Air Force Capt. Valerie Hall has discovered via a traumatic event \u2014 a coworker attempting to sexually assault her \u2014 that she has the power to teleport herself anywhere that she can reliably picture in her mind. She is recruited into a super-secret military unit called the Pantheon \u2014 formally the AF TENCAP Special Operations Activity, or Red Horse, owing to their unit patch \u2014 comprised of six other military people with the same skillset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teleportation, called Jumping, isn\u2019t some magical ability. It requires targeting training, so the Jumper doesn\u2019t materialize inside an object, a thousand feet under the ocean, or in a California wildfire. Jumping drains the body of calories at a spectacular rate, requiring scientific attention to nutrition and physical coaching. The greater the weight, the longer the distance, the more calories are burned. Anyone touching Jumpers, or anyone whose mental signature they acquire, will be towed along with them. It\u2019s science, but it works like magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this abridged excerpt from Paul\u2019s debut thriller, Val and teammate Damarcus have just led a large team on a tough long-distance training exercise from which they are abruptly recalled to rescue two F-15E aviators downed in hostile Syrian territory. The two Pantheon are drained of energy and connected to special fast-replenishment IVs designed to get them back into action, but they need more time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There isn\u2019t any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The briefing begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter Twelve (abridged):<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need at least two men carrying them, two more on escort, that\u2019s per aviator. Plus, a fallback man; two is better, but I can\u2019t do that with what I\u2019ve got now,\u201d Colonel Gardner was telling Powell as Val regained consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her head turned toward the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d she asked from her spot on the floor. Next to her, Damarcus had also roused and listened to the argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the recall,\u201d Gardner said. He came to her and squatted down. \u201cThe short version is an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Syria. Both aviators ejected and their beacon is pinging, so we think they\u2019re alive, but they\u2019re down in a rough neighborhood. Smithfield has been to eastern Damascus and his mental imagery could get you within three miles of the crash site …\u201d A frown crossed his face like a storm front. \u201c… but Damarcus is in no shape to Jump a full team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA ton. We\u2019ll need two men per aviator just to carry them to the exfil point, plus another two operators per to watch their asses. Plus, it\u2019s a long haul, so I need a fallback man for Damarcus,\u201d he sighed. \u201cPlus me. That\u2019s twelve men in full battle rattle out almost seven thousand miles. One person can\u2019t Jump that round trip unless he starts at a full charge. We have no one at a full charge here, and the rest of the Pantheon are on missions, leave, or injured reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gardner rose and turned back to his electronic planning table where CIA agent Brandon Powell stood with arms crossed over his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val scrambled to her feet with Damarcus following suit, both reaping some dizziness for the exertion. They pushed their IV poles ahead as they slow-walked to the digital map table to survey the plot. It lit their faces from below with a ghostly glow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIntel says the area where they\u2019re down is extremely hostile. If the bad guys get to the pilots before we do, they will be captured and tortured on video, and then turned over to the Russians for propaganda,\u201d Powell said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s only if we\u2019re extremely lucky. If they turn them over to ISIS …\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damarcus stared at the map table, tracing his finger the distance between Florida and Syria and leaving a light blue trace where his finger touched. He thought for a moment and shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, colonel. God, I\u2019m so sorry, I can\u2019t do it with twelve. Not after the training Jumps we just had. We\u2019re wore out. Can\u2019t you cut it down any?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m running a risk sending just four per aviator. Dropping personnel or ammo means a huge risk, potentially leaving more people to be captured if stuff goes sideways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSplit it,\u201d Val said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSplit what?\u201d Gardner asked. His attention stayed focused on the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI take one rescue team, Damarcus takes the other. Add another fallback man for me and I think we can take the load.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo<\/i>, Val,\u201d Damarcus barked. \u201cYou aren\u2019t ready, and we aren\u2019t in any shape to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStop it<\/i>,\u201d Val said. \u201cI am and I can,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m here because people way above our paygrade put me here. Stop thinking of me as a freakin\u2019 girl<\/i> and start thinking of me as a teammate<\/i>.