From the Ashes CATU Book 6 Ch 20
- 2 years ago
- 17
- 0
The Indian Ocean, 27°25’26.14′ S 71°27’17.34′ E
ETA in four minutes, ma’am!’ Captain Dimmek shouts over the roar of the engine.
Sam nods her head in acknowledgement. She is a little nervous at having to parachute out of the plane and potentially into the ocean. She was given the basics on how to parachute, given there wasn’t much time to learn much more than a crash course offered.
Sam had parachuted once when she was a child. Her father had jumped from an airplane once in his life and decided it was an experience that everyone should do at least one time. So he took Sam parachuting. She couldn’t remember much, except the feeling she had. It was a feeling of both fear and excitement. Afterward, she decided it was fun but vowed never to do it again unless it was necessary. Never did she think the necessary part would ever come up.
Sam knows a difficult task lay ahead of her and is a bit daunted by it. Here she is a lone agent against two entire armies. And without knowing what condition Spencer was in, how she was going to pull off a rescue.
Her resolve is strengthened at the thought of Spencer. She loves him and misses him so dearly and is prepared to go to the ends of the earth for him. She knows he’d do the same for her. Her only regret is waiting this long to do something about it.
Damn the bureaucracy of it all. I should have gone AWOL and went after him a long time ago.
It was always should have. A conflict she struggles with everyday for the last two months. Two long months of what she considered hell.
‘Ma’am?’ Captain Dimmek asks again.
Sam comes out of her reverie, blinking as if just realizing where she was. ‘Yes Captain?’
‘You have,’ Dimmek looks at his watch, ‘twenty seconds ma’am.’
‘I’m ready Captain,’ she says.
Standing up, she makes her way to the back of the plane. Captain Dimmek presses a button and the cargo door begins opening. The wind whips at Sam, the cold stinging at her skin.
Thank God I put my hair up.
Sam watches the lights above her head turn from red to yellow. She takes a calming breath. When the light turns green, she releases the breath and without hesitation, leaps.
She plummets, the wind howling in her ears. The ice cold air prickles at her face. But none of this bothers her as she lets the fear subside and her training take over. She releases her grip on all her worries and expectations. It was time to let her training and experience take over.
She falls in what seems like forever. Once she clears the cloud cover, the Gidra comes into view. At the site of the ship, she pulls the cord, releasing the chute. The yank of the chute catches the air and is enough to make it feel like her stomach dropped to her feet.
Sam descends at just enough speed to match that of the ship. There is one guard on the top deck and she knows if he spots her, this mission will be over before it begins.
Sam angles her chute, lining up for a direct line with the guard. The guard lights a cigarette and has just taken a long drag, when Sam releases the chute to land right on top of him. With the guard out cold, Sam turns to see the chute disappear into the night.
So far, so good.
——
Mike Grines sat in a rundown black van on the corner of the street that Senator Rustlin’s house is located on, the late night breeze feeling cool on his face. He looks at his watch in anticipation.
Any minute now.
As soon as the thought forms, the senator is walking out his front door. He doesn’t know how Roger pulled it off, but it happened. The envelope that was left untouched contained everything he needed to perform his own little investigation. Everything from money to several passports, should the need to leave the country arise. What amazes him the most though is instructions to wait here at this time. At first he didn’t believe the senator would be leaving at this time of night, but here he was.
Senator Rustlin rushes to his car, moving with a sense of urgency. As the senator speeds off, he begins to exit the van when the passenger door opens. Grines is caught off guard for a moment, his instincts scream danger. Before he can react, a voice catches his attention. ‘Relax Grines and close the door.’
He doesn’t recognize it, but quickly turns to match the voice to a face. He doesn’t recognize the man either, but he has the feeling he isn’t in any danger. He closes the door as the man begins to speak.
‘Major Duncan Graves, Army Intelligence.’
‘You’re not here by mere coincidence,’ Grines says with a frown. He isn’t sure why Army Intel is here and with technically being an outlaw, he doesn’t like it.
‘Relax, I’m not here to arrest you or anything,’ Graves says, noting Grines’ uneasiness. ‘I’m actually here to assist you.’
Grines is now bewildered. He was unprepared to see any representative from the government here, especially one saying he was here to help. ‘How can I trust you?’ he asks, thinking that was the best question to ask first.
‘Roger called in a favor, that’s why the senator is in such a hurry to leave. He just received a phone call about his office being broke into. You don’t have much time.’ Graves pulls out an ear piece and hands it to Grines. ‘I’ll be in contact with you. We need you to collect data off his computer while you’re in there. Use this Flash Drive, when it has completed its task, push this button and the device will do the rest.’
Without wasting any more time, Grines jumps out of the van and races to the house.
——
Sam slowly makes her way to the first deck. The boat doesn’t seem heavily guarded, but the fact it is patrolled meant the Russians were being cautious. She has a few hours before the boat docks, but she doesn’t want to waste time searching for information. She determines it is time to ask someone.
The deck is mostly dark except for the places lit up by the moonlight. Hiding by a dinghy, she waits and watches the movements of a couple guards. The opportunity to strike comes in a matter of minutes.
As one of the guards walks toward the stern, the other stops to gaze out at the open sea, lighting a cigarette. Quickly and silently, she runs up and grabs the guard in a choke hold.
