Collateral Damage (36 page)

Authors: Dale Brown

Sicily

B
y the time Turk and Ginella landed, they had a veritable armada of escorts flying around them, including Li, who was fully fueled and had resumed her position on Ginella's wing.

Turk circled the field until the others landed. As he taxied in, every muscle in his body stiffened. He'd been so tense for so long, his legs and arms and neck were virtually frozen into place. He was tempted to have the Tigershark's computer take over and taxi the aircraft to the hangar parking area. But after all that had happened, he felt it was wiser if he stayed on the stick, following the truck that had come out to escort him back.

Night had fallen. As he powered down and prepared to pop the top, he wondered what he would say to Ginella.

He didn't hate her. If anything, he had more respect for herâshe had fought through an incredibly difficult situation. She was a hell of a pilot and in truth an excellent flight leader in combat.

Her personal life was something else.

He taxied into his parking area, popped the top and powered down.

“Look what you did to my wing,” groused a familiar voice as he poked his head over the side.

It was Chief Al “Greasy Hands” Parsons. The head of the technical operations for Special Projects, he'd arrived in Sicily while Turk was on his sortie.

“Hey, Chief.” Turk climbed onto the rollout ladder and started down.

“What were you trying to do? Break it? You know how much this costs, mister?”

“Iâuhâ”

The older man shook his head, then burst into a loud fit of laughter.

“I was briefed on the whole thing. After the fact.” He shook his head, and helped Turk off the ladder. “You know what you were trying to do wouldn't have worked, don't you?”

“Sure it would have.”

“Pilots.” Greasy Hands laughed.

The veteran crew chief walked all the way with Turk to the flight changing area set up inside the hangar, where the specialists were waiting to help him out of his flight gear.

“Hey,” said Beast, who was there with most of the rest of the squadron pilots. “There he is.”

Turk braced himself, not sure what to expect. But the other pilots began applauding.

He stopped, unsure of what to do. He'd never had a reaction like that before.

“You really showed a set of balls trying to get the colonel home,” said Beast, acting as de facto spokesman. “Thank you.”

Even Paulson was, if not actively enthusiastic, at least not antagonistic.

“It wouldn't have worked, Dreamland,” said the squadron's executive officer. “But it's the attempt that counts. A hell of a try.”

“Thanks,” said Turk, as graciously as he could manage.

He looked around, expecting to see Ginella somewhere. Instead, he saw Li beaming at himâa much more welcome sight.

“You were great,” she said, eyes wide. “You were really great.”

“Thanks.”

She squeezed his hand in a way that made him flush.

“Where's the colonel?” he asked.

Beast snorted. “Medical people grabbed her. She didn't want to go. Practically had to knock her out to get her into the ambulance.”

“I heard she decked half of them,” said Paulson.

“Don't expect a thank-you,” added Beast. “Not from the Dominatrix.”

“I wouldn't expect anything,” Turk said. “Not a thing.”

About the Author

DALE BROWN, a former U.S. Air Force captain, was born in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Nevada. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European history and received a U.S. Air Force commission in 1978. He was still serving in the Air Force when he wrote his highly acclaimed first novel,
Flight of the Old Dog
. Since then he has written a string of
New York Times
bestsellers, including most recently
Shadow Command, Rogue Forces, Executive Intent, A Time for Patriots,
and
Tiger's Claw.

www.dalebrown.info

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Praise for
the novels of

New York Times
bestselling author DALE
BROWN

“Dale Brown is a superb storyteller.”

W.E.B. Griffin,
Washington Post

“[Brown] gives us quite a ride.”

New York Times Book
Review

“The novels of Dale Brown brim with
violent action, detailed descriptions of sophisticated weaponry, and political
intrigue. .Â .Â . His ability to bring technical weaponry to life is
amazing.”

San Francisco
Chronicle

“A master at creating a sweeping epic and
making it seem real.”

Clive Cussler

“His knowledge of world politics and
possible military alliances is stunning. .Â .Â . He writes about weapons
beyond a mere mortal's imagination.”

Tulsa
World

“Nobody does it better.”

Kirkus
Reviews

“Brown puts readers right into the middle
of the inferno.”

Larry Bond

Also in the Dreamland Series

(with Jim DeFelice)

Raven Strike

Black Wolf

Whiplash

Revolution

Retribution

End Game

Satan's Tail

Strike Zone

Razor's Edge

Nerve Center

Dreamland

Titles by Dale Brown

Tiger's Claw

A Time for Patriots

Executive Intent

Rogue Forces

Shadow Command

Strike Force

Edge of Battle

Act of War

Plan of Attack

Air Battle Force

Wings of Fire

Warrior Class

Battle Born

The Tin Man

Fatal Terrain

Shadow of Steel

Storming Heaven

Chains of Command

Night of the Hawk

Sky Masters

Hammerheads

Day of the Cheetah

Silver Tower

Flight of the Old Dog

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the authors' imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE
. Copyright Â© 2012 by Air Battle Force, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Edition DECEMBER 2012 ISBN: 9780062198020

Print Edition ISBN: 9780061713033

FIRST EDITION

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