Honor Flight Read online

  “It would be an honor, Joe. But my home runway is too short. I’ll need to lengthen it.”

  The general just laughed.

  If you enjoyed that,

  be sure you don’t miss the series!

  Drone (excerpt)

  Flight 630 at 37,000 feet

  12 nautical miles north of

  Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

  * * *

  The flight attendant stepped up to her seat—4E—which had never been her favorite on a 767-300. At least the cabin setup was in the familiar 261-seat, 2-class configuration, currently running at a seventy-three percent load capacity with a standard crew of ten and one ride-along FAA inspector in the cockpit jump seat.

  “Excuse me, are you Miranda Chase?”

  She nodded.

  The attendant made a face that she couldn’t interpret.

  A frown? Did that indicate anger?

  He turned away before she could consider the possibilities and, without another word, returned to his station at the front of the cabin.

  Miranda once again straightened the emergency exit plan that the flight’s vibrations kept shifting askew in its pocket.

  This flight from yesterday’s meeting at LAX to today’s DC lunch meeting at the National Transportation Safety Board’s headquarters departed so early that she’d decided to spend the night in the airline’s executive lounge working on various aviation accident reports. She never slept on a flight and would have to catch up on her sleep tonight.

  Miranda felt the shift as the plane turned into a modest five-degree bank to the left. The bright rays of dawn over the New Mexico desert shifted from the left-hand windows to the right side.

  At due north, she heard the Rolls-Royce RB211 engines (quite a pleasant high tone compared to the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 that she always found unnerving) ease off ever so slightly, signaling a slow descent. The pilot was transitioning from an eastbound course that would be flown at an odd number of thousands of feet to a westbound one that must be flown at an even number.

  The flight attendant then picked up the intercom phone and a loud squawk sounded through the cabin. Most people would be asleep and there were soft complaints and rustling down the length of the aircraft.

  “We regret to inform you that there is an emergency on the ground. I repeat, there is nothing wrong with the plane. We are being routed back to Las Vegas, where we will disembark one passenger, refuel, and then continue our flight to DC. Our apologies for the inconvenience.”

  There were now shouts of complaint all up and down the aisle.

  The flight attendant was staring straight at her as he slammed the intercom back into its cradle with significantly greater force than was required to seat it properly.

  Oh. It was her they would be disembarking. That meant there was a crash in need of an NTSB investigator—a major one if they were flying back an hour in the wrong direction.

  Thankfully, she always had her site kit with her.

  For some reason, her seatmate was muttering something foul. Miranda ignored it and began to prepare herself.

  Only the crash mattered.

  She straightened the exit plan once more. It had shifted the other way with the changing harmonic from the RB211 engines.

  Chengdu, Central China

  Air Force Major Wang Fan eased back on the joystick of the final prototype Shenyang J-31 jet—designed exclusively for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. In response, China’s newest fighter jet leapt upward like a catapult’s missile from the PLAAF base in the flatlands surrounding the towering city of Chengdu.

  It felt as he’d just been grasped by Chen Mei-Li. Never had a woman made him feel so much like a man.

  Keep reading at fine retailers everywhere:

  Drone

  About the Author

  USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. “Matt” Buchman started writing on a flight south from Japan to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Just part of a solo around-the-world trip that ultimately launched his writing career.

  From the very beginning, his powerful female heroines insisted on putting character first, then a great adventure. He’s since written over 60 action-adventure thrillers and military romantic suspense novels. And just for the fun of it: 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of read-by-author audiobooks.

  Booklist says: “3X Top 10 of the Year.” PW says: “Tom Clancy fans open to a strong female lead will clamor for more.” His fans say: “I want more now…of everything.” That his characters are even more insistent than his fans is a hoot.

  As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50’ ketch, he is awed by what is possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.

  Also by M. L. Buchman

  * also in audio

  Thrillers

  Dead Chef

  One Chef!

  Two Chef!

  Miranda Chase NTSB

  Drone*

  Thunderbolt*

  Condor*

  Ghostrider*

  Romantic Suspense

  Delta Force

  Target Engaged*

  Heart Strike*

  Wild Justice*

  Midnight Trust*

  Firehawks

  Main Flight

  Pure Heat

  Full Blaze

  Hot Point*

  Flash of Fire*

  Wild Fire

  Smokejumpers

  Wildfire at Dawn

  Wildfire at Larch Creek

  Wildfire on the Skagit

  The Night Stalkers

  Main Flight

  The Night Is Mine

  I Own the Dawn

  Wait Until Dark

  Take Over at Midnight

  Light Up the Night

  Bring On the Dusk

  By Break of Day

  and the Navy

  Christmas at Steel Beach

  Christmas at Peleliu Cove

  White House Holiday

  Daniel’s Christmas*

  Frank’s Independence Day*

  Peter’s Christmas*

  Zachary’s Christmas*

  Roy’s Independence Day*

  Damien’s Christmas*

  5E

  Target of the Heart

  Target Lock on Love

  Target of Mine

  Target of One’s Own

  Shadow Force: Psi (coming soon)

  At the Slightest Sound*

  At the Softest Word*

  White House Protection Force

  Off the Leash*

  On Your Mark*

  In the Weeds*

  Contemporary Romance

  Eagle Cove

  Return to Eagle Cove

  Recipe for Eagle Cove

  Longing for Eagle Cove

  Keepsake for Eagle Cove

  Henderson’s Ranch

  Nathan’s Big Sky*

  Big Sky, Loyal Heart*

  Love Abroad B&B

  Heart of the Cotswolds: England

  Path of Love: Cinque Terre, Italy

  Where Dreams

  Where Dreams are Born

  Where Dreams Reside

  Where Dreams Are of Christmas*

  Where Dreams Unfold

  Where Dreams Are Written

  Science Fiction / Fantasy

  Deities Anonymous

  Cookbook from Hell: Reheated

  Saviors 101

  SF/F Titles

  The Nara Reaction

  Monk’s Maze

  The Me and Elsie Chronicles

  Non-Fiction

  Strategies for Success

  Managing Your Inner Artist / Writer

  Estate Planning for Authors*

  Character Voice

  * * *

  Don’t miss a thing! Get a free starter library!

  www.mlbuchman.com

  Copyright 2020 Matthew Lieber Buchman

  Published by Buchman Bookworks, Inc.
r />   First appeared as Galaxy in the USA Today bestselling anthology Origins of Honor.

  All rights reserved.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the author.

  Receive a free book and discover more by this author at: www.mlbuchman.com

  Cover images:

  Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy delivering Sikorsky Blackhawks to Riga airport © Kārlis Dambrāns

  Silhouette radar tower on Sunset sky © coffmancmu | Depositphotos

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