The guard lets out a startled gasp before she squeezes, crushing the man’s windpipe. She drops the man just in time to turn and catch the other guard. Sliding her knife from its sheath, she presses the cold Mythril blade against the guard’s throat, forcing him to back into the wall. ‘Poniztye oruzhiye,’ she says forcefully. ‘Drop the gun.’
The guard does as he is instructed. Fear takes hold of him. He stays silent only because his fright prevents him from speaking. Urine begins to run down his leg and form a puddle on the deck.
Sam shakes her head in disbelief. ‘Skachitye mne, ged kompyuter sudna,’ Sam says more forcefully than the last time. ‘Tell me where the ship’s computers are.’
The guard stammers and prompts Sam to push the blade deeper into his throat, causing it to cut into the skin.
‘Tretya paluba, Komnata Dva Dva Odin,’ the man says after gathering up his courage to speak. ‘Third deck, Room Two Two One.’
‘Dvizhenie’ she says, motioning with the knife. ‘Move’
She guides the man to the railing. She feels a tinge of empathy for the young man, but can’t leave a chance for him to sound the alarm. Raising the knife, she strikes him in the back of the head. The man falls overboard into the water. The splash covered by the sound of the boat’s engines.
——
Grines uses a bathroom window to enter the house. Senator Rustlin isn’t married, so there isn’t a reason to worry about noise. One of the items that was in the envelope provided by Roger was a map of the senator’s house. The first stop is the home office.
Following the map, the office is located directly across the hall from the bathroom he just brok
e into. A large locked door blocked the way into the office. Normally, if the situation called for no noise or the owners never having an inclination of an intruder, he would use stealth and pick to lock. In this situation though, he doesn’t care one way or the other. The Flash Card he carries, he figures would do irreversible damage to the senator’s computer, so he figures it would be useless to go through the secret process.
Getting his footing planted, he kicks the door with all the force he can gather. The door splinters, but doesn’t move much.
What the hell is this door made of?
It takes him three more solid kicks before the door breaks apart, flying on its hinges.
‘What’s going on in there Grines?’ Graves asks over the ear piece, he’d given him.
‘Just a battle with the door,’ he replies.
‘You can’t pick a lock?’
‘It’s a little late now. How much time do I got?’
‘The senator is just now arriving at his office. You have twenty minutes max.’
‘Plenty of time.’
Grines races over to the computer. Pushing the monitor button, the screen pops up, the computer already running and ready. He doesn’t know exactly what the device Graves gave him would do, but he is sure if he uses it now, he wouldn’t retrieve any information for himself.
Instead he pulls out a Flash Card of his own. Like everything else, Roger had him prepared for the task of finding information. The Flash Card he uses would seek out the information he needed, without any having to perform any work himself.
He slips the card into the port and the program on the card goes to work. Within moments, a green light pops on the card. He pulls it out and inserts the other card. As the card goes to work a noise comes from another part of the house. ‘Graves. I’ve got a noise in the house, got any eyes on it?’ he asks, his attention focused at the entrance to the office.
‘I’ve got nothing. Get the job done and get out,’ Graves says sternly.
Footsteps begin to fall in the hall, which leads him to believe the person in the house entered through the back door in the kitchen. As Grines begins moving toward the doorway, a sizzling noise erupts from behind him. He turns to see smoke rising from the port where the Flash Card used to be. The monitor was is longer working and the computer is eerily silent.
Damn, that’s one bad ass device.
He turns back just in time to see a man standing in front of him.
‘Who the hell are you?’ the man roars.
Grines doesn’t waste any time. With a quick movement, he grabs the man, yanking him forward and slams his head into the door frame. The force exerted from the blow is enough to knock the man unconscious. He lets the man fall to the floor as relief courses through him. The fact that the man doesn’t have gun is a relief beyond his being caught off guard.
‘The task is complete,’ he whispers over the hidden microphone. There is no response. ‘Graves, do you copy,’ he says louder this time. Still no response. ‘God damn it,’ he curses softly to himself.
Suddenly headlights flash through the house’s window. Grines can hear the screech of a car as it comes to a halt in the drive way.
Twenty minutes my ass.
Grines races to the window he entered the house through. As the front door opens with Senator Rustlin walking in cursing to himself, he was diving out the bathroom window into the cool night.
——
Sam finds her way to the ship’s computer room without incident. The room is lit by the monitors of the computers that fill the room. There are several work stations available to her as she enters the room. Moving to the closest, she slips the Flash Card into the computer port. While the program on the card goes to work, Sam sits in front of the next computer and begins looking for information on Spencer.
Two minutes later, the Flash Card sends its information to the satellite uplink before disintegrating in a flash of light. Sam isn’t able to find anything on Spencer before the virus the Flash Card uploads into the computer system shutting everything down.
She moves toward the door, ready to make her escape from the ship. Before she can reach the door to the room, it flies open. Soldiers begin filing into the room. She turns to head out the only other door, when that one flies open as well.
Sam and the soldiers are shocked to see a woman standing in the doorway.
‘Stryelya! Stryelya ikh oboikh!’ the commander yells, pointing at both women. ‘Shoot! Shoot them both!’
‘Get down,’ the woman says calmly. She produces a small remote and smiles.
Sam does as she is told and dives toward the woman’s feet, covering her head. The woman presses a button. The soldiers are instantly caught in the subsequent explosion. Body parts fly in all directions, hitting the walls and computers.
