DEADLY DILEMMA by Dan Stratman (story read aloud .txt) 📗

I’m just telling you what the Air Force told the press.”

“They lied! After I joined the Air Force, I found the accident report. I read every single document in it. A footnote buried in one of the reports said the fly-by-wire software had some bugs in it. I think that’s why the plane went out of control.”

“Did you tell the Air Force what you found?”

“Of course. I called every officer in his chain of command. They refused to talk to me. Said I was reading things into the report that weren’t there because he was my dad. When I threatened to go to the press and expose the cover-up, they classified the report. They said the Air Force couldn’t risk damaging its relationship with the company that built the plane. Tech Aerospace had just won the multimillion-dollar contract to build the new replacement aircraft for pilot training, and if word got out that their flight software might be unsafe, it would send their stock into a nosedive. I wasn’t able to clear his name.”

“Damn…that’s messed up.” Lance grabbed a water bottle from the box and stood up. “I don’t blame you for being upset.”

“The Air Force refuses to reopen the investigation, but I haven’t given up. One way or the other, I’m going to expose the truth no matter what I have to do.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. All it does is upset me.” Cyndi folded her arms and sat back. “What were you going to say?”

He looked away and took a big gulp. Then another one.

He slid his chair away from Cyndi and sat back down.

He drained the rest of the bottle then cleared his throat.

“Umm…this might not be the best time, but I need to show you something.” He pulled out the letter Airman Brown had given him, unfolded it, and handed it to Cyndi.

She read it over carefully. Cyndi folded it up and handed it back. Her head drooped. “That’s great,” she said softly.

“You could pretend to be a little more excited. I’ve dreamed about being a pilot since I was a kid making model airplanes.”

Cyndi looked up and forced a smile. “I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“Okay, you’re right. I’m not thrilled. How long before you leave?”

“I start pilot training in four months. I’ll be stationed at Laughlin Air Force base. It’s in—”

“Del Rio, Texas.”

Lance cocked his head. “Have you been there?”

Cyndi got up and walked over to the counter. She turned her back to Lance and rearranged the salt and pepper shakers. She decided the paper plates on the counter needed to be stacked in one pile. Then she split the stack up again. Avoiding eye contact, she quietly said, “Laughlin was my first duty station.”

“How could that be? It’s a pilot training base. You’re a missileer.”

She turned and tightly crossed her arms. “We’re in the Air Force, remember? Washing out of pilot training isn’t something you want the whole world to know about.”

“How could someone with your flying experience wash out of pilot training?”

Cyndi plopped back down in her chair. “It’s a long story. You don’t want to know.”

“Try me. Give me the Reader’s Digest version.”

She let out a deep sigh. “Flight school was going great. I was number one in my class. I was only one week away from getting my wings. On assignment night I’d gotten my dream airplane, the F-35. The next day the base commander called me into his office and locked the door. He told me I wasn’t going to graduate unless I slept with him.”

Lance let out a low whistle. “Obviously, that scumbag didn’t know about your martial arts skills, or he never would have tried that with you.”

“He found out the hard way when he tried to grab me. I kicked his ass right there in his office.”

“Why didn’t you report him?”

“A brand-new second lieutenant accusing a lieutenant colonel? With no witnesses? I knew it would be his word against mine.”

Lance shook his head. “Hell of a crappy way to welcome you to the Air Force.”

“I’d torched a lot of bridges when I challenged the Air Force’s official explanation for my dad’s crash. The higher-ups were infuriated when I claimed there was a cover-up going on. They were just looking for a reason to kick me out of the service. I wasn’t about to hand it to them. So, here I am, a nuclear missile launch officer in lovely Cheyenne, Wyoming.” She checked her watch again. “It’s noon. Let’s talk about this later. We better get back to the LCC.” Cyndi stood up.

“Wait.” Lance dug into his pocket and placed the object he’d retrieved on the table. It was attached by a short, beaded chain to a rabbit’s foot.

Cyndi looked suspiciously at the object as she sat back down. “What’s that?”

“The Air Force has a special name for it. It’s called a key.”

“I can see that. I meant why are you putting a key to your apartment on the table?”

“Before I left this morning, Rocko gave me a slobbery kiss and told me he misses you and wishes you were around more.”

“He did?”

“His exact words.” Lance crossed his heart.

“Your dog told you that?”

“Well…not in so many words. When he looked up at me with those sad brown eyes, I couldn’t tell him no. I promised him I’d ask you to move in with us.”

“Move in?” Normally very sure of herself when she was calling the shots, Cyndi became flustered at being on the receiving end. She fumbled out a tepid response. “I’m not sure. That’s a big step. And you’re leaving in four months.”

“You don’t want to break Rocko’s heart, do you?”

“No, of course not.”

“It would be perfect. When I’m away on alert, you could take Silo and Rocko to the park for walks. Rocko told me he’s tired of the bachelor life. He wants a woman in his life—if only for the next three months.”

“What if Silo and Rocko don’t end up getting along?”