Blondie- A Jake 'Hangman' Seresin fanfiction

Chapter 17

When the first helicopter landed at its destination, its passengers were ordered inside, out of the way and out of the heat, to wait for the rest of the squadron to arrive.

"How far behind us were they?" Coyote asked, yawning, and stretching in his seat. "I'm ready to go home."

"About ten minutes, Mav reckoned," Rooster replied. "So give 'em twenty."

After twenty-five minutes, Jake was beginning to get restless in his seat, picking at the loose skin on one of his fingers and tapping his foot.

After thirty minutes, someone finally stated the obvious. "Where the hell are they?" Rooster muttered. "I mean, how lost can you get, really?"

After forty minutes, Admiral Haines entered the room, a grim expression on his face, and Jake's heart dropped out of the bottom of his body.

"We've lost contact with the second helicopter," he told them. "You are all free to go, although I know some of you will want to stay."

He didn't dare to look at Jake until he'd finished speaking, but by then his head was already in his hands, staring at the floor.

"We've sent out two helicopters to search," he informed the three men that remained. "And we'll keep trying them on radio." He sighed. "We know roughly where they were when we lost contact; we're optimistic that we'll find them soon, probably slightly off course if they lost contact with navigation. We'll- keep you updated."

He looked at Jake for a second more, before retreating back out of the room.

Rooster and Coyote looked at Jake once he'd gone, and as usual, he was the one to break the silence.

"He isn't lying about the optimistic part," he said, sitting up slowly. "If there was no hope, they'd have sent Mav. The admiral wouldn't be in any state to tell anyone anything."

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In the dusk, the three women were sat on the mossy ground, backs against the helicopter, watching Payback and Fanboy attempt to make a fire.

"Out of the entire rest of the squadron, who do you reckon would cry most at our memorial?" Zeus asked the group.

"Mav," Phoenix replied quickly. "He'd be all 'these kids were under my command, they were my responsibility, I've failed them'."

"I should've got in my F-14 and shot down the equipment malfunction that got them," Bob joked.

"Georgie?" Lainey asked quietly. "Have you ever seen Hangman cry?"

"Never," Georgie replied in a low voice. "But he told me that the day I crashed that plane he switched off his comms and cried after I ejected."

"I wish we could talk to them," Phoenix murmured. "Just so they know we're okay. It's been hours, they probably think we're dead."

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It had gotten dark at the base, and still nothing. Rooster had been pacing the length of the room, brows furrowed, for what could have been minutes or hours. Coyote watched him walk up and down whilst tapping a tune on his thigh. Jake simply stared into space.

All three of them looked up at once when the admiral came in.

"You should all go home," he told them, his voice husky. "I doubt they'll find anything in the dark. I promise I'll call you as soon as we have anything. Go home and get some rest."

"You'll call as soon as you find anything?" Coyote asked. The admiral nodded. "Alright. I should probably try and get a couple of hours sleep." He rose from his seat, rested a hand on Jake's shoulder momentarily, and left the room.

After a moment's thought, Rooster stretched out his arms, and approached the door also. "I guess it doesn't matter where I wait, I'd rather do it at home." The admiral gave him a sharp nod and he also walked out.

"Jake?" the admiral prodded gently.

"All due respect, sir, I'm not going anywhere," Jake replied, finally meeting the admiral's eyes.

"In that case," the admiral sighed, "come and wait in my office. It'll be more comfortable."

They sat down either side of the admiral's cluttered desk, both of their eyes lingering on the copy of Georgie's graduation picture that hung on the wall.

"If you don't mind, sir, there's something I wanted to ask you," Jake began.

"Of course, what is it?"

He took a deep breath. "Before I ask, I want to assure you that I'm not just asking because of what's happening, I've been thinking about it for a while."

The admiral nodded, maintaining eye contact.

"When- if- Georgie gets back-" a flicker of pain crossed his face with the correction- "I want to ask her to marry me. Do I have your permission?"

"You know my philosophy, Jake," the admiral replied. "I believe in letting Georgie make her own mistakes. But- that being said- I don't think marrying you would be a mistake. I know you love each other, and as long as you've got that, everything else is survivable."

"Thank you, sir."