Sam gets to her knees and looks around at the damage. Half the room is in flames and the woman remains standing, not a scratch or piece of ruffled clothing. ‘Who are you?’ she asks the woman, looking her over for some sign of the explosion affecting her.
‘We don’t have time for that now. If you want to live and help your lover, you’ll come with me.’
Footfalls and shouts reverberate through the passageways. Sam looks over her shoulder. ‘Guess I don’t have a choice.’ She follows the woman through the passageways to the top deck. ‘How do we plan to escape?’ she asks the woman when they reached the railing.
‘We jump.’
Sam expects the answer and since it is pretty much her escape route, she is prepared. She pulls off her pack to inspect it, but finds it is shredded from the debris caused by the explosion.
‘Don’t worry. I have a boat waiting for my signal,’ the woman says, answering the unasked question.
They jump over the rail and into the water. Soldiers begin filing onto the deck, commands being issued to find the intruders.
‘Better get that signal going before they decide to look over the side.’
‘Got it covered,’ the woman says, producing a remote similar to the one she used before. With a push of the button, the ship erupts into a floating husk.
——
So tell me what Talilith has planned,’ Natalya says as she walks out of the bathroom, covered with just a robe.
Sergey rolls over from his stomach to face her. ‘Apparently she plans to rescue Maltaus’ prisoner,’ he says smiling.
‘By herself?’ Natalya says. A shocked look shadowing her face.
‘No. She doesn’t care enough for their cause to do it by herself. She plans to help his lover.’
‘The seeds are planted, but we need to put this fully in our control.’ She drops the robe before moving onto the bed. She stroked Sergey’s face and then pulls him in for a kiss. ‘You accepted everything you were supposed to tell her?’
‘Everything. It was flawless, easier than I expected.’
‘Good,’ she purrs. ‘She believes by sleeping you, she is extracting information from you. When they come to rescue him, Talilith will be in for a surprise.’
‘I will be glad to dispose of Agent Roberts,’ he says with a grin.
‘No. I will need you on another task, but first…’ She lets the sentence hang. The robe drops to the floor and she crawls on top of Sergey, biting him playfully.
She sighs and wriggles up and down his form in lurid invitation. Sergey’s strong arms are already stroking her from the shoulder down to her round hips. He removes the sheet covering him and Natalya gasps when she feels the heat and hardness of his cock pressing between my cheeks.
He nuzzles the back of her neck, nibbling gently, causing goose bumps to surface all over her naked body. Natalya turns her head slightly so they can kiss and then his hands eagerly claim her damp pussy. Helplessly, she moans as he teases my clit and then toys with her tight ass.
He easily flips Natalya to her stomach and then crouches over her, his hardened cock sliding lengthw
ise between her aroused ass cheeks. Natalya is amazingly wet and she squirms as his talented hands find her nipples and sharply squeeze.
‘Now, please, now,’ she begs him shamelessly as his hips grind against her willing body. He lifts Natalya to her hands and knees. She moans when he parts her legs and effortlessly slides his cock into her drenched pussy from behind. ‘Yes, oh yes,’ she breathes.
His hands are on her hips as he roughly strokes and she reaches down between her thighs to find her clit. She squeals when Sergey inserts a finger into her surprised ass. She moans as he keeps his finger sliding in and out with his hard cock thrusts. He bites her neck and whispers into her ear. ‘You’re my little bitch,’ he murmurs. ‘Only little bitches give up their asses so easily.’
Sergey replaces one finger with two as he continues to tease her body and arouse her with his words. ‘Tell me how bad you want it my little bitch.’
Whimpering in anticipation, she manages to stammer, ‘Please, oh please.’
He chuckles as he pulls out of her pussy then and fits the head of his cock against her asshole. Natalya keeps still as he slowly and relentlessly pushes all of his thickness into her. She shudders with excitement as she feels her ass stretch wide and completely filled.
He caresses her shoulders, her waist and her nipples without moving, giving her body time to adjust. And then without warning he pulls out of her clenching ass. Before allowing her time to process he roughly slides back inside and Natalya yelps as he begins to fuck her with increasing force. She is furiously squeezes her clit and can’t help but orgasm as he pounds into her again and again.
Natalya shouts as she climaxes. She tightly clutches her shaking body. Sergey gives a few more powerful thrusts and quickly follows, grabbing her hips hard, forcing his cock as far as he can into her ass. His last few strokes are well lubricated with copious amounts of his deposited cum.
They are covered with perspiration, both shuddering, both exhausted. He carefully pulls out of her tender ass and they collapse back onto the bed, breathing hard.
——
Now are you ready to tell me who you are and what’s going on?’ Sam asks the mysterious woman.
On the woman’s word, the explosion of the ship is the signal to pick them up. Shortly after leaving area with the boat, Sam begins her questioning. The only response she has received is to wait and all her questions would be answered.
‘My name is Talilith Maykov,’ she pauses to let the name have its effect. ‘I am your aunt, your mother’s sister. I know you’re wondering why you were never told about me. Simply put, your father didn’t know. Now the hard part, which you may not want to accept, is I’m a Djinn, a type of demon, the same as your mother.’
‘My mother was no demon!’ Sam yells, standing up and throwing her hands into the air.
