LIfe After War #5-Brady, Brady, Brady

First Sergeant Marcus Brady

Age: 35

Height: 6’

12/13/77

Weight: 225 lbs

Broad shoulders

Loner/slightly bitter

Forced to go into the service

Black feathered hair

Colt .45’s-matching ivory handles

Full, pouty lips

Quote: “It’s okay to be scared, but you have to think too.”

Strengths

-There are few problems he can’t handle if given the time or materials.

-Once his loyalty is given, it is unshakable.

Weaknesses

-Knows how to be a team player but his misery often makes him a loner.

-beyond at having another chance with Angie, he has no other goals, no vision for his future.

FBI notes

-DNA marker came back inconclusive. Subject shows no signs of mental abilities; however, termination has been recommended due to above average strategy skills. Considered Dangerous. Location: New Mexico-See case manager for map.

How does Marc feel about Angie becoming an Eagle? Here’s a clip that should help explain it.

“Can I sit here?”

Angela looked up from her tray with an unguarded smile that made Marc’s heart thump.

“You know it.”

Her response, however, made his anger flare higher. She sounded more like these people every day. “I’d like to talk to you about something that’s bothering me.”

Angela answered distractedly, glad to feel the pill finally starting to calm the heat in her shoulder. “What’s up?”

Marc sat across from her and braced himself, suddenly sure it would go badly. “I don’t think you should be an Eagle.”

A breathless sort of shock slid over her face and Marc dropped his head, but didn’t stop. “I’d like you to resign, find something else. There has to be a safer way for you to help him.”

“I see.” There was only ice now. “And your reasons?”

Marc felt the ambush coming, tried to head it off. “There’s a lot you’re not seeing and it might get you hurt. These people don’t want you to do it, not even the women here. Just you and Adrian.”

There was a sneer in his tone that had her frowning. He still didn’t trust or even like Adrian.

“That’s not true,” she argued, thinking of her shower visit from Hilda and Peggy. “There are a few.”

Marc shook his head. “Trained lapdogs don’t count.” His voice gentled, became almost patronizing to her wounded ears. “And none of them really think you can either. When the first cage match comes and no one hits you, everyone will see the flaw in his plans.”

Angela knew she should be furious with his lack of support, but she’d already noticed those things hadn’t she? Marc’s beef wasn’t the Eagles at the moment, but Adrian. “You’re jealous.”

It was a fact being stated. Marc couldn’t, wouldn’t deny it.

Sadness hit Angela in waves. “Why can’t I have both, Brady?”

“What?” Marc had been bracing for her anger, not a compromise.

“Both. You and the Eagles.”

Marc didn’t know what to say to that and she leaned forward. “I have the room and I’ve been working on it from the moment we got here. I want both.”

Angela’s voice lowered to a plea. “I need both. Please don’t make me pick one or the other.”

Marc hated it that he could feel himself turning into Kenn. “How does that work?”

“You have to let me do what I am meant to. If I get hurt in the process, that’s life now. I’ve been held back for so long!”

She noticed the nearest perimeter guards changing, made contact with the shadows. “And there’s so much I can do, so many ways I can help if I’m an Eagle.”

Angela turned back to him with flecks of steel shimmering. “I will be one of them, in every way, Brady. I’m almost free of the past, but this can’t hang between us. You’ll have to decide if you can let me live my life the way I see fit. If you can, I’ll share it with you, openly.”

Her tone went back to ice. “But that means accepting me as an Eagle.”

“And that’s firm? No room to bend?”

Angela sighed at the stiffness in his voice. “What if I said okay, Marc? I’ll move my stuff into your tent today and resign, go back to just being a doctor. Is that what you want?”

She had tried hard for casual, but the pain clear and Marc shook his head. “Yes.”

Angela’s face tightened. He wouldn’t force her, would he? “I’ll go pack. You tell Adrian.”

Marc’s eyes flashed and she gave him a hard stare, pushing away from the table. “I owe you, right? It’s time to start paying off that debt.”

Was she bluffing? Did it matter? He could never follow through. “I’m leaving soon. Get ready for it.”

Angela stood up, voice scornful as she struck back. “I was ready for it when you found me in Indiana.   Surprised you’ve stuck around this long.”

As you can see, he’s against it and things are getting ugly. What’s his biggest issue with it?

Her getting hurt or killed? Her becoming important in Safe Haven’s chain of command? All the time she’ll spend with the Eagles and not him?

No. He’s really afraid of not being needed. If she can stand on her own, he sees his own value to her as non-existent. Will he be able to adjust? I believe so.

