Copilot | Top Gun

nine

Both you and Pete jumped, the cassette radio almost falling out of his hands.

You glanced nervously at Gator in the doorway, your breathing labored. "Brett... you don't want to do this..."

Gator closed the door behind him and put his hand inside his leather jacket.

"Give it up, Gator." Pete said, setting the radio on the table and standing. "We know it was you. Admit it."

An inhumane laugh escaped Gator's mouth. "How're you gonna prove it?"

"You framed him!" You yelled, causing your throat to tear. "Clover had nothing to do with this!"

Gator sneered. "Oh, Clover, my scapegoat. It's rather lucky someone on this base hates you so. Otherwise my failed attempt on Old Mav's life would have landed me in jail."

You scowled. "We know you did it now. What are you gonna do to keep us quiet? Kill us?"

Gator nodded as if considering the prospect. "Almost, just not entirely." He pulled out a handgun from his jacket and Pete tensed, his fists clenched.

"Well... when they find our bodies here they'll link it to you. You won't get away with this." You said, bolder than you would have thought possible.

"Oh, kill both of you? No," He shook his head, smiling. "Only one of you."

Then, without warning, Gator raised his arm and pulled the trigger.

Your scream was lost in the air as panic flooded through you.

The sound of the shot shook your head and you couldn't breathe as Pete hit the floor.

"PETE!"

There were tears in your eyes as you felt a hand on your shoulder. "It's best this way." Gator said from beside you.

The tears blurred your vision but you had enough sense about you to know one thing for certain: this was not the best way.

Gator threw the gun to the ground and you saw Clover's name etched into the butt. "You may have framed Clover, but I'll never keep quiet, you can't make me stay silent anymore."

Gator suddenly grabbed you around the upper arm. Your injuries flared in retaliation. "You're mine now..." he whispered in your ear. "Just like in high school, and I'm never gonna let you go."

That was the last straw.

Going against every nerve in your body, you jerked your arm away from Gator and shakily stood from your bed. Your bare feet touched the cool tile floor. You could see crimson blood leaking from an unmoving Pete on the floor. You closed your eyes, willing the image to disappear.

"Where will you run?" Gator taunted. "There's no one to fight your battles for you anymore."

You nodded. "You're right."

Then, you swung at him from across the bed.

It was a feeble attempt, but what more could you give? You threw a left hook at him and then a right. Before he could react, Gator's nose was busted and he was wincing in pain, stumbling back, his hand flying up to his face.

Your stance wavered, your adrenaline seeping away.

Gator licked his lip uncertainly, tasting blood. "Oh... you're going to regret that." He said in a dangerous voice.

You sank to your knees, missing the bed beside you. You fell into the pool of blood on the floor. Tears of fear and devastation crowded into your eyes. Everything was over. Gator would win. Clover would be seen as guilty. Then you would have no choice but to be Gator's slave. And Pete... You gasped, realizing he was gone. He had been the only one you had trusted since Chelsea had died. You wanted it to end.

But before Gator could reach you, something hit him hard.

You forced yourself to look up and the sight before you almost made you scream in surprise.

Pete was, very much alive, punching the living daylights out of Gator.

"SHE--" PUNCH "DOESN'T--" PUNCH "DESERVE--" PUNCH "THIS--"

Gator was thrown to the ground in a heap where he moved no more.

You looked into Pete's wild eyes. "P--Pete?"

Then he was holding you in his arms, blood covering his chest and arms. Both of you clinging to each other for dear life.

"What-- what's going to happen?" You sobbed. "He's going to get away with everything! We can't prove it! His mechanic friends will testify!"

Pete looked exhausted, but he managed a feeble smile. "You think I didn't think of that before this happened?" He reached behind you and picked up the cassette radio he had been fumbling with, and pushed a button. The tape stopped rotating.

He had recorded the entire conversation.

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