Outrun the Future - G. Cleven

Ch 8

With the sun blazing overhead and no missions scheduled, the pilots of the 100th found themselves lounging outside, a rare moment of relief in a world that had grown increasingly dangerous. Laughter mingled with the distant hum of planes as they basked in the rare downtime.

"Hey, if I died and left you a letter, what would you want in it?" Marley asked, chewing on the end of her pencil, her gaze lost in the sky. She leaned against her plane, surrounded by other pilots, the camaraderie a comforting backdrop to her darker thoughts.

The expressions she received were a mix of disbelief and concern. "Why the hell would you even ask something like that, Mar? You don't get to die," John shot back, shaking his head, though a flicker of worry crossed his face.

Marley pointed the eraser, chewed and battered, at him. "Looks like you'll be surprised then. Maybe I'll start the letter off with a joke." She grinned, but the tension in her voice was palpable.

Buck watched their banter, a small smile creeping onto his face as he admired Marley's knack for getting under John's skin. Yet, the lightheartedness was short-lived; the gravity of their situation hung in the air. Each mission had become a gamble with fate, and everyone was painfully aware that the odds were shifting.

"Come on, talk some sense into her," John pleaded, shifting his focus to Buck, hoping for a lifeline.

"Hey, Doll," Buck chimed in, his tone light. "How about we put the letters aside for now and enjoy the sun?" Marley looked up, twirling her pencil as if trying to weave together her thoughts.

"What happens when we get called for a mission and the letters aren't done? John was just complaining about me not saying goodbye before flying. If I don't come back, what's he going to have? A half-finished letter? I figured if he gets all torn up over a simple goodbye, at least he'd want something to hold onto. Plus, I was writing one for you, too."

Buck sighed, glancing back at John. "She has a point."

John scoffed, rising from the ground. "I'm going to find something better to do than this." He pointed at Marley, a smirk creeping onto his face. "I want you to write the real story of what happened to Ma's favorite vase. I need proof it wasn't me."

As he walked off, Marley shook her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Damn, he got me there." Gale, sitting nearby, chuckled at the Egan sibling antics and shifted so Marley could lean against him instead of the plane.

"Have you thought about what you want after this?" Gale asked, his tone soft as he studied her expression, trying to gauge the weight of her thoughts.

"I want what every girl wants: a house, a husband, and kids," Marley replied, her voice drifting into a hopeful daydream. "I just needed a little adventure before settling down. But if we make it out of this, I want something simple and safe. And John can't be too far from me either. Not that he'll let me out of his sight after all this." A gentle smile settled on her face, one that grew when Gale asked where he fit into the picture.

"Well, you can either live down the street, wondering about what could have been, or you can be under the same roof as me, thanking the stars we both made it back safe." He brushed a strand of hair from her face, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head—a simple gesture that sent her heart racing.

"All the things I could've had, huh?" He teased, laughter bubbling up as he pulled her closer. "John isn't the only one who's never going to let you out of his sight. I promise you that."

*******

Time slipped away too quickly, and soon the moon rose, casting shadows that whispered of new challenges ahead. Followed by sun rays hidden behind a thick blanket of fog.