\u201d She glared at Damarcus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have no idea what this is going to do to you.\u201d Damarcus was having trouble rebounding from the morning\u2019s heavy Jumps, and it irked him no end to recognize Val wasn\u2019t suffering nearly as badly. \u201cYou are already in the energy hole, and this Jump would be worse than anything you\u2019ve felt\u2014even one way, and you still gotta get everyone back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damarcus was getting angry explaining to the rookie matters he thought she must already know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour blood will feel like acid\u2014like it\u2019s boiling<\/i>. Your muscles will burn. Your stomach will feel like it\u2019s filled with shards of glass. You haven\u2019t got enough experience<\/i>,\u201d he said. It was nearly a plea. His face was tight as he shook his head. \u201cYou can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not tell me what to do, damn you,\u201d she said, determined. Her hands rested on her hips and she frowned at the concrete floor. Seconds passed. Maybe Damarcus was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo\u2014screw that<\/i>. I don\u2019t care. I\u2019m not leaving those men to die a horrible death when we can do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val pinned Damarcus with a heated stare. She was angry, tired, and half starving to death, but this made Val more formidable, not less. And indiscreet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stepped up close to his face and whispered so only he could hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStop being a damned punk. If you aren\u2019t going to be part of the solution, don\u2019t be part of the problem,\u201d she demanded. She poked him in his rock-solid chest with an index finger. \u201cTime to start bein\u2019 part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damarcus glared back at her but said nothing. She turned to Gardner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need neither his permission nor his authority to go, boss. And I\u2019m going. King is out with his ankle break, but he was impressed with my performance, he said?\u201d Gardner kept his face pointed at the map, unwilling to meet her eyes. He gave her a quick nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPowell, do you think you can repeat this?\u201d she asked, holding her arms out to display the twin IVs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can,\u201d he said quietly, nodding. His face, like Gardner\u2019s, was blank and completely unreadable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay. Then we go,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re Red Horse\u2014we\u2019re the damned Pantheon and we\u2019re going. We\u2019re not leaving them there<\/i>.\u201d Val stabbed the spot marked on the map with a finger and touched Damarcus on the hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images and videos of men thrown from buildings were seared in their shared memories. Video clips of journalists being beheaded, and Turkish fighter pilots immolated in iron cages. ISIS fighters moving down rows of captured prisoners in orange jumpsuits, one after another, coldly firing rifles into their brains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After years in an aviation unit studying adversary tactics, Val knew what waited for the downed Americans if they were caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gardner brought his head up and searched her face. A moment passed silently before he looked at Damarcus. All around them the other team members looked on, watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damarcus broke away from the touch of Val\u2019s hand and gave a brief shake of his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cForget some protocol. I\u2019m in.\u201d He clapped Val on the shoulder, and she reached up to cover his large hand with her small one once again, gripping it tightly and acquiring his feeling of pride and determination. She felt her anxiety flee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe go, colonel,\u201d he said with a nod. He fist-bumped with Val. \u201cWe\u2019re Red Horse\u2014we\u2019re the damned Pantheon. And we\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gardner smiled and turned smartly on the platform to yell out to the men in the hanger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, people, gear up! Full battle rattle, all the mags you can carry, maximum med kits!\u201d His roar echoed across the hangar. \u201cMr. Powell, there are spare IVs in our breakroom fridge. Please get them, then come back and draw a weapon. You\u2019re familiar with our weapons?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll manage,\u201d he said with a crafty grin, and sprinted toward the break room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you sure about this, Val?\u201d Gardner asked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damarcus moved toward the arms room to collect his weapons and Val turned back to Gardner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know we can\u2019t not do this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat others may live,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPararescueman\u2019s motto: \u2018These things I do, that others may live.