LODESTONE

Deceleration. The MT1-XX parachute billowed open in the night sky above him, snapping his shoulders back against the harness and pulling him out of freefall. Over six years at this game. . .and he still didn't like the idea of jumping out of a fully-functional aircraft.The year is 2006. As the Israeli Defense Force storms across the border into southern Lebanon, preparing to surround the stronghold of Bint Jbeil, three men wearing the yellow headbands of Hezbollah parachute off the ramp of a USAF C-130 Hercules, falling into the Lebanese night.Their mission: rescue a compromised CIA asset from Bint Jbeil with only hours remaining before the IDF completes their envelopment of the town. For Harry Nichols, it isn't his first time dropping into a combat zone. But getting to the ground is only the beginning. . .for the woman they have come to save is the wife of a Hezbollah commander. Her husband has vowed to kill her. The CIA has promised to keep her alive.But as the mission descends into chaos-as the night explodes in fire-some promises will prove impossible to keep.