Tailspin, page 42
“I can’t pay for that. It’s like six million credits.”
“Not that expensive.” Malaki dropped us down nice and steady to the platform we’d been assigned. Steady rain pitter-pattered the windscreen. She turned to me. “One step at a time, Rus. We—you can’t rush this.”
“I’m not being given much of a choice.”
“Let’s get this weekend run out of the way, learn about our fireteam, the others, all of us. Then let’s talk seriously. After you’ve done some time in the field.”
“You think that would make the decision for me, don’t you?”
She put a hand on mine as the blades above us slowed so we could disembark within the Station’s safety protocols. “If your headache gets to eight or worse, then yes. Six million credits or not, we’ll get you the upgrade.”
She was mocking me slightly. I didn’t need to look at her; even if it weren’t that expensive, she was talking about the impossible.
Malaki threw open her door and ran for the main doors. I followed, the driving rain up here unusual and cold. “I’ve got to report to my CO.”
“About me?”
“About your training, yes.”
“Did I fail?”
“Not all of it.” She forced a smile. “But we’ve got some more training heading our way. I’ll be seeing if we can get something better, though. I really need to get you up a level. I love the Bumbles, but they’re not my kinda bird.”
“One step at a time, yeah.”
She nodded. “I’ll comm you later, go meet our second.” She turned and ran for the elevator. The young man who had just pushed the down button held his hand out to stop doors so she could slip in. Malaki gave me a little wave as the doors closed, and I returned it.
50
Shower and change, I thought, and headed for my dorm to do precisely that. I’d heard nothing from Justin at all. Though we’d planned to meet, there was no time, no place. I hoped something would come through soon, or else I’d wander the bars later looking for him.
The shower was good, even if just the regulated time slot. I washed off, rinsed, and was out in three minutes flat. As I debated putting my boots, or runners, on, my HUD pinged. There were the coordinates for our meeting.
I swallowed.
It was not in this sector.
Was he testing me to see if I could get in or out of where I shouldn’t?
There was no way I could go where he was asking. Legally.
I returned the message with a quick “I’ll be there” and wondered how the fuck I could pull this off.
Apex, map out the route I need to take.
Highly irregular, he replied.
I sighed. Can you do it?
Yes, you know I can, from mapping a jogging route to every flight detail.
Then don’t be an ass. Do it.
Ruslan, he said, his tone cold. I have to look out for both of us. Without you—
I’m sorry. I let out a sigh. I’m a little fried.
Understood. Mapping a route for you now.
I thought again about my running shoes, but boots seemed more appropriate now. I could still run in them, but if I needed something to kick with…
I called Niko on the way, thinking Malaki might still be busy. “Hey,” he said. “Had a good day?”
“Err, it was eventful,” I replied and hit the button for the elevator back to the surface. “I’m heading to meet Justin. I needed to let someone know where I was going.”
“You think it’s going to turn nasty?”
“I’m being cautious,” I said, sending him the coordinates.
“That’s in Sector Two,” Niko said. “You can’t get in there, surely?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“He’s testing you.” Niko groaned.
“I kinda figured that it would take me a while to track across there. Anything you can tell me? Tips?”
“Send me your route,” he said, and I did.
Don’t use this route or the elevator. They’re monitored out of our sector. You’ll have a better chance with the service routes. Here, I’ll sort it.
In a few more minutes he passed it back to me. “I don’t have any other ideas, but I think this is better than anything direct. I could come with you, you know, right?”
“Malaki said that earlier. No, I need to do this.”
“What if he tries—”
“He won’t try anything foolish. He’s getting paid well for this, just like we will.”
“Oh yeah,” Niko said. “We’re getting paid. I have no idea what to ask for yet. But the offer’s been made.”
“Get whatever you need,” I said to him. “This isn’t just a job for me. This should help us all.”
“Would you be upset if I asked for something for Lacy?”
“Are you kidding me?” I exited onto the street and waited for the next shuttle car to take me across the city. “Niko, anything you want is your choice, not mine.”
“But if it benefited the squad?”
“It’s still your choice,” I said. “We’re our own people, and you never said…did she—?”
“Of course, I should have said!” His voice rose in excitement and then quieted. “We’ve agreed to wait until I get a permanent job, till we’re settled in a home and a working life.”
