Hang Your Halo

Five

I was caught in the middle of a railroad track.  I looked 'round, and knew there was no turning back
Thunderstruck x AC/DC

Beckham

My eyes crack open when my alarm goes off and I roll my way towards the edge of the bed.  I drag through my morning routine, yawning as I tie off my hair.  I braided it into two French braids, ending them at the nape of my neck in two mini buns.  I pull my flight suit up over my Nike pro shorts and tank top, climb into my boots, and make my way toward the hangar.  God bless Jake for him feeding me ibuprofen and Gatorade before leaving last night or I'd be in a world of hurt today. 

We all pull into the parking lot at the same time and filter into the building.  I note that everyone is here, so it's gotta be something big.  We're all pretty much in the same state, hungover and slightly concerned about what this brief is going to entail.  Once we walk through the door, I notice a shitload of chicken minis on the table.  Penny Mitchell is an angel.  I know it was her that sent Chick-fil-A in with Mav, because he wouldn't have thought to do that himself.  Since we can't bring phones into the room thanks to the classified nature, I give Uncle Mav a hug and tell him to pass along my thanks to Aunt Pen.  We all take our seats around the large conference table in the middle of the room.

"Good morning, aviators.  I have a new op for you.  As I said yesterday, it's gonna be a big one.  First off, you all remember the exfil from yesterday.  This is directly related to that.  The arms deal went much deeper than we originally knew, and it was uncovered that they have been buying and selling military weapons.  We've come to learn they are based out of Texas, and we're crafting an undercover op.  Now, we will need everyone at some point or another, but only 4 of you will be in it full time since we're expecting it to last at least a year.  You have two weeks to learn everything you'll need to know about their operations, then you'll be planted into their community.  This will be known as Taskforce Pathfinder from here on out. Before I continue, does anyone have any questions?" Mav asks

We all sit and digest it for a second before I speak up and ask  "Who are the core 4?"

"That will be you, Hangman, Rooster, and Phoenix.  We're planning on having Bob and Payback there most of the time as well, leaving Fanboy and Coyote home with their families as much as possible and only pulling them when needed.  Anything else before I get into the details?" Mav replies.  We all shake our heads and give him our full attention. 

"The plan is to have the core four placed as lifelong friends opening a new business.  You all met in college and have been close since.  You'll be in pairs, and will infiltrate by becoming a part of the community where the head of the organization lives." He informs us.  "The organization has been referred to as the Harbingers of Chaos, and their leader is suspected to be a man by the name of Jensen Cole.  He lives in the outskirts of San Antonio with his wife Kate." Mav says as a photo of the couple pops up on the screen behind him.  They appear to be about our age, and they're a very attractive couple.  They don't look menacing, maybe that's why they've been successful so far. 

"Backstories to your covers will be provided later, but for now, I'll give you a few more key points.  The pairs will be Rooster and Phoenix, and Hangman and Halo" he continues.  We nod, wondering where this is going.  "You will each pose as married couples and will be living in the same neighborhood under the guise of wanting to start and raise your families together." Mav says, eyes darting between the four of us.  My jaw drops, Seresin chokes on his water next to me, and the rest of the boys are hooting and hollering with the unsurprising inappropriate comment in between.  I sneak a glance at Nat and Bradley, noticing a smirk shared between the two. I knew it!  They're definitely a thing. 

"Alright children, settle down!  You've been chosen for this specific task force for multiple reasons.  First, because the company you will be 'opening' is a travel agency who also provides transport, specifically to and from tropical destinations.  These are the key places these arms deals have been going down, and the intention is for them to bring you in to help transport their merchandise under the radar.  Your experience as pilots is crucial, as you will be flying the planes yourselves. Secondly, the core four have already proven to work well together and your chemistry as a team will flow naturally, keeping suspicion to a minimum.  We will be staging photos, such as wedding, vacation, etc. and given your close relationships, we'll also use any personal ones of the team you provide.  As previously mentioned, Coyote and Fanboy will still be based out of Fightertown and will be deployed when additional pilots are needed for the business."  Maverick explains.

He hands us each a folder containing our new identities and a brief overview of our roles.  Our briefing lasts for another few hours, us discussing strategies, goals, and a bunch of other details.  Mav finally excuses us for the day, knowing our heads will probably explode if we're given anymore information today. 

My mind won't stop running.  I have to pretend to be Jake's wife.  For a year. Minimum.  Carter wouldn't take that well, not that I would give him details.  It's fine, it needed to definitively end anyway. 

I'm so fucked.