To the Death

Colonel Rick Morry came out of his desk chair like a Saturn rocket. His computer screen was showing a possible hijack or terrorist takeover of a Boeing 737 passenger jet in the area of Richmond, Virginia, heading north toward the nation’s capital. More importantly, President Bedford had already given clearance for the military to locate, engage, and if necessary shoot it down.

And these orders came straight from the Oval Office, with all commands, as usual, directed through Northeast Air Defense control, way out there in upstate New York, west of Syracuse, about forty-five miles from the freezing shores of Lake Ontario.

“MAJOR FREEMAN!” snapped Colonel Morry. “Right here we got a real-world possible hijack or takeover of a passenger jet over Virginia headed direct to Washington, D.C. We have permission to shoot it down direct from the commander in chief. LET’S GO!”

Scott Freeman picked up his phone and called out: “LANGLEY AND ANDREWS — GO TO BATTLE STATIONS RIGHT NOW — WE GOT A NO-SHIT SITUATION — BATTLE STATIONS RIGHT NOW.”

The control room at Northeast Air Defense went stone silent. Every eye in the room was on Major Scott Freeman. Two minutes went by, and then he spoke.

“Four F-16s Langley. Andrews scrambled. Copy that. In the air eight minutes. Copy that. Takeoff 1241. Will advise precise location of Boeing 737. No other passenger jets in the area, flights grounded since Logan incident 0800. Rome control over and out.”

Colonel Morry walked over to the command console on Major Freeman’s desk and informed him that the civilian flight controller monitoring the Boeing was Steve Farrell at Herndon Flight Control.

“Langley naval fighters 160 miles to ops area south of Washington 14 minutes. Steve, give me an approximate on Flight 62 at 1255?”

“She’s already losing height and speed, sir. She’s projected over Wood-bridge, Virginia, fifteen miles south of the city at that time — that’s 38.38 North, 77.16 West. Right now she’s making 260 knots through 28,000 feet. We have her over King William County right now, approx twelve miles north of Richmond.”

“Thank you, Herndon. Copy that.”

Colonel Morry: “Rick, we got three F-16s in the air at Langley 1239—headed 335, speed 685—projected ops area 1249.”

“Roger that.”

“Herndon to ADCC Rome — we have a Navy aircraft returning Norfolk moving southeast across Virginia — just picked up a real weird transmission. foreign voice background only passenger jet — something about executing will of Allah — on you I depend. There’s a lot of screaming in the background. No visual. Suspect traveling north.”

“Copy National Security Agency. Langley Birds moving in.”

“This is Herndon — this is Herndon. All tracking techs on full alert — we got Flight 62 on scope — no course change on primary target — but he’s descending rapidly — right now 21,000 feet still descending. Not responding.”

“Langley Birds closing. Andrews fighters in the air headed directly for the city.”

“This is Herndon — emergency, emergency — Flight 62 is descending rapidly below 15,000 feet — no clearance — repeat no clearance — descending all on its own.”

“Langley — Langley to Northeast Command: leading F-16 pilots have Flight 62 on visual now heading north across Charles County, Maryland.”