DropZone Read Online Free PDF Page B

made him jump and lose his balance. Before he knew it, he’d stumbled through the door, tripped over his own feet and landed on the floor, sprawling like a beetle on its back, legs and arms flailing.
    He looked up. The owner of the voice looked down. She was laughing and she was gorgeous.
    ‘Hi,’ said Ethan, none too impressed with himself for behaving like a complete idiot in front of this girl. She looked as if she was about his own age.
    ‘Here,’ she said, reaching out a hand and hauling him to his feet with surprising strength.
    ‘Cheers,’ he said.
    ‘No worries,’ the girl replied. ‘You just owe me one, that’s all.’ She smiled. ‘I’m Kat. I’m guessing you’re Ethan, right? Sam’s new squaddie?’
    ‘I’m not in the forces,’ said Ethan, but Kat grinned and cut him off.
    ‘It’s what we call anyone Sam brings in new to the centre,’ she told him. ‘It’s because he generally has you running around for the first few weeks doing everything he says, like he’s forgotten he’s not actually in the army any more. Has he got you doing press-ups yet?’
    Ethan didn’t quite know how to answer that.
    ‘Joke!’ said Kat, and laughed.
    The sound of her laughter bounced around the hangar. Ethan stared. His first guess had been right: definitely his age. She was slightly shorter than him – he guessed about five foot eight – and wore her long blonde hair pulled back in a tight and perfect ponytail. She was dressed in exactly the same outfit he’d seen Johnny wearing when he was jumping. But it looked better on her. A lot better.
    ‘Don’t speak much, do you?’ said Kat, pulling her hair out of the ponytail and shaking it loose.
    ‘No, er, sorry,’ said Ethan, trying not to stare, which was pretty difficult. He smiled. ‘You just jumped?’
    Kat nodded. ‘Practising some four-way formation stuff with the team.’
    ‘You jump with Johnny?’ asked Ethan, guessing that they were in the same outfits for a reason.
    ‘Yeah,’ Kat said. ‘You know him?’
    Ethan nodded. ‘He did a BASE jump off the block of flats where I live. He’s kind of the reason I’ve ended up working here, I guess.’
    Kat smiled. ‘Always likes to make an impression, does Johnny, good or bad. You up for a coffee?’
    ‘Can’t,’ said Ethan as he quickly jogged over to put the rigs down in the place Sam had shown him. He grabbed his bag. ‘But I’m going to be helping Nancy out for the rest of the day so I’ll walk over to the café with you.’
    ‘Cool,’ said Kat, pulling the hangar door open. ‘After you.’
    ‘Thanks,’ said Ethan.
    ‘I wasn’t being polite,’ Kat explained. ‘It’s just safer if you go first.’
    Ethan saw a teasing smile flicker across her face.
    ‘Cloud’s coming in,’ she said, looking up at the sky outside. ‘No one’s gonna be jumping for a while. Which means you and Nancy will be busy.’
    ‘Busy’s better than bored,’ said Ethan as they headed for the café. ‘Way better.’
    ‘Fair point,’ said Kat. ‘So when are you going to jump? You can’t really work here and be taken seriously if you’re only a spectator, can you?’
    Ethan reached into his bag and pulled out the forms Sam had given him a couple of days earlier. He hadn’t been able to catch up with his mum since the run-in with his dad.
    ‘Sam gave me these,’ he said, showing Kat the crumpled forms. ‘Just haven’t had a chance to talk to my mum and get them signed.’
    ‘You’re not putting it off, are you?’
    Ethan shook his head, slipping the forms back into his pocket. ‘No way,’ he said. ‘Not when it’s free. I couldn’t afford to do it otherwise.’
    ‘So Sam’s doing the jump with you, is he?’
    Ethan nodded. ‘It’s not like I had any choice in it. He just gave me the forms, told me I was doing a tandem with him, and walked off.’
    Kat laughed out loud. ‘You must’ve made an impression,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t do that for just anyone. Anyway, you’ll love