Countdown to Apocalypse by Evan Currie

Author:Evan Currie [Currie, Evan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: science fiction, Fiction, space opera, Superheroes, Weapons
Amazon: B07DPR9FX5
Published: 2018-06-11T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

USS Ronald Reagan, Off the Coast of Taiwan

Flight operations were in full swing as the fighter wing of the Gipper rotated out from providing support for the Hobart a couple hundred miles West of the task groups location. Matt Hallows didn’t like it in the least, he wanted to move the entire task group to back up the Hobart, but the orders had come down quite firmly against that.

Don’t aggravate the Chinese anymore than we already are, what a load of shit, Hallows thought in frustration.

They were poking the damn tiger in the balls and daring it not to bite their face off… or, more correctly, daring not to bite the Aussie’s face off at the moment.

The ready squadron was getting ready to launch while the returning fighters were being trapped in turn. Crews were swarming over each plane even before it rolled to a stop, getting the pilots out and below decks for chow and as much shut eye as they could manage even as others were hammering off the deck and burning hard for the Hobart’s position.

Matt knew well enough to stay out of things, let his people manage their own jobs while he managed his. Micromanaging was a tricky beast at times, and while it had its place on a flight deck… certainly the Deck Chief wouldn’t be letting his teams just run about on their own, too much or from the wrong direction would be lethal on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

So he was stuck watching from the Island, and just hoping that everything worked out.

There were days he sorely missed being the man getting launched off the deck with a fighter strapped around him rather than being the chief clown at the circus.

Those were days that ended in ‘y’.

“Skipper, incoming contact, low off the deck moving just under Mach One.”

“Someone get a visual,” Matt ordered as he walked over to the screen and examined the contact.

It was small, too small for surface to surface missile… He had a feeling he knew what it was, but he needed eyes on to be sure. Matt grabbed a pair of binoculars and swung them out in the direction of the contact, looking for confirmation.

Luckily, it wasn’t hard to spot. Small as a single man is, anything moving that fast and that low made a bit of a disruption over the water. He spotted that first, then refocused until he recognized Hale flying in their direction.

“Signal the group, our Marine is back,” Matt ordered, “I suppose we can greet him without trying to shoot him down this time.”

“The gunners will be disappointed, Sir.”

“The way things are looking right now, they’ll may well get their chance soon enough.” Matt chuckled, before examining the flying man on approach a bit closer. “What the hell happened to his clothes anyway?”

*****

Dodging F-15s is an interesting experience, Alex thought as he alighted on the deck of the Ronald Reagan and started making his way across to the Island.

Unfortunately, he had to

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