“You think that will ever happen around here?”
I checked that I was on the right path, and as it reached my next stop, I swapped cars to another.
“I’m not sure, but she’s hoping for a job at Rise, eventually.”
“What about you?”
“I can’t just be a helo medic there,” he said. “It’s…” He trailed off.
“Not the life you want?”
“No, man, I’m made for the front line, helping those who really put their lives at risk, like you and Malaki.”
“Don’t rush any decisions,” I said. “As much as I want you around, make the choices you need to for yourself, okay?”
Silence spread over the comms. “I’ll ask for funds for now,” he said. “Then Lacy and I can make the decisions regarding it.”
“I’m glad she said yes,” I said. “You were meant for each other.”
“Thanks, man,” he replied. “Keep me posted tonight. If you need anything, I will be there in a heartbeat. You know it.”
“I do. Later.”
He cut the comms. The view out the window of the shuttle car flashed past vast buildings and walkways, riverways. Many more intricate rivers were running through the station the closer to the center we got. I was heading down under and to somewhere that almost frightened me.
Do not be worried.
What do you think he wants?
To test you. To also test himself.
Seriously, he wants to do that now?
What better way to see who is the strongest between you than to put you both up against each other?
I guess. I just wasn’t expecting all this.
Like I said, do not be worried. I am not.
That gave me a little confidence. Apex knew me and knew me well. Even if I didn’t know myself that much, I was starting to trust the voice in my head.
Thanks, I replied.
You are welcome. Take the next stop, and you’ll go into Sector Two with the working teams under a very different name. No one will stop you, just don’t look like…
Like what? Like me?
Just don’t look like you…
That was going to be pretty impossible, but I vowed not to look like me, or at least not to act like me. I needed to think and act like someone else.
The only person I could think of that I might pass for down here was Tsomak. I recalled the way he walked—shoulders down, head lowered. Almost subordinate, which he was after his accident. Any attention gave him cause to worry, so he deflected it, making himself seem invisible. I had to do the same. So I mimicked him.
It seemed to go well because no one looked at me, stopped me, or spoke to me.
Until they did.
You’ve been spotted.
“No fucking kidding,” I hissed under my breath at him as if he were real.
The woman who had seen me made eye contact with me only once but started to move.
If I ran, it would be so much worse. There was no way I was going to get through security, no way at all.
Instead, I tucked my head back down and did my best to ignore that she was heading for me. Her feet moved faster.
I acted startled when she grabbed hold of my shirt and yanked me towards her. “Hey, what?”
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Just a worker. I’m no one.”
Oh, I bet she loved that. I could already see a glint in her eyes. I played on that more. “Please,” I said. “If I don’t get through, they’ll get rid of me. I—I’m—already on several warnings for being late…”
“Didn’t think I’d seen you before, don’t look like a worker,” she growled. “So you’re just early?”
“Yes,” I stammered, “just early.”
She squinted at me some more, then let me down, at least so I wasn’t half strangled. I needed better defense and better ways to run if I needed to. This wasn’t good enough.
I had to be better overall.
“Get out of here,” she said and, with a shove, pushed me back into the line waiting to go through security.
Ahead of me, the line moved fast. I was soon at the scanners, and then I was through the main doors and into Sector Two.
You’re not a street rat, Apex said. You might have been a racer and a sky runner…but you were not a street runner.
Do you think I’d have done better with that kind of upbringing?
No, I do not.
When the blinking flag in my view twirled to warn I was going the wrong way, I shifted around and headed back out of the underground a different way.
The evening was well set in now, and though Sector Two was not entirely lit yet, it somehow seemed brighter.
Tucking my coat collar around my neck, I huddled down into it. It rained still. No matter how much we wished the shields would protect us from the elements, and mostly they did, at the “edge,” they couldn’t stop all the rain. It would have required much more power for a complete shield, so sometimes you got wet.
I hurried forward, and the flag showed I was getting closer. Eventually, I drew near another security unit. This time, the guards never batted an eye.
How did you do that? I asked Apex.
If I tell you, there would be a considerable security breach where there shouldn’t be. For now, just call me lucky.
Lucky indeed.
