—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
About The Spy Who Fanged Me:
“This story has a wacky, hysterical storyline that will make you laugh out loud over Ms. Michaels’ sense of humor. This is definitely not your ordinary shifter/vampire story! The author wove so many twists and turns into the storyline that you just don’t know what could happen next between Pierce and Kit. If you’re looking for a story that’s fun, edgy and comical – this is the one you shouldn’t pass up. Ms. Michaels delivers yet again!”
—Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer Top Pick
Dear Reader,
Have you ever felt a strong pull to a location or a time in history? For me, it’s the South Pacific during WWII. All my life I’ve been pulled to books, movies, photos, television shows, anything to do with that time period—especially pilots. I even had to honeymoon in Hawaii so I could visit Pearl Harbor.
Creating a flying Ace hero from that time period was a given and CAPTIVE HERO came to be. I had the honor and privilege to send the requested full story to the late, Kate Duffy from Kensington several years ago. After her unexpected passing, the story sat on my hard drive. With self publishing now a viable option, what better way to share the story Kate took an interest in without sending it to another publisher.
The characters were fascinating and putting myself in their shoes was a whole lot of fun. Poor Mitch was yanked from everything he knew and plopped in a time period too unreal to believe. And he didn’t. Samantha was forced to make a tough decision in order to keep history on course…more than once. To make matters more complicated, they had this undeniable attraction between them, one they realized they’ve had before.
It was a wonderful story to write. The research was very interesting and I hope I did the Black Sheep justice. CAPTIVE HERO was a true labor of love and the perfect first book in my new Time-shift Heroes Series. To me, there’s no better experience than to give and I hope this book gives you an enjoyable escape.
Thanks for reading,
~Donna
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com
Also by Donna Michaels
~Novels~
Her Uniform Cowboy(Harland County Series/Book 3/Kade)
Her Unbridled Cowboy(Harland County Series/Book 2/Connor)
Her Fated Cowboy(Harland County Series/Book 1/Cole)
She Does Know Jack
The Spy Who Fanged Me
~Novellas~
Cowboy-Sexy
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
~Short Stories~
The Hunted
Negative Image
The Truth About Daydreams
Holiday Spirit
~Do-Over Series~
Valentine’s Day Do-Over
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings
UPCOMING RELEASES:
~Harland County Series~
Her Forever Cowboy—Book Four/Kevin
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Future Hero—Book Two
~Citizen Soldier Series~
Wyne and Dine—Book One
CAPTIVE HERO
Copyright © 2012 Donna Michaels
Cover Art by JT Schultz © 2012
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web. For information, please contact the author via email.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
ISBN-13: 978-1480197701
ISBN-10: 148019770X
Print edition October 2012
Book One in Time-shift Heroes Series
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the men and women in the military, especially the real VMF-214 Black Sheep who served during WWII. Thank you all for your service, and thank you to your families for their sacrifices as well.
I would also like to thank my wonderful husband Michael, my family, the HOODS, fellow author, JT Schultz, for her friendship and support throughout the years, and to my editor, Stacy Holmes, for her help and praise while working on this very, special book.
Chapter 1
“Phantombird VL Zero Three, you have a go to initiate invisibility.”
Ooraah!
Third generation Marine Pilot Captain Samantha Sheppard lived for this moment. An impeccable flying record and combat experience in the Gulf had garnered her a spot on a list of five pilots, selected out of hundreds from all military branches, to serve on the Phantom Project.
One step closer to NASA.
“Roger that, Command Central,” she replied with a grin.
Man, she loved to fly. Loved it. The same applied to the Phantombird. Unlike any craft she’d ever piloted, the silent, V-shaped VL sported a side-by-side manning station and vertical lift capabilities, eliminating the need for long runways. A true testament to the evolution of aircraft.
This is it. My chance.
Anticipation and excitement sparked to life, heating Sam’s body with a pounding determination to succeed. A successful mission today would pad her already sparkling record. She turned and slapped the upheld hand of Lieutenant Maria Garcia, her copilot and best friend since boot camp.
The redheaded beauty silenced communications before pinning her with a soulful stare. “Your grandfather would be so proud.”
A swift onslaught of tears burned behind Sam’s eyes. Maria knew Edward Sheppard, Sr. was Sam’s hero. Fond childhood memories abounded of her climbing onto his lap, head resting on his chest, enthralled by his deep, animated tone, while he recanted his days as a VMF Black Sheep pilot in the South Pacific. She’d imagined herself beside him in the cockpit, flying battles with his comrades—each of whom she’d come to know and admire through his exhilarating tales. Thanks to those memoirs, her blazing desire to become a Marine pilot had sparked at an early age.
“Yes,” she finally answered her friend, reaching for the patch she’d sown into the left arm of her black flight suit the previous night. “He would’ve been thrilled.”
Tight stitching and jagged edges met the pad of her forefinger as she gently stroked her slightly charred but dearly cherished good luck charm. Captain Edward Sheppard Sr. had presented Sam with his Black Sheep patch four years ago, a few days before a massive heart attack had claimed his life.