\u2019 Many of us were pararescuemen before coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gave her a paternal smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome to the team, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val carefully peeled up the tape holding the IVs and pulled the probes out of her arms with a wince. She folded the tape back down to cover the oozing holes and walked over to the arms room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each man on the team gave her a simple nod or a fist bump. She\u2019d seen it before, among men who saw each other as equals. By volunteering to save another, she\u2019d been admitted to their inner circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val drew a GAU-5A, an M4 carbine modified by the Air Force Gunsmith Shop that pilots can bail out with because it\u2019s compact and has fewer parts. She also drew a 9mm Sig Sauer M18 handgun with leg holster and ammo for both weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess I\u2019ll put those back in once we Jump,\u201d Powell said from behind her and dumped a pile of IV bags on her backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, sorry. I can only bend my elbows so far with needles in them.\u201d She met his eyes, searching for any sign of what she\u2019d felt the two times their hands had touched. His face was neutral as he looked back at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, this is you trusting me now?\u201d he asked with quiet intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo place an IV? You\u2019ve done okay so far,\u201d she said, dodging his full meaning. \u201cDo you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He regarded her without answering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet me guess. You CIA guys don\u2019t trust anyone,\u201d she said with a disappointed shake of her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch. \u201cOn the contrary, I think right now I trust you more than anyone else. That was one hell of a speech you made. Make John Wayne proud. Let\u2019s see if your performance matches your passion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gardner\u2019s yell carried across to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, gather up. Countdown in two minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They walked over to two groups forming on concentric circles of the Point Zero departure zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVal, Smithfield has your visual. It\u2019ll take us to a small rise three miles from the crash site. We,\u201d Gardner circled fingers at himself plus seven others, \u201cwill head to the crash, locate and move the aviators while you\u2014\u201d He pointed to Val, Damarcus, Martin, and Powell. \u201c\u2014will stay back and prep for immediate exfil upon our arrival. Twenty minutes to the scene, another ten-ish to locate and authenticate the downed personnel. Expect us back to the exfil point in less than sixty minutes. We know you\u2019ll need at least that to recover from the inbound Jump. If we get back faster, we have enough ammo to suppress contact for some time until you\u2019re ready to bug out.\u201d Gardner smiled with confidence at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be ready. You\u2019re coming with us, then?\u201d Val asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes. Portman will stay here and get King to Medical. Plus, it gives me a chance to sign both you and Powell off on a hot mission,\u201d he said with a wry grin. \u201cDon\u2019t forget, you haven\u2019t met the aviators yet and will need to make physical contact for the Jump. Expect to bear-hug with a hand on their neck for the best skin-to-skin contact,\u201d he told Val.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou got it, colonel. I remember what Damarcus and Marco taught me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay. Questions, comments, concerns?\u201d Val shook her head. No. \u201cOkay, tag up with Smithfield, then teams touch hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val got the visual from Smithfield: more rocky hills and scrub, gently sloping down into a bowl. At least they\u2019d have the high ground if things got crazy. She felt his picture of harsh sun and a dry wind that sucked the moisture from exposed skin, and the grit of sand along with a hint of the young man\u2019s apprehension. Each member of her team touched her hand with Powell tagging in last. His touch was calming but superimposed with a hint of expectation. She met his eyes, no longer expressionless but filled with respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Gardner\u2019s countdown got to one<\/i>, Val took a deep breath and Jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Searing hot agony lanced into Val through every pore and she could feel the acidic burn of her own blood angry in her veins. She felt as if her bones down to the very marrow were on fire. Every pore of her skin felt as though molten lead was pouring from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere to her left, Damarcus cried out from his own torment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val tried to scream. She wanted to howl in her pain, but it was as if her lungs had suddenly been filled with boiling oil, choking her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She dropped to one knee, then both, unable to scream or even sob from within the white-hot hell enveloping her. Sure, steady hands on her arms eased her down gently on her back. She convulsed once, muscles distorted and inflamed, until blissful unconsciousness claimed her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last thing she saw was Powell hovering over her with a hypodermic, and he looked scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She raised her eyes up to where he sat above her. \u201cHow long has it been?