The building I was aiming for loomed in the distance, and it looked simple and small compared to the structures surrounding it. I moved to the door, still head down, shoulders low, and knocked.
Justin opened the door. “I saw Jackson collar you at the gates,” he said. “No idea how you got past her, but come on in. You must have a way with words I don’t think we have.”
I stepped inside. “What is this place?”
“A safe spot,” he said. “Where else could I get you into something half decent without others knowing?” Something decent? My mind whirled.
So he’s not testing me, this is sanctioned? I asked Apex.
I’m not sure. I would think so. Not like anyone here isn’t tracked or being watched.
Yeah. But it all seemed odd. Why me? It had to be a test, just not his.
When he moved inside the building, I followed him into the darkness beyond. A tiny light loomed ahead.
“There are helos in here?” I asked, noting the tell tail shadows as we drew closer.
“Secure facility. It is off the grid for most,” he said, stepping into the light.
Ahead of us were indeed two helos.
“You know I shouldn’t fly without Malaki.”
“Yes, yes, you should. This mission’s simple. We get in, make a drop, we get out.”
Fuck.
The light was bright, and I saw two men standing by the sides of each helo. “You want me to pilot with someone else?”
“Got it in one. Not going to back out now, are you?”
I watched as both men started takeoff procedures, releasing clamps. An extensive set of doors behind them clunked, and stars twinkled at me.
I couldn’t back out, not at all. I’d asked him to put his fireteam, and himself, on the line for us. If I had to do something to prove myself, I would.
“Okay, what are we doing here?”
“We’re flying off grid. You’ll have no tech,” he said, moving towards the helo. “We’re making a drop west of North Defense. Refuel on the way in.”
They’re going to block you off. Are you okay with that? I asked Apex.
Yes, I am. Ruslan, you will be fine.
“Okay,” I said to Justin. “What are we doing this for?”
“I need to see what you’re capable of without the tech, as a DP and a leader.”
“Leader?”
“You know Walter is there just for show.”
“And Malaki?”
“Also for show,” he said. He was almost at the helos and I wanted the rest of the explanation. I wasn’t going to get one. “Mount up.”
See you on the other side.
51
It was as if a switch had turned off. I felt dizzy for a quick moment.
“It will take you a sec to adjust,” the man to my right said. The voice was robotic. Not human?
Adjust I did. Even if I felt off, sick, for longer than a moment.
I checked over the helo. It was nothing special. Was it a spinoff of a Bumble 44?
“This is a Bumble 66,” Justin said. “Good guns and six passengers.” The guns sticking out the front made me question again what we were doing, but I sucked in a breath and ensured all the clamps were off. I didn’t know this copilot, and that meant I sure as hell didn’t trust him. Not at all.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I noted the scar above his left eye. I’d seen that before, somewhere I was sure of it. I couldn’t place where.
On one hand, I was glad Apex wasn’t here; he couldn’t chastise me for anything I did wrong. On the other, I couldn’t ask him why none of this made sense. Just follow orders, I don’t need to like what I’m doing, or know why, just do what I’m asked, right.
Wrong…I wanted to know all the why. This was nuts.
Helo’s controls were all in the same places. I checked all of them as the tracks we were on started to move, and I continued my pre-flight checks.
The man at my side held out a helmet to me with attached radio gear. I slipped it on. Shit yeah, no tech, only limited comms.
“Better?” the man asked.
I nodded. The noise cancellation on the inside was good and cut out most of the wobble as the RPM built up.
“Only one station,” Justin said. “This one.”
“Flight plan?”
“Aden’s got it. It’s an old landing zone. Surrounded by trees, and we’re not stopping. The guys will hop out.”
“Hop out?” He was joking, right?
“Not joking,” the man I now knew was Aden said. “This is an as fast as they come deployment.”
The side door opened, and six black-clad figures got in wearing full tactical gear, and carrying some hefty-looking bags. I felt the helo shift as its weight suddenly doubled.
Six people all geared to the hilt? What the fuck were we even doing again?
Not one of the men looked my way.
“Ice71, this is Red7. We are all green,” Justin said. “Lock in location and prepare to leave in two minutes.”
