The next day everyone was in the mess hall for breakfast when Colonel Bauer entered.
“Attention!” Everyone stop talking and turned to the colonel.
“I need six pilots to cover helicopters when they go in to get the rescue team.” Sam stood up.
“I'll go, Sir.”
“I'll go” another one said. Then four others did as well.
“Right, gear up. You fly out in five. Move it.”
They ran out of the mess hall and over to the hanger where they suited up and ran to their jets, just as the helicopters took off. Once they were in the jets and strapped in, they fired up the engines and headed to the runway and then they took off one by one.
They stayed behind the helicopters while they went in to get the black ops teams. When the helicopters went in, they spotted MIGs heading for them so they called in the support team.
“Alright, let’s take care of these guys” the colonel said, then they flew towards the MIGs firing at them. While the MIGs were trying to take down the USAF jets, the helicopters went in and got the teams out.
Sam heard that one member was left behind because the Iraqis were shooting at them. After she blew up the last MIG, Sam flew down to where the helicopters were. She saw someone in black on the ground and the Iraqis heading towards the wounded soldier.
“Chopper One, this is Carter, do not take off. Tell the guys they can go back and get the wounded solider.”
“We can't risk it, we’ve got to go.”
“You can, I'm taking the Iraqis out now. Then you can go in. I’ve got your six, remember.” Sam went in and fired on the jeeps and ground patrol, killing them all.
“You’ve got a go; I repeat, you’ve got a go, all clear.”
“Copy that.” Sam hung around as two men ran to the wounded solider and picked him up and ran back to the helicopter. Once on board, they took off. All six jets stayed with the helicopters until they were safely across the border.
“Thanks for watching our six, meet you back at base.”
“Roger that. Meet you at home base.” Then five jets flew on ahead.
“Why aren't you flying with the others?”
“I want to make sure you all get back to the base, Colonel.”
“I'm ordering you to go ahead, Captain.”
“With all due respect, Sir, I take my orders from General Viking, when he says to stay with you that is what I'm doing. Just because we are across the border doesn’t mean that it is safe. You heard the reports of MIGs over the border. Unless General Viking says otherwise, you're stuck with me, Colonel.”
Then a minute later Sam noticed something on her radar.
“Chopper One, we’ve got a bogie coming up from behind. I'll going to check it out.”
“Copy that.” Then Sam turned around to see three more bogies had appeared.
“Chopper One, I suggest you guys get low we got four... make that six unidentified bogies heading this way.”
“Captain, if they are MIGs…”
“If they are, I'll try holding them off while you get home.” Sam flew towards the six targets and saw that they were MIGs.
“I’ve got six MIGs twenty miles over the border. Copy? Over.”
“Copy that, Captain, I'm sending the rest of the group back.”
“Copy that, I'll do the best I can, with what I’ve got, Sir” Sam flew around them and used what bullets she had remaining.
“I'm hit. I repeat, I'm hit. I managed to get five of the MIGs, the sixth is going after the helicopters. I'm after the son of a bitch.”
Sam flew after it and she fired off few rounds letting the MIG know that she was after it. The MIG turned around and headed straight for Sam. Sam fired at the cockpit, hitting the pilot, but he was still heading for Sam.
So, Sam blew her canopy as she headed straight for the MIG. She pulled the ejector seat handle, and was immediately propelled into the air. She watched the two jets collide, knowing that she had saved the four helicopters and their crews. When Sam's parachute opened, she managed to land safely on the ground.
She knew what to do if something like that happened. Once she hid the seat and parachute, she grabbed her things and hid to wait until she was rescued. She heard the jets fly past so she turned her beacon on and saw them tip their wings knowing that they had her coordinates. Then she turned it off, just in case.
Four hours later Sam heard a helicopter fly overhead and two jets flying around. When she saw they were USAF jets and helicopter, she turned her beacon on and walked out of her hiding spot. Since there were large boulders everywhere, the only way out was by rope, so they sent a rope with a harness down to her. Sam secured it around her then she gave a thumbs up. They lifted her up and pulled her up and into the helicopter as they returned to base.
When they landed the medical team was on hand and helped Sam onto the gurney then they wheeled her to the Infirmary, since she was shot in both legs. Once in the Infirmary, the staff quickly helped Sam remove her clothing and cleaned her up before she went into the OR.
The next morning Sam was sitting up in bed when General Viking entered.
“Captain.”
“Sir.” They saluted each other.
“What you did yesterday was pure bravery risking your life for the four helicopters and crews. Well done, Captain.”
“Thank you, Sir...sorry for losing the jet, Sir.” He smiled.
“It was a small price compared to losing fifty-three lives and four helicopters.”
“True, Sir... what happened to the wounded soldier, Sir?”
“He’s going to make a full recovery. The team and the wounded solider left three hours ago heading back state side.” Sam nodded.
“General, if I may ask, who was the wounded solider?” He took a deep breath and looked Sam in the eye.
“It was Colonel O’Neill.” Sam gasped then remembered he was captured by the Iraqis and the torture they put him through ‘til he escaped four months later.
“Is he going to be alright, Sir?”
“He will be. Thanks to you.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Because of what you did yesterday, I'm going to recommend that you receive the Medal of Honor.” Sam was shocked.
“Ah, thank you, Sir.”
“I'll leave you to get some rest, Captain. You deserve it.”
“Don't worry, Sir. I'll be up and about and ready to fly this weekend, Sir.”
“I've never come across an officer so willing to return to duty so soon after being shot.”
“Well, I am, Sir. Without me, we are screwed, Sir. The squadron needs me more than I need them. They know that I'm there to watch their six, Sir.”
“I know that, Captain; there won't be any flights until after Christmas.”
