Prologue
Derek
The sway of the helicopter as it hovered two hundred feet in the air was almost comforting as it lulled me into a state of relaxation, even while I watched the men and women in front of me swing out the open door and vanish down the rope that dangled to the ground below. The earplugs I wore didn’t completely drown out the incessant thwap-thwap-thwap of the blades above us. Next to me, a soldier shifted, his jaw clenched and his eyes fastened on the sergeant who was motioning directions as each one took his or her turn.
I understood the nerves. After all, we’d only been in Air Assault school for ten days, and today was the final test. Once I hit the ground, I’d be finished and free to celebrate. Since it was a Friday afternoon, I’d intentionally booked my flight home to Fort Lee, Virginia, for later on Sunday, giving me two nights of fun here in Kentucky with some of the guys I’d just met before it was back to the grind of being a company commander.
Not that I didn’t love my job. I did. But every now and then, it was a relief to be in a new place, with different people, letting loose. I’d hoped my buddy Shaw, another company commander in my battalion at Fort Lee, might hang around with me this weekend, too, but he was flying home today, eager to get back to some chick he’d just begun dating.
“Whipped,” I muttered to myself. The guy next to me frowned. He’d seen my lips move, but of course, he couldn’t hear what I’d said. I shook my head, smiling to show I hadn’t been talking to him.
Shaw was already down on the ground, having been in one of the earlier groups. I knew he was probably watching for me, because that was what all of us did: we had each other’s backs, supporting our friends no matter what. I frowned a little. It hadn’t been so easy lately. My buddies who’d been just as fervently devoted to living the single life as I was—we totally bought into the saying that if the Army wanted us to have a wife, they’d have issued one—had begun dropping like flies. First it had been Max Remington, who’d fallen in love with Samantha, the most unlikely woman ever—they’d met after she’d been picketing the post, protesting actions of the Army. And now those two were talking about tying the knot. And then Kade Braggs had gone TDY for some course up at Fort Davis, and he’d returned with a wife and kid on the way. That had blown my mind, but the dude seemed happy about it, believe it or not.
Then more recently, Shaw, the man’s man, the one we called Danger Ranger, stopped hitting the bars and clubs with what was left of us single guys. Instead, he was spending his free time with some school teacher he’d met, helping to train her for a half-marathon. He’d been talking about her non-stop on our trip to Kentucky and since we’d been here at Fort Campbell.
All I could think was ... another one bites the dust.
Still, I wasn’t going to be the next one to succumb. There were too many hot chicks out there just waiting for me to bang them. Giving all that up to stay with one woman indefinitely? It would be a tragedy.
Movement roused me from my preoccupation as the lieutenant next to me rose to take his turn. I watched as he hooked onto the rope, tested it and then with a deep breath, backed down through the doorway. I waited a few seconds until the sergeant looked my way, gesturing for me to take position.
This wasn’t my first rappel. We’d been training for ten days and actually doing these exercises the last few days. All I had to do was to slide down the rope and get to the ground in one piece, and then the staff sergeant waiting there would smack my wings onto my chest, and I’d be finished, Air Assault qualified.
I attached the rope to my waist with the D-clip, keeping my eyes on the sergeant as I awaited his direction. He gave me the same cursory check he’d given the previous soldiers, followed by a nod and a point of his two fingers.
Time to go.
With one hand behind my back, holding the rope slack and the other hand gripping the rope in front of me, I rolled so that I was facing the interior of the helicopter and immediately began sliding down. I hadn’t gotten very far when suddenly everything went very wrong.
The world rocked. I felt a gust of air and raised my eyes up to the helicopter, which was now teetering drunkenly.
“Shit!” I yelled the word, though no one would hear me. For a split second, I thought I was going to be all right. I thought I was still stable and could drop the rest of the way, hit terra firma and detach myself from the bird.
But I was wrong. Something else happened, and I no longer had control. I felt like I was falling as adrenaline raced through me, and then I stopped with a sickening and painful jerk. Agony shot through my body just before the wind blew again, and this time, I was buffeted by the current, slamming into the bottom of the helicopter.
Everything went dark. The shock of hurt in my head battled briefly with the pain in my back before it all faded away into blissful nothingness.
“Derek? Earth to McTavis.” Jake Robinson snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Dude, are you having one of those grand mal seizures or something?”
“Don’t even joke about that, Jake.” Shaw scowled. “With the head injury Derek had, seizures were a possibility.” He paused, scrutinizing me. “You’re not having one, are you?”
“No, of course not.” I spoke sharply, my annoyance clear to anyone who listened. “I was just—I was paying attention to the fucking game we’re supposed to be watching.” I lifted my bottle of beer toward the television screen, where unfortunately an ad was showing.
“Yeah, but you weren’t.” Kade was standing next to my recliner, swaying slightly back and forth, one hand patting the tiny backside of his baby daughter, who was tucked into some kind of carrying contraption strapped to his body. “And please watch the f-bombs around my daughter.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Man, she’s a baby. She can’t talk yet, and she’s not paying us any attention. Plus, she’s sleeping, which you claim she never does. What’s that all about?”
Kade glowered at our friend. “You need to get used to watching your mouth around her. Before long, she’ll be like a little sponge, picking up everything you say and repeating it. Better practice now. And she doesn’t sleep at night, at least not if we put her down in her crib. She does great if Leah’s holding her, or if I am.”
“Guys.” Shaw took a swig of his own drink and shook his head. “Simmer down. Kade’s right—we need to be aware that the baby’s here with us and keep our voices down.” He smiled in my direction. “Derek, are you okay? Do you need anything?”
Just for all of you to stop treating me like a fucking invalid or a sick man.“No, I’m good.” I finished my beer. “I think I’ll get another one while it’s on commercial.”
“Hey, let me do that.” Jake jumped up and snagged my empty. “You stay seated.”
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” I struggled to stand, willing my face not to show the stab of pain in my hip. “I’m capable of getting my own fu—freaking beer. Go sit down.”
“Fine.” Jake threw up his hands and dropped onto my couch, his lips drawn down. Great, now I’d offended him. Well, served him right. I’d told him on Friday that I didn’t want him to bring the guys over here today. I’d expressly asked them not to come. I wanted to be alone. It was easier to wallow when I didn’t have other people in my house.
