The Secret Escape

Miles apart yet loving each other

   "3 months later"

- It had been 3 long months since the faithful farewell and not a second, minute, hour or day that went by that the two didn't think of each other.   Ryan had finally moved his life to the cabin in the desert.   He has spent several weeks getting it just the way he wanted and even had transported his ultralight kit to the medium size pole barn hanger.  The gravel strip he had made was nothing fancy.  But it was perfect for a ultralight or even a Cessna.   Sure wasn't ready for a F-16 but he sure hopped she wasn't being torqued. It had been 3 months after all. So clearly she hadn't been destroyed or blown up. Yet the thought haunted him. Not like he could call her, after all she was a "Secret". The one thing that was great about the spot he had chosen was the location.  It was just south of the M O A or Military operations area.  So if she happened to grace the sky in that corner of the massive airspace.  Odds were he could hear her and see her.  But again! It had been 3 months and he had only seen 1 F-16 and it was a grey one.  The rest were F-15's and drones that had made their presence known. 

"I really hope she is fine.  I flipping miss her"

-The thoughts of could have happened lingered everyday in his mind. Thoughts that stayed rent free for days on end

"What if they triggered her FTS and she couldn't respond in time? Noooo....... Because there would have been a crash report about. But what if they stuck her in the interference hanger and she's blocked from the world? Doubt it! She had limbs after all, she could easily punch through the mesh."

- Each idea was instantly shot down because after all, she was still a Air Force asset. The government wouldn't simply destroy her and lose out on how ever much they had invested in her  "But what if?"

- There months was a insanely long time and of course he had feared the worst.   He thought he would have at least had seen her rip the corner of the  airspace by now.   Yet there was no telling what could happen or what will happen. All he knew was that he freaking missed her. She may be bigger, stronger and one hell of a lethal weapon especially if she had bullets loaded and bombs and missiles. But she was his love and at this point something more thing just a living fighter jet. He sat on his porch as the sky set it deep purples that faded into black revealing the stars of the cosmos. "I hope you are seeing this too girl and I hope all is well...."

- 30 miles away sat ARA just outside her Hanger.
"Ryry!, I hope you are seeing this sky too babe. I miss you with all my might and hope you are well".

-She sat quietly just feet from the hanger she had called home since she gained her consciousness. Yet it wasn't the welcoming place it once was when Ryan was there. Since his mando retirement as she called it, the scientist she didn't like had ripped up all the memorabilia items of Ryan and her. Now just distant memories saved in her circuits. Ever since her last flight with him, she had only been up twice. And both those times that she tried to make the run out to the southern border of the airspace. She was called back with 10 miles of making the turn that would have echoed down the valley to the cabin.  She missed the crispy air over and under her wings and longed to be back up in the wild blue.   However the scientist had other plans.   At the moment she had been virtually grounded even though was wrong. All of her systems checked out, she could control herself and all her data downlinks all worked. Yet, she wasn't allowed to move.  It was a miracle that she was even off chocks.   But even with all the B.S. and the scientist keeping her prisoner.  She couldn't shake her love for Ryan.   Even as she sat there with her canopy  to the stars. 
"Ryan............. If you are out there.   I really misss you darling.   I miss you"
- The slight creaks in her gear ticked as she eased on her main gear and nose. Then she released all her hydraulic pressure as all her surfaces from flaps and slats to her elevators slowly eased down under their own weight. This was her equivalent of frowning and being sad. However what she didn't know since her sensors hadn't picked it up. Was that across the apron was Matt. He had seen her drop all her flight controls and ever so gently close her massive eyes. Instantly he knew something was up. Even though she was a massive jet and a weapon, she was sooooo much more on the inside.  Matt put his vest back on and started his walk over the ramp.  He made his way over the catch all's, over the center lines and into the parking spots in front of the research hangers.   Matt got within 50 feet and nothing, 40 feet, nothing and finally he was just ten feet from her and she didn't move at all or acknowledge.