“Yes, Sir.” Then the nurse walked in.
“I'll leave you to rest, Captain. You have plenty of time between now and when you fly again.”
“Yes, Sir.” He walked out of the infirmary.
On Christmas day everyone was in the mess hall getting their Christmas lunch of chicken, turkeys, baked ham, potatoes, yams, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and other vegetables. Plus there were assorted cakes and pies, available with whipped cream, and ice cream for afterwards.
When Sam walked into the room some of the pilots turned to see who entered and they smiled then they stood up clapping, then others turned to see what was going on and saw who had walked in then they started clapping and smiling as well. Sam smiled at them all as she walked further into the mess hall. Everyone wished her a Merry Christmas and they were all pleased to see her up and about. Once everyone settled down, one of the majors walked over to Sam.
“Merry Christmas, Carter.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“You know you can watch my six any time” he said as he turned around and wiggled his back side causing some of the closer ones to laugh.
“No, thank you. The only time I'll be watching your six is when we are in the air... Major, there is only one six I will be more than watching and it’s not yours, nice try fly boy.”
Sam walked past him causing everyone to laugh. “Oh, and, Major, I can whip your six any time.” She gave him a wink and she walked over to the line of personnel waiting to be served.
“Oh, Captain, you can whip mine any time,” another captain said.
“I'll do more than that, Captain, if you don't watch what you say.”
Every one gave both the captain and major a hard time not knowing that Colonel Bauer had walked into the mess hall and heard everything. He was not amused by what been said.
Later that afternoon, Sam was walking around the base when General Viking walked over to her.
“Captain.”
“Sir.” They saluted each other.
“It’s good to see you up and around.”
“Thank you, General, but you're not here for that, Sir.”
“No, Colonel Bauer came and told me what happened in the mess hall at lunch time. He wasn't impressed with what was said by you, Captain Johnson, and Major Young.”
“With all due respect, General, what happened in the mess hall was harmless fun, it’s Christmas Day. Captain Johnson told me, half an hour ago, that everyone was feeling down with it being Christmas and seeing me walk into the mess hall helped cheer them up a little, Sir. And as for the comments, everyone knows that Captain Johnson and Major Young are jokesters, Sir. They were trying to boost morale and they knew what would happen if they stepped out of line with me. They all know that I can kick their six in sparing and in hand to hand training, Sir.”
“Are you sure that’s all it was, Captain?”
“Yes, Sir. If you had been there, you would understand. It’s good to have things like that on a day like today, Sir.”
“Alright. If it happens again…”
“I hope you are there to witness it and understand the joke, Sir.”
“Yes, alright, but if it gets out of hand.”
“It won't, Sir.”
“Very well.” Then he turned to walk back to his office.
Sam walked around the corner to see Colonel Bauer there looking at her. “I don't know how you convinced General Viking, Captain. Next time there will be actions against you, Captain Johnson and Major Young. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Sir, and all due respect, Sir, if we can't have any harmless fun on a day like today, what would it do to our missions, Sir? While we get a chance in between missions, we try to have fun and relax. If we don't, it could cost lives and it might affect our health, Sir.”
“Don't you talk to me like that ever again, Captain! Am I clear?”
“Yes, Sir.” Sam said, giving the colonel a cold hard look. He stared at Sam then walked away.
Sam calmed down then walked over to the barracks, not knowing that three pilots heard everything and weren't happy that Colonel Bauer was targeting Sam. So they walk over to where their friends were and told them what had just happened.
Over the next three days, every one keep away from Bauer and just answered “yes Sir” or “no Sir.” General Viking noticed that when he walked into the mess hall for lunch the day after Christmas, everyone was talking and laughing.
He noticed Sam talking and laughing with the captain and major. He walk over and got his lunch and walked over to a free table and sat down to eat. Half way through everyone went quiet, so the general looked up and noticed his second in command walking in and over to where the food line.
The ones who were in line quickly move away not looking at the colonel. Once the colonel got his lunch he walk over to the general and sat down. Then the general noticed that everyone was leaving the room. He looked at the colonel who was reading a report while eating his lunch. So the general carried on eating his, while thinking.
General Viking noticed that whenever Colonel Bauer was around, everyone seemed to disappear. It was on the third day of this as he was in the toilet, when he overheard three men talking.
“Hey, did you hear about what happen this morning?”
“No, what happened?”
“Bauer had a go at Carter for being late with her report.”
“You’re joking! Carter’s never late. She’s always first one to hand hers in.”
“What was the report about?” the third guy asked.
“It was from that mission before Christmas, the one where she was wounded.”
“You’re joking. Didn’t the general gave her an extra week to do it because she was stuck in the infirmary?”
“He did. I think Bauer hates Carters guts.”
“Why would he feel that way?” the third guy asked.
“Remember he had a go at her on Christmas day about insubordination after what happened in the mess hall.”
“Yeah, he sure has got it in for her, but why?”
“I think he has had it in for Carter since she received those medals and promotion. She deserves them”
“We know. She’s seven years younger than me, and we the same rank. The way she’s going, she’ll reach major before I do!” The other two laughed.
“Hey, don't forget she can kick your ass as well.”
“She did this morning. That is one woman you don't want to mess with.”
“Yeah, don't want to get on the wrong side of her on bad day.”
“True. Come on let’s see if Carter wants to join us in some basketball.”
“I think she's resting. Captain Thomas accidentally hit her left leg on the bullet wound, this morning during hand to hand.”
“Ouch! But she kicked his ass.”
“She did alright; she gave him a bloody nose.”
“Ouch.” Then they walked out of the toilets.
Author's Notes: Feed back, yes please
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]