Widow 6

The radio went silent.

Not the ordinary silence that sometimes followed a transmission.

This was different.

It was the kind of silence that happened when experienced pilots suddenly realized they were speaking to someone they had never expected to hear from.

Pauline Sanders kept both hands on the controls.

The aircraft was still shaking.

The left engine temperature was climbing.

The captain was unconscious.

The first officer was frightened.

And two F-35s were flying formation beside them.

Yet Pauline’s expression remained completely calm.

“Widow 6,” the fighter pilot