that, a man stands. Wally was drunk, too, and didn’t mean it, but when he slid his arm into the sling, he glared like he did.
Rising also, Wally bumped the table. The bottle toppled to its side and rolled to the edge. Both men could not stop it. The bottle hit the concrete but didn’t break.
LB tapped his own chest, mimicking a bullet there. “Shoot me? Because of bullshit orders? We both got Jolly Green Giant feet tattooed on our asses. Period.”
Wally pointed. “Sit down.”
“Why?”
“Because I can carry two beers. Then we’ll settle this.” Wally wove into the crowd. The night was too early to have drunk this much. LB thought to leave, let Wally return to an empty table. They wouldn’t settle anything; they were going to argue and drink.
But LB refused to disappear.
He sat, not because he was told to.
GLOSSARY
AFRICOM. US Africa Command
BDU. Battle dress uniform
cows’ tails. Lanyards clipped to rings in the floor of a helicopter
C4I. Command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence
CCS. Command and control stations
CSAR. Combat search and rescue
CQB. Close quarters battle
CRO. Combat rescue officer
CTF 151. Combined Task Force 151, the international counterpiracy task force
DKAV or D=KAV. Calculation for freefall and canopy drift, using several factors, including wind velocity, altitude, and direction
EML. Electromagnetic launcher
ERQS. Expeditionary Rescue Squadron
Guardian Angels. Overall system name for US Air Force pararescue resources
IRTC. Internationally Recognized Transit Corridor
JOC. Joint Operations Center
IP. Isolated personnel
IR. Infrared
LRP. Long range patrol
LT. Lieutenant
LZ. Landing zone
ODA. Operational detachment alpha (formerly Green Berets)
PJ. Pararescue jumper
PR. Personnel recovery
PRCC. Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell
PTT. Press to talk
RAMZ. Rigged Alternate Method Zodiac
SERE. Survive, evade, resist, escape
SIE. Self-initiated elimination
SF. Special Forces
SSAS. Ship Security Alarm System
target. Jargon for “target”
TDY. Temporary duty assignment
technical. Armed pickup truck
UAV. Unmanned aerial vehicle
UKMTO Dubai. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office in Dubai, UAE
Acknowledgments
For my several historical novels, I’ve been able to gather a great deal of the information I needed out of archives and nonfiction books, the recorded voices of the dead. But for a novel like this one, a contemporary tale, I’ve had to rely much more on the living.
At every step in my research, folks in and out of the military embraced both me and the notion of a novel about combat search and rescue (CSAR) on a massive cargo ship. I’ve spent time listening on three continents, four seas, and one ocean to men recounting their adventures, dangers, and wisdom. I’ve done my best to weave their vivid experiences into a story that not only is exciting but rings true. To a greater extent than any book I’ve written, this novel owes its character to the guidance and generosity of many advisers.
On Long Island, at Francis S. Gebreski Airport, the PJs and CROs of the USAF 103rd RQS showed me hospitality, trust, and just how cool and brave their lives are. While every man I spoke with contributed to my knowledge and admiration, the ones with whom I spent the most time were Maj. Scott Williams (the original LB), Lt. Colonel John McElroy, Lt. Colonel Shawn Fitzgerald, base Col. Tom Owens, and Captain Glyn Weir. Thanks to them, LB and Wally are alive and kicking each other.
In Djibouti, I was hosted by the pararescueman of the 58th RQS out of Nellis Air Force Base. While deployed with these men, I had better food, more fun, more excitement, and better sleeps than in any civilian days in recent memory. If I were a younger fellow, I would want to be like them. Since I cannot, some characters in my book (Quincy, Doc, Jamie) are. Thank you.
For two weeks, between Malta and Dubai, I was fortunate enough to sail on the CMA CGM Hydra in the company of Capt. Slavko “Dado” Malasic and his lovely wife, Valnea. Along with Chief Engineer Razvan Uta, they taught me everything I needed to know about massive cargo ships, traveling great distances on blue seas, Ping-Pong, Dracula, piloting a huge ship with a tiny wheel, and high spirits. I could not have conceived this book without them.
My agent Luke Janklow of Janklow & Nesbitt is a star in many rights. He, for being an impatient man, has shown me great restraint and faith. I’ve pledged not to vex him so greatly in the future, because he’s been proven right often enough. Clare Dippel, his assistant, has been a guiding light for the journey of this book. Between the two of them, I am as confident in my representation as I’ve ever been.
At Thomas & Mercer, editor Andy Bartlett and his team of professionals have amazed me with their competence and eagerness to make this book a success. As any author will tell you, it’s a deeply gratifying experience to work with folks who not only care about your book, but are talented and open-minded along the way.
As he has for all ten of my novels, my old friend Jim Redington, MD, helped with everything medical. The Public Affairs Office of the USAF at the Pentagon was a dream to work with.
Sherrie Najarian is not just a smart, classy beauty. She’s also a first-class editor. Like so many others, she added many things to this novel for which I receive credit.
—David L. Robbins
About the Author
Photo by Maj. John McElroy, USAF, 2010
David L. Robbins currently teaches advanced creative writing at VCU Honors College. His exceptional talent is displayed through ten action-packed novels, including the classic War of the Rats, Broken Jewel, The Betrayal Game, The Assassins Gallery, and Scorched Earth. An award-winning essayist and screenwriter, Robbins founded the James River Writers, an organization dedicated to supporting professional and aspiring writers. He also co-founded the Podium Foundation, which encourages artistic expression in Richmond’s high schools. Robbins extends his creative scope beyond fiction as an accomplished guitarist and student of jazz, pop, and Latin classical music. When he’s not writing, he’s often found sailing, shooting, weightlifting, and traveling the world. He lives in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author