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been out forty\u2014\u201d He glanced at his Ares watch. \u201c\u2014two minutes and two bags,\u201d he said with steady calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val struggled to sit upright with Powell\u2019s assistance. Everyone was coated with the ultra-fine desert sand the troops called moon dust. She tried to push hair away from her face but settled for shaking it off her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny sign from them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe heard some gunfire a few minutes back, off to the west toward the objective, but nothing since then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val squinted down into the darkness. What had been late afternoon in Florida was darkest night in Syria. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness but there was nothing to see, just low scrub and rippling sand in all directions. She shook her head again to clear hair from her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muzzle flashes were visible not far away. Martin and Powell grabbed their weapons, taking up defensive positions at the start of the path down the hill. Val reached for the pistol on her hip but saw Damarcus wave his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s dark. You and I are more likely to shoot a friend than a foe at a time like this,\u201d he said as he struggled to sit up. \u201cOur job is to get everyone back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you going to be ready to Jump?\u201d she asked him. Val felt refreshed and ready to go. Every passing minute with the nourishing IVs in her arms made her stronger still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll make it. How did you do with the pain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Val had almost forgotten how painful their arrival had been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah. It was easier when I didn\u2019t really know what to expect, but I\u2019ll make it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood,\u201d Damarcus grunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sound of gunfire blended with the crunching of running boots on the stony path. Val looked down the hill to see that the group was carrying three men, not the two she had expected. Confused, she tried to make out who was being carried. In the dark they all looked alike, but two of the men being carried had dark blood, almost black in the dim light, streaming down their sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPowell, help me get my pack on around these IVs. We\u2019re going to have to go as soon as they\u2019re here,\u201d Val said urgently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPrep to Jump!\u201d Gardner\u2019s voice commanded up the hill. \u201cPrep to Jump!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The others in Val\u2019s group started firing down the hill at attackers only they could see through Gen 3 ATN PVS-7-3 night vision devices. Their short GAU-5A carbines barked in controlled fire, and Val could see silhouettes dropping to the sand as they got closer. She trusted that they were bad guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The distinctive sound of AK-47s returning firing on full auto filled the air, and random rounds kicked up dirt and stones all over the top of the hill. The team returning with the rescued aviators had their hands literally full with pilots, but several operators still managed to fire back at the terrorists chasing them. Gardner turned several times and provided covering fire while the team struggled up the sandy incline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Powell placed an IV bag in each of Val\u2019s upper backpack cargo pockets and slipped the straps of her pack carefully around the lines. She nodded and got ready to bear hug her aviator. It was going to sting with the needles in, but the pain would be nothing compared to what she faced on the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the teams approached, she saw that Smithfield was the third man being carried. He had blood streaming from a neck wound, soaking him from neck to knee. Val reached out for the five minds she had Jumped in with and only found four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cColonel Gardner!\u201d she yelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group pushed one of the aviators in a tan flight suit into her arms and she wrapped a hand up to his exposed neck. Gardner also pushed Smithfield against her and held him there until she got an arm around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cColonel!\u201d she said, a single word loaded with fear. \u201cI can\u2019t get Smithfield\u2019s sig!\u201d Tears filled her eyes. This had been covered in the training classes, but it shocked her anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s dead, Val. Hold him tight. We aren\u2019t leaving his body here,\u201d Gardner\u2019s voice caught, and he looked up the hill at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat others may live!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blinking back hot tears, Val indexed the remaining signatures, took a deep breath, and Jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From \u201cPANTHEON,\u201d by KR Paul. Published by Force Poseidon, an imprint of The Artisanal Group. Copyright \u00a92020 by KR Paul.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Author K.R. Paul grew up rock climbing and riding horses in North Carolina. Her love of adventure took her into the Air Force where she learned to blend her love of writing with her love of adventure.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n