‘Please have a seat,’ Talilith says calmly.
‘I won’t accept this! Your kind are responsible for all that has happened. My friend Sara is dead because of you!’
‘Not because of me. I’m on your side Samantha, believe it or not.’
‘Why should I believe you? You think saving me then feeding this bullshit will make me trust you?’
‘Whether you trust me or not, we can help each other.’
‘Help each other?’ Sam questions as she paces around the small living quarters of the boat.
‘You are trying to save Spencer, no?’
‘What do you know of Spence?’ Sam asks, stopping hard and spinning to look at Talilith.
‘I know where he is at and how we can save him.’
‘And what do you get out of helping me?’ Sam asks almost sarcastically.
‘I get revenge for Dasha’s death and help hinder Winter.’
Talilith sits looking at Sam with a smile, her posture confident. Sam stands staring her down, waiting for Talilith to budge. After two minutes Sam gives in. ‘Let’s say I can trust you to help me, what makes me believe my mother was a demon?’
‘A Djinn.’
‘Yeah, whatever. A demon is still a demon in my book,’ Sam spats and waves her hand through the air in dismissal. Sam is trying hard to be confrontational, hoping to Talilith would reveal any real intentions she has. Inside she is having her own struggle over these new revelations.
The White House MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESIDENT SEES the tape. Tancheres says over the video. ‘I understand,’ the aide says with a nod. He picks up the tape. ‘It has been edited to your specifics.’ Excellent, the Ancient Asura says smiling. Let’s make a good show out of this though, double the Secret Service guard. ‘What do I say if questioned about it?’ the aide questions. Tancheres frowns. Don’t start disappointing me with useless questions. ‘Forgive me my lord,’ the aide quickly says. ‘I...
Paris France THE FOUR CATU AGENTS SIT IN a safe house staring at a screen with CATU’s director Mike Grines on the other end and not looking too pleased. ‘I’m not familiar with the agent you spoke of and it seems that currently any contact with the Black List doesn’t seem possible,’ he says. ‘Besides that, reports are filtering out of the country that CATU is responsible for President Valois’ death.’ ‘That’s just fucking crazy,’ Cassidy blurts. Grines sits back into his chair. His...
Debbie and I were both 18 now, which meant that even though we were not old enough to drink in Pennsylvania where the drinking age was still 21, we could trek out on occasion to Staten Island or even Manhattan and enjoy the vast array of clubs. You could say we were both really enjoying our newfound freedom and mobility. The other thing we liked to do in the summer, was to head out to the New Jersey shore. There was a small, relatively secluded section near Sandy Hook that we felt we had...
The summer of 1966 rolled around like any other year in sleepy, small town Pennsylvania. While most of the town’s residents may not have even noticed, things were actually going pretty good for me. I had graduated high school, I still had my job in my friend’s father’s shop doing basic machine shop work, I still had my ’61 Impala SS and most importantly, I was still going out with Debbie. Debbie and I were both 18 now, which meant that even though we were not old enough to drink in...
ExhibitionismNew York City SPENCER ENTERS THE POLICE PRECINCT AND the place is utter chaos. He had been in the many precincts in Washington D.C. while he was with the FBI but it was never like this. People were handcuffed to whatever piece of furniture could not be lifted and moved and the crowd of people looking for someone to talk to made it hard to maneuver through himself. After much struggling to get through the crowd and find directions, Spencer made it to the fourth floor. Here the atmosphere was...
Mauritius Indian Ocean GRINES HAD ARRANGED FOR A SMALL fishing company to take Greyson and Cassidy to Mauritius. The venture was unconventional for the CATU director to have taken but considering the circumstances the organization was currently facing he took what he could get. It was soon proving to be a bad choice indeed. Greyson looks at Cassidy with her fine body, perfectly tanned skin and lush hair and wonders how much longer he has with her before they reach their destination. Naked,...
New York ‘ANGELA!’ SPENCER SAYS ANSWERING THE KNOCK to his hotel door to reveal Angela holding a large white bag and two coffee cups. ‘You’re a bit earlier than I was expecting.’ She smiles as she invites herself into the room. ‘I figured you could use a little breakfast.’ He closes the door and turns to find Angela already setting out the contents of the bag onto the small table in front of the sofa. ‘I wasn’t sure what you ate so I got a little variety,’ she says looking up at him. ...
Mauritius Indian Ocean RAVEN CASSIDY AND SAGE GREYSON step through the doorway into a brightly lit and very large room filled with electronic equipment and video screens. At the opposite end stand two figures looking straight at the two agents. When Cassidy and Greyson see them they instantly raise their weapons up at them. ‘I suggest you reconsider,’ the voice from hall says. A moment later a squad of six soldiers fills in behind the two agents pointing guns at their backs. ‘Colonel...
Paris France RATMMAS LEANS TO THE SIDE MOVING only his torso letting Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi fall harmlessly past. His massive right hand in the form of a fist crashes down behind Errios’ skull knocking her to the ground. ‘Is that all you got little one?’ he asks mocking her. Errios pushing up from the ground and wipes blood from her mouth with her free hand. Oh you’re gonna pay for that one mother fucker. She spins around throwing her sword evenly at the horseman’s feet. He jumps easily...