She closed her eyes and brought to mind the firm, albeit proud tone of the beloved eighty-eight year old Vet. “Give ‘em hell, Sam.”
And she did, whenever she climbed into a cockpit. Sam never flew anywhere without her grandfather. He’d been to Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and now, she blinked and swallowed a laugh, he was going invisible.
Gramps always did have a love for unidentified flying objects. A smile tugged her lips. Today, he would fly in one. The Phantombird certainly qualified as a UFO to those who weren’t aware of its existence. Pride straightened her spine. History was just around the corner—their corner. Captain Samantha Sheppard was about to be the first pilot to go invisible.
Or she could also be about to blow up.
That would suck. Especially for her dream of one day piloting the space shuttle. Her smile disappeared. NASA was tough enough to get into. As an apparition, she wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance.
A quick glance to the right had her raising her brow. “Ready, Lieutenant?”
Maria reopened communications and held up her thumb. “All clear here, Ma’am.”
“Roger.” Sam nodded before facing forward.
A crowd of military and government brass, their medals glinting under the bright mid-October Nevada sun, sat on a set of metal bleachers, hoping to witness history. Ordered to tak
e the Phantombird to only a thousand feet, Sam prayed their flight would be the one logged in and recorded as a success.
Already tested twice in the past six weeks by two different teams, the Phantombird was O for two. The first run barely got off the ground when the hydraulics froze for Captain Daughtry. Then last month, Lt. Colonel Hanson went airborne, but had absolutely no response after he hit the invisibility switch. Scientists and mechanics had worked around the clock ever since and reassured the higher-ups they’d fixed the glitch. Sam hoped so. Her gut told her this test flight would change her life.
“Phantombird VL Zero Three initiating invisibility,” she stated, another warm rush of adrenaline heating her blood.
Okay baby, her thumb hovered over the red toggle switch as she silently implored the craft, Maria and I are allergic to flames so this is no time for fireworks.
With a dry throat and sweaty palms, Sam gazed out at the sparkling blue horizon and flipped the switch.
“Did it work?” Maria asked a moment later.
“I’m not sure.” Outside, the bright blue sky took on a gray, almost smoky sheen. Odd. Sam frowned. “Command, this is Phantombi—”
A sudden intense jarring cut off her attempt to contact base and rattled the aircraft. With a tight grip on the stick, she increased their altitude, her brain seeking a reason for the jerking while she worked to regain control of their shaking craft. Only one explanation came to mind.
“That felt like…we were fired at.”
“Because we were.” Maria’s finger shook as she pointed to the radar.
Multiple green blips glared out a warning. There shouldn’t be any blips, and yet dozens of planes filled the skies seven hundred feet below.
“Who the hell is that?”
A deep male tone barked in Sam’s headset, sending shivers straight to her booted toes.
That was not Command Central.
“Mitch, Mitch, are you okay? You’re smoking,” a slightly familiar male voice blasted over the radio.
Sam’s heart stopped. The urgency in his tone bespoke concern for a comrade in battle.
“That Zero let loose, but only three rounds hit you,” the familiar voice continued.
Zero? Her pulse resumed thumping at a frantic rate. No friggin’ way!
“Are you sure, Shep? Only three? How’s that possible?” The deeper tone asked, reactivating Sam’s shivers.
“Because he hit us,” Maria answered, flipping an internal extinguisher switch to douse the sparks inside their cabin.
“Who the hell said that?” The one called Mitch barked again. “Sounded like a woman.”
Sam shook her head at Maria and, finger to throat, made a slicing motion to silence audio. They mustn’t make contact, at least, not until they figured out what in the world was going on.
“No idea,” Shep replied to Mitch. “But the Zero shot at you and half of his bullets stopped in mid air.”
“Okay, Shep.” Mitch’s voice changed into a calm, take-charge tone. “You need to shake of this dementia. Are you feeling all right? Dizzy? The Zeroes are still out here, buddy. Buck it up before you end up in the drink.”
Shep? Dementia? Drink? Sam swallowed the hysterical laughter bubbling up her throat. Okay, Sammie, you can wake up now. Her gaze traveled to her copilot. Maria jabbed a finger at the radio.
“I swear, Sam, if Hanson and Daughtry are playing tricks, I’m going to have their asses for lunch.”
“I—I don’t think it is.” She shook her head, unable to voice her crazy notion one of those men was her dead grandfather.
“You should fly to Torokina while you’re still capable, Captain.” Concern deepened Shep’s tone. “You’re really starting to smoke now.”
As if on cue, dark gray plumes billowed up from below. Trepidation pinched Sam’s shoulders. Not good. She tipped the Phantombird to obtain a better view, and promptly stopped breathing.
“This can’t be…”
Maria’s sharp intake confirmed otherwise. “Holy friggin’ shit.”
Sam’s mind worked feverishly to rationalize the battle-ravaged scene below. Corsairs, bullets, smoke, and Mitsubishi Reisens with unmistakable red circles painted on the sides and wings filled the sky.
