Second Chance Read Online Free

main handle. He felt the familiar jerk on the skydive container as the ram-air parachute opened, abruptly slowing his descent. He illuminated a flashlight and cast a beam at the underside of the open chute to make sure that it had deployed properly. Nice, he thought. Piece of cake.
    The air currents were slight, allowing Ricardo to drift effortlessly toward earth. A few gentle tugs on the steering toggles brought him in line with the pier. He checked the altimeter one last time as he approached the ground. The space below him became a black hole at one hundred feet. His heart raced from the exhilarating ground rush; the rapid fall through pitch black. He saw the wooden pier beneath him for a split second just before he touched down, absorbing the impact with his legs. He glanced around quickly to make sure he hadn’t been seen and then gathered the open parachute, balling it up into his arms.
    A car waited for him nearby, parked on a gravel road far from the main turnoff. He approached the car and unlocked it. He yanked upward on the rear seat cushion revealing a hidden storage compartment. He stowed the chute and flight container along with his waist pack, which held almost fifty pounds of capsules, tablets, and vials. He replaced the seat cushion just as the hum of the small Cessna once again grew loud in the sky.
    Pablo had circled back to make sure that his brother had landed safely. Ricardo pointed his searchlight toward the sky and flashed it three times. The running lights on the Cessna came on for two seconds, and then they were off. The plane was once again invisible in the evening sky. Ricardo listened for the hum of the propeller and then waved to a location in the sky where he imagined the plane might be. He was still staring at the sky when a white-hot flash ripped apart the darkness and knocked him to the ground. It took a moment for him to recover from the shock. He looked just in time to see burning wreckage crash into the sea.
    ~~~
    We were in chill mode in our lounges alongside the rooftop pool. The view was stunning—lights came on all over the city as the sun set. Tay was way ahead of me in terms of alcohol consumption and definitely feeling no pain. She had provocatively arranged herself on an outdoor chaise lounge and was showing enough skin to attract the Seventh Fleet. I mean she was really giving a show. She had a copy of Vogue resting in her lap. It was one of many magazines featuring Beyonce on the cover. How much do you suppose that woman spends a year for hair extensions? I mean those things aren’t cheap—Jay-Z must work his talented little fingers to the bone just to keep his wife in curling irons and hairspray.
    “So I could definitely go for some stone crab tonight. What were you thinking?” I asked.
    Tay’s eyelids looked heavy. She turned to me but didn’t respond.
    “I’m gonna cut you off, girlfriend. You’re smashed.”
    She continued to stare at me without replying.
    “Hey! Are you getting hungry?”
    “I’m sorry, peaches,” she said apologetically. “Did you say something?”
    “Where do you want to go for dinner?”
    “Oh,” she sighed. Her eyes closed, and her lips parted. It looked as if she had dozed off, but she hadn’t. “Stephanie, the way I feel right now … all I want is a cool pillow and a hot man.”
    She began to snore. This was so not what I expected from her when I asked her to accompany me on vacation. She was usually a blast to hang with. Man, I hope she’s better company tomorrow.
    I took inventory of the male population around the pool and began to contemplate après-dinner plans when Flynn, my friend from the hotel lobby, appeared. He looked as nervous as a hen as he shuffled toward me.
    “Hey, Flynn, are you all right?” He shook his head nervously and motioned for me to join him by the railing. I put down my cocktail. “Tay, I’ll be right back.” Needless to say, my update went unrequited.
    It was fortuitous that she was out cold because