The Amazon Three Weeks Ago THE RAIN HAS BEEN A CONSTANT over the last few days. Not having seen the sun shine through the constant downpour has caused the DEP Six members to lose track of time. They have been running and hiding nonstop without most of their equipment. The creature that attacked them days ago had not stopped to rest nor has it grown tired. The rain hasn’t slowed it nor has the mud or the jungle. Whatever wounds they did manage to inflict to it seem to not have any effect...
Chirikof Island Gulf of Alaska STEAM SURROUNDING THE TWO LARGE CYLINDRICAL containers slowly begins to dissipate. Only one of two shadowy figures stands in the container on the left. The facility is no longer illuminated in bright lighting but now running under its red emergency backup lighting, casting everything in an even caliginous glow. The computer off to the side of the container is casting off a steady beep with each second that steadily clicks down…4…3…2…1…Mark… An alarm begins to...
Move outta the way asshole!’ shouts someone from another car. Slamming on the brakes as a car cuts in front of them, his mother can only sigh. Looking around traffic has nearly come to a halt with almost everyone trying to fight for a better position in line. ‘If only people would take their time and work together, things would probably go smoother,’ thinks Spencer. For only eight, he has a lot of insight and ideas. Where he got it from his mother could only wonder. Of course what she didn’t...
ANGELA LED SPENCER DOWN INTO THE Bronx. As they traveled deeper into the borough Spencer cringed at the deterioration the further and further they traveled. ‘Something the matter?’ she asks when seeing his discomfort. ‘I don’t remember it being this bad out here,’ he says gloomy. ‘Because it wasn’t,’ she explains. ‘It’s been at its steady decline until the last few years when the Consortium took on its new leadership. After that things have taken a big change.’ ‘New York doesn’t look like...
Château d’espoir Singapore ALARMS SUDDENLY CUT ON BLARING LOUDLY throughout the large estate. Martin Sternigan, head of the Black List, is out of bed and on his feet in seconds. A moment later his door is thrown open. ‘Mater Sternigan!’ the woman shouts. ‘We’re under attack!’ ‘By whom?’ he asks calmly as he begins dressing. ‘Not sure yet sir, but the uniforms suggest it’s the Black Dragon.’ ‘Natalya, you bitch,’ he says under his breath. ‘And sir, there’s more.’ ‘As there usually is,’...
Washington D.C. 2 Hours Ago… SITTING IN A BLACK RANGE Rover in President’s Park, Delgrious and Detective Angela Veris wait as the clock ticks down for their time to strike. Positioned in various spots around the White House and within a five block radius sit squads of Sanguine Consortium soldiers. When the clock strikes zero, no amount of preparation or guard will be able to repel a strike on the President. Angela strums her fingers against the outside of the Range Rover’s door as she...
Fort Liberty (Formerly Androka) Madagascar NATALYA CROTCHES LOW ALONG THE SHORELINE looking out at the cliffside. Not far from her location sat the new Fort Liberty set up by the United States’ military shortly after DEP Six’s assault on the compound. With hostility in the region high with China the United States was quick to sweep in and take advantage of the facility already set up by Maltaus before anyone else had a chance to. Russia temporarily decided it best to drop out, but it was...
ITALIAN PRESIDENT AMATO LUDOVICO STEPS OUT of his home and gives his wife a kiss before walking down to the waiting car in the driveway. He waves to the driver and walks down to the car and gets in. ‘Good morning Marco,’ he says. ‘Yes it is sir,’ the driver replies. ”You’re not Marco, my regular driver,’ the President says. The man turns around, the doors locking as he does so. ‘Unfortunately for you, no I’m not.’ The car explodes a moment later. * SPAIN’S PRIME MINISTER JOSÉ LUIS REYES...
The Amazon Three Weeks Ago WARRANT OFFICE KATIE MATTHEWS SITS PERCHED high in a durian tree overlooking the hidden installation. Below, the remainder of her team slithers through the jungle floor’s undergrowth. The installation itself is covered almost completely, looking like the jungle is attempting to retake the land from those that built the facility. Matthews peers through her scope at the building, ignoring the drops of sweat that continue to pour down her face. The facility appears to...
SPENCER WAKES UP TO SEE a bright blue cloudless sky. The last thing he can remember is looking up at a beautiful face then a pain in his chest. Reflexively he reaches for his chest but there isn’t anything there. No blood. No wound. Nothing. He lies there for several long minutes before finally convincing himself to sit up. When he does he becomes even more puzzled than before. Surrounding him are evergreens, an entire forest of them, stretching for as far as he can see. Eventually he gets up...
SPENCER GRADUALLY OPENS HIS EYES AS he tries to let his eyes adjust to the sting of the lighting. Surprisingly his head isn’t vibrating with pain like he’d expect so he figures he must have been out for quite some time. Careful not to make any sudden movements in case he is being monitored, he flexes his wrists and finds that he isn’t bound in any sort of way. Gradually after several long minutes his eyes have completely adjust to the lighting of the room and he takes in his surroundings. The...
Paris France JEAN-PIERRE VALOIS, FRANCE’S PRESIDENT, SITS in his Citroën C6 in the midst of a large parade as it travels down Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Against the wishes of his advisors he pushed for the impromptu parade to be put on as a showing to the people that France would not be put in fear over the recent terrorist attacks. Like the other countries that received threats of attacks from the New World Regime, the French government received a similar threat and just like the other...
