Her Show of Force

Chapter One

March 21, 2003, Persian Gulf

Weapons spent, the F/A-18 Hornet streaked over the coast of Iraq into total blackness over the Persian Gulf.

At the controls, Lieutenant Commander Kate “Scarlett” Mahoney announced “feet wet” into her helmet microphone, climbed the jet to three-thousand feet, and let herself relax for the first time since the mission began three hours ago.

Flashes of warning lights from the instrument panel interrupted her in mid-breath.

Left engine fire.

Kate pushed the fire extinguisher button and shut down the engine. The jet rolled left, as expected when flying with an unopposed right engine. She made the proper control corrections, confirmed the fire was out, and continued a gradual single-engine flight toward USS Constellation (CV 64), the aircraft carrier from which she had launched three hours earlier.

The photo of Patrick smiled at her from where she’d pasted it to the instrument panel. “Almost home, kid.”

The Hornet lurched into a violent left roll. Kate pushed the control stick to the right.

No response.

Kate reached between her legs as she announced her dilemma. “Lost controls. I’m, uh, ejecting.”

She yanked the yellow/black-striped handle. The jet’s canopy blew away a second before the ejection seat holding Kate shot into the overcast night. The crippled jet fighter plunged away toward the Persian Gulf.

Hang on tight, Patrick.

The acceleration force caused her to black out. In seconds, the seat separated, the parachute deployed, and Kate’s limp body transitioned from projectile to falling leaf. The sudden deceleration and the groin straps yanking on her distended bladder jerked her into consciousness. So did the intense pain in her dislocated left shoulder.

Patrick had disappeared from her mind.

She peered up to confirm the dim outline of a full parachute. Her wingman circling overhead would report “good chute” to Connie.

Overcoming the pain in her shoulder, Kate inflated her flotation vest and snapped the waist lobes together. A glimpse of the carrier’s distant light appeared against the black horizon, no doubt launching the rescue helo in her direction. She steadied her breathing.

Less than a thousand feet before water entry.

When her boots hit the water, Kate released the parachute straps just before her body submerged. In seconds, she popped through the surface and used her uninjured arm and two muscular legs to swim away from the parachute.

She floated on her back. Euphoria rolled over her in harmony with the sea swells.

“Woo-hoo!”

Besides her first combat sortie, delivering “shock and awe” to Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad on this night, Scarlett Mahoney had survived an engine fire and shut-down, single-engine flight, catastrophic hydraulics failure, loss of flight controls, and low-altitude ejection. A water rescue would complete the scenario.

The docs would fix her shoulder. Scarlett would fly again. She would reunite with Patrick.

What more could a girl want?

Chapter Two

March 22, 2003, San Bruno, CA

“Happy birthday, dear Patrick. Happy birthday to you.”

Aunt Colleen set the cake in front of Patrick as his friends and their mothers gathered around the table. He took a big breath and blew with all his might. Four candles went out right away, but he needed a quick second puff to put out the fifth one. Everyone clapped and cheered. Patrick stared past the chocolate-frosted cake to the presents on a side table in the mall’s party room. He couldn’t wait to open them, especially the one in blue wrapping tied with a white ribbon. Aunt Colleen had said Mommy sent it all the way from Eye Rack. That must be far away. Mommy had been gone forever. Why didn’t any of his friends’ mommies ever go to Eye Rack?

His aunt dished out the cake and ice cream. Patrick gobbled it down. Once they all ate, he could open presents. He got mad when some kids wanted seconds.

Time came to open the gifts: a dump truck, an ambulance with flashing lights and a real siren, Power Rangers action figures, a Transformer, and a tablet he could draw on then erase. Aunt Colleen had saved the present from Mommy for last. She made him listen to her read the card first.

“Dear Patrick. Happy birthday. I miss you very much. They don’t have malls or toy stores where I am, but I found something I hope you enjoy. I love you. Mom.”

He tore open the wrappings. His fingers touched something hard and leathery. A strange animal with a long neck and a lump on its back. Patrick wrinkled his face as he turned it over in his hands.

“It’s a leather camel,” Aunt Colleen said. “Camels are animals that live near where Mommy’s ship is. She got it on liberty in Bah Rain.”

Patrick searched all over the animal, but he could not find a switch. Maybe it needed batteries. He didn’t see a battery hole. He tried to move the legs, but they were stiff as pencils. The neck too. He handed it to Aunt Colleen.

“How does it work?”

The mommies giggled.

“It’s a model, a beautiful leather model. It doesn’t move or have batteries. Put in on the shelf in your room so when you look at it, you can think of Mommy.”

Patrick stuck out his lip and turned back to his new Transformer.

Later, Patrick and his best friend, Mei Li, helped her mother and Aunt Colleen pack up the presents. He held onto the leather camel. Outside the party room, he saw a man watching them.

At the mall exit, Aunt Colleen turned to Mei Li’s mother. “I’ll get the car and pick you up here. No point in carrying all this stuff through the garage.”

As soon as Patrick’s aunt left, Mei Li had to go to the bathroom, “real bad.” Her mother sat Patrick on a bench. “Wait right here while I take her to the ladies’ room. Don’t move. Your aunt will be right back.” She took Mei Li’s hand and rushed into the bathroom.

Patrick sat and examined his camel.

“Hi, son.” The same man who had watched them leave the party room. His smile made Patrick shrink against the bench.

The man pointed to the box of presents and the camel in Patrick’s hand. “Someone had a birthday party.”

Patrick nodded.

“How old are you?”

Patrick held up five fingers.

“Five years old. You are a big boy, aren’t you?”

Patrick looked away. He felt like crying.

The man dropped to one knee. “What’s your name?”

Patrick stared at the floor. “Patrick Walker.”

A car pulled up outside, and Aunt Colleen got out.

When Patrick looked back, the man had left.

BUY NOW

eBook