Now Aden had confirmation, he passed me the coordinates. I had to do this old school—math. But I quickly calculated what I could with what I knew. I worked out the added approximate weight of the six people and their gear. I brought up the fuel tank, which was not full—not by any means—and calculated as well as I could. It didn’t look good.
“Going to be tight here, Justin,” I said across comms.
Aden raised an eyebrow at me. “Thorough little shit, ain’t ya?”
“Would you trust me if I wasn’t?” He shook his head at me. “There you go. You’re with me, not the other way around. If I say it, do it. No negotiation, got it?”
“Got it,” he said, letting out a breath and switching channels. “To be honest, I thought Justin had saddled me with some no-mark who wouldn’t be able to do the job.”
“Thanks.” I laughed, kinda. “That takes a good amount of pressure off.” It really didn’t.
“Wind’s a little strong,” I said over comms.
“We’ll be good. Get in the air,” Justin ordered.
I let him lead and I followed, taking this Bumble 66 up steadily into the air. It was heavy, and I could feel the load on the wind. Our weight would mean extra fuel, which meant our tight window just got tighter.
“Looking good,” Justin said. “We have an hour or so to settle in. I suggest you do just that.”
He wasn’t one for talking, and neither was I, to be fair. I didn’t know the man at my side or the fireteam in the back and didn’t really know where to start.
“I won’t bite,” Aden said.
Justin took us up to eight, then fifteen thousand feet.
“So this drop is just the people in the back?” I asked.
Aden nodded. “We drop and leave. They know what they’re doing—” He stopped himself.
“—and we don’t need to, right?” I finished.
“No, we don’t,” Aden said.
“Nor who is running it?”
“Nope,” he said. “All I need to know is I’m getting paid.”
“But this is sanctioned?”
He stared at me, didn’t answer. Yeah, I was being an idiot. Couldn’t get a helo on or off OOF without someone knowing.
Unease spread through me. I wondered how to word things without pissing him, or the fireteam behind me off.
I let the silence fall over me.
“What makes you want to fly?” Aden asked eventually.
I glanced at him. “Probably similar reasons as you,” I replied. “It feels like home. Up here, there’s not really much that can hurt you.”
“There’s enough,” he said. “I didn’t set out wanting to pilot.”
“No?”
“Not that expensive.” Malaki dropped us down nice and steady to the platform we’d been assigned. Steady rain pitter-pattered the windscreen. She turned to me. “One step at a time, Rus. We—you can’t rush this.”
“I’m not being given much of a choice.”
“Let’s get this weekend run out of the way, learn about our fireteam, the others, all of us. Then let’s talk seriously. After you’ve done some time in the field.”
“You think that would make the decision for me, don’t you?”
She put a hand on mine as the blades above us slowed so we could disembark within the Station’s safety protocols. “If your headache gets to eight or worse, then yes. Six million credits or not, we’ll get you the upgrade.”
She was mocking me slightly. I didn’t need to look at her; even if it weren’t that expensive, she was talking about the impossible.
Malaki threw open her door and ran for the main doors. I followed, the driving rain up here unusual and cold. “I’ve got to report to my CO.”
“About me?”
“About your training, yes.”
“Did I fail?”
“Not all of it.” She forced a smile. “But we’ve got some more training heading our way. I’ll be seeing if we can get something better, though. I really need to get you up a level. I love the Bumbles, but they’re not my kinda bird.”
“One step at a time, yeah.”
She nodded. “I’ll comm you later, go meet our second.” She turned and ran for the elevator. The young man who had just pushed the down button held his hand out to stop doors so she could slip in. Malaki gave me a little wave as the doors closed, and I returned it.
50
Shower and change, I thought, and headed for my dorm to do precisely that. I’d heard nothing from Justin at all. Though we’d planned to meet, there was no time, no place. I hoped something would come through soon, or else I’d wander the bars later looking for him.
The shower was good, even if just the regulated time slot. I washed off, rinsed, and was out in three minutes flat. As I debated putting my boots, or runners, on, my HUD pinged. There were the coordinates for our meeting.
I swallowed.
It was not in this sector.
Was he testing me to see if I could get in or out of where I shouldn’t?
There was no way I could go where he was asking. Legally.
I returned the message with a quick “I’ll be there” and wondered how the fuck I could pull this off.
Apex, map out the route I need to take.
