Ryker never consideredhimself an adrenaline junky, but he jumped out of airplanes, headed into danger, and lived life on the edge every day. He lived for moments like this, his heart racing as it drove blood screaming through his veins. Standing at the foot of those stairs, he felt like he was getting ready to step off a cliff or dive out of an airplane rather than take six steps up onto a stage. Swallowing down the thickness in his throat, he took a few calming breaths and tilted his head back to stare at the curved dome of the aircraft hangar far above. He swept his arms out wide and readied himself for the experience of a lifetime.
Until this moment, free-falling through space had been his most exhilarating moment, but there was no doubt in his mind that taking those few steps would eclipse anything to follow.
He’d dreamed of playing onstage and listening to the roar of the crowd while he thrummed out the beat of rebellion that was rock music.
That sound washed over him now. Angel Fire took the stage with power, possession, and a holy-fuck attitude that heated his blood. There were no hellos and welcomes from the band. They hit thestage with hellfire, lighting up the intro to “Heart’s Insanity” and brought the troops to their feet with a roar.That sound rolled over Ryker as he waited for his entrance. The troops went bananas, screaming as Ash belted out the lead lyrics. Meanwhile, Ryker remembered how to breathe. Beneath his skin, tingles of electricity crawled along his nerves, and a fever spread through him.
Rock lived in the soul, and Angel Fire stroked the deepest part of his being, stirring up passions and dreams he’d long thought buried. Their songs were more than music, and they were more than a band playing to a crowd. Rebellion edged their words. Power threaded throughout the songs. Strength of purpose tied it all together.
Spike’s guitar solo, for example, drove into Ryker’s body, grabbed his heart, and pumped him full of a sense of becoming something larger than himself. It was pure emotion, built from the bones of Bash’s drums and fleshed out by Noodles’s keyboarding skill. Bent’s underlying bass only amped up the power, and it chased Spike’s electric guitar as he hammered out the body of the song. Ash played, too. His guitar melded with Spike’s demanding rhythm, and all of it came together with the haunting sound of Ash’s signature voice.
Goose bumps prickled on Ryker’s skin as adrenaline raced through his veins. There was no other place he wanted to be other than standing right where he was, but then a massive hand pushed between his shoulder blades.
“You’re up, lover boy,” Forest said. His deep baritone carried easily over the thunderous sound.
Ryker hadn’t decided what to think about Forest’s nickname. He’d heard the giant use it with Ash. It meant something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure it out. Not that there was time right now.
Smiley shoved a bass guitar into his hands and, with Forest, propelled Ryker up the stairs.
For the first time since meeting the crew boss, a smile split Smiley’s face. “You’re going to rock it,” he said over the din of the music.
As he climbed up the steps, the last song ended, and Ash waited for the roaring of the crowd to die down. He approached the front of the stage and peered out.
“Hello, Bagram Airfield!” Ash’s shout brought the troops to their feet.
A rolling roar rose in crescendo and raced across the hangar floor.
“Are you enjoying yourselves?”
While Ash spoke to the crowd, Ryker worked his way over to the X Smiley had placed on the stage.Do not move. Don’t fuck it up.Well, he was certain he could make one of those things happen. The other would have to wait.
There was no lighting shining down on his position, but then Ash hadn’t finished his tease of what was coming next. Beside him, Bent dropped into the bass riff, and the guitar growled out its song. The thick notes hovered in the air and brought silence to the crowd. Bent chopped downward on his bass. This time, Bash joined him on the drums, slamming into the kit with an energy that pounded out the heart-devouring rhythm. The stage came alive as Spike took lead with the melody. Noodles made the keyboard sing, joining in the frenetic energy. Ash took a step back, a big grin on his face. His guitar hung loose around his neck. With his next step, it occurred to Ryker what he was doing.
One more step.
Another.
Ash closed the distance.
A spotlight blinded Ryker as it locked on him, firing up his pulse. There’d been no real warm-up, no practice of the set list. All Ryker had done to prepare was the playing with Bent the night before. But he knew every chord of Angel Fire’s songs and didn’t need any further introduction. He dropped into the mix and added the growl from his bass to that of Bent’s guitar. Then, he took a step off that damn X and met Ash at stage center. The troops went wild, seeingone of their own onstage, and Ryker didn’t let them down. Ash wrapped an arm around Ryker’s shoulders and sang his heart out to the fans while Ryker played for his brothers in arms.
He was center stage with legends, standing beside their lead singer, and he was giving it everything he had. Ash’s voice carried over the roar of the crowd, enrapturing everyone present. Bent came to stand beside Ryker, and they tore up the bass riffs. The entire band was synchronized perfection, and Ryker didn’t miss one beat, melding seamlessly with the men of Angel Fire. To the side, Spike slashed into his strings, beginning the next song on the set list.
Ash released Ryker and took to the front of the stage, his arms going out wide and his voice lifting to meet the music. Bent stayed beside Ryker, two dueling bassists lighting the stage on fire. Bent added in a mean double rhythm, and Ryker followed along, sinking into the music until it became his very breath.
Then, for the first time since coming onstage, he glanced out at the crowd. Standing front and center with her friend Skye, T swayed on her feet, her eyes bright and alight with a look he could only take one way. Her arms were clasped over her breasts and hands folded and tucked beneath her chin. Her eyes were focused firmly on him, and not once did her attention stray to any other member of the band.
The place came unglued as Angel Fire finished their set. Ryker was only supposed to play the one song, but Bent refused to let him leave, challenging him to play harder, stronger, and with more passion than he’d ever thought possible.
He’d lived his entire life for this one moment, but he set his sights on another more promising prize.
PART III
Bagram
TIA & RYKER
FOURTEEN