Next week- Kenn-Why wasn’t he banished?

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

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Life After War Wednesday-#4- Adrian + a Sneak Peak



Adrian's Eagles



This week, we’ll have a sneak peak at Adrian’s Eagles, but we’ll also be examining a little of the multi-layered onion that’s Adrian Mitchel. Let’s start with his profile.

Adrian Mitchel

Age: 48

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Height: 6’

Weight: 230 lb

Birthday: 7/4/64

Holsters on both hips

Sun streaked brows

Light goatee

Adrian has never known love beyond his bond with his mother. He instinctively knows how to be in a relationship, but has never felt the need to try. Until now. From the instant their eyes met, he recognized Angela as a kindred, but the strength of the feelings he has for Brady’s woman came as a surprise.

Sneak Peak: Adrian’s Eagles

April 25th, 2013

Fate just isn’t something you can plan for. Sometimes, all you can do is hold on and steer toward the shallows.

I was expecting all men. My help is only half that and I’m struggling to be careful with them and the camp. Samantha needs time to adjust before I can pull her in openly. Angie has to be trained, taught. The workload has increased but so have the benefits. Not one Seer, but three!

Fate blessed me and cursed me. Somewhere, laughter is spilling on my account, mostly because I can’t complain. I now have what I need. Where to begin! What to push the hardest or even first?

We’re spending the next two days here and I hope to get further in my head and with them. These women need to be accepted and I have total faith that fate will put us in just the right place, at just the right time.

And if one of them flinches, the camp won’t give them a second chance.

Adrian wasn’t entirely sure on that. It would depend on how bad the flinch was and what it cost…

“Got a minute?”

Adrian steadied himself against the vivid feel of her suddenly being in his head. “Sure. What’s up?”

“I need a schedule switch.”

Instantly alert, he closed the newest journal that now held a single entry. He had already filled ten others since the War of 2012.

“You’re having trouble?”

He felt her hesitate.

“Not exactly. Kyle said you changed shifts to mid morning when I came. Please, put them back?”

Adrian’s mind raced. Why would she want to be awake so early? Part of proving herself?

“Mostly to avoid… the morning sets.”

Adrian scowled furiously. Hiding from Kenn. No, he was out of camp with Zack and his team on a Slaver recon right now and usually had point at that time. The level one Eagles trained on that shift. She was avoiding Brady.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks.”

There was a pause where he felt her need for something else but didn’t respond. If it was important, she would ask. Without looking into those expressive eyes, he would only be guessing at her thoughts.

Angela let the connection open further, giving him what he wouldn’t ask for as she moved through tents. Another view of his camp.

The camp glowed with life through her eyes and it made Adrian’s heart fill with pride and satisfaction. These people were happy considering all that had happened, and obviously well cared for. Their leader was a good man.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my honor.”

Adrian closed his eyes, the peace she’d given him allowing for a rare extra few minutes to snooze and think. And what did his mind consider most important right at this very moment?
The woman now on her way to give a final class to two levels of Eagles.

Adrian’s bonding with Angela is both sweet and brutal. Through total freedom and trust, he shows her a life she’s never dreamed of, a way of living that fulfils her need to atone as much as her sense of duty. He made her more than she’s ever been and their time together will not be easy to forgotten. Adrian wants to fight for her but knows she need to figure it out for herself and steps back to let her.

Determined to do the right thing, Adrian concentrates on getting his people toward Arkansas, where a dangerous personal reunion waits for him. Have the choices he’s made cost him a son? Even Angela can’t be sure.

 And how does Marc feel about all this?

Next Week: Brady, Brady, Brady!

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

*Free on all retailers

Author’s Website    Diesel   iTunes   Kindle   Kobo   Nook   Smashwords   Sony

 

Sunday Story Trilogy-#2- Easter Surprises-Violence caution

For the holiday, many people do romance or family bonding type stories. I thought I’d swing far right of that and give you something horrible and poetically wrong, yet perfectly right.

Warning: There is violence in this story. There is also a child in this story. You do the math.

 

Easter Surprises

"Slap!"

The girl's tears were silent as she cowered on the carpet of the living room, wincing at every word shouted inches from her terrified face.

"I'm up now! Get your damned basket!"

The 7 year old scrambled back, avoiding the sweeping hand but not the foot and it caught her in the hip, bringing a dull flare of pain.

"Worthless kid!"

