Free Wingman by Mack Maloney

things around."
    Hunter knew the building.
    "Anyway, suddenly, I start hearing things like: 'Maybe the Mid-Aks ain't that bad,' and 'They've changed their ways. They want to play it straight from now on.' "
    "You're kidding?" Hunter was amazed.
     
    "No shit. But you see, these guys in Boston didn't stop being politicians just because someone dropped the bomb. They're like the Texans. Texas didn't stop pumping oil, and the Boston politicians didn't stop making deals. I mean, these guys wrote the book on how to make a deal."
     
    Hunter was familiar with it, having spent a lot of time in Boston when he attended Aeronautics School at M.I.T.
     
    "What these Boston pols have their eyes on is a piece of that real gold," Jones continued. "I mean, forget the clad. The currency of choice now is silver. But that's only because there's so much of it still around. People settle for silver, but they do crazy things for gold.
     
    "So now there's talk on the Leaders' Council about let's give the Mid-Aks a chance.
    Exchange ambassadors. Get to know them. This kind of happy horseshit. Meanwhile, they're building the biggest goddamn army since the Civil War!"
     
    Jones was silent once again. He was plainly worried about dragging Hunter and the other pilots into what could be a deadly situation. Not that they couldn't fend for themselves. But who wants to risk getting his ass shot off for a country that hasn't been around long enough to feel any kind of loyalty to?
     
    "Well, the long and short of it, Hawk, is that one of the last things I heard when I was up there was some asshole talking about a 'mutual cooperation pact' with Mid-Atlantic."
     
    "Sounds like they're going down the primrose path," Hunter said, sensing Jones's rising alarm.
     
    “Oh, some of them want to get screwed, do you see?" Jones said. "There's really nothing in the Northeast Economic Zone that's not worth selling out for. And, if the Mid-Aks can come in the back door, well, it sure would make it a lot easier on them."
    "So you mentioned something about a war?" Hunter asked, getting the general back to his original statement.
    "Oh yeah," Jones answered. "But not right away. Maybe a year. Maybe longer. But it's coming. I can feel it. My bosses-the good ones anyway won’t let this dirty dealing go on, if they can help it. They might not be full military guys, Hawk, but Jesus, they have a better perspective on right and wrong than most of these chowder heads in Boston do."
    "And you'll fight?" Hunter asked him.
    "I don't know," Jones said slowly. "I don't have any real loyalty to the Northeast, although it sure is better than a lot of the gabonzo that's going down for governments these days.
    "I'd like to fight because the Mid-Aks are like the commies in my eyes. They're pigs. No respect for human life or rights. They rape. They sell young girls. They kill old people and kids. What the hell ever happened to live and let live? I refuse to traffic with sub-humans!"
    He took a slug right from the hootch bottle for effect.
    "But if they got into the pants of the crooked pols in Boston, we'd be overwhelmed, I think. They'd start cutting our fuel rations. They'd start yanking me around, so I'd be missing the details of running this place. Just when things would be at the worst, the 'Aks would come down on us like a ton of bricks. When that shit starts happening, I'll know it's just a matter of time. And we could fight. But I don't believe in killing a lot of good pilots just because a bunch of politicians get screwed and like it."
    Hunter thought for a moment. Need to fight for a cause, the old man had told him earlier in the day. But he also wanted to serve the general.
    "I'm with you all the way, sir," he said.
    "Thanks, Hawk."
    There was an awkward moment of silence between them. The general was like a father to him. He would go the extra mile and then some for the man.
    "Just one more thing, Hawk?" Jones said.
    "Name it, sir," he replied. "Get a haircut and a shave.