“Semper Fi, Mr. President. Now, if you’ll sit down and buckle up, I’ll see what I can do about the in-one-piece part of that deal.”
He chuckled as he turned for his seat.
The rest of the flight went precisely to plan.
White House to Andrews, she departed twenty-eight seconds late, but made sure that she landed exactly on schedule.
After the President had exited her helo and Air Force One was aloft, she lifted and turned for Quantico. The fog had burned off enough that she was able to land without needing her instruments. Once down, she and Vance headed for the mission debrief.
Sergeant Mathieson was already changing out of his dress blues. Even after so short a flight, the VH-92A would now undergo a full inspection that would take several hours.
“You’re a crazy person, Jones.”
“Gee, and I don’t even have being from Texas as an excuse.”
“Offering to cut the President into pieces…Go Marine indeed.”
They were both laughing as they entered the debrief room. Every step from the foggy morning to the final touchdown would be reviewed in detail—this was HMX-1 after all.
HMX-1 had a perfect record of never once since its founding, having an incident while delivering the President and other VIPs. That’s all she cared about. Their record was still intact on her watch.
Today
“How did one little plane cause so much damage?”
“That’s what we’re here to learn, Mike.” Miranda thought that question was a little obvious for a seasoned NTSB investigator.
“I understand that. I simply never thought about a commuter plane creating an airliner’s worth of damage.”
“It did crash into an opera house,” Holly commented. “Tragic and ridiculous at the same time.”
Coming soon: White Top
About the Author
USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. “Matt” Buchman started writing on a flight 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 70 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*
Raider*
Chinook* (Mar 2021)
Havoc* (April 2021)
White Top* (May 2021)
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
At the Slightest Sound*
At the Quietest Word*
At the Merest Glance*
At the Clearest Sensation*
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 collection!
www.mlbuchman.com
Copyright 2021 Matthew Lieber Buchman
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:
Mi-28 “Havoc” military helicopter © Baranov_Evgenii
Diego Garcia © NASA
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Havoc: a political technothriller (Miranda Chase Book 7) Page 25