From the Matthew Jacobs Critical Impact action novel...a teaser sample. (Available on Amazon).
Critical Impact is the third book in the Running the Edge series. Released November 2, 2025 the book is perhaps the most intense of the series where the main character, Matthew Jacobs, is thrust into a situation that challenges everything he stands for; his mission, his duty, his dedication, and his faith.
The following is a short sample text...(Each book in the series can be purchased individually or as a set...and it is recommended to read the series in sequence.)
......
“Matt,
we’ve got maybe fifteen minutes until we reach our Critical Return Point. I’m
sorry, but I have no choice in this. It’s a mandatory operational issue. We can
try again later once we get refueled.”
“Can
we make one more pass north. Give me seven minutes more Ian. Can you do that?”
Ian
looked at the flashing CRP light then at his copilot. “You got an extra seven
minutes Matt, then I’m pulling the plug.”
Ian
swung the 1369 again into a wide arch that took them out over the ocean just
beyond the break line, then he angled back in toward the dunes eventually
turning due north flying just above where the breakers met the beach.
“Ian.
Let’s keep her further out. Maybe we’re just looking too straight down from the
wrong angle. We might be able to see something from a different angle now that
the sun is higher in the sky.”
Ian
raised his left hand and gave him a thumbs up. The 1369 dropped lower to about a
hundred feet giving them still another angle from which to view the area. Four
minutes later Carlos and Xavier again heard the chopper approaching from the
south. They scrambled another time to crawl under the burlap tarp.
“They
must be looking for us.” Xavier complained.
“How
would they know we’re even here? They’ll never find anything. Just stay still.”
Sharon again heard the chopper and realized it
was approaching from a lower angle out in front of their position where she
could see it visually. She tried to break open the locked door to the shed but
could not budge it loose. She looked for something she could use as a signal
devise but all she found was the loose piece of tarnished tin that was roughly
six inches square with crumpled edges. The higher angle of the sun now cast
several beams of light that filtered through cracks in the shed planking. She
grabbed the piece of tin and vigorously rubbed it against her Jeans trying to
polish it enough to reflect light.
The
1369 came closer and she could see it as it moved above the beach out in front
of her about two hundred yards. In desperation, she tried to bounce some of the
sunlight off the tin and through the narrow cracks, then shifted to the larger
opening a knothole provided hoping enough reflection would get through to catch
the eye of someone on the chopper. She angled the tin moving it back and forth
catching as much of the small beam of sunlight as she could. With each
movement, she tried to follow the slow-moving chopper.
***
Matt and Pell scanned
the dunes but could see nothing. He looked at his watch and knew time was
running out. He turned to slide back deeper into the cargo area about to give
it up when something caught his eye. A flash…a dull flash, but a flash
none-the-less. Then another.
“Ian!
Slow down. Back up.”
“You
see something?”
“I
don’t know. Maybe. I saw a flash. It came from the backside of a dune with a
lot of debris and beach grass covering it.”
Ian
slowed the 1369 and began a slow reversal of their direction maintaining their
same heading, just floating backwards.
“It
was over there along that long line of dunes where all the large driftwood logs
are scattered. I’m sure of it.” Matt exclaimed.
Pell
responded, “I don’t see anything.”
“Give
me your binoculars.”
Matt
scanned the dune for several seconds then locked his point onto something that
looked out of place. He took a closer look.
“There.
Ian. 90 degrees straight off our starboard side. A vehicle covered by a tarp.
It’s that blue and white Blazer. We’ve found them.”
Then
another flash caught his eye. “It’s got to be Sharon. Set us down.” Ian spun
the 1369 around in a wide turning arch and headed south again.
“Where
are you going?”
“We’ve
reached our CP Matt. We gotta head back.”
“No
Ian. Not yet. Drop me off.”
“No
can do. You’re not even supposed to be here. Commander Reese gave me strict
orders.”
“Since
when have you ever obeyed strict orders!”
Ian
rolled his head from side to side and looked at his copilot again who shrugged
his shoulders agreeing with Matt.
“Ah
Matthew…I’m really going to catch it for doing this. Stand-by. We’re going down
about four hundred yards south of that position, A running drop and go. You’ll have
to jump not enough fuel left to hover long enough to lower you down on the
winch. You’ll be on your own, but I’ll radio ahead your position and request
for backup.”
Matt
grabbed his small backpack that had a handheld transceiver inside, some water
and an energy bar along with a box of shells for his 30-06. He slung the rifle
case strap over his shoulder crossing it in front of his chest and pulled the
case around to his side so it would clear the choppers hatch, then he removed
his helmet and replaced it with his dark blue ballcap pulling it low over his
brow so it would not blow off.
Ian
brought the 1369 down in a low, slow pass. Matt sat with his legs dangling over
the edge of the opened sliding hatch and Pell extended his arm in front of him
preventing him from jumping from to high up.
Sand
and beach grasses began to fly in all directions as downwash from the chopper
ripped across the dune. Matt slid further over to the edge positioning the butt
end of his rifle case between his legs. Pell removed his arm and pointed with
his hand for Matt to jump. The fall was about eight feet and he landed hard but
the sand cushioned his fall and he rolled across and down a shallow slope, then
crawled to his knees and waved at Ian who raised the 1369 in a climbing turn to
the south and left the area. Within seconds, Matt was alone and the only sound
came from the wind blowing through the grass and the ocean waves rolling up on
the beach a couple hundred yards away. He started moving in the direction where
he spotted the hidden Blazer careful not to expose himself above the dunes
using them instead to hide his movement. The loose sand and undulating
character of the dunes slowed his progress.
***
Carlos and Xavier
climbed out from under the tarp and ran to the top of the dune that offered a
clearer view toward the south. They saw the 1369 drop low partially hidden by a
high dune then rise again and fly off.
“They’ve
dropped someone,” Carlos said.
“You
sure. Where? I don’t see anyone.”
“He’s
there alright. I’m sure of it. And I know who it is.”
“Who?”
“That
Jacobs fellow. I’m sure of it…from the Coast Guard, the one who tried to stop
us before.”
“You
didn’t see him so how can you be sure?”
Carlos
threw a cynical stare toward Xavier.
“I’m
sure. Because we have his family. And we can use them against him.”
“Can
you take him.”
“All
I need is a clear shot about six inches square and he’s as good as dead.”
“Then
do it.”
Carlos
raised his rifle and checked the breech once again blowing out a few grains of
sand. He extracted the already loaded main clip and reinserted it into the
rifle. A quick jerk on the slide and the first shell slid into the chamber. He
walked below the crest of the dune for about fifty yards and then climbed
toward the top crawling the last few yards so not to expose himself. He
stretched the rifle across a small piece of driftwood and slid his barrel
through a clump of beach grass that offered a good area of camouflage. He
opened the spring-loaded scope covers and began to scan the dunes searching for
his target....
***
.... Carlos slowly scanned
the dunes through his scope. His trained eye looking for what did not belong.
Any twitch, an off-center shadow, odd movements, out of place colors, behind
every blade of grass and beneath any of the dunes, his victim could be hiding. He
detected movement and swung his scope on the location. A bird. He began to
sweat. He knew Jacobs was there. All he needed was a few inches of open space
that lined up with his target. Then more movement caught his eye. He shifted
his sight again and saw the top edge of Matt’s shoulders and head moving
diagonally behind a dune. Matt stopped behind a log and slightly raised his eye
above its edge his ballcap tipping over the upper side. Carlos leveled his
rifle then quickly fired.