The Bronx THE RESPONSE TO ANGELA’S CALL WAS faster than Spencer expected, but he also never expected a crime scene over a crime in process. By the time he and Angela got back to the store police tape was already up cutting the crowd from the scene. ‘What happened?’ Angela asked the coroner when they walked into the shop. ‘Ah, Detective Veris,’ the coroner says. ‘From my initial examination it appears something was rammed through the poor fellas chest then contracted around the heart. Now, it...
The Sahara Africa DUPREE AND STONE HANG NEARLY SUSPENDED against the far wall of the busy room as technician after technician rush back and forth between stations. Before them are a group of monitors with various satellite images and diagrams surrounding a very large central monitor with a scene that just finished playing out the destruction of London, the second city since their arrival. ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ Dupree whispers to Stone. The look on her face matches his: anguish,...
The Amazon Three Weeks Ago MASON WAKES TO THE SOUND OF cascading water from the waterfall. The small fire Matthews had going the previous night was long gone and a slight chill from the cave hangs in the air. He closes his eyes briefly taking in the sounds and the chill on his naked body wishing Matthews’ warm body was still next to his. ‘How does it look out there?’ he asks upon hearing a slight shuffle from the cave’s entrance. ‘The rain has finally stopped,’ Matthews says silently. ‘No...
Washington D.C. A KNOCK RAPS ON THE DOOR bringing Spencer out of a troubled sleep. He blinks open his eyes a couple times but refuses to usher his body up from the sofa. The knock comes again and he lets out a sigh before forcing himself to sit up. ‘Reeds!’ a voice comes from the other side of the door. ‘Damn it Reeds I know you’re in there. Now get off your fucking ass and open this door.’ He recognizes the voice. It belongs to his boss, Mike Grines. ‘Alright already!’ he yells back....
The Sahara Africa THE MOON CASTS ITS EERIE GLOW across the cool sand of the vast empty desert plains of the Sahara as the wind steadily sweeps across and over the many already windswept dunes. A desert viper prepares to strike out at a shrew as it munches on a beetle. It coils and is about to strike when suddenly it is interrupted as the ground begins to shake. The shrew drops its meal, totally oblivious to the viper, and looks off toward the direction of the giant facility in the distance...
Time and tide wait for no man, someone once said. They were right. Add to those two fixtures, the uncertainty of weather, along with a rugged cliffside and you had a set of circumstances for the magic that was to overtake two lives, not yet aware of each other. Each was affected by the surging of their own blood, the anger in their hearts, and the urge for some incomprehensible dream. How could they know what fate had decreed for them?Brad Machin had a cosy flat not far from the beach and often...
Love StoriesTime and tide wait for no man, someone once said. They were right. Add to those two fixtures, the uncertainty of weather, along with a rugged cliffside and you had a set of circumstances for the magic that was to overtake two lives, not yet aware of each other. Each was affected by the surging of their own blood, the anger in their hearts, and the urge for some incomprehensible dream. How could they know what fate had decreed for them?Brad Machin had a cosy flat not far from the beach and often...
Love StoriesThe wonderful thing about wearing sunglasses is that people can’t tell when you’re watching them. Especially if, to all outward appearances, you seem to be doing something quite different. Like reading a book. I adjusted the rolled-up sweater behind my neck and settled back down, my head supported by a beautifully-rounded, conveniently-located rock. The sun on my almost naked body was fierce, the soft sand beneath my burrowing toes warm. When I’d found this spot an hour ago, it’d felt pretty...
Foreward I started writing ‘Jason’s Tale’ (1) in 2015 or -16, soon after I ran across the “Damsels in Distress” (2) shared story-universe. The originator of the series, Lazlo Zalezac, says the planet Chaos has no moon. Several authors have followed that. Several other authors say, yes it does, but they are all heretics who should be stoned in the village square. While ‘Jason’ was getting proofread, Old Man With a Pen published a story ‘Stuck on Chaos’ that mentions two moons! Who cares? Well,...
Stepping quietly into the cool green of Sutro Park, I could hear the soft faint melodic sounds of a guitar. Two things I've loved forever and have never been able to pass up—a woman's laugh and the sound of a guitar. Both are melodious! Both are exquisite! As I approached, I could see two middle aged women sitting on one of the green park benches. Both appeared to be enthralled as they listened to a young itinerant Musician playing the music of Brazil. I too, stopped and stood still for a...
The sailors and fishermen weren’t the type of men to man a wall, but they should be fine as artillerymen. They were familiar with ropes and mechanisms, and they certainly knew the machines they had built. As each machine was completed we assigned a regular crew to it and they started practicing. The first catapult had some issues. We could fix some of them, but we were going to have to live with the rest of them. We didn’t know how long we had to prepare, so having one engine that worked...
The summer of 1966 rolled around like any other year in sleepy, small town Pennsylvania. While most of the town’s residents may not have even noticed, things were actually going pretty good for me. I had graduated high school, I still had my job in my friend’s father’s shop doing basic machine shop work, I still had my ’61 Impala SS and most importantly, I was still going out with Debbie. Debbie and I were both 18 now, which meant that even though we were not old enough to drink in...
