Read Defender for Free Online

level.
* MEDITERRANEAN SEA:
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT
    As the sun dipped into the horizon, Chloe had never been more grateful for level flooring in her life.
    She stepped down the side hatch steps of the CV-22 onto the overcrowded deck of the aircraft carrier where she was supposed to have made an ocean approach full of fanfare. She plucked at her now-dry, saltwater-stiff costume. The silk may have been see-through earlier, but thank goodness the fabric dried quickly.
    Some sailors in yellow jerseys hustled everyone off the plane and over to a designated safe area on the packed flight deck. Navy personnel in uniforms and numerous colored jerseys raced around in concert with one another, a synchronicity that could turn dangerous in a heartbeat.
    She’d been warned during a preperformance briefing about the hazards of being mowed down by prop wash or swept overboard by jet exhaust. Not to mention the possibility of getting sucked in and spat out by an engine. The whole day was scary—and exciting.
    Who’d have thought she would ever land in a plane on a navy ship? The thrill of the wind whipping, the roar of a fighter jet landing on a tiny patch of metal almost managed to wipe away the fear from nearly dying today.
    Perhaps the near-death moment had reminded her to savor every second of this adventure she’d undertaken. She’d spent so much of her life yearning to experience the world outside hospitals and practice halls. She’d gotten a bellyful today.
    She should make tracks to the backstage area, but the hubbub was so flipping amazing. Aircraft parked close together with their wings folded up like massive metal bugs. Sailors mingled with entertainment legends.
    How cool to be a part of this, thanks to her connection with Livia Cicero, a big-time Italian pop star currently signing autographs for a cluster of drooling swabbies. Last winter Livia had come to America to make her crossover breakthrough. She’d performed at an Atlanta Falcons halftime show along with Chloe’s orchestra. When Livia spoke to the crowd about her upcoming USO engagement, Chloe finally had her answer to how she could offer tribute to the soldier who’d saved her life with an organ donation.
    Now she was only an hour away from beginning her week of performances for the troops. The sailors and soldiers on the USS Theodore Roosevelt off the coast of Turkey were expecting a show, and by God, apparently the USO intended to deliver in spite of the fact that half their cast had nearly been blown up.
    That reminded her how this day could have turned out so differently. Her gaze gravitated toward the air force aviators who’d rescued them. The four-man crew strode down the stairs leading from the side hatch with matching desert tan flight suits and cocky struts. She slipped out of the line of performers to get a better look at the guys who’d saved her life.
    And of course the fab four all wore cool shades.
    She recalled reading in some article once that fliers’ eyes were light-sensitive from too much time tooling around the skies among all those unfiltered UV rays. But somehow she knew that, even if they weren’t, these self-proclaimed zipper-suited sky gods would shade their peeps all the same. Their choice of eyewear, however, revealed interesting details about these jet jocks.
    The first guy wore classic Ray Ban aviators, signature of the more seasoned, older sort. Sure enough, as he drew closer, she could see he was the boss who’d checked on them all after they’d strapped into their seats.
    Moving on to number two, he was someone she hadn’t seen during the flight: ominous tinted wraparounds and a shaved bald head. His badass look was tempered by a huge smile and booming laugh.
    Third up, the guy who’d flirted with every female, wore tortoiseshell squared-off shades, compliments of Christian Dior eyewear, if she wasn’t mistaken. Given the way his flight bag was all beat up with a dented thermos sticking out, the expensive glasses—ones