Highly irregular, he replied.
I sighed. Can you do it?
Yes, you know I can, from mapping a jogging route to every flight detail.
Then don’t be an ass. Do it.
Ruslan, he said, his tone cold. I have to look out for both of us. Without you—
I’m sorry. I let out a sigh. I’m a little fried.
Understood. Mapping a route for you now.
I thought again about my running shoes, but boots seemed more appropriate now. I could still run in them, but if I needed something to kick with…
I called Niko on the way, thinking Malaki might still be busy. “Hey,” he said. “Had a good day?”
“Err, it was eventful,” I replied and hit the button for the elevator back to the surface. “I’m heading to meet Justin. I needed to let someone know where I was going.”
“You think it’s going to turn nasty?”
“I’m being cautious,” I said, sending him the coordinates.
“That’s in Sector Two,” Niko said. “You can’t get in there, surely?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“He’s testing you.” Niko groaned.
“I kinda figured that it would take me a while to track across there. Anything you can tell me? Tips?”
“Send me your route,” he said, and I did.
Don’t use this route or the elevator. They’re monitored out of our sector. You’ll have a better chance with the service routes. Here, I’ll sort it.
In a few more minutes he passed it back to me. “I don’t have any other ideas, but I think this is better than anything direct. I could come with you, you know, right?”
“Malaki said that earlier. No, I need to do this.”
“What if he tries—”
“He won’t try anything foolish. He’s getting paid well for this, just like we will.”
“Oh yeah,” Niko said. “We’re getting paid. I have no idea what to ask for yet. But the offer’s been made.”
“Get whatever you need,” I said to him. “This isn’t just a job for me. This should help us all.”
“Would you be upset if I asked for something for Lacy?”
“Are you kidding me?” I exited onto the street and waited for the next shuttle car to take me across the city. “Niko, anything you want is your choice, not mine.”
“But if it benefited the squad?”
“It’s still your choice,” I said. “We’re our own people, and you never said…did she—?”
“Of course, I should have said!” His voice rose in excitement and then quieted. “We’ve agreed to wait until I get a permanent job, till we’re settled in a home and a working life.”
“You think that will ever happen around here?”
I checked that I was on the right path, and as it reached my next stop, I swapped cars to another.
“I’m not sure, but she’s hoping for a job at Rise, eventually.”
“What about you?”
“I can’t just be a helo medic there,” he said. “It’s…” He trailed off.
“Not the life you want?”
“No, man, I’m made for the front line, helping those who really put their lives at risk, like you and Malaki.”
“Don’t rush any decisions,” I said. “As much as I want you around, make the choices you need to for yourself, okay?”
Silence spread over the comms. “I’ll ask for funds for now,” he said. “Then Lacy and I can make the decisions regarding it.”
“I’m glad she said yes,” I said. “You were meant for each other.”
“Thanks, man,” he replied. “Keep me posted tonight. If you need anything, I will be there in a heartbeat. You know it.”
“I do. Later.”
He cut the comms. The view out the window of the shuttle car flashed past vast buildings and walkways, riverways. Many more intricate rivers were running through the station the closer to the center we got. I was heading down under and to somewhere that almost frightened me.
Do not be worried.
What do you think he wants?
To test you. To also test himself.
Seriously, he wants to do that now?
What better way to see who is the strongest between you than to put you both up against each other?
I guess. I just wasn’t expecting all this.
Like I said, do not be worried. I am not.
That gave me a little confidence. Apex knew me and knew me well. Even if I didn’t know myself that much, I was starting to trust the voice in my head.
Thanks, I replied.
You are welcome. Take the next stop, and you’ll go into Sector Two with the working teams under a very different name. No one will stop you, just don’t look like…
Like what? Like me?
Just don’t look like you…
That was going to be pretty impossible, but I vowed not to look like me, or at least not to act like me. I needed to think and act like someone else.
The only person I could think of that I might pass for down here was Tsomak. I recalled the way he walked—shoulders down, head lowered. Almost subordinate, which he was after his accident. Any attention gave him cause to worry, so he deflected it, making himself seem invisible. I had to do the same. So I mimicked him.
It seemed to go well because no one looked at me, stopped me, or spoke to me.
Until they did.
