Gunslingers

Carol smiled at me from my bed. She was feisty and fun, and we'd been seeing each other for two months. Apparently, the little one had a reputation as a bitch, but I didn't see it at all. She was a sweetheart to me.

I flopped down on the bed next to her and smiled. Carol ran a hand through my hair.

"So what happened to your new co-pilot?" She asked.

"Oh, he couldn't handle my flying style. He puked when I was dog fighting Haner. He didn't like the G-Force flip I did. When we landed, he said I was a crazy bastard.

"And he's not wrong, but Top Gun school should have prepared him for stuff like that!" I flailed my arms around. "So I'm stuck with yet another new pilot."

Carol nodded and tucked her face against my chest. She was trying to hide her laughter. I could understand; I had a bad reputation of losing co-pilots. No one could handle my craziness, except Johnny. He had been the only one not to barf, but he made such a good team with Brian. I didn't want to take that team away.

"Maybe you should get Maeve to be your co-pilot. She did go to pilot school in Wichita Falls, but she's a lady s no fighter pilot training for her."

I turned to look at Carol. "Is Maeve a mechanic?"

"Currently she is."

"Can she fly?" Now I was intrigued.

"Very well. What's going through that mind, Sullivan?" Carol met my eyes.

"Nothing." I smiled. I had an idea.
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Maeve motioned to some guy behind her as she fiddled with a half taken apart plane. I'd seen her around before. Haner swore by her, saying she was a mechanic god.

"Hey Maeve!"

Maeve turned so quickly she slipped on some spilled oil and flew right into me. She was lucky I had cat-like reflexes and caught her.

"Jesus, you scared me, Sullivan." She stood up and wiped the front of her overalls. "What do you need? I already checked your plane yesterday."

I bobbed my head. "Well, this is sort of about my plane."

"What? Did you find something wrong?" Maeve narrowed her eyes at me. "I know that plane better than you do, so there can't be anything wrong."

I blinked at her. This girl was feistier than Carol. "Actually, I wanted to know if you wanted to try being my co-pilot."

The entire area got silent. I'd never heard the hanger this quiet before. It was actually kind of eerie. All the other mechanics were staring at me, and Maeve was literally gaping. Part of me was tempted to throw something at her.

"Are you serious?" She finally found her voice.

"Course he's not, Maeve. Girls ain't allowed to fly." One of the mechanics was holding in his laughter.

I glared at him. "Actually, I'm dead serious. My CO agreed to try. Look only the little short shit, Johnny, has been able to handle my flying, but I feel like you can handle it."

The other mechanics went quiet again. Maeve looked me up and down. She probably knew better than anyone the antics I got up to. After all, she did work on my play.

"Do I get a trial run?"

I nodded. "Starts right now."

She stood up and followed me to my plane. I was really hoping Carol's idea was going to work. If I kept losing co-pilots at the rate I was, my CO was going to send me back to fighter school. I couldn't go back there. Those schools stifled creativity and fun. And Jimmy was all about fun.

Maeve fixed a helmet and a mask across her face. She hopped into my cockpit and fiddled with some of the controls and then smiled at me. The little one was very excited.

Pulling on my own helmet and mask, I hopped into the pit in front of Maeve. I slid the cockpit closed and started up the bird. Maeve helped as well; I could basically feel her smile shining through her mask.

"Rainbow Eagle, primed and ready," I said to our engineers. I had named my plane and was very proud of it.

Maeve snickered and checker her radio. Communication between cos was vital to surviving as a fighter pilot. We needed each other. My co kept me alive, and I kept us flying.

"Cleared for takeoff, Rainbow." It used to bother the air controllers to have to say it, but I knew it brightened their day. Who wouldn't live to say "Rainbow Eagle"?

"Ready, Maeve?"

"Yes!"

I took off in a direct vertical and instantly turned the plane in a tight loop. So far, I didn't hear any vomiting. She was doing better than my first five co-pilots. I pulled the plane in the opposite direction and kicked up the speed. Maeve squealed in what I could only describe as glee. Oh, I liked her.

But now it was time for the ultimate test. If she could handle the G-Force turn and flip, she could handle my other unique tactics. It also meant I couldn't warn her what I was about to do. In war, she'd never know.

Holding back a laugh, I pulled the controls all the way back and flipped us and then started a nose dive, pulling up at the last minute. Maeve actually laughed as I came out of the turn.

"Do it again."

I'd found my new co-pilot.

Notes

Whoa a Jimmy chapter. Enjoy.

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Heretic Blood