Krueger nodded. “I know her style. If she was flying, she’d try to set it down near the lower slope.”
Rhodes frowned slightly. Prescott didn’t notice.
“Unit 3,” the CO said. “You’re with them. Move.”
Krueger gave a short nod and followed the others out the door. His eyes stayed cold.
CRASH SITE – GRADY RIDGE
Faint and acrid smoke laced the air.
When Shannon coughed, pain flared white-hot in her ribs. She couldn’t move her left leg. Something was wrong with it. Too wrong. But her right hand still worked. Enough to slap the buckle.
She fell hard through the broken window. Dragging herself sideways, she choked out,
“Mara…”
No answer.
Her helmet had come loose. Her vision was blurred. She looked back once. Mara’s head had dropped forward, her helmet cracked down the left. There was blood on the windshield.
Shannon turned away. Pain surged, but she bit it down. Every breath felt like inhaling glass. She dragged herself out of the wreck as far as she could, into wet pine needles and dirt. And then she passed out.
FORT NOVOSEL CO’S OFFICE
Colonel Prescott locked the door before making the call. Ian Chase picked up fast. “Chase.”
“This is Colonel Prescott. I tried to reach Mike Johnson. We have a problem.”
“He’s in a SCIF.” Ian didn’t breathe. “Shannon?”
“Blue Bird One-Niner. Johnson and Esten. MAYDAY came in sixteen minutes ago in a half-transmission, no transponder. No beacon. We’re blind.”
“Do you have a grid?”
“Partial. SAR’s en route. But we don’t know if they’re alive.”
Ian’s silence was worse than shouting. “I’ll notify Mike,” he said finally.
Prescott’s voice dropped. “He already lost his wife.”
“I know.” Ian hung up.
CHASE SCIF – SUBLEVEL
The door opened fast with no knock. Mike turned in his chair, already knowing something was wrong.
Ian crossed the room in two steps and stopped short. “It’s Shannon.”
Mike stood.
“Training flight. Went down about thirty minutes ago. Shannon may have gotten a MAYDAY out. It was clipped.”
Ford Cox looked up. “Location?”
“Grady Ridge. No signal. SAR’s deployed.”
Mike didn’t sit down. “I need the jet. I’ll grab my go-bag.