“Was it aftershave?” he wondered. Perhaps one of the officers from a nearby room had received a gift from a sweetheart of from his family. It was possible, although such a gift would be very difficult to come by these days. Ah lavender! His mind wandered back to his mother’s garden. Fragrant and welcoming, it had always been an oasis of calm. He remembered his mother’s outdoor dinner parties in summer and the delicious laughter of the girls, their neighbor’s daughters as they frolicked...
Night Skies Hotel: The Unrelenting Tide By XXXecil Historian's note: This story is set in 1400 CE, 200 years after the fall of Gaia, the Sisterhood's primeline, to the Patriarchy. It is a dark time for the Sisterhood's remnant, less than 10 years after the end of the failed Second Campaign to halt and reverse the Patriarchy's expansion throughout the known timelines. Most of the remnant's allies have been destroyed, and other civilizations - fearful of the Patriarchy's seemingly...
An Explanation; This is a bridge between the concluding story in the Nylon Stalker series, and an earlier story yet to be published. But as odd as it seems, fans of the two previous submissions should be able to follow along quite easily, though some references will require a leap of faith. Hopefully, sooner than later, I'll have a wrap(ping )on the the third tale, which will bring clarity to certain items. Thanks for your trust. KOLCHAK: THE NYLON STALKER. ...
Swimming with the Tide by DKB We were lying down together and kissing. I moved my hand over her skirt, from her waist to her bum, and I put my other hand in her blouse and touched her bra. She seemed really cool about it and I was so excited I could hardly believe it was really, finally, going to happen. She was my first girlfriend. She was the most beautiful girl I knew and I was as near to her body as I was to my own. I felt myself tense up and a strange sort of buzzing...
Josef awoke, and soon realized that it was early and that today he was on duty. Already bright sunlight was streaming in through his window. He loved this time of day; so fresh, so full of opportunity and promise. As he lay there he caught the faint smell of lavender coming from somewhere. “Was it aftershave?” he wondered. Perhaps one of the officers from a nearby room had received a gift from a sweetheart of from his family. It was possible, although such a gift would be very difficult to...
Love StoriesThe cycles continued. On the day that our vision was restored, the most destructive girl I knew was creating the most delicious sounds in my ear, sensual kisses and playful bites. “Good morning, my love...” I opened my eyes all at once, because a faint orange glow was evident through my eyelids. It took me a while to recognize what was happening. Perhaps my retinas had gone into hibernation ... Or maybe I was still tired from the extended harvesting outing the previous evening. It seemed...
Humorous, sexy, depraved, and tongue in cheek philosophy. I Hope Entertaining! Is the secret of happiness, audible, visual, sensual, cerebral? Or purely an emotional state? The Tide Rises: Chapter TWO “War Between Worlds” ( Inside my head ) “I will make it worth your while to listen, an offer you can’t refuse!” I’ll throw in some sex pots, my succubi daughters, Aphrodite and Venus!” Lou smugly declares. Now THAT sounds like a real hell of a father speaking. “Accept the deal, my nasty...
Humorous Parody, Sexy?, Depraved, and Tongue in Cheek. I Hope Entertaining! Conclusion. Closing this part of the story. A sequel, High Tide, takes the story in a new direction. C’ya later! Bye for now! Hasta la vista, Baby! Thanks for reading. Please vote and comment. Please? Please? Yob ????
The idea behind this story actually came from an episode of a show I watched almost 10 years ago. I remembered it last night, and wrote it this morning. Comments, questions, or criticism can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected] The Sketchbook By Allison Voorhees I was drawing a portrait of Christy, my girlfriend, in art class. She was standing over my shoulder as I shaded the strands of honey-colored hair that ran down her shoulders. "Are...
Dear Reader We are nearly half way done, and no real villain on the horizon yet? My concept of how to tell tales, falls in two categories. The immersible kind, where you identify with the protagonist, become obsessed, oblivious to everything but the story. And the narrative. Not necessarily narrative in style, but in effect. In a narrative, neither writer nor reader is forgetful, it’s only telling a story, a one sided conversation. Allows ad-libs to the audience. Like this note. This is...
Not that it could remember against who off hand. Waking up after being shot by your whole crew. Stabbed and hung afterwards tended to erase quite a few memories. However those memories were stuck in his undead, rotting brain. Every single one of his crew members. Even those he rose to infamy. And those who would've captained their own ships one day. One by one the memories slowly came to him. He couldn't even remember how to move at first. He just remembered seeing a a group of people...
Thunder… Waiting for a flash, for another confirmatory rumble, I lay perfectly still, holding my breath, my eyes wide open. I’d hated storms since I was a kid. Though my terror had abated over the years, the wisdom of maturity kicking in, I could never quite forget the trauma of being told at five years old that a friend of my father’s had been struck by lightning whilst playing golf. He’d died instantly. Ever since, I’d had an irrational fear that lightning could get me anywhere. And even...
His lips were gentle and warm, brushing oh-so-slowly over mine, every movement unhurried and sweet, not at all what I’d expected. But eventually, it sank into my addled mind he was biding his time, waiting for me to make the next move. Waiting for me to trust him, to accept that although he was kissing me, I was the one in charge of how far this went. I began to kiss him back, the roar of the sea seeming to fade as I explored those soft, slightly salty lips, longing to taste him fully, to...