“Dammit, Mitchell!”
The fear vibrating in Shep’s voice startled Sam from her shock.
“Quit being such a stubborn ass. You’d better land before December 28th, 1943 turns into your last day on this earth.”
Cool air funneled into Sam’s lungs until it backed up and lodged in her throat. She coughed. “Oh my God!” Reality hit hard and squeezed her chest. “What have we done?”
One of the smoking Corsairs broke away and took a northeast heading. She consulted the radar and noted several points of land in that area.
“What, Sam?” Maria asked, alarm lifting her tone. “What’s wrong?”
Sam expelled her breath and slowly turned to face her copilot. A pair of dark rounded eyes stared back. Through her grandfather’s tales, Sam knew who survived the war and who didn’t…
“We just changed history.”
“What? How?” Maria frowned, her gaze snapping back to the window. “We didn’t help kill an enemy, although I have to admit…” Her copilot’s grip on the control panel whitened. “…the thought did cross my mind.”
“No! We can’t. We mustn’t.” Sam shifted in her seat, tautness increasing across her chest. “It’s bad enough we altered Captain Anthony Mitchell’s fate.”
“Who?”
“Captain Anthony Mitchell, the pilot flying to the refueling and emergency strip at Torokina, Bougainville.” Sam pointed toward the disappearing plane. “Thanks to our untimely arrival, his Corsair only received minimal damage because we took the rest.”
“Okay, I’d love to know how you know that, but right now, we’d better land so I can get this bird repaired.” Maria scratched her temple and sighed. “Then we’ll figure out what the heck just happened…and where the hell Nevada went!”
“Nevada?” Sam sputtered. “What about the twenty-first century?”
Every one of her grandfather’s stories came rushing back. She stared down at the Corsairs. Their beauty and maneuverability were everything he had boasted. What she wouldn’t give to stay and view her grandfather in action. The chance to witness one of his tales was a gift. An absolute gift.
But she had a more pressing matter. Thanks to their accidental interference, she had to follow a certain sexy voiced Black Sheep. To do what? No idea. She’d worry about that later. Right now, she tilted the stick to the left and carefully maneuvered above and around the dogfights.
Her gaze fell to the patches on her uniform. “It’s not here!”
“What’s not where?”
“My grandfather’s Black Sheep patch. It’s gone.” Sam thrust her arm toward her friend. “I have the Corps, the Phantom, and the U.S., but not the VMF 214.”
Maria paled again. “Sam, I watched you sew it on last night. So either we’re both having a wicked-ass dream, or we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“Even my dreams aren’t this crazy,” she muttered, keeping her gaze on their prey.
With all of the enemy fighters engaged in battle, Captain Mitchell flew from the scene without incident. A simple round of bullets from any one of the Zeroes could have righted history. Her spine stiffened.
She could right history.
Her grip tightened on the stick while her finger hovered over the trigger. One squeeze would fix the wrong her trip to the past had created. One squeeze…
Sam’s pulse pounded so rapid in her ears the drumming rattled her skull. What should she do? Had fate ripped her from the future to save Captain Mitchell just so she could shoot him?
Didn’t matter. He was a Black Sheep. Not an enemy.
Her finger eased off the trigger. She would not take the shot. There had to be another way to fix the mistake.
Five minutes stretched into fifteen and she was still no closer to enlightenment. Wh
y were they there? How were they there?
“Uh, Sam…”
The hesitation in Maria’s voice grabbed her attention. She squashed the uncertainty and glanced at her copilot.
“What’s wrong?”
Maria gestured at the window with a nod of her head. “Isn’t that island down there Bougainville?”
Sam’s gaze dropped to the panel. “Yes, according to radar.”
“Then why isn’t the good captain landing?”
Attention snapping back to the smoking Corsair, she watched as he held altitude and flew right past the appointed emergency stop. Stupid stubborn Marine.
“Apparently, flying another hour in a busted plane is worth the risk to set down at base.”
“Oh, smart.” Her friend rolled her eyes. “Not.”
Sam nodded, but refrained from commenting. She’d learned years ago the thought process of most men and women varied greatly. A woman used her brain. A man sat on his. Hard to think logically when you cut off your oxygen supply. Captain Mitchell’s foolish move proved it.
Fifty-eight minutes later, a splotch of green rose out of the sea. Finally. Sam would never take today’s technology for granted again. Well, the twenty-first century’s technology. A snail’s pace didn’t work for her.
Decreasing altitude and velocity, she approached her grandfather’s old stomping ground with a rush of excitement heating her veins.
Vella Lavella.
Coconut plantations dotted the level areas while dense jungle overtook the rest of the island. Damn. Where did he go? A thick, dark canopy concealed everything.
Several tense seconds passed before Sam spotted smoke. Gotcha. She followed the billowing mass to a damaged plane on a well-worn runway. A group of military buildings and a fenced off area confirmed her target.
10 Timeless Heroes; A Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Page 206