The Captain's Daughter (Bradley Bradshaw)

Chapter 34

Katie's POV:

He can't be gone. I sat there listening to the people trying to get a hold of him. He wasn't popping up on the radar at all. I looked over to Hangman who had the saddest look on his face. Tears started to fall from my face.

"He can't be gone." I cried into my hands.

"Katie. Kate you gotta stop crying. You're gonna overwhelm the baby." He told me.

"The baby. Oh god the baby. I can't lose the baby. I can't live with myself if I lose this baby." I cried in a panicked tone.

"Katie just breathe. Breathe." Jake told me.

He took a few deep breaths with me. It helped me calm down. Jake always knew how to calm me down. Him and Rooster always knew.

"There's a chance he could still be alive, Kate." He told me.

"How do we know that?" I asked him.

"He could've ejected. Bradshaw is smarter than that." He told me.

"He disappeared off radar. He's gone." I looked over to him with tears in my eyes.

A few moments later, Nat and Payback landed their planes. I saw all four of them get out okay. They all were congratulated upon arriving. I just watched from my seat. I saw all four of them look up at me. I didn't pay them no attention. I just kept thinking about the baby.

This is never the life I had envisioned for my child. I wanted them to know their father. I didn't want them to live the life I had lived. I also wanted them to know their grandfather. I never imagined I would lose them both in the same day. A month ago, I was in Key West, living it up on the Navy base down there. I had all my friends, I had the Marina I always hung out at, and I had the beach.

I was all alone out there, and I never ever thought that a month from then that I would be having a baby. Not only would I be having a baby, but I would be grieving the loss of my father and my baby's father. The love of my life. Bradley. I can't believe I have to go the rest of my life without him now. I regret not going to see him in Texas all those years. I regret not writing to these more. All these things in regretting so much that could've given me more time with him.

Then there was Maverick. My father. A month ago I didn't know he existed. I was going along with the lie I had lived for over 30 years. That my father was dead. And right as soon as I agree to get to know him, he dies. I miss his presence. It doesn't feel like he's gone either. And the fact he died protecting Bradley...he kept his promise to me. Only for Bradley to go back and die trying to find him. So my father died for nothing. It hurt my soul knowing they were both gone. It was just gonna be me and this baby.

I saw stairs get wheeler up to my plane. It didn't phase me at all. I saw Phoenix coming up to talk to me. She sat at the edge of my plane for a few moments before speaking.

"Katie. I am so so sorry." She put her hand on my back.

"I brought this upon myself didn't I?" I asked her.

"What? Don't be silly." She told me.

"No I'm being fully serious. I brought this upon myself. I was so scared that they'll die. It's like a predicted it. I chose to believe my fears were real. And now they actually are real." I told her.

"No one knew that was going to happen, Katie. Who knows...he could be alive." Nat told her.

"I doubt it. I know I sound pessimistic, but I wouldn't have this horrible feeling if he was still alive." I looked at her.

"You never know. They still gotta send out search and rescue." She told me before getting down from my plane.

They didn't move Hangman or I from our planes. They were gonna have us conduct a search for Rooster and Maverick's planes, and to see if there was any signs of them being alive. All of a sudden she heard someone talk over the radar.

"Rooster is back up on the radar. And he's airborne." I heard her call out.

It couldn't be. He was alive. But how could he get up in the air? How did he know where there was a plane.

"No way. Maverick." I said out loud.

"There's two bandits on their tails. Spares 1 and 2...get ready for take off." The same chick told us.

"We're gonna go get them, Kate. They're waiting for the right moment. They're alive." He looked at me with a huge smile.

I had tears in my eyes. They were tears of joy and relief. I was shocked. My Bradley was alive. He was gonna come home. He was gonna get to grow old with me. And Maverick was alive too. He was gonna get to know his grandchild. I was gonna get to know the father I always wanted.

"I can't believe it." I smiled at him.

We listened as they fought the bandits off. Maverick killed one, and was struggling to get the other. I was praying he would get the other one so they definitely would be coming home. Hangman and I were ready to go again, in case they needed us for support. Maverick got the other bandit, and was able to make it out over the ocean.

"Spares 1 & 2...launch for backup. They have a bandit on their nose. One is further behind on their tail. They don't know it's there yet." The lady told us.

"I got the one on their tail." I told Hangman.

"You got it, Tiger. I got the one on their nose." He smiled as our canopies closed.

Hangman and I gave their signals to launch. Hangman went first and the I followed. I was determined to blow that bandit out of the sky. He was not gonna get in the way of Bradley and Mav coming home. I was gonna help bring them both home. No matter what it takes.