The simulator’s canopy sealed with a hydraulic hiss that sounded too much like a coffin lid. Alex Thorne—Raven Actual—let the darkness swallow her. Not the comforting black of a night flight over the Pacific,…
The tray hit the floor so hard the whole mess hall heard the metal bend. A burst of eggs, toast, and coffee scattered across the white tile. The plastic cup split open and sent…
Diaz went pale. Not nervous pale. Terrified pale. The kind of pale that appears when a person suddenly realizes a situation is much bigger than they understood. Gunnery Sergeant Rourke noticed it too. His…
The message glowed against the darkness of my bedroom. Mom, I know you helped with the house, but Beatrice thinks Christmas Eve should be an intimate family gathering this year. I hope you understand.…
The slap landed like a gunshot in the still afternoon air. My cheek burned, but the real heat was deeper, somewhere behind my ribs where a mother’s heart is supposed to stay soft. I…