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SPECTRE HAD PLENTY of time to think about his next sales pitch on the drive from New Orleans to Fort Walton Beach in the panhandle of Florida. His next candidate was someone he’d gone to pilot training with, but they had regrettably done a poor job of keeping in touch afterwards. Aside from the personnel file and flying schedule hacker Julio “Coolio” Meeks had managed to obtain for him, Spectre wasn’t even sure the man would be there.
Major Jonathan “Sparky” Lynch had graduated both Undergraduate Pilot Training and the F-16 Basic Course with Spectre. They had been good friends both on and off duty during training but had lost touch after Spectre left the Air Force shortly after being grounded in Iraq in 2009.
But despite their hiatus, Spectre knew that Sparky was perhaps the most qualified person for the mission at hand. After graduating F-16 school with Spectre, Sparky had gone on to graduate the F-16 Weapons Instructor Course at Nellis before going to Test Pilot School at Edwards. He had flown nearly every fighter in the U.S. inventory and a few foreign fighters like the MiG-29 and Su-27 as well. His experience and training made him a perfect fit for their mission.
And most importantly, Spectre trusted him. They had been neighbors in the dorms during pilot training and had spent time together off duty riding their motorcycles and shooting guns at the local ranges. Sparky was a good pilot, but an even better friend.
Spectre reached Eglin Air Force Base late in the evening. He checked into the Air Force Inn and found his room. All of the facilities had been renovated since Spectre had last been to the base three years ago, an experience he would have preferred to forget.
But like in New Orleans, Spectre had a history at this base. He had last been there investigating the shoot-down by radical Islamic terrorists of an F-35 during its test phase. That pilot had been the son of a United States Senator, a man with whom Spectre had been working to investigate the U.S. Vice President after Air Force One was hijacked over Midway Island.
Spectre was staying in the very building in which Senator Wilson had been assassinated by a bomb planted by one of Vice President Johnson’s mercenaries. Spectre had been framed for it and had spent time in prison after confessing to the crime in order to save his wife. The scars and lost kidney were constant reminders for Spectre of the consequences of such evil.
Spectre tossed and turned that night, thinking back to the day the bomb went off, and running through what he might say to Sparky. He wasn’t sure how much Sparky knew about Spectre’s past, but it was doubtful that Sparky didn’t at least know about his incarceration.
After a fitful night of off and on sleep, Spectre took a shower, ate a protein bar, and headed to the squadron to intercept Sparky before his flight. He arrived just as pilots were starting to show up for work and went through the same routine of calling the ops desk as he had done in New Orleans.
This time a young male airman showed up at the door and escorted him into the building after checking Spectre’s identification. He brought Spectre to an office with multiple cubicles where Sparky appeared to be checking his e-mail with his back to the door.
“Major Lynch,” the airman said. “You have a visitor.”
Sparky spun around in his chair and immediately stood as he recognized Spectre.
“Spectre! Holy shit, what are you doing here?” Sparky asked, reaching out to shake Spectre’s hand.
The airman excused himself as the two shook hands.
“Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Spectre asked.
Sparky looked around. “This is the flight commander’s office. It’s as private as any place without going into the vault.”
Spectre nodded and closed the door behind him. He pulled a chair from a nearby cubicle and wheeled it next to where Sparky had been sitting.
“How the hell are you?” Sparky asked. “I heard about what happened here. How’d that work out?”
“Big misunderstanding. It was all cleared up,” Spectre said. “Have you been okay?”
Sparky smiled. “Yeah, man. Just started flying the F-35 for the test squadron here. It has had its share of bugs to work out but it’s a pretty awesome aircraft when all systems are online.”
“Listen, we definitely need to catch up later, but I’m kind of pressed for time and we need to get down to business. I’m here because I need your help.”
Sparky leaned forward in his chair. “Of course, brother. Anything at all. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine with me,” Spectre said, realizing that it might have come off the wrong way. “I’m here about a project I’m working on that I think you’d be perfect for.”
“What kind of project?”
“It’s classified, so I can’t really go into details here. But I can tell you that you’d be flying. And I know you love it here, but you’d be temporarily reassigned to Nellis until it’s over.”
“Okay...”
“You'd be assigned to work for me. I know it’s kind of a leap of faith, but I’ll be able to explain more-”
“I’m in,” Sparky said, cutting Spectre off.
“You are?”
“Are you kidding? A flying job working for you? Of course I’m in! Where do I sign?”
“Sparky, this is serious,” Spectre warned. “It’s a no-shit mission.”
Sparky waved his hand dismissively. “Dude, I know the drill. You’ll explain when we’re in a vault. But on principle, if you’re in, I’m in. Case closed. Do I need to book my flight in DTS?”
Spectre was taken aback by his old friend’s immediate answer.
“You don’t need to talk to your wife?”
“Divorce finalized three months ago. Fuck her!”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Spectre said. He had either missed it in the personnel record Coolio had sent him, or it was too new to have made it into Sparky’s file.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Spectre asked.
“Absolutely!” Sparky said enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to find out what it is. Unless...”
“Unless what?” Spectre asked.
Sparky suddenly turned serious. “You’re not going to make me be your backseater, are you?”
“No,” Spectre said, laughing.
“Good,” Sparky replied with a grin. “I get sick when I have to fly in the back.”
“Alright, then,” Spectre said. “Don’t worry about travel arrangements. If you’re in, I’ll contact you with a time to meet the aircraft. A jet will pick you up from here and fly you to Nellis where we’ll brief you on the operation.”
“Shit hot!” Sparky replied.