Former military pilot Blaine Darby carries a load of guilt and pain from the harm he may have caused in wartime. Now he seeks to earn some good karma by fighting wild land fires while holding on to his great love of flying. But reporters like young Daz Contreras scare him -- one of the few things that do -- because he shuns the public eye.<br><br>Freelance investigative journalist Daz Contreras is convinced terrorists are behind at least some of the wild land fires plaguing New Mexico. All he needs is enough proof to break the story. As he pursues leads, he begins to shadow pilot Blaine Darby and, in the process, develops a gigantic case of hero worship.<br><br>When Daz is allowed to ride with Blaine one time, he hopes the adventure will help him to uncover the proof he seeks. Yet when a near tragedy unexpectedly develops and Blaine puts his life on the line to save a trapped hotshot firefighting crew, Daz realizes he’s an eyewitness to what may be a bigger story than the one he planned. But will the reclusive Blaine actually allow Daz to report the news as he sees fit, even as they grow closer?

Red Tails in the Sunset

It seemed like forever to Daz, even if Romero pulled into the airport about five minutes later. After thanking the crusty old ground chief, Daz jumped into his SUV and tore off down the road to Highway 182. He had to slow down for Bayard and Santa Clara, a bit more for Silver City. The rest of the time he did his best to emulate Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Tony Stewart. He had too many miles to go, so he’d cover them as fast as he could. Earlier he’d been tired; now adrenaline fueled him with energy.


Chapter 12