The Ghost and the Phoenix

Part Ten

'So KorTac just gave her a jet?' Soap asked Price quietly.

The team were waiting, bunked down in their positions, hidden amongst the trees and snow. Just over the ridge was their target. 

'They'd give her the aircraft carrier too if she asked for it.' Jackson replied.

'Why? She got a boyfriend there or something?' Wade said causing Simon to glare at him.

'No. Nothing like that.' Jackson breathed into his gloved hands and rubbed them together for warmth. 'They want her. KorTac's hoping when she leaves the Military she'll contract with them.'

'So their dangling a Eurofighter in front of her nose as an incentive?' Soap shook his head.

'More like a no strings attached gift.' Jackson explained. 'Just a little taste of what they have to offer. KorTac have great connections and deeper pockets.'

'I'm not surprised she made it on their radar.' Price agreed.

'Bravo-Six, Bravo-Six, Phoenix inbound.' Mel's voice came over the radio. 'ETA thirty seconds. Light 'em up for me.'

With a nod from Price, Soap scrambled up to the ridge, keeping as low as possible. He pointed his rifle which was fitted with a laser at the communications tower.

Exactly thirty seconds later, she appeared, flying low enough the trees shook from the jet wash and they could just make out Mel in the cockpit.

'Package one launched.'

They watched the missile leave the undercarriage of the Eurofighter, a white streak all the way to the tower where a spectacular explosion rocked the valley. Banking hard to the right, Mel doubled back towards a line of buildings nestled below.

'Package two on it's way with back up.'

A second missile streaked towards the largest building in the line, though this time, Mel followed it in, taking out several guard towers trying to hit the missile before it reached it's target. When the building exploded, it started a domino effect as one by one, each of the smaller buildings in the line followed suit. All except the last one.

'Damn, hang on.' Mel expertly flipped the Eurofighter around and headed in for a second attempt.

With the last building dealt with, Mel began circling slowly overhead.

'That's me done guys, unless... What the fuck's that?'

'What do you see Phoenix?' Price called over the radio.

'I've got company....On my six.'

A Raptor F22 appeared, streaking it's way down the valley heading for Mel.

'That wasn't in the intel.' Ghost growled.

'Get out of here!' Price's face paled as he yelled into the radio. 'That's an order!'

'Copy Bravo-Six.....Shit he's locked on!'

The Raptor fired a missile, but at the last minute Mel banked in the other direction at the same time she deployed flares, drawing the missile away from her jet so it exploded into the side of the valley

Unfortunately, this put her directly in the path of the Raptor who opened fire with his machine gun. The Eurofighter corkscrewed in the air, narrowly missing the bullets, returning fire so the Raptor banked away to avoid being hit.

The team on the ground watched the dogfight between the two jets with amazement and fear. While it was clear Mel was the better pilot, she was at a disadvantage, down three missiles and at least half her ammunition.