Excerpt
“We’ve been hit!” Rusty cursed loudly. “Evasive action, boys. No Mayday signal today. Taking hits. We’re going down.”
Another series of curses came from the cockpit. “Somebody has shot Belle. They will pay for this.” She called the
hidden assassin by an assortment of nasty names.

Her expertise was extraordinary. She guided the wounded chopper toward the lake’s surface with exceptional skill. Old
Belle was falling fast. She knew as well as we did that pilots take the worst of it. I am sure the thought crossed her
mind, but she never showed it or even said anything. “Don’t worry, boys.” She swallowed heavily, holding back a small
tear. “I’ll get you down safe.” She knew Belle was mortally wounded. “She’ll take care of us to the end.”

“High-powered sniper rifle, eleven o’clock low, on the beach,” the Colonel said with a grim look and hardly any vocal
inflection. “Expect the unexpected,” he said, completely unmoved by it all. He was calm as always.

I grabbed the armrests after tightening my seat harness.