You’ve been spotted.
“No fucking kidding,” I hissed under my breath at him as if he were real.
The woman who had seen me made eye contact with me only once but started to move.
If I ran, it would be so much worse. There was no way I was going to get through security, no way at all.
Instead, I tucked my head back down and did my best to ignore that she was heading for me. Her feet moved faster.
I acted startled when she grabbed hold of my shirt and yanked me towards her. “Hey, what?”
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Just a worker. I’m no one.”
Oh, I bet she loved that. I could already see a glint in her eyes. I played on that more. “Please,” I said. “If I don’t get through, they’ll get rid of me. I—I’m—already on several warnings for being late…”
“Didn’t think I’d seen you before, don’t look like a worker,” she growled. “So you’re just early?”
“Yes,” I stammered, “just early.”
She squinted at me some more, then let me down, at least so I wasn’t half strangled. I needed better defense and better ways to run if I needed to. This wasn’t good enough.
I had to be better overall.
“Get out of here,” she said and, with a shove, pushed me back into the line waiting to go through security.
Ahead of me, the line moved fast. I was soon at the scanners, and then I was through the main doors and into Sector Two.
You’re not a street rat, Apex said. You might have been a racer and a sky runner…but you were not a street runner.
Do you think I’d have done better with that kind of upbringing?
No, I do not.
When the blinking flag in my view twirled to warn I was going the wrong way, I shifted around and headed back out of the underground a different way.
The evening was well set in now, and though Sector Two was not entirely lit yet, it somehow seemed brighter.
Tucking my coat collar around my neck, I huddled down into it. It rained still. No matter how much we wished the shields would protect us from the elements, and mostly they did, at the “edge,” they couldn’t stop all the rain. It would have required much more power for a complete shield, so sometimes you got wet.
I hurried forward, and the flag showed I was getting closer. Eventually, I drew near another security unit. This time, the guards never batted an eye.
How did you do that? I asked Apex.
If I tell you, there would be a considerable security breach where there shouldn’t be. For now, just call me lucky.
Lucky indeed.
The building I was aiming for loomed in the distance, and it looked simple and small compared to the structures surrounding it. I moved to the door, still head down, shoulders low, and knocked.
Justin opened the door. “I saw Jackson collar you at the gates,” he said. “No idea how you got past her, but come on in. You must have a way with words I don’t think we have.”
I stepped inside. “What is this place?”
“A safe spot,” he said. “Where else could I get you into something half decent without others knowing?” Something decent? My mind whirled.
So he’s not testing me, this is sanctioned? I asked Apex.
I’m not sure. I would think so. Not like anyone here isn’t tracked or being watched.
Yeah. But it all seemed odd. Why me? It had to be a test, just not his.
When he moved inside the building, I followed him into the darkness beyond. A tiny light loomed ahead.
“There are helos in here?” I asked, noting the tell tail shadows as we drew closer.
“Secure facility. It is off the grid for most,” he said, stepping into the light.
Ahead of us were indeed two helos.
“You know I shouldn’t fly without Malaki.”
“Yes, yes, you should. This mission’s simple. We get in, make a drop, we get out.”
Fuck.
The light was bright, and I saw two men standing by the sides of each helo. “You want me to pilot with someone else?”
“Got it in one. Not going to back out now, are you?”
I watched as both men started takeoff procedures, releasing clamps. An extensive set of doors behind them clunked, and stars twinkled at me.
I couldn’t back out, not at all. I’d asked him to put his fireteam, and himself, on the line for us. If I had to do something to prove myself, I would.
“Okay, what are we doing here?”
“We’re flying off grid. You’ll have no tech,” he said, moving towards the helo. “We’re making a drop west of North Defense. Refuel on the way in.”
They’re going to block you off. Are you okay with that? I asked Apex.
Yes, I am. Ruslan, you will be fine.
“Okay,” I said to Justin. “What are we doing this for?”
“I need to see what you’re capable of without the tech, as a DP and a leader.”
“Leader?”
“You know Walter is there just for show.”
“And Malaki?”
“Also for show,” he said. He was almost at the helos and I wanted the rest of the explanation. I wasn’t going to get one. “Mount up.”
See you on the other side.
51
It was as if a switch had turned off. I felt dizzy for a quick moment.
