Fosters: Blackhawk (21 page)

Me: "Roger."  I hear shots but can't see
where they're coming from.  I listen to everyone giving and
repeating orders.  MC bikes are everywhere.  There are
four alive. 

Pres: "VP we have a boat in the bay circling the
perimeter." 

VP: "It was a cover.  Blackhawk drop to
load."  Fuck!

Jake: "IST Com, Knight has command."

Zack: "Com Roger.  Glad to have him."

Me: "Roger VP."  I hover just above the
ground and men come running.  VP has Pres get HS2 to the
beach.  Fuckin Hell.

VP:  "Go, go, go!"  I don't even
answer.  I fly like I'm on fire to the beach.  "Get us to
the road.  Pres clear it."  

Pres: "Cleared.  Houses appear empty."
 Thank fuck they're in the safe rooms.

VP: "Blackhawk leaving you manned with
two.  Drop then hover over southern tree line.  Cover the
pussy floating but don't engage.  Wait for my one." 

Me: "Blackhawk Roger."  I hover in the
center of the road.  Fuckin mulch chips are flying from the
playground.  

Zack: "Clear Blackhawk take up position."

Me: "Roger, Com". 

Pres: "We have suv's traveling the
highway.  Brothers are on the exits.  I need LP2 at
Security."  Fuck.

Beau: "Baxter Security Team two reporting for
transport and clean up in three."

VP: "LP2 take HS3 through eight, report to
Security.  B3 follow with the team when BS2 takes
command."

Bob: "Roger VP."

Rich: "Roger VP."  

Zack: "Ship in the bay Knight."

VP: "Identify and hold position." 

Zack: "Roger Knight.  Blackhawk let’s go
see who our friends are."  

Me: "Roger Com.” We do a fly around and go to
the southern tree line.  Zack gives the info to Beau. 
The crew is armed.  Geek will track the ship.

We watch the boat circle moving closer to the
shore with each pass.  They have to see us.  I watch the
crew.  Fuck. 

Me: "they're dropping divers VP."

VP: "Affirmative Blackhawk."  He fuckin
knew.  

Zack laughs, and holds his mic.  "Fuckin
good to have him back."

Geek: "HS1 three through twelve you're being
patched to station two with me and LP2 on Ops."

Bob: "B3 HS2 Lead Roger."  

That leaves Steve with Danny, Driscoll and Chet
from the chopper and two IST.  We watch the boat resume its
wide perimeter circle.  Guess they're done dropping.
 

VP: "Blackhawk boat takes northern turn take him
out.  Keep your position."  Holy fuck.  Zack is
laughing with his cans off.  

Me: "Roger VP."  I'm fuckin hoping for
someone to step in here and remind him it's the fuckin middle of
the day and we're in a populated area.  I look at Zack. 
He shrugs smiling.  I lock on the boat and fire.  We
watch the missile hit and the boat explodes.  "Blackhawk
clear." 

Pres: "VP think we could be a little less
conspicuous out there?"  I hear his smile.

VP: "Negative Pres.  Eight divers in the
water waiting for a chance to get in a house.  I want them to
know they don't have a ride home.  You want talkers. 
This is your best shot." 

Pres: "Fuckin beautiful VP.  Good fuckin
Job."  He's laughing.  These fuckin guys are crazier than
fuckin Zack.  He's laughing again.  Beau must be holding
his fuckin head.  

Jamie: "Baxter One on IST Ops."  Thank
fuck!

Me: "Blackhawk Roger."  

Jamie: "Knight holds command until BS2 and 3 are
in position to take the ship." 

Me: "Roger One."  Zack smiles.  Fuckin
hell.  

He takes his cans off.  "It's like old home
week.  I fuckin love it."  Crazy son of a bitch.  I
smile at him.  I can't laugh over the radio and he fuckin
knows it.

Pres and VP go back and forth.  They have
three divers being held at the gate. 

VP: "Blackhawk give me a pass of fire, move this
along."  I laugh.  Fuck. 

Me: "Sorry sir, Roger VP."  Fuckin Jake is
laughing again.  I run through firing in the water. 
"Enemy outside southern fence line thirty feet in."  

VP: "HS2 three and four pick him up."  He
gets a Roger and laughs.  "Floater twenty out."  

Zack: "Two at rock formation to the north."
 

VP: "Take them down Blackhawk."

Me: "Roger VP."  I give Zack a look. 
He smiles.  I get them with two shots.  I love the new
chopper and new artillery Kevin loaded us with.  Even moving I
save rounds with less misses.  "Blackhawk clear."

Pres: "Nice Blackhawk."  

VP: "VP clear.  HS2 stay in position. 
Digs monitor the beach.  Pres you have five talkers
transported by IST.  Need cleanup at the beach." 

