Loading the plane went according to plan. It was going to be a long flight. Jill wore her fatigues so they would be comfortable for the ride to Colombia. The C-130 took off on time and they both fell asleep after taking off. The jumpmaster had been instructed to wake Jill when they were an hour from the drop zone.
“Ma’am. It’s time.”
“Thank you.” Jill rubbed her eyes and looked around the insides of the C-130. She had been dreaming and realized that this was the first time she had ever woken in a C-130.
“Savage, wake up.” Jill nudged Jack several times. He didn’t budge. She nudged him harder. There was still no response from Jack. How can he sleep so soundly on this loud airplane?
This time, out of sheer necessity, Jill shook Jack hard. Jack started laughing.
“Okay, you were fooling me, Savage. You got me good. How can you be so jovial just before we jump into enemy territory?”
“Ma’am, I have to be, or else I would do something bad, like worry.”
Jill looked at Jack in silence for a moment while she digested what Jack had just said. “We need to start getting ready for the jump.”
Both stood and walked to their rucksacks. Opening the end, they each pulled out their combat clothing. Jill already had her combat shirt on, so she only had to put on her combat pants. She turned her back to Jack, so she would not make eye contact with him during her change of trousers. She slid her fatigue pants off her legs, and then slid her combat pants on. She wondered if Jack was watching. After changing she stood and turned toward Jack. He was already busy strapping on the layers of battle gear and survival gear he would need for the next three days. Jill did the same. Finally, they pulled out their weapons. Jack had Betsy, and his 1911 pistol. Jill had her M-16. She glanced at Jack, then reached into the bottom of her rucksack and pulled out a small 22-caliber Ruger Mark III bull barrel pistol. It had a custom silencer attached to the barrel. She attached it to her waist with a small holster.
“Hey, no toys allowed,” Jack said.
“Savage, you can kid me all you want. But if we need a quiet weapon, you will be begging me for my 22-caliber. When I fire this pistol, all you can hear is the quiet ‘click-clack’ as it loads the next round.”
“You like to talk tough don’t you, ma’am.”
“Savage, do you need any help carrying the 50-cal to the back of the plane?”
“No, ma’am. I think I can manage.” Jack smiled.
The jumpmaster had their parachutes in the back of the plane waiting for them. He clipped them onto the harness they had already put on. Then he systematically tightened each strap. After that he went back and tightened each strap one more time to get out any possible slack.
Jill felt the jumpmaster tighten her straps. I feel like I am in a tiny space and can’t get out. I want to rip off this parachute harness and catch my breath. I can’t let it overwhelm me. I must not let Jack see me panic. I have come this far and I can’t let him down. I can’t let Major Phelps down. I can’t let my dad down . . .
Finally the jumpmaster attached chemical light sticks to the back of their helmets and calves with duct tape. Before doing this, he bent each light stick so the small glass vial inside broke and allowed the two chemicals to mix together. Immediately, each one began glowing a soft greenish color. This would let them see each other, but the light would not shine toward the ground where the enemy could see them coming. Also, their landing would occur just after sunrise, and then the light sticks would not be bright enough to signal their location to the enemy.
“Two minutes until we are over the drop zone,” the jumpmaster yelled over the sound of the engines. “Put on your oxygen masks.”
Jill and Jack put their oxygen masks on and watched the jumpmaster as he put his on. Then they watched as the jumpmaster slid into his safety harness, and clipped the safety strap to his harness. The length of the safety strap had been carefully measured so that the jumpmaster could walk anywhere on the jump platform in the rear of the C-130, but he couldn’t go past the edge of the platform. This ensured that he would not get swept over the edge by turbulence, wind, or one of the jumpers on their way out of the plane.
“One minute to the jump zone. Are you guys ready?”
Jill and Jack both nodded. The jumpmaster slapped the big green button labeled OPEN. Hydraulic motors groaned as the rear door opened and the four-ton jump platform lowered into position. The wind outside the plane began whipping inside and created a loud roar.
Jill was watching the platform lower. She still struggled with the claustrophobic feelings. She looked at Jack and noticed a smile. How can Jack enjoy this? He seems to thrive on it. Doesn’t he ever get claustrophobia? Isn’t he afraid of free falling at two hundred miles per hour in the darkness of night? Doesn’t he worry about rough landings, or getting caught by the enemy? Maybe once I am out of the airplane and in the cold air I will feel better.
The jumpmaster removed his oxygen mask just long enough to yell, “Thirty seconds.”
Jill and Jack looked at each other. Jack’s smile deepened. Jill tried to smile.
“Twenty seconds.”
Jill focused on the edge of the platform. When I step off the edge of the platform, it will be my last step on friendly soil for the next three days.
“Ten seconds.”
Jill and Jack took one last look at each other. Jill knew that she would not be able to see Jack’s face in the pitch-blackness at thirty-three thousand feet.
Jill looked into Jack’s brown eyes. Why am I so afraid? I need to be brave for both of us.
“GO!” the jumpmaster yelled. Simultaneously a loud horn blasted in their ears, signaling their need to exit immediately.
With that Jill did not hesitate. She ran to the end of the airplane and lunged off the edge of the jump platform. Jack also lunged and they both simultaneously took their last step on friendly soil as they plunged into the blackness of night.