Sunday, August 11, 2013

Sunday Snippet: Napalm at Night

Hello,

It's back!! Strike Back premiered Friday night and had me ready to throw things in the first two minutes of the episode. THAT'S a good show, folks. LOL

Tonight's post is inspired by soldiers Stonebridge and Scott. Rip Rafferty is a man who gets shit done, and Jensen Wallis falls hard for him. Napalm at Night is set on a different planet, but hopefully has something of a Vietnam War feel to it. I really wanted the vibe of not knowing exactly why the fight is so important.

Here's the tagline:

Napalm at night is dangerous stuff. Jensen Wallis, an extraordinary helicopter pilot, makes her fair share of early dawn rescues after enemy forces unleash the potent explosives on her fellow soldiers. She comes to the aid of Rip Rafferty's squadron and gets them to safety, but not before the enigmatic man sets her curious nature on fire.

And a sneaky peek…

Jensen landed the chopper, eyes scanning the dense underbrush for signs of life. Freaked her out when a head popped up in the open side door.
The mud-covered face spoke. "I've got five wounded. We have time to get 'em all loaded?"
She stared into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen, made more so by the dirt and caked on moss adhered to his skin. Even under all the grime, his chiseled features stood out.
"Lieutenant? Are we clear? Can I start bringing my men in?" He used her rank, snapping her back to the matter at hand.
She gave a jerky nod, trying to calm the rapid staccato of her heart. Good God, five wounded.
He took off, melting into the foliage, disappearing. She lost track of him completely until he trudged out, carrying a fallen comrade over his shoulders. She wanted to help get the guy in, but couldn't leave the controls. If they had to cut loose in a hurry, she'd be more useful if she stayed put.
A soft thud sounded behind her and she scanned the area, looking for the soldier. Again she couldn't find him, his stealth skill better than any she'd ever seen. Blinking, she shook her head. The guy had two more men, dragging them through the tall grass by their shirt collars. How the hell he managed when both were prone, she had no clue. Twisting around, she tried to get a closer look, but could only hear the rustling sound and grunt when he hefted first one, then the other up into the chopper.
Quickly facing forward, her gaze met empty field again. How did he melt into the surroundings? Narrowing her eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief when he emerged from the shadows, helping two more soldiers make their way to the copter. Neither looked completely conscious, but when she glanced back, one got in under his own steam and the other with a little assistance from his commanding officer. Each man sprawled where they landed and stayed put.
Her marine climbed up into the second seat and put the headset on. He winced and dropped his right hand.
She leaned forward and made an adjustment, catching sight of his wound. "You okay? You're bleeding a lot."
His fingers went to his shoulder. "It went through. I'll be fine."
He looked pale and winded—definitely not fine.
She eased the copter off the ground and headed for the MASH unit. "What the hell happened?"
He stared straight ahead. "Ambush. We spread out and got caught from both sides." A hard edge crept into his tone. "Napalm. Got cut off from the rest of the platoon."
Jensen wanted to hurl after catching a faint whiff of the unmistakable aroma. "Fuck." She jerked her head toward the back. "The first one you brought out? He gonna make it?"
The marine shook his head. "He's already gone. But I couldn't leave him behind. We were on the other side of the line."
Her eyes widened. "How far over?"
He shot her a sideways glance. "Three clicks."
She barely kept her mouth from dropping open. "You drug him all the way back?" The guy had to have a streak of insanity running through him.
He shrugged. "Him. Jeffs, Martinez, and Lambert. Dobbie crossed under his own steam, but dropped half a mile back." He winced and applied pressure to his wound.
Jensen huffed out a harsh breath. "Jesus. Are you human?"
His lips quirked. "I don't know." His mouth thinned and the life went out of his gaze. "Not sure I know what that means anymore." He leaned back, his eyes sliding closed.
Jensen concentrated on flying, leaving him to rest and maybe find some peace.
When she landed, she stayed out of the way while the men got unloaded. Her marine staggered out of the helicopter and started heading for the triage unit.
Jensen called out. "Hey, marine. Didn't catch your name."
He paused and angled his head around. "Rafferty. Rip Rafferty. Thanks for the lift." He touched two fingers to his forehead in a salute.
She nodded. "Jensen Wallis. And you're welcome." She swung back up into the pilot's seat. "Hope you don't have to hang out here very long."
He lifted a hand and turned back toward the mobile hospital. Jensen got another call and lifted off to head out for another run.
She had an eerie feeling she'd be seeing Rafferty again.
And she totally will be seeing him again and not under the best circumstances. L



That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

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