A Soldier's Promise
"Sure you wanna do this, Montgomery?" Fellow U.S. Air Force Pararescue Jumper Nolan Briggs asked above the engine hum."I'm sure." Joel shifted away from the window as the luxury jet broke through wispy Southern Illinois clouds on descent to the one place on earth he never wanted to see again.
Refuge. The irony made him snort.
Nolan leaned close enough for Joel to inhale toxic doses of mafia-strength garlic. "'Cause if you don't, we'll handle it."
Teammate Manny Peña joined Nolan in the passenger aisle. "Yeah. Nobody'll know if you don't make the jump, dude."
Joel fastened a gaze on his well-meaning friends and fellow PJs, and aimed a thumb at his sternum. "I'll know."
And so would that kid. "It's gonna be tougher than you think," Nolan said. Hardest mission of his life. Especially on a cold Friday in September.
Joel laced his boot. "Nah. Piece of cake."
"Right. Like running a catering service with an Easy-Bake." Manny clicked the overhead bin open.
"No sweat." Joel tugged his chute pack from under the seat.
"Not a drop," Nolan agreed. "But the offer still stands."
"He asked for me. I can't let him down, guys." Joel retrained a determined ga ... read full excerpt from A Soldier's Promise ebook
