Cowboy Casanova

9

We sat in a darkly lit classroom, watching the screen as they showed us an f/a-18 flying over the desert, roaring over an antenna complex. In its missile rack, it carries a TACTS transponder. The TACTS Range is an area of the desert completely enveloped by computerized radar. The computers calculate a number of aircraft's positions and velocities by means of transponders in the ships and ground stations that talk to each other thousands of times a second. Using this system, it is possible to track aerial combat instantaneously and give pilots directions and also to play back the combats for analysis. The double viewing screens are five feet high; high technology, state of the art. On the screens are computer animated figures showing jets from various angles. Flight data is displayed. The operators punch buttons to show various points-of-view of the battle: a pilot's POV; God's POV from overhead, a long range POV, showing topography of the landscape and height of the mountains. Viper and Red are the only people standing at the front of the classroom. "The bogey has good position right here. All right, freeze here. The moment of choice: the f/a-18 is defensive. It has a chance to bug out right here. Better to retire and save your aircraft than push a bad position. Red jump in here at any time." Viper offers. She studies the screen, but lets Viper continue. "Stay in the diamond another three seconds, the bandit will blow you out of the sky; make a hard right, select zone 5, you can extend and escape. You made a bad choice. Red." The computerized rendering resumes on the screen. I look at the screen, seeing the curve of the maneuver. Viper motions for Red to continue. The screen switches, each person's idea of how to continue reflecting on the screen. When Red sees the last idea, her eyes almost bug out of her head.

"The F-14 performs a split S? That's the last thing you should do. The MiG is right on your tail... freeze there please." The screen freezes. "The MiG has you in his gunsight. What were you thinking here?" No pilot speaks up yet. But my foot is bouncing, knowing that it was my idea.

"I wasn't thinking. You don't have time to think when you're up there. If you think, you're dead... or even worse, someone else is. Try explaining to their families that they died because you were sitting on your ass, thinking. It doesn't go over well." I fold my arms across my chest, with a defensive shrug.

"Well, that's a big gamble with a 30 million dollar plane, Lieutenant." She lowers her voice, unsure of how to proceed. I feel eyes on me, but I don't care. I'm right and they all know it. They served. They know how it gets out there. "Unfortunately, the gamble worked. The MiG never got a clean shot. Banshee makes an aggressive vertical move here, comes over the top and he defeats the bandit with a missile shot. The encounter was a victory but I think that we've shown it as an example of what not to do. Next."

"Gutsiest move I've ever seen." Nat whispers to no one in particular. I smile over at her, giving her a fist bump. From across the room, I see Hangman eying me with a smirk. I can't tell what it's for but I smirk back, feeling confident.

After class, I walk out with Nat and Bradley but Hangman pulls me to the side when no one is watching and pushes me up against the pillar in a closed off hallway. "Phoenix is right. That took guts."

"No guts, no glory." I lick my lips, looking down at his. "Not here, it's too risky." He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Didn't you just say, no guts no glory?" I rolled my eyes and flipped us around, pushing him against the wall. I nuzzle my head into his neck, placing little kisses into his neck, biting here and there. I heard him moan quietly, and it made me smirk. I kiss up his jawline, towards his lips as I play with the hem of his uniform. He grabs me by the chin, pulling me in for a heated kiss. Jake trails kisses down my neck, sucking on the spot underneath my ear. When I moan, I push him away, back against the wall. He sighs and shakes his head at me. "You always cut me off when I get to the best part." I wink at him.