Chapter 90: Counterattack
Adrian browsed his inventory to search for a weapon that could take down an F-35 fighter jet. It had to be something portable. Something he could deploy without relying on the aircraft itself.
A man-portable system.
His eyes moved quickly across the list.
Stinger.
Igla.
Mistral.
Each one appeared in sequence, their specifications flashing briefly in his mind as the system displayed them.
Effective.
But limited.
Most of them relied on infrared tracking. Heat-seeking.
Against a fifth-generation aircraft with advanced countermeasures and low observable design, the chances dropped.
He scrolled further.
Then stopped.
FGM-148.
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Javelin..." he muttered.
Originally designed for armor.
Top-attack profile.
Fire-and-forget guidance.
Infrared imaging seeker.
Not built for air targets.
But at this range and speed...If the target came close enough, slow enough during maneuver, it could work!
It was the best option he had.
He didn’t hesitate.
"Deploy FGM-148," Adrian said and it materialized in his hand.
"You’re going to use that?" he asked.
Adrian didn’t look at him.
"It’s what we have," he said.
Then he turned toward the cockpit.
"Pilot," Adrian called out.
The pilot glanced back slightly.
"Sir?"
"Descend," Adrian said. "Bring us down to eight thousand feet. Sharp."
The pilot’s eyes flicked to the instruments.
"Eight thousand?" he repeated. "Sir, that puts us well within engagement envelope—"
"I know," Adrian cut in. "Do it."
"Copy," the pilot said.
His hands moved across the controls.
"Descending to eight thousand."
The aircraft adjusted.
The nose dipped slightly.
Altitude began to drop.
"Sentinel Eye," Adrian said, stepping closer to the comms.
The AWACS responded immediately.
"Cold Reach One, go ahead."
"I need continuous tracking on that F-35," Adrian said. "Vector, speed, position. I want it locked the entire time."
"Copy," Sentinel Eye replied. "We have solid radar and track via AN/APY-2. Updating target vector now. Bogey maintaining position ahead, adjusting to your descent."
Adrian nodded once.
"Keep feeding that data."
"Affirmative."
Ryan watched him for a second.
"You’re trying to get a visual shot," he said.
"Yes."
"That means we let it come close," Ryan added.
Adrian didn’t deny it.
The co-pilot spoke up.
"Passing twelve thousand feet," he said.
The aircraft continued its descent, the pressure inside shifting slightly as they dropped lower.
"Ten thousand," the co-pilot called out next.
Adrian turned and started moving toward the rear of the aircraft.
"Once we hit eight thousand," he said, "I want the ramp open."
The crew chief looked at him.
"Sir, opening the ramp at that altitude will expose the interior. Wind shear alone—"
"I know," Adrian said. "Prepare for it."
The crew chief hesitated for half a second.
Then nodded.
"Understood."
Ryan followed behind Adrian as they moved toward the cargo bay.
The sound of the engines grew louder toward the rear.
The JLTV, Cougar, and Stryker remained locked in place.
"Eight thousand feet," the co-pilot called out from the cockpit.
The aircraft leveled out.
Adrian stopped near the ramp.
Then looked at the crew chief.
"Open it."
The crew chief turned immediately, signaling his team.
Hydraulics engaged.
The rear ramp began to lower.
He heaved the Javelin over his shoulder and began aiming.
The moment the ramp opened fully, the wind slammed into him like a wall. The roar filled the cargo bay, making it hard to hear anything without the comms.
Adrian planted his feet, leaning slightly forward to counter the force. His grip tightened around the launcher as he brought the sight up to eye level.
"Sentinel Eye, give me bearing," he said through the comms.
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied immediately. "Bogey now at your twelve o’clock, range three kilometers, descending slightly to match your altitude. Speed reduced. Likely preparing for another engagement pass."
Ryan moved closer, bracing himself against the side.
"You’re going to get your shot," he said.
Adrian didn’t answer.
He was focused.
Through the sight, all he could see was open sky at first. The imaging unit struggled for a moment, trying to find a contrast strong enough to lock onto.
"Range two point five kilometers," Sentinel Eye continued. "Target maintaining vector. Slight right offset."
"Adjust right," Ryan said.
Adrian shifted slightly, correcting his aim.
The wind howled around him.
The aircraft vibrated beneath his feet.
"Two kilometers," the AWACS called. "Target now crossing your forward arc. Angle decreasing."
Then, a shape.
The F-35 cut across his view again, banking slightly as it repositioned ahead of them. Even with its low observable design, at this distance, it was visible.
Clear enough.
Adrian centered it.
The Javelin’s seeker began working, trying to interpret the thermal image.
"Come on..." Adrian muttered under his breath.
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS continued. "Target speed now eight hundred knots. Passing left to right across your nose. This is your best window."
The tone inside the launcher shifted slightly.
Searching.
Ryan leaned in just enough to see.
"You getting anything?" he asked.
"Trying," Adrian said.
The F-35 banked again, exposing more of its surface for a brief second as it adjusted its position relative to the C-17.
That was enough.
The seeker reacted.
"Lock," Adrian said.
"Confirm?" Ryan asked.
"Confirmed."
"Range one point five kilometers," Sentinel Eye called out. "Target is still within engagement window. You have seconds."
Adrian didn’t wait.
He steadied himself.
Adjusted slightly for lead.
Then—
He pulled the trigger.
The missile launched with a sharp burst, the backblast kicking out behind him as it cleared the tube and shot forward into open air.
The Javelin streaked ahead, its motor igniting fully as it accelerated toward the target.
"Missile away!" Ryan called out.
All eyes shifted forward.
Tracking it.
"Tracking," Sentinel Eye said. "Missile is on course. Target is maneuvering—repeat, target is maneuvering!"
The F-35 reacted almost instantly.
It rolled hard to the side, cutting its speed and changing vector in a sharp defensive maneuver.
"Target deploying countermeasures!" the AWACS added. "Flares out—multiple!"
Bright bursts of heat scattered into the air, breaking the visual field.
The Javelin adjusted mid-flight.
Its guidance system trying to interpret the chaos.
"Come on..." Ryan said quietly.
The missile closed in.
Fast.
The F-35 banked again, pulling away, its engines roaring as it tried to outrun the intercept.
"Impact in—" Sentinel Eye started.
Then, a flash.
The missile detonated just off the F-35’s path, the explosion blooming in the sky as the aircraft barely cleared the blast radius.
"Near miss!" the AWACS confirmed. "Target still airborne!"
The F-35 shot forward, accelerating out of the engagement zone.
Adrian lowered the launcher slightly, breathing steady despite the situation.
Ryan exhaled.
"That was close," he said.
"Cold Reach One," Sentinel Eye came through again. "Interceptor is pulling distance. No immediate follow-up attack. They’re reassessing."
"Fuck!"