Rising From The Flames

Chapter 7 - Working My Way To The Top

Slamming the car door shut, Calvin popped the trunk as Jen took her side. "So you're sure you can trust this guy?"

Biting her lip, Calvin threw her backpack over her shoulders and clutched a duffle bag in each hand. "I don't know him." She waited as he slammed the trunk closed. "But he knew sanchez." From where they were the hum of the jet's engine met their ears. Then together, they moved towards it. "He was his cousin."

The hispanic man stomped down the boarding steps of the plane. She had met him before, but none the less they didn't know one another very well. "Ricci." She greeted the man.

"Harris." He nodded. For a moment, he looked to each side of her almost as if he was in disbelief. "So it's true." Riccis voice sounded offended. "They actually got him?"

With a sad look to her feet, Calvin readjusted herself to stand tall. "It was fast." She tried reassuring him. "I don't think he felt a thing.."

"But you did." The bigger man nodded towards her. For a short moment, they locked eyes. "Whose this guy?" Motioning towards jensen, she started towards the stairs.

"It's a long story."

"Good thing we got time." Ricci nodded before turning and leading them up the stairs.

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Ricci flew the plane in silence, Calvin co'piloting right beside him. Somewhere in the background Jake was going about his own thing setting up the last minute equipment that he decided to bring. Calvin didn't really give him that much detail, so the whole packing thing was just kind of a spur of the moment thing. 

"So, where'd you meet this guy?" Ricci nodded back towards her four eyed companion. 

With a breathy chuckle, Calvin awkwardly pushed herself back in the seat and pulled her knee to her chest. "He was there." she set the serious tone. "When I lost em'." 

Over his shoulder, Ricci sent Jake a look. "Just him?"

"No. He has a team, well, had. Been with me ever since." 

As the conversation began to close, Ricci stared out the window and clutched the wheel tightly. "How'd it happen?"

He deserved to know. Ricci was Sanchez's family. "Missile..." Her voice faded. "They were on an Evac chopper out, Talon took em down."

"And you're going after the guy that sent the Talon, right?"

Nodding, Calvin bit her lip. "Already got him, I'm working my way to the top."

"And just how far you gotta climb?"

"Far enough." 

"well..." He breathed deeper. "You ever need a ride back down, you give me a call kid. You're family." The man nodded. "And the Sanchez's don't back down." 

"Yeah, I found that out pretty quick." She chuckled. 

Laughing along side her, he shook his head. "Yeah, he was a crazy bastered. Thought he would go out a little more heroically though." 

"Nobody saw it coming... I sure as hell didn't." 

As the flight carried out, Ricci kept on his stories about his younger cousin, the things they would used to do, how long Chris dreamed of being a soldier. Eventually though, as their laughs and story swapping settled down, Ricci sent her a sideways look. "You know, most plans involve a get away. Yours-" He looked to her and she looked back. "-yours didn't. You aren't planning on coming back, are you?" 

"I wasn't." She immediately responded before looking behind the cab using the mirror. "But things change..." Jake was finally settling down into his seat before pulling out his laptop. 

With a sideways grin, Ricci nodded. "I'll keep my phone on me then."

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The wind was blowing like crazy, dark clouds encompassing the skies around them. Stepping off the plane, Jake couldn't help but let out a shaky breath. Before them, the old fishing boat swayed with the oncoming waves of the ocean. "Uh, Calvin?" He trotted to catch up with her and Ricci. "Calvin!" 

"What?!" She spun calling over the wind. 

"I think now would be a pretty good time to tell you-" A crack of lightning interrupted their conversation. "I have two pretty big fears!" 

"Let me guess! Storms and the ocean?!"

He didn't need words to respond. She understood all she needed to just by the look that washed across his face. 

"Relax kid!" Ricci called back to them. "I'm sure they got life jackets!"

Both Calvin and Ricci shared a grin, then stepping forward, they left the man to bask in the horror that he had before him. 

Of course he was a grown man, of course he was going to go no matter what. however, that didn't make his heart slow down one bit. So, he averted his attention to the only thing that could calm his storm. The crazy blonde hair that was blowing in the wind, the bright blue eyes that were staring towards his figure, the curving smile that worked itself across her pink lips, and the pale hand that extended itself towards his. 

Calvin.