Pres: "Roger VP.  Cleanup One move to VP's
position and clear the beach.  VP you're needed at the house."
 They go back and forth.  When they're done Zack reminds
them we're still hovering out here.  

Zack: "IST Com, positioned at hover over
southern tree line." 

Jamie: "IST Com, Drop and collect Two and Woody
outside the MC gate."  

Me: "Roger One."  Moving us over the water
and to the gate Zack is openly laughing on the fuckin radio.
 "Fuck Brother it's an Op."  I hit his arm.  He
points and I clench my jaw.  Fuckin Brothers.  There are
four divers still in wet suits hanging from the fuckin top rail
over the gate.  They're blowing around with the chopper‘s back
wind.  

I drop and hover, Kevin and Beau run to the
door.  Zack moves and Kevin sits, he puts his cans on.
 "I thought they were in transport?"  Kevin asks.
 

Beau laughs, "Knight wanted a picture for the
ship."  Zack cracks up over this.

"He fuckin scares the shit out of me in red but
he's always thinking ahead of me."  Kevin smiles, “Fuckin
Knight is a security genius.”

I think they're hanging around the MC too much
and the fuckin crazy isn’t so crazy to them anymore.  

Me: “Anytime you’re ready I could use a
destination.  The pussies are swinging pretty good right
now.

“Sorry Blackhawk, hover over your tree
line.”  Kevin says. 

Me: “Roger Two.  Are you my command?”

Jamie: “Blackhawk we’re not used to sharing
command and dropped you.  It won’t happen again.  You’re
under Two’s command.”

Me: “Roger One.”

Kevin: “We’re waiting on intel Blackhawk. 
BS2&3 are in position.”

Me: “Roger Two.”  We’re fuckin hovering
forever. 

VP: “One we need communication with Two and
Pres.”   What the fuck?  Kevin looks at
me. 

Kevin: “Are we setting down One?”

Jamie: “Two land at Security.” 

Kevin: “Blackhawk take the Black Hawk to
Security.”

Me: “Roger Two.”  Thank fuck I can
move.  I drop at the back of the lot and shut it
down. 

Steve pulls in on a Ducati, not his.  I’m
wondering what the fuck is happening but I’m not in on Ops meetings
so I stick to the chopper and wonder while taking inventory of what
we have left onboard.  Zack follows Kevin and Beau in.  I
flip my ear piece on and hear Ben in Ops with the two teams on the
water.  I let him know I’m on the side.  Once I’m done I
slide the clipboard in its holder and hear a truck pull up behind
me.  Turning I see a fuel truck.  I pull my gun and he
stops. 

Me: “Baxter Ops, Watcher I have sights on a fuel
truck.  I have no refueling order.” 

Ben: “Hold your position Blackhawk I don’t have
one either.”  

The guy in the truck is frozen in place. 
“Keep your fuckin hands where I can see them.”  He raises his
hands.

Ben: “If it’s an Aviators truck stand down
Blackwater.  One called for a refuel.” 

Me: “Fuckin Hell!  Roger Watcher, Blackhawk
refueling.” 

I put my gun down and go to the driver’s door
opening it.  “I need the order.”  He just looks at
me.  “Put your hands down and get me the order.”  The
truck is from Aviators but I just held my fuckin gun on him while
he’s sitting on what could be fuckin bomb of fuel.  He hands
me the order.  I look at the time on it.  “You made good
time.  Go ahead and refuel me.”  He takes the order and
doesn’t say a word.  Moving forward he gets out and refuels
me.  When he’s done he hands me the order.  I sign and he
leaves, never saying a fuckin word.  Fuck, he’ll be telling
this fuckin story for years. 

I’m not thrilled with the fuckin shared Ops
today or the last time.  I need to talk to them about this
before I fuckin lose it while flying. 

Zack, Kevin and Steve come out together and walk
toward me.  Steve pulls the clipboard.  “Did
inventory?”

“Yeah before I held my gun on the fuckin fuel
truck.”  I tell him pissed. 

“Piss his pants?”  He asks with a straight
face.

I smile, “No but couldn’t talk.”  He just
nods handing the clipboard to Kevin. 

“Let’s go Blackhawk.  We have a
mission.”  Kevin says. 

I climb in doing the preflight checks and get us
up and moving.  “Take us in a 500 ft. perimeter sweep around
the ship. 

Me: “Roger Two.”  I run the
perimeter. 

VP: “Southeast Island off Island Park.”

Kevin: “Move into position at the tree line
southeast.”

Me: “Roger.”  I move into the tree line and
hover.  “In position Two.”

Kevin: “You have two missiles.  One to the
bow the other aft.  Send them together.”   Holy
Fuck!

