Mercy and Mayhem Men of Mercy(9)

Jumping out of an airplane at this height, even though she piloted one, was nearly impossible for her to imagine without a shiver of apprehension. But she had no trouble imagining their commander willingly putting his life at risk in service of his country. He wouldn't hesitate or falter-none of them would. Men like that made their country safe and made Marley proud to be a part of the U.S. military.

"Who's watching your little girl this time?" her copilot asked, his fingers scanned methodically over the gauges on the control panel.

"Dad's got her. He's already promised her a milkshake every night before bedtime."

Ramsey fiddled with the pressure gauge and then muttered, "You see this thing tick over a few minutes ago?"

"No, haven't seen anything." Marley zeroed in on the dial. A malfunction with the cabin pressure could lead to a lack of oxygen and hypoxia, and if she and her copilot passed out in the cockpit of the C-130, there could be only one result-crash and burn.



       
         
       
        

No, thank you.

She had no intention of anyone on her plane dying. Nor did she intend to orphan her daughter at such a young age. "I'll check the manual. Some type of line could be loose."

Her copilot leaned away from her. She heard the sound of a zipper opening, followed by the sound of Ramsey wrestling with something. Then he put a black oxygen mask on the small ledge beside his left knee. "Just in case."

Her insides quieted, but the black mask was an option she hoped she'd never have to use. She checked the gauge one more time and pulled out her manual, skimming the table of contents and then flipping over to the page detailing the automated air pressure system. She flipped page after page, speeding through until she found the section she needed. "Says here that it's a random glitch and typically not cause for alarm, but we should check the pressure in the line controlling the readings. There could be a crack or loose connection."

They hit a pocket of turbulence. The plane shook and then righted. Marley ignored the omen and focused on the small black print, ignoring also the fact that her heart had kicked up speed in her chest.

"Anything else in there, Mitchell?" Ramsey gripped the yoke on his side but did not disengage the autopilot.

Attempting to blow off some steam and cover up her anxiety, Marley let out a shaky laugh. "You really that worried? C-130s are one of the most reliable, steadfast airplanes ever put on the market. I'm sure that little tick was nothing."

Ramsey shifted in his seat, the movement betraying his nerves. He kept his eyes on the pressure dial, and Marley continued to read from the manual. "Looks like two possible causes-either the automatic pressure control is about to go out or there's a loose line connecting the pressure reader gauge to the control panel. The latter ninety percent more likely than the first."

Marley continued skimming, looking for the instructions on how to disassemble the lower panel to get in and check the wiring.

"Did I tell you my fiancée made me go to human resources the other day and increase my life insurance? I joked with her, accusing her of planning my assassination, but maybe she had a crystal ball or something," Ramsey said.

Marley flipped the page faster. Okay, there was definitely some anxiety and fear pumping through her veins, but Ramsey was taking their situation to soap-opera-level drama. "I think you're being dramatic, don't you?"

"We should take this kind of stuff more seriously. Do you have enough coverage to support Maddie if something happens to you?"

Marley flipped another page, frustration mounting. "Of course I do. It's called being a responsible parent."

She'd added the extra coverage right after Maddie was born. So had her husband. He'd taken care of them even after his death. The money from his life insurance had enabled Marley to send Maddie to one of the top private schools in the entire town. And she'd been able to move closer to her parents so that she'd have a solid backup whenever she needed it. 

She skimmed down the lines with her finger until she found the instructions on which panel to remove to check for a loose connection.

Ramsey fiddled with the panel again, but Marley ignored it as she concentrated on the manual, committing the steps to memory. She'd do the check and get back to the mission focus of delivering the troops safely for their HALO jump.

"Sorry about this, Mitchell. I had no choice."

Marley continued to read, ignoring Ramsey's cryptic words. Locate the green wire. Manipulate until solidly seated against washer attached to back pressure gauge.