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Chapter 1

It was a cold day in hell for Tech Sergeant Wade Rocha—standard ops for a mission in Alaska

He slaly botto to anchor his ax again ASAP Except both of his spikes clanked against his sides while the underworld waited in an alabaster swirl of nothingness as he pinwheeled on a lone cable

Wade scratched and claith his gloved hands, kicked with his spiked shoes, reaching for anything The tiniest of toeholds on the slick surface would be good right about now Sure he was roped to his cli partner But they had the added load of an injured woman strapped to a stretcher beneath theht

Chunks of ice and snow pelted his helloved hands

“Breathe and relax, buddy” His headset buzzed with reassurance froh “Slow Hand” Franco

Right

Hold tight

Think

Focus narrowed, Wade tightened his grip on his rope He’d earned his nicknauy in their rescue squadron Coave up

Each steady breath crackled with ice shards in his lungs, but his oxygen-starved body welcorabbed the line tying theether and worked the belay device

Whirrr, whippp The rope zinged through Wade slipped closer, closer still, to Franco, ten feet below

“Oof” He jerked to a halt

“I got ya, Brick I got ya,” Franco chanted through the headset Intense Edgy Nothing was out of bounds Franco would die before he let hi work Don’t overthink it”

And it did work Wade stabilized against the icy wall again Relief trickled down his spine in frosty beads of sweat