Chapter OneChief Warrant Officer Amelia Patterson-James felt the jarring impact before she spotted its origin. Standard 9mm rifle rounds would ping off her helicopter’s windshield and armor with little effect. The only thing heavy enough to make the Menace jerk like this were anti-aircraft rounds, perhaps 23mm. Anything less wouldn’t have jarred the helo; anything heavier and they wouldn’t still be flying.
The Menace was an MH-6M Little Bird helicopter loaded for bear. Twin mini-guns and two seven-rocket tubes mounted outside on stub wings—the coolest office a girl could have. Inside there was room enough for only the pilot and co-pilot, and barely that. The cabin was so tight that the Little Birds were flown without doors, only the large front windshield offering any forward protection a