Out in the cool air, the girl lingered outside by the meager Easter Basket, candy untouched, tears dried to her red cheeks. She could still hear her mother's loud voice inside, complaining about being woken up early, and the neighbor's were staring openly through their trailer window, but Madeline knew better than to think they might help her. Other kids in the park had the same life and while everyone whispered, no one helped. They had no one to stand for them.

"You do now."

The little girl looked around with startled eyes, only to find a snow bound trailer park.

"Maddie."

Right by her feet now, she looked down to see a large rabbit. Longer than her foot, taller than the old tom her mom threw rocks at, the bunny was big and dark gray, with large black eyes.

"Hello."

The child blinked. Its mouth had moved!

"You talk!"

The rabbit nodded, pointed a paw under the skirt-less mobile home.

"Come with me. I can help you and your friends."

The animal hopped casually out of her sight. "Come on, Maddie. Let's play a game called teach the grownups to be nicer."

Torn, the little girl went slowly and when the neighbors saw her disappear behind the concrete supports under the trailer, they closed their curtains, thinking she was smart to give her mom time to cool off. The untouched basket of Easter candy didn't raise any alarm.

It did with her mom hours later, but not the worry kind that makes you think something bad may have happened, but the annoyed kind that said someone wasn't where they were supposed to be. When she began screaming the girl’s name, the neighbors thought of telling her where the child was but didn't. It sounded like she hadn't cooled off very much.

"Madeline!"

The little girl didn't answer and her red face was tight with concentration.

"Just blow and think. That's it."

The rabbit handed her a small pouch and the girl quickly grabbed a fist of the gold and black powder.

"Madeline! So help me girl!"

The Mother was close and the rabbit laid a comforting paw on her foot when she trembled.

"Do this Maddie, and she'll never hurt you again. I promise."

The girl nodded, eyes clenched shut and when she blew the dust into the cold air, it sparked, flashing into a ball of brilliant flames that covered the child from head to foot. A second later, the grinning rabbit was gone and the girl was being roughly yanked from an under the trailer.

"Damn kid! Didn’t you hear me yelling?"

The woman shook the girl wildly but her motions slowed as she got a look at her daughter’s face.

The child smiled, pretty blue eyes turning red, teeth growing, becoming hungry fangs.

"I hear you now, Momma!" 

The child's attack was merciless, her long claws ripping into warm flesh and as the body fell, the neighbor's curtains swung shut and the girl headed casually toward her best friend’s home.

Mandy's dad liked to hug her and touch her a lot. It was time he learned to keep his hands to himself. Then, she'd show Mandy the dust and they would go to Jacob. When there were enough of them, they would take care of the other evil-doers, the ones who watched but didn't help. Their turn was coming.

This Doesn’t HappenIn The Movies

by Renee Pawlish

(Renee has been a guest on C9 Virtual Tours)

“I want you to find my dead husband.”

“Excuse me?”

That was my first reaction.

“I want you to find my husband. He’s dead, and I need to know where he is.” She spoke in a voice one sexy note below middle C.

“Uh-huh.” That was my second reaction. Really slick.

Moments before, when I saw her standing in the outer room, waiting to come into my office, I had the feeling she’d be trouble. And now, with that intro, I knew it.

“He’s dead, and I need you to find him.”

If she wasn’t tired of the repetition, I was, but I couldn’t seem to get my mouth working. She sat in the cushy black leather chair on the other side of my desk, exhaling money with every sultry breath. She had beautiful blond hair with just a hint of darker color at the roots, blue eyes like a cold mountain lake, and a smile that would slay Adonis. I’d like to say that a beautiful woman couldn’t influence me by her beauty alone. I’d like to say it, but I can’t.

This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies

 

Mementoes of Mai by Helmy kusuma
Non-Fiction

(Helmy has also been a guest of C9 VT)

A mundane office life is suddenly changed into something entirely different in a flick of a hand. Helmy's visit to Viet Nam made him face the beauties he long forgot, and now he must make up his mind to pursue the love of his life...

Would he be able to reconcile his past and his present to step into the unknown territory of the probable future? Could he bridge the space between himself and his love?

Follow Helmy as he recounts the defining and beautiful moment in his life, through the river and the cove of Viet Nam, across the sea to Bali, and Jakarta.

Fictitiously, of course.

Mementoes of Mai

You guys have a safe Sunday.

Next Week: Invasion

"This is Safe Haven Refugee Camp. Can anyone hear me?

Hello? Is anyone out there?"

The Survivors

*Free on all retailers

Author’s Website    Diesel   iTunes   Kindle   Kobo   Nook   Smashwords   Sony