Me: “Roger Two.”  I lock both and get ready
for the force to push me back.  “Locked, get ready for the
push.  I hit the release and hold the fuck on.  “Fired
and away.”  The new chopper took it better than I
expected.  We watch the ship blow to fuckin pieces. 

Kevin:  “Take the scenic route south then
home Blackhawk.”  He's so fuckin calm I smile.

Me: “Roger Two.”

Zack:  “Not much of a push Blackhawk or did
you hold it steady?”

Me: “Both Com, I expected more so I was ready
but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.  I like the
Sikorsky Uh-60.  More control over the guns too.”

Kevin: “You’re a fuckin dead eye in anything
Blackhawk.  This one gives you the one shot that you
like.”  I can hear his smile.

Me: “No wasted artillery that way.”  Feels
good to get that compliment. 

Zack: “Wish you’d come back to IST.” 

Me: “Not a chance Com.”  They banter back
and forth.  I fly a scenic route to the Compound.  Thank
Fuck this day is over. 

Landing I run the systems check and hand it all
over to Chad.  Steve is waiting for me.

I walk over to my bike and see he has another
Security bike.  “Fuckin nice shootin today.  You fly
anythin?”  Another fuckin compliment.  I smile.

“Yeah, started with crop dusters then Cessna
then jet.  Military taught me choppers.”  I tell
him.  He could find out anyway. 

He nods.  “Ben’s lookin at the old
chopper.  Kevin says it’s good condition.”

“It is.  It’s outfitted with everything on
the new one but the new pilot controlled guns.”

He watches me closely.  “Said he could get
them switched out.  Any downside to the old one?” 

“It’s heavier, in wind it’s good but without
wind it sucks fuel.  Here it would work well.  It’s not
meant for long flights or extended hovering.” 

“We buy it you’ll fly it?”  Fuck. 

“Not gonna lie, I don’t like the Ops
lately.  Too many chiefs leave me hanging.  I pulled a
fuckin gun on a fuel truck.  I don’t like fuckin up and I
don’t like not knowing who I’m answering to.  I had four
commanders in forty five minutes.  I’m shooting and covering,
I don’t need to try and remember who the fuck gave the last
order.”  He knows. 

“Yeah, talked about that.  Need a central
command for these Ops.  The next one has you with one
lead.  Jamie’s pissed then the fuel truck happened. 
Thinks he let you down after he said he wouldn’t.  Doesn’t
want you walkin over it.” 

I pull my hair back and throw a tie in it. 
“I’m not walking but I can’t keep fuckin up.  I work fuckin
hard to be straight up and making mistakes doesn’t sit well.”

He nods, “Got that.  Family trait. 
Never answered.  We buy it you fly it?  One Ops lead on
those days guaranteed.”  He’s not letting it go.

“If I’m not on the job yeah cuz.  How often
will it be used?  May not be cost effective to have it
sit.”  Honestly, it could be just a waste of money. 

“Thing is, Christian sees this as the
beginnin.  Merc’s were after your woman to kill, the Brothers
to distract.  Little Ben, Christian, Jeremy, Brenna are out
there.  Tess is out there.  In time the twins.  He
don’t get it thank fuck, but he sees it.  Maybe don’t need it
tomorrow but we’ll need it and you.  Jamie said you trained
for satellite but took flyin as sharpshooter.  Needed that
today.  Will need it again.  Baxters lookin to use you on
jobs.  Saw you’re wasted as taxi.  Leaves you light on
days but with better pay.  We work with them gettin couple
days a week, same as Ops pay.  Don’t give a fuck what you do
but when we train and run our own Ops.  Yeah?”

“You already know I’m doing it.  One fuckin
lead cuz.  Fuckin guy’s going to have fuckin stories of crazy
Indians for fuckin years.” 

He laughs.  “Couple years ago I stopped an
Op and had Danny cover Pres.  Thought he was out of it, not
armed in the middle of a fuckin shoot out.  Fucked up,
disrespectin Pres who was armed, fucked up the Op then the
cleanup.  Took a year to get the fuck over it.  One
fuckin lead.  My word.”

“Fuck cuz, he didn’t shoot you?” 

He laughs, “No was before the C4 too.” 

Fuckin Steve.  “I need to get home. 
The kids must be scared with the fuckin chopper, gun shots and
hiding in the safe room.  Need to see CJ.”

“She kept them calm.  You picked
well.  Steady as a rock, she’s strong.  Tired though,
Tiny sent her to take a nap.  Patches has the kids with Tess
and Brenda.  Jamie’s needin to talk.  Doesn’t want to
leave it like it is.  He don’t fuck up.  It’s not sittin
well for him either.” 

Fuck, I don’t want to leave CJ longer but I need
this to be done too.  “Security still at the beach?”  He
nods.  “You coming?”