Operation Summer Storm excerpt

He wanted her to what?

She’d seen enough TV reports on tandem sky

jumping to know just how close the two jumpers got.

She didn’t have time to give it more than a brief

thought though, because all of a sudden it was time

to do it.

A large door opened and the noise she’d thought

couldn’t get any louder did. The others were busy

throwing the equipment through the doorway when

Tate leant close to her ear so she could hear him.

“Usually this would be a half-hour run through

before your jump—but we don’t have time—so here’s

the condensed version. When I tap your shoulder,

spread out your arms and legs, and when I tap again

to land, bring them in again. Okay?”

Summer stared back at him in disbelief, her

thoughts bordering on hysteria. He expected her to

jump out of a plane with thirty seconds of training?

They moved closer to the doorway and she

panicked. She now stood in the open doorway of a

moving aircraft. Her brain registered the fact as her

body instinctively tried to back away from the

danger.

Tate put his arms around her and coaxed her

frozen fingers from the side of the doorframe. “Just

relax. I’ll take care of you,” his deep voice promised

as he shouted over the thundering noise around

them into her ear.

She could feel his big body pressed tightly

against her back. “You better not be doing this for

some kind of cheap thrill, buddy, because I swear if

we make it down there alive you’ll live to regret

every moment,” she shouted back at him.

“Darlin’, there ain’t nothing cheap about the

thrill I’m getting at the moment,” he assured her.

“And if we don’t make it,” he added with a deep

drawl, “just know I’ve died a happy man.”