"I THOUGHT DANNY WAS GOING TO SHOOT ME WHEN I TOLD him we should go back and let President Voda talk to the soldiers," Zen told Breanna, finishing the story he'd started before she began kissing him.

"Hey, bulls.h.i.t on that," said Danny, returning to the table with their drinks. "I wasn't going to shoot you. Throw you out of the Osprey, yeah."

Breanna laughed.

"The president's son tried teaching me Romanian on the way back to the capital," added Zen. "I can say h.e.l.lo."

"h.e.l.lo?"

"'Ello."

"That doesn't sound Romanian."

"You think he was gaming me? I paid him a buck."

Breanna laughed, finally realizing that Zen was joking.

"He's a cute kid," she said. She'd met Julian earlier that evening.

"Our son's going to be cuter," said Zen.

The remark froze Breanna. Their son?

Was Zen finally ready to talk about having children?

"Jeff?"

Zen smiled. Before Breanna could find a way to press him, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and found General Samson standing behind her.

"Captain Stockard, would you care to dance?"

"Um-"

"As long as your husband doesn't mind, of course. I don't need unnecessary dissension in the ranks."

"Dance away," said Zen. "A little unnecessary dissension never hurt anyone."

"I'M GOING TO HIT THE WC," ZEN TOLD DANNY. "WANT anything on the way back?"

Danny shook his head and held up his beer.

"I'll be back."

Danny took a long pull from the beer as Zen disappeared. He leaned back in his seat, thinking about the past few days, thinking especially about Istanbul, and Stoner.

The Moldovans claimed they'd only found three bodies in the wreckage. Stoner's wasn't among them.

Did it mean he was alive?

Undoubtedly not. The photos showed a horrific scene. The helo had crashed at the edge of a swamp; most likely Stoner had been thrown from the wreck and his body was lying somewhere in the mud, submerged.

No one would hold a reception for him; there'd be no fistful of medals. He wouldn't even get a wake. The government would never acknowledge that he'd been on the mission, or even been in Romania, let alone Moldova.

Yet, he'd done as much as they had. More really. He'd given his life.

Danny put down the beer and got up. He'd seen a cute Romanian woman who worked in the defense ministry at one of the tables near the door. Maybe she'd like to dance...

DOG WATCHED GENERAL SAMSON LEAD HIS DAUGHTER TO the dance floor. Samson wasn't a bad dancer at all.

Nor was he a bad commander. In fact, he might even be a pretty good one. He'd seemed a lot less controlling over the past few days, more willing to improvise and go beyond the book.

Was it just that he hadn't given Samson a chance at first? Or had Samson started to grow into the role? Was flying Boomer responsible? Was the battle? Or was Dreamland?

Maybe all Earthmover needed was time to forget the political bs he'd had to learn once he made general. Maybe the mission had given him a chance to remember what it was he liked about the Air Force in the first place.

Dog picked up his drink. He remembered his own first days at Dreamland. He'd changed as well.

For the better.

And he'd change again, and again, and again.

Because that was what heroes did.

About the Author..

DALE BROWN, a former U.S. Air Force captain, was born in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Nevada. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European history and received a U.S. Air Force commission in 1978. He was still serving in the Air Force when he wrote his highly acclaimed first novel, Flight of the Old Dog. Since then he has written a string of New York Times bestsellers, including most recently Edge of Battle, Air Battle Force, Plan of Attack, and Act of War.

www.dalebrown.info.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Praise.

NEW YORK TIMES.

BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

DALE BROWN.

"One of the best at marrying high-tech military wizardry with a compelling plot."

Houston Chronicle.

"His knowledge of world politics and possible military alliances is stunning.... He writes about weapons beyond a mere mortal's imagination."

Tulsa World.

"A master at creating a sweeping epic and making it seem real." Clive Cussler "n.o.body does it better."

Kirkus Reviews "Brown puts us in the c.o.c.kpits of wonderful machines and gives us quite a ride."

New York Times Book Review.

"A master...Dale Brown puts readers right into the middle of the inferno."

Larry Bond.

Also in the Dreamland Series.

(with Jim DeFelice).

DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: RETRIBUTION.

DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: END GAME DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: SATAN'S TAIL.

DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: STRIKE ZONE DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: RAZOR'S EDGE.

DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND: NERVE CENTER DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND.

t.i.tles by Dale Brown.

SHADOW COMMAND * STRIKE FORCE.

EDGE OF BATTLE * ACT OF WAR.

PLAN OF ATTACK * AIR BATTLE FORCE WINGS OF FIRE * WARRIOR CLa.s.s.

BATTLE BORN * THE TIN MAN FATAL TERRAIN * SHADOW OF STEEL.

STORMING HEAVEN * CHAINS OF COMMAND NIGHT OF THE HAWK * SKY MASTERS HAMMERHEADS * DAY OF THE CHEETAH.

SILVER TOWER * FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG.

end.