fly buzzed near the lamp and the classroom was stuffy and dark. Or it only seemed to Rooster because of the heavy atmosphere inside. Neither of them were in a good mood after yesterday's funeral and impending, impossible mission did not facilitate the optimism at all. Admiral Simpson stood vis-a-vis and watched them gloomily.

-Captain Mitchell is not your instructor anymore. - He informed aviators. Rooster felt a cold shiver down his spine and shared confused gaze with his colleagues. - Your new mission parameters as of today. Time to target is now 4 minutes. You’ll be entering the valley level at reduced speed. Not to exceed 420 knots.

-Sir-Bob said carefully and Rooster thought RIO had changed a lot since he met him. Two weeks ago Bob would never have spoken first - won’t we be giving their planes time to intercept?

-Well, lieutenant-Cyclone said with obvious irony-you have a fighting chance against enemy aircraft.

Phoenix snorted like an angry cat and Bob squeezed her hand calmly. Rooster couldn't help and smiled under his nose, seeing that his friend immediately calmed down under her RIO's touch.

-What are your chances of surviving hitting the mountain vertically?-Admiral added and Rooster saw Halo fidgeted nervously. - You will be attacking the target from higher altitude.-Cyclone continued. - level with the north wall.Gonna be a little harder to keep your lase on target, but you will avoid the high-g climb out.

-We’ll be sitting ducks for enemy missiles.-Fanboy told to Payback with resignation.

Rooster frowned. They had a chance with Maverick. A Little but it was still a chance to fly succesfully and he watched it fading away right before his eyes. What Mav did this time? Was it related to the death of Ice?

Suddenly Rooster heard a crack noise. The screen behind Cyclene's back showed a plane is about to run the course. Rooster twitched and straightened when a strange feeling came across him. He knew only one person crazy enough to do something as much stupid. Admiral looked back and frowned.

-What the hell is that?-Cyclone muttered. 

The answer was quickly given as a voice came from the speakers.

-Maverick to Range Control. Entering Point Alpha, confirm Green Range.
Rooster saw the pilots fidgeting in their seats and sharing nervous glances.

- Maverick, Range Control. - Mission Controller sounded surprised when he answered. - Green Range is confirmed but... I don't see an event scheduled for you, sir.

Rooster wasn't suprised when Maverick responded:

-Well, I'm going anyway.

He smirked when he heard Natasha whispering:

- Nice.

They watched jet coming into scholar path.

- Set the time to target-Maverick pointed-2 minutes 15 seconds.

- 2:15-Payback repeated and shook his head. - That's impossible!

"I'm not so sure about this" - Rooster thought and suprasingly for himself he was sure Maverick can do this.

- File attack Point. Maverick's inbound.-His uncle said and turned off communication.

The timer started counting down. Rooster looked around and saw all the pilots staring intently at the screen when Maverick crossed the valley. He barely noticed as he leans forward tensely.

-You can do this Old man, you can do this, you can do this-He muttered.

Rooster clenched his fists when Mav picked up and down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that even Hangman had lost his usual smirk and made a mental note of this for later reference.

-Bomb's away!-Maverick cried.

Then he pulled up and made a coffin corner. Rooster's colleagues rose up and looked in screen with open mouths. After a tense silence, they heard the sound of an explosion when bombs got to the target and timer stopped at 00:00:16. Rooster smiled proudly. Mav did it! He proved he was right and Cyclone can fuck off.

-Bullseye, holy shit!-Bob screamed and exceptionally no one corrected him

- Damn!-Hangman agreed with Bob.

But Cyclone didn't seem impressed. In fact, he looked furious. Really pissed off. Rooster wondered what he will come up with to get out of it.

***

They received the information on the evening of that day. Maverick has been appointed a team leader and it made place for only one single aviator. They were supposed to leave the next day.