Deception City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 5) by Mitchell T. Jacobs

everyone as possible,” Paige continued. “I know it might not be easy, but we’ll try to balance everyone’s needs.”
    “But that’s in the future,” Yusuf said. “We still need the complete the prototype tests.”
    Blake looked over at him. “Wait, you haven’t flown it yet?”
    “We’ve only completed it recently.”
    “Can you move it outside to one of the concrete lots?” Blake asked.
    “We’ll have to power it up first, but yeah, we can do that. You want to take it for a spin?” Yusuf said.
    “No time like the present,” Blake shrugged. “And since I’m already here, why not?”
    Paige closed her wrist menu and headed for a side door. “I’ll get the ground crew on it.”
    “And I’ll alert command that we’re doing a test flight,” Yusuf said, following close behind.
    “You finally get to play with your new toy,” Selene said after they had left.
    “Test run. It’s a test run,” Blake said.
    “Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
    He frowned. “Are you not coming with me?”
    “Well, you only need one pilot, right?” Selene asked.
    “Yeah, but there’s two seats,” Blake pointed out. “Come along with me. You’ll enjoy it. Besides, you can also learn how to fly a helo. Pilots shouldn’t be restricted to just Raven Company.”
    That rang true, especially after the elimination of classes. Players were now capable of holding multiple specializations, and having more skills meant far more flexibility in different situations. Besides, Selene had often wondered what it would be like to control her platoon from the air, flying above in an observation helicopter and being able to give orders while seeing the whole picture.
    “Put that way, I can’t really refuse, can I?” she said.
    Blake gave her a reassuring smile. “Nope. Although I don’t think you’ll regret it.”
----
    “ W ow . This has a lot more power than I thought,” Blake commented, speaking over the comms system. Even with the doors shut, the sounds from the rotors and both engines drowned out everything else.
    “It flies a lot smoother as well,” Selene observed.
    “That’s to be expected. There’s a lot more weight to counter the vibrations from the rotors,” Blake told her. “Now let’s see what this thing can do.”
    He moved the controls, and the helo started to rise into the sky. Blake made a few more adjustments, rapidly increasing their rate of ascent.
    “Well, this climbs much faster,” he commented. “Add that onto the cargo capacity, and we have a winner.”
    “Good.”
    “And it’s stable. Easy to fly. Want to get some experience in?”
    Selene frowned. “Is this the right time?”
    “It’s a lot easier to handle than a Hornet. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be here to help you if you get into trouble.”
    Selene took a deep breath. “OK, then. Where do I start?”
    Blake leveled off the aircraft and started to relay instructions at first. Selene listened in implemented them, tentatively at first, and then with more confidence as the aircraft responded to her commands. His observation had been correct. The new helo was intuitive, easy to fly, simple to control. It responded to every command just the way she wanted.
    And Selene could appreciate the freedom of the skies from inside.

8
    Special Delivery
    A ll clear . Two gunships circled overhead as four transport Hornets touched down and disgorged their payload. Two full squads of Black Wolf troops dismounted from their bench seats and formed up, grabbing extra gear as well. Once they were unloaded the helos took off again and headed for home. They would return when the troops on the ground called them back.
    Danny got on the radio to make sure everything was set, then ordered his unit to move out. His troops melted into the forest, heading for their destination.
    “Good to be out and about again,” Danny said as they walked.
    “Maybe for now,” Miko said from beside him. She had temporarily been attached to his section for the