‘My name’s Luke Foster,’ he said without smiling, holding my gaze across Daniel’s shoulder for one more second before turning abruptly to my sister. ‘I’m one of the consultant cardiothoracic surgeons here and I performed Gillian Ashmore’s surgery. And you are…?’ ‘I’m her daughter, Sarah. And this is Graham, my husband–and that’s Rebecca, my sister. With her–with–erm–‘ But even as she struggled to find the right descriptive noun, Daniel let go of me, pushing me aside as he turned. ‘You?’ he...
When I started this story, I had no idea it would end up as long as this. I rather thought it’d be done in around four or five chapters. The story had other ideas… May I just take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to all of you who’ve followed this story and sent me all those wonderful comments and emails. There’s a good chance I might never have got to the end without you all. And while I’m at it, here’s a thank you to my very own long-suffering Caitlin (who’ll probably never read this,...
With my heartfelt thanks to Tory_del_Ricoh, for reminding me to be true to myself… * I awoke with a start, uncomfortably warm, the bedclothes stifling, wrapped far too tightly around me. Judging by the darkness, it was still very early. In fact, somehow the room appeared a little too dark. Puzzled, I lifted my head and shoulders from the bed to look towards the window, wondering whether there’d been a power cut and the street lamps were out. But to my astonishment I couldn’t see the window. ...
‘Well?’ I demanded, my initial horror turning to anger as he continued to gaze back at me in silence, his eyes sweeping the length of my body as if he was drinking in the very sight of me. ‘Daniel?’ The sharpness of my tone seemed to bring him to his senses. ‘Becca, I’m sorry.’ He looked and sounded uncharacteristically ill at ease. ‘I know that I’m the last person in the world you want to see–‘ ‘Too damn right,’ I shot back, clutching at the duvet I’d thrown around myself, suddenly...
My apologies for the wait. I really thought I’d be able to get this done more quickly but as usual real life got in the way. Hopefully, the wait will have been worth it. I’m sure you’ll let me know To all those of you who’ve been asking for more ‘Back to the Farm’, I’m sorry–I know it’s hard to wait. But I wanted to get Luke and Becks’ story finished first–and I suspect there may only be one more chapter, possibly two. When it’s done, I’ll get back to Matt and Lissy, I promise. In the...
‘Becky?’ I smiled as I finished wiping toast crumbs away from the kitchen counter tops, hearing the slight wheedling tone to my sister’s voice. ‘Yes?’ ‘Could you bring me another cup of tea? Ple-ease?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know. That’s going to cost you.’ ‘How much?’ I grinned, already pouring water from the freshly boiled kettle into Sarah’s mug. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Let me think,’ I called back, adding just a dash of milk and immediately fishing out the tea bag. ‘Gnat’s pee,’ I muttered to no one...
Josef awoke, and soon realized that it was early and that today he was on duty. Already bright sunlight was streaming in through his window. He loved this time of day, so fresh, so full of opportunity and promise. As he lay there he caught the faint smell of lavender coming from somewhere. “Was it aftershave?” he wondered. Perhaps one of the officers from a nearby room had received a gift from a sweetheart of from his family. It was possible, although such a gift would be very difficult to...
I was on a date with this new lady I met online. I was hoping to have a connection with it. I mean she was the perfect detail of a MILF. Five-foot seven, one hundred twenty pounds, thirty-sin bra size with a “D” cup, twenty-four waist, and thirty hips. Blonde hair to her waist, blue eyes, and a voice that just sings like a songbird. She would be the definition of a trophy wife. So, how I got lucky I was about to find out. I took her to a nice restaurant, wine, and the perfect dessert. She says...
I was on a date with this new lady I met online. I was hoping to have a connection with it. I mean she was the perfect detail of a MILF. Five-foot seven, one hundred twenty pounds, thirty-sin bra size with a “D” cup, twenty-four waist, and thirty hips. Blonde hair to her waist, blue eyes, and a voice that just sings like a songbird. She would be the definition of a trophy wife. So, how I got lucky I was about to find out. I took her to a nice restaurant, wine, and the perfect dessert. She says...
I was on a date with this new lady I met online. I was hoping to have a connection with it. I mean she was the perfect detail of a MILF. Five-foot seven, one hundred twenty pounds, thirty-sin bra size with a “D” cup, twenty-four waist, and thirty hips. Blonde hair to her waist, blue eyes, and a voice that just sings like a songbird. She would be the definition of a trophy wife. So, how I got lucky I was about to find out. I took her to a nice restaurant, wine, and the perfect dessert. She says...
I adjusted the rolled-up sweater behind my neck and settled back down, my head supported by a beautifully-rounded, conveniently-located rock. The sun on my almost naked body was fierce, the soft sand beneath my burrowing toes warm. When I'd found this spot an hour ago, it'd felt pretty close to paradise, the beach deserted save for the couple with a toddler paddling at the water's edge and the occasional walker with accompanying sodden dog.But that was the joy of a Cornish beach in early May....
“You have to pull some strings or something, boss,” Samantha implores. “He’s been held hostage for two months now.” “I’m sorry, Sam,” Rogers answers, shaking his head in dismay, “but I am trying as hard as I can.” “What about the president?” she asks. “He’s the one that has spearheaded what the TDF does.” “I’ve already asked him. My hands are tied,” Roger retorts. “Pressure is coming down on us and the presidency. NATO won’t sanction America to move against the coalition and since we...