The sudden deceleration was jarring, the harness digging into my body as I transitioned from free fall to controlled descent. Above me, the canopy bloomed black against the stars. I looked up and checked for tears or tangles, but the deployment was clean.
Rafael's chute opened a heartbeat later. He was maybe fifty meters to my right now, descending in a smooth arc toward our landing zone.
My boots touched down in a clearing exactly where planned, soft and controlled from years of practice. I rolled and dispersed momentum, then was on my feet in seconds. My chute was already gathering and stowing automatically thanks to Jasper's modified equipment.
I yanked off my oxygen mask and sucked in frigid air. My lungs burned. How long had I been holding my breath?
Rafael landed about twenty meters to my right, his greater mass making his impact more substantial. He stumbled only slightly before regaining his balance.
"Holy shit," he breathed, yanking off his oxygen mask and night vision goggles. "We're alive."
"Don't sound so surprised," I laughed quietly, moving to help him collect his chute.
Rafael glanced around the snow-covered clearing. "Where is everyone?"
As if summoned by the question, Diego materialized from the tree line, grinning like the adrenaline junkie he was. "Magnificent, wasn't it? Nothing like a HALO jump to get the blood flowing."
"Where's Jasper?" I asked, scanning our surroundings.
Diego gestured vaguely northeast. "Already moving toward the target. Man doesn't waste time."
"Man's on a mission," I observed, checking my weapons and equipment for damage from the jump. Everything was intact, ready for the violence to come. "Let's not fall behind."
Rafael fell into step beside me. "I am never doing that again, in case that wasn't clear."
"You loved it," I teased, nudging his shoulder. "Admit it. A little brush with death gets the blood pumping."
"All right, kids," Diego said, falling in. "Comms check. Let's hit the plan one more time. Make sure we're all on the same page."
"Jasper takes the east entrance, heading directly for the lower level," Rafael recited. "Diego sets charges at the predetermined structural points while maintaining our exit route. Lorenzo and I extract the remaining children through the drainage culvert to the rendezvous point."
"And if we meet resistance?" Diego prompted.
"Neutralize with minimal noise," I replied automatically, patting the knives strapped to my thighs. "No unnecessary casualties, especially around the children." The weight of my blades against my skin was comforting, familiar. "But anyone who stands between us and those kids is fair game."
Diego grinned. "Well put, though I'd have used more colorful language."
"I was exercising restraint," I replied and winked at him. "Didn't want to scandalize Rafael after his near-death experience in the upper atmosphere."
"I've heard worse," Rafael said, rolling his eyes. "Usually from you, in considerably more private settings."
Diego's eyebrows shot up, his smile turning wicked. "Oh? Do tell, Padre. What does our little feral cat like to say in the bedroom?"
"Nothing that concerns you," Rafael replied, a possessive edge hardening his voice that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.
Diego laughed.
Rafael frowned at me so hard a crease appeared in the middle of his forehead. "You and Diego... You two ever...?" he left the question hanging, something possessive darkening his expression.
Diego and I exchanged a horrified glance before bursting into identical snorts of laughter.
"God no," Diego said, shaking his head emphatically. "That would be a disaster."
"Two bottoms in a relationship never works," I explained to Rafael and winked at him. "It's like trying to plug a power strip into itself and expecting electricity."
"Don't worry, Padre," Diego said and flashed a big grin. "He's all yours. I've got my sights set elsewhere."
The warmth in my chest flickered and died.