“It will take you a sec to adjust,” the man to my right said. The voice was robotic. Not human?
Adjust I did. Even if I felt off, sick, for longer than a moment.
I checked over the helo. It was nothing special. Was it a spinoff of a Bumble 44?
“This is a Bumble 66,” Justin said. “Good guns and six passengers.” The guns sticking out the front made me question again what we were doing, but I sucked in a breath and ensured all the clamps were off. I didn’t know this copilot, and that meant I sure as hell didn’t trust him. Not at all.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I noted the scar above his left eye. I’d seen that before, somewhere I was sure of it. I couldn’t place where.
On one hand, I was glad Apex wasn’t here; he couldn’t chastise me for anything I did wrong. On the other, I couldn’t ask him why none of this made sense. Just follow orders, I don’t need to like what I’m doing, or know why, just do what I’m asked, right.
Wrong…I wanted to know all the why. This was nuts.
Helo’s controls were all in the same places. I checked all of them as the tracks we were on started to move, and I continued my pre-flight checks.
The man at my side held out a helmet to me with attached radio gear. I slipped it on. Shit yeah, no tech, only limited comms.
“Better?” the man asked.
I nodded. The noise cancellation on the inside was good and cut out most of the wobble as the RPM built up.
“Only one station,” Justin said. “This one.”
“Flight plan?”
“Aden’s got it. It’s an old landing zone. Surrounded by trees, and we’re not stopping. The guys will hop out.”
“Hop out?” He was joking, right?
“Not joking,” the man I now knew was Aden said. “This is an as fast as they come deployment.”
The side door opened, and six black-clad figures got in wearing full tactical gear, and carrying some hefty-looking bags. I felt the helo shift as its weight suddenly doubled.
Six people all geared to the hilt? What the fuck were we even doing again?
Not one of the men looked my way.
“Ice71, this is Red7. We are all green,” Justin said. “Lock in location and prepare to leave in two minutes.”
Now Aden had confirmation, he passed me the coordinates. I had to do this old school—math. But I quickly calculated what I could with what I knew. I worked out the added approximate weight of the six people and their gear. I brought up the fuel tank, which was not full—not by any means—and calculated as well as I could. It didn’t look good.
“Going to be tight here, Justin,” I said across comms.
Aden raised an eyebrow at me. “Thorough little shit, ain’t ya?”
“Would you trust me if I wasn’t?” He shook his head at me. “There you go. You’re with me, not the other way around. If I say it, do it. No negotiation, got it?”
“Got it,” he said, letting out a breath and switching channels. “To be honest, I thought Justin had saddled me with some no-mark who wouldn’t be able to do the job.”
“Thanks.” I laughed, kinda. “That takes a good amount of pressure off.” It really didn’t.
“Wind’s a little strong,” I said over comms.
“We’ll be good. Get in the air,” Justin ordered.
I let him lead and I followed, taking this Bumble 66 up steadily into the air. It was heavy, and I could feel the load on the wind. Our weight would mean extra fuel, which meant our tight window just got tighter.
“Looking good,” Justin said. “We have an hour or so to settle in. I suggest you do just that.”
He wasn’t one for talking, and neither was I, to be fair. I didn’t know the man at my side or the fireteam in the back and didn’t really know where to start.
“I won’t bite,” Aden said.
Justin took us up to eight, then fifteen thousand feet.
“So this drop is just the people in the back?” I asked.
Aden nodded. “We drop and leave. They know what they’re doing—” He stopped himself.
“—and we don’t need to, right?” I finished.
“No, we don’t,” Aden said.
“Nor who is running it?”
“Nope,” he said. “All I need to know is I’m getting paid.”
“But this is sanctioned?”
He stared at me, didn’t answer. Yeah, I was being an idiot. Couldn’t get a helo on or off OOF without someone knowing.
Unease spread through me. I wondered how to word things without pissing him, or the fireteam behind me off.
I let the silence fall over me.
“What makes you want to fly?” Aden asked eventually.
I glanced at him. “Probably similar reasons as you,” I replied. “It feels like home. Up here, there’s not really much that can hurt you.”
“There’s enough,” he said. “I didn’t set out wanting to pilot.”
“No?”
