CARRIER 3: ARMAGEDDON MODE

“Damn it, Stoney,” Marusko shouted again. “Back out!” Tombstone’s thumb was already nudging the thumbwheel on his stick to raise his lift-control spoilers, dumping some of his plane’s lift. The Tomcat sank several feet, as the basket skittered above the canopy and threatened to rap the F-14 on the port side as well. Gently, Tombstone dropped the throttles back a notch, letting the tanker slip farther away. “Sorry about that, Tango X-ray,” he said. “Bitch got away from me.” “No sweat, Two-oh-one. Have another go.” Carefully, he urged the Tomcat up and forward once more, positioning himself six feet behind the recalcitrant basket. He braced himself, took a deep breath, and willed his aircraft ahead.

12

Keith Douglass

“Looks good,” Marusko said. “Four feet . . . two . . . no!” The Tomcat’s refueling probe struck the rim of the basket, sending it dancing aside. “Abort!”

“Shit!” The basket swung back and hit the probe, then bumped and clattered across the canopy inches above his head. Tombstone eased back again.

“Let’s clear out and let Batman have a shot,” Marusko said.

“Rog.” Tombstone let the Tomcat continue to slide astern of the tanker, until he had room to pull away to port. “Viper Two, Leader. You chase the damned thing for a while.”

“Right, Tombstone.” Tomcat 216 edged forward, taking 201’s place astern of the Texaco. “Okay, Tango X-ray One-one, this is Tomcat Two-one-six. Let’s show those old men how it’s done. Spread ’em!”

“Come ahead, Two-one-six.”

From a hundred feet astern and to the left, Tombstone watched as Batman’s refueling probe slid smoothly into the basket. Automatic locks snapped home when the basket had been driven forward six feet. “That’s contact,” Batman said. “Gimme a thousand of high-test.”

“Capture confirmed,” the tanker pilot replied. “She’s coming.”

It was an odd sight. The Tomcat was seven feet longer than the KA-6D and had a much larger wing area, especially now with the variable-geometry wings swung forward to improve lift and handling at low speed. Size and the twin tail fins made the F-14 look far more massive than the tanker, though in fact the fully loaded takeoff weight of both aircraft was about the same, thirty tons. To Tombstone, the sight of a Tomcat refueling from a KA-6 always reminded him of a big dog nosing a smaller dog’s tail.

He took the time to force relaxation into his arms, his hands. He felt weak, as though his hands were shaking, though when he held one gloved fist up it was rock steady. What was wrong with him?

“You okay, Stoney?” Marusko asked from the backseat.

“Yeah, CAG. No problem.”

But there was a problem, and Tombstone knew what it was … or rather, who. The thought of Pamela came unbidden, a flash of memory, an image of her the last time he’d seen her in Bangkok. That had been two months ago, just after the

ARMAGEDDON MODE

13

coup attempt dial had nearly overthrown the government of Thailand and involved Carrier Battle Group 14 in a short, sharp air and ground action against rebel forces.

Pamela Drake was an ACN News reporter who had been covering the turmoil in Bangkok. Tombstone had gotten to know her pretty well during the crisis, well enough that they’d managed to fall in love with each other. She was back in Washington now, but her letters had been coming with each COD mail delivery to the Jefferson, and Tombstone, never much of a correspondent, had answered them all … all but the last two.

“Tango X-Ray One-one, this is Two-one-six.” Batman’s voice sounded steady over the radio. “Best lay we ever had. Slam, bam, and thank you, ma’am.”

“Our pleasure, Batman,” the tanker captain replied. His dry chuckle rasped in Tombstone’s headset. “Two-oh-one, Tango X-ray One-one. How’s it looking for you now, Stoney?” , Tombstone’s eyes scanned his instrument panel one last time. He’d been concerned that the impact of the basket might have damaged his fuel probe, but there were no signs of fuel or hydraulic leaks, no warning telltales on his caution advisory board.

“Green all the way,” he replied. He took a deep breadi. “Two-oh-one, in for another take.”

“You know what they say, Tombstone,” Batman said over flic headset. “Just try to imagine hair around it.”

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