Despite having survived a thousand battles, a thousand wounds, Jack had never felt as tired or old as he did at that moment. He didn’t even felt like that when he was captured and tortured in Tora Bora, and he thought he was going to die. His exhaustion went far beyond something physical. It was like a lead chain that was squeezing him like a python. Not only to his body, but to his own heart and to his entire spirit. He was completely unaware of that feeling, that unease that was completely overwhelming him and that had begun to torment him from the moment he landed with the Eurofighter Typhoon on the main runway of the Morón Air Base. The situation there was most chaotic. Fighter planes trying to land, some of them in emergency. The base was increasingly crowded and it was evident that it could not cope with such frenetic air traffic. Fire trucks were putting out fires in the engines and fuselages of several damaged fighters. Ambulances came and went carrying wounded people. On the other side of the base, it was the helicopters that did not stop landing and taking off, bringing wounded and dead, and then taking more soldiers and equipment to the city of Seville.
He thought he remembered that at another time, in another place, he had been ordered that he had to report to the command center. But when Jack stepped out of the cabin and felt the overwhelming weight of all the emotions he had held back for the past few hours, he could do nothing but sit on the floor. He let go of his helmet and put his hands to his head.
He still couldn’t believe that Derek and James had died and that he couldn’t have prevented it. He noticed tears welling up in his eyes without him being able to do anything to stop them. So many good people had died that night… He didn’t know what he was going to say to Estella, Derek’s wife. The only thing he was sure about was that he would never get her forgiveness. Perhaps that would be the worst problem of all that he would have to learn to live with from that moment on. After all, it had been him who put him in danger in Tora Bora, who had taken him to the Phoenix program and now to Spain. Without Derek he felt incomplete, like a very important part of him had died with him. Because deep inside him Jack felt the accusing finger of guilt. As if telling him that he should have died too and instead he had survived.
A hand rested on his shoulder and broke the spiral of negative thoughts that were crushing Jack to the ground. It was Kira. His face showed great fatigue but a spark of iron determination still shone in his eyes. A spark that instantly tore the darkness that captured Jack’s gaze, bringing him back a little light.
‘Sir, this is not over. There is much to do. We owe it to them,’ Kira said respectfully.
Jack nodded. It was as if the fog that had numbed him after descending from the cabin had dissipated. His mind was working at full speed again, running at various times reviewing everything that had happened.
‘You’re right. There’s a lot left to do,’ Jack said as Kira held out her hand to help him up.
He sat up and couldn’t help but give Kira a big hug, which took him completely by surprise. He felt great admiration and pride for his pupil, who had proven to be far above all of them when it came to flying and fighting.
‘Sir, I swear that I will not stop trying to improve and be better prepared for the next fight’ Kira said excitedly.
‘Jack, call me Jack, Kira. After this day you have more than earned it,’ Jack replied, stepping away.
Kira was about to answer when they were interrupted by a soldier who ran up holding a radio in his hand.
‘Sir, you are urgently needed at the command center,’ he said almost breathless.
‘What’s wrong, soldier?’ Jack asked.
‘It’s that damn thing, 2012 UA, there are survivors and they are putting up strong resistance!’
Jack and Kira looked at each other and began walking quickly towards the base’s command center. With every step he took, Jack felt the firmness return to his limbs, to his thoughts. It was clear that he was going to continue needing to rely on all of his senses. It seemed like there was still a long way to go before that endless night ended. And if one thing was certain, it was that if they managed to survive it, the dawn would only bring even more challenges and crucial decisions on which the survival of not only them, but all of humankind would depend…