Chapter Text
“Confirm Impact.”
…
“Confirm impact!”
“Standby-Standby confirm.”
…
Major Daniel Gonzalez heard nothing but his comrades’ breathing and his own heartbeat.
“Comeon, what are you waiting for?!”
Daniel’s fingertips pressed hard against the high-pressure laminate material of the computer desk. A thin sheen of sweat had settled over his face and neck as he stared up at the screen. Beep, beep, beep. That little green, blinking diamond had stopped on top of the red triangle.
Lieutenant Dan Buck looked no better. He stared at the screen, wetting his cracked lips as his breath wavered.
…
“It’s negative.”
That red triangle kept going on its cursedly merry little way.
“Object remains.. Inbound.”
Daniel looked over at the soldier next to Sergeant Ali Jones. He stared back.
“We did everything right, right?”
It was all Daniel could do to keep his now teary eyes on the soldier’s. He couldn’t answer.
“Right?”
…
“We did every fuckin’ thing right!” The soldier slammed his headset against the keyboard before running his hands over his face.
Beep, beep, beep.
“Major, confirm the release of two additional GBIs to intercept.” The soldier’s voice went through one ear and out the other.
Daniel was deadpan save for a quiver of his lip and a thick swallow. His eyes were locked onto the desk as he felt his heart do backflips in his chest.
“Major.”
…
“Major- Danny. Danny? Danny, we gotta launch again, right?”
Daniel slowly, laboredly sat in his designated chair, and the soldier took over.
“Target is past apogee and entering terminal phase, sir,” Sergeant Jones choked.
Lieutenant Dan leaned over towards Daniel. “I.. I have an updated flight trajectory, sir.”
“Chicago.”