Outrun the Future - G. Cleven

Ch 9

When the guys returned, they were greeted by Marley Egan lounging casually in the jeep. It was a refreshing change to see the younger Egan waiting on the runway, and many of the guys felt a comforting sense of normalcy in her presence.

As the two Majors approached, smiles spread across their faces at the sight of the young pilot, alive and well. Bucky couldn't help but tease, "Why is it that I'm a nervous wreck waiting for you, while you're here like we just popped out to the store?"

Marley shrugged with a playful grin. "I'm not as big of a baby as you are."

John gave her a gentle nudge, chuckling. "Whatever, Marley."

Once they climbed into the jeep, Marley remarked on how tan they looked. "Being stranded in the desert will do that to you," Bucky replied with a smirk. She started the engine and steered them toward interrogation.

"They didn't throw you a big welcome party?" Marley mused. "I figured it'd be a huge deal to have American pilots on their soil." Her question was valid—flying the path they took was risky and unprecedented, especially since nothing had gone according to plan.

"Let's just say the plan sounded better before we took off," the blonde replied, glancing at Marley as she drove, trying to gauge if something was off. The only visible change was her hair, which was down, cascading around her shoulders. He knew the group would've had to go on at least one assignment while they were gone.

"What did the fighters do while we were gone?" John asked, echoing the curiosity that lingered in the air.

Marley bit her lip, knowing they'd find out soon enough. "We went on a small night flight with our RAF pals. Nothing major since then. They still haven't sent replacements, which means no big flights for now."

The two men exchanged glances, sensing she was holding back something. But with her cheerful demeanor and the fact that she was moving around fine, they didn't think anything too bad could've happened.

Marley pulled up outside of the building and stopped the car. Both men got out, thanking her for the ride. Her brother walked right inside, but Gale paused. "You really weren't worried about if we made it out or not?"

Marley smiled, "I bribed one of the navigators into knowing who made it to Africa." Gale laughed and followed his friend into the building.

***

Marley made her way back to her plane, where Lemmons was busy addressing a few last-minute issues. "How's she looking?" she asked, surveying the work.

Lemmons looked up with a grin. "Almost done. Should be ready by the time you're cleared. Speaking of which, how did your brother take the news?"

Marley ran a hand through her hair, the weight of his concern evident. "I've been waiting for the right moment to tell him."

Lemmons shook his head, his expression serious. "He deserves to know you almost died."

Marley rolled her eyes, brushing off the gravity of his words. "I didn't almost die."

He scoffed, crossing his arms. "You wouldn't know—because you passed out in Sutton's arms! It took two of us to carry you to medical. I even had to throw away that uniform; I couldn't get your blood out of it."

Marley's expression softened, the reality of the situation hitting her. "Okay, maybe it was a bit more serious than I thought," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But how am I supposed to tell him? 'Hey while you were gone, I was shot at and almost didn't live to tell you about it. Let's go grab some lunch.'"