Bering Strait by Holden FX

Author:Holden, FX
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2018-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

Alicia Rodriguez was blind. Her bedside alarm was ringing, she had to get to school, but she couldn’t see it to turn it off. She panicked, flailing around her, trying to find her alarm clock. She was going to be late for school again!

She opened her eyes. Same dumb dream again. But there was an alarm ringing somewhere. She swung her legs out of bed and hit her bedside light. It was the comms alarm - an incoming call. She fumbled for the handset on her bedside table.

“NCTAMS-A4,” she replied, rubbing her eyes. She looked at her watch. She’d been asleep 3 hours. It was 0400. She and Bunny had planned another three hours sleep then breakfast and another day flying their drones out. As the voice on the other end spoke, she realized that wasn’t going to happen.

“NCTAMS-A4, this is ANR control,” the voice said. “Major Del Stenson, who is speaking please?”

“Rodriguez, Lieutenant Commander, what’s up Major?”

“Ma’am, I need to bring you up to speed with events and then check your operational status,” the major said.

“Our operational status? We are decommissioned Major,” Rodriguez told him. “We are four days from bringing the boom down on this base.”

“Negative ma’am, I have a new Operations Order for you. The situation is that Russian air forces have attacked Eielson and Elmendorf-Richardson air bases. Damage was limited, but both airfields are going to be offline for at least the next 48-72 hours. We have moved air assets south to Kingsley Fields, Portland and Lewis-McChord.” He paused. “We have nowhere to receive your drones right now ma’am, and besides, we need them back in the game.”

“Major, there are only myself and one aviator remaining on this base. We can launch, but we can’t recover, refuel and rearm those drones at anything like the speed that would be needed for combat operations. If you are asking us to go to war, I need the full complement of base personnel back here stat.”

“That’s also negative ma’am,” Stenson said. “All available Naval units have been re-tasked. We are responding to multiple simultaneous threat vectors Lieutenant Commander. You are on your own. A mission package is being sent through as we speak. You are to review it and respond. Questions ma’am?”

“Plenty,” Rodriguez said. “But let me look the package over. I’ll get back to you on what we can do.”

“Yes ma’am. ANR out.”

Rodriguez cut the connection and hit the button that connected her to O’Hare’s quarters.

“O’Hare speaking. Yes, ma’am?”

She sounded like she was already awake.

“We have new orders Bunny,” Rodriguez said.

“Yes ma’am,” the pilot replied. “I heard the comms alert. Briefing in the trailer?”

“Five minutes,” Rodriguez confirmed. “And O’Hare?”

“Yes ma’am?”

“You will be wearing more than just black nail polish, understood?”

“Aw, you are such a buzz killer ma’am,” O’Hare said. “As you wish.” She cut the line.

Rodriguez smiled and reached for her trousers. Then she thought about what they were being asked to do, and the smile faded from her face.

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