Read Online Morgan's Wife by Lindsay McKenna - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lindsay McKenna
Ads: Link
hump on his back where he carried his weapons and gear. Bringing one hand in, she got ready to pull her rip cord. Woodward threw his arms and legs out, braking his plummet. When he was no more than twenty feet away, she saw him jerk his cord. To her horror, before she could pull her own, she saw his released chute begin to stream.
No! Pepper stopped herself from opening her chute and watched in dismay as Jim tried to open his by jerking on the shroud lines repeatedly. It wouldn't flare and catch the wind, and Pepper knew a parachute that streamed had little chance of opening. She saw him frantically take out his knife and cut away the shroud lines before he got tangled in them as he continued making slow, awkward spirals downward. Like Pepper's, his emergency chute was attached to his chest harness, and he quickly jerked it open. As she watched, the parasail started to open nicely, then developed a fold and crumpled. The horror on Woodward's face spurred Pepper into action.
Without thinking, she dove toward him. She'd have to be careful to avoid getting tangled in his reserve chute, and she made a sign for him to cut it away. She saw him shake his head as he frantically tore at the lines, trying to force the chute to open at least some of its cells, so it would catch the air and balloon out.
Fifteen thousand.
Pepper wanted to scream at him, but she didn't. She'd forgotten she had a mike and could speak to him.
Twelve thousand.
"Jim! Cut the chute away! I'll come in, and you grab my harness. I'll open my chute and we'll go down together."
She heard his heavy breathing, watched helplessly as he made large, corkscrews, fighting the chute all the time. Stubbornly, he jerked the lines again and again, trying to force the cells to open.
Ten thousand.
Pepper became alarmed. "Cut the chute!" she screamed.
He refused.
Eight thousand.
Breathing hard, Pepper again dove toward him. Dodging his chute, she made a grab for his shoulder harness. There! She slid her fingers strongly around the nylon straps. The thick material bit deeply into her hands and the two of them began to tumble slowly, like a huge, eight-legged spider in the sky.
"Cut the chute!" Pepper pleaded hoarsely, tightening her grip on his harness. She felt more than saw Jim hacking at the shrouds. He didn't think she could rescue him, much less hold on to him, but she'd proven him wrong.
Six thousand. It was now or never.
"Grab my harness front!" she screamed, and she jerked at her rip cord. She felt his hands grab on to the crisscross of nylon over her chest. Her eyes trailed upward with the opening chute, which streamed, then flared perfectly. Pepper had little time to prepare for the opening. Woodward weighed more than two hundred pounds with all his gear, and he had gripped her harness with both hands, the front of his body pressed tightly against hers.
The jerk was tremendous. Pepper groaned, but kept her hands locked around Woodward's upper arms, knowing he could easily lose his grip on her harness as the chute yanked them upward. Her muscles screamed. She shut her eyes and pulled hard. Fire seemed to roar through her body as every muscle went rigid against the reverberation of their combined weight.
Jim grunted as the pull of gravity fought the jerking, upward motion of the opening chute. It felt as if an invisible giant had gripped his legs and was pulling him downward with all its might, almost forcing him to let go of Pepper's harness. His gloved hands were sweaty and his fingers began to slip. He felt Pepper's tight grip around his upper arms, but his fingers were slipping even more. No! He gasped again, struggling. The terror of falling to his death tore through him. His grasp continued to weaken despite his panicky knowledge of what could happen.
In that instant, his entire life began to flash before his widened eyes. He saw everything—things he hadn't remembered since he was a young boy. He saw the death of his mother and father. He saw
No! Pepper stopped herself from opening her chute and watched in dismay as Jim tried to open his by jerking on the shroud lines repeatedly. It wouldn't flare and catch the wind, and Pepper knew a parachute that streamed had little chance of opening. She saw him frantically take out his knife and cut away the shroud lines before he got tangled in them as he continued making slow, awkward spirals downward. Like Pepper's, his emergency chute was attached to his chest harness, and he quickly jerked it open. As she watched, the parasail started to open nicely, then developed a fold and crumpled. The horror on Woodward's face spurred Pepper into action.
Without thinking, she dove toward him. She'd have to be careful to avoid getting tangled in his reserve chute, and she made a sign for him to cut it away. She saw him shake his head as he frantically tore at the lines, trying to force the chute to open at least some of its cells, so it would catch the air and balloon out.
Fifteen thousand.
Pepper wanted to scream at him, but she didn't. She'd forgotten she had a mike and could speak to him.
Twelve thousand.
"Jim! Cut the chute away! I'll come in, and you grab my harness. I'll open my chute and we'll go down together."
She heard his heavy breathing, watched helplessly as he made large, corkscrews, fighting the chute all the time. Stubbornly, he jerked the lines again and again, trying to force the cells to open.
Ten thousand.
Pepper became alarmed. "Cut the chute!" she screamed.
He refused.
Eight thousand.
Breathing hard, Pepper again dove toward him. Dodging his chute, she made a grab for his shoulder harness. There! She slid her fingers strongly around the nylon straps. The thick material bit deeply into her hands and the two of them began to tumble slowly, like a huge, eight-legged spider in the sky.
"Cut the chute!" Pepper pleaded hoarsely, tightening her grip on his harness. She felt more than saw Jim hacking at the shrouds. He didn't think she could rescue him, much less hold on to him, but she'd proven him wrong.
Six thousand. It was now or never.
"Grab my harness front!" she screamed, and she jerked at her rip cord. She felt his hands grab on to the crisscross of nylon over her chest. Her eyes trailed upward with the opening chute, which streamed, then flared perfectly. Pepper had little time to prepare for the opening. Woodward weighed more than two hundred pounds with all his gear, and he had gripped her harness with both hands, the front of his body pressed tightly against hers.
The jerk was tremendous. Pepper groaned, but kept her hands locked around Woodward's upper arms, knowing he could easily lose his grip on her harness as the chute yanked them upward. Her muscles screamed. She shut her eyes and pulled hard. Fire seemed to roar through her body as every muscle went rigid against the reverberation of their combined weight.
Jim grunted as the pull of gravity fought the jerking, upward motion of the opening chute. It felt as if an invisible giant had gripped his legs and was pulling him downward with all its might, almost forcing him to let go of Pepper's harness. His gloved hands were sweaty and his fingers began to slip. He felt Pepper's tight grip around his upper arms, but his fingers were slipping even more. No! He gasped again, struggling. The terror of falling to his death tore through him. His grasp continued to weaken despite his panicky knowledge of what could happen.
In that instant, his entire life began to flash before his widened eyes. He saw everything—things he hadn't remembered since he was a young boy. He saw the death of his mother and father. He saw
Similar Books
