Dark Fields
The night hung heavy over the city skyline as Twigg checked his gear one last time. His pulse pounded with anticipation, the familiar rush of adrenaline running through his system.
"You ready for this, Twigg?" Vance's voice crackled over the comms. His oldest friend, his brother in every way but blood….
The Exfiltration
Rayna pulled her breather mask up, hoping that the smell was just in her mask. It wasn’t. She wasn’t going to get a clean breath as she picked her way through the smoldering rubble of New Oakland's devastated cityscape.
Every step sent plumes of ash and pulverized concrete billowing around her armored combat boots. The occasional distant rumble of artillery strikes - a stark reminder that the fight for survival raged on beyond this tomb of a city - punctuated the eerie quiet…..
Working From Home
9:47 PM
Sarah: Hey Danny, you up?
Danny: hey sis
Sarah: This is going to sound weird but I keep hearing these strange notification sounds from my phone. Not just notifications, but like…echoes... different?
9:49 PM
Danny: diff how? What’s an echo notification tbh, prob just the bldg settling
9:50 PM
Sarah: Like it's distorted or something. Almost like it's underwater. I put the phone in the bedroom so I could focus on this work project but I’m still freaking out.
The Perfect Prayer
The city burned.
Orange fire licked the sky, reflecting off the glass towers that still stood, defiant against the ruin. Smoke curled upward, thick and black, blotting out the stars. The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burning metal, scorched concrete, and something worse—something human….
Secretly, Every Thriller is a Myth Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Minotaur
I’d wanted to commit to posting something on the blog twice a week, but the story I had slated for next up was the second short story about arsonists. And the draft of that arson story died faster than a cub scout campfire in the Hoh rainforest. Maybe karma was jinxing me as a way of promoting fire safety? Or because my actual house CAUGHT ON FIRE mid-draft…
Jordie’s World, Part 4
On the tenth floor of a luxury hotel in downtown Seattle, Jordie stood before the full-length mirror in the presidential suite, her wedding gown shimmering in the late morning light. At 28, she barely recognized the woman reflected back at her – so far removed from the little girl in hand-me-downs from Sedro-Woolley…….
Jordie’s World, Part 2
Jordie slumped in her seat at the back of the classroom, trying to make herself invisible. At ten years old, she was all too aware of how different she was from the other kids. Her too-small sweater, a hand-me-down from Kelly, rode up her wrists, exposing the pale skin beneath. She tugged at the sleeves, a futile attempt to make them longer….
Jordie’s World, Part 1
The October sun hadn't yet peeked over the North Cascades when Jordie's eyes flew open. Class photo day. Her heart did a little dance as she threw back the worn quilt and tiptoed past Kelly's sleeping form in the bed on the other side of their small bedroom.
In the cramped bathroom, Jordie stood on her tiptoes to see herself in the mirror……
Chapter 14: The Nexus Protocol
Rayna's fingers hovered over the makeshift console, her heart pounding in her chest. The stolen Syndicate terminal hummed softly, its sleek black surface reflecting the dim light of their hideout. It had been a stroke of luck—or perhaps fate—that led them to this piece of tech. Three days ago, she and Zeke had stumbled upon a Syndicate courier, downed by a rogue drone in the ruins of what used to be the Financial District. The courier hadn't survived, but his cargo—this console—was intact….
Chapter 12: Glitch in the System
Rayna's breath fogged in the cold air as she and Zeke crouched in the shadows near the entrance to the Syndicate's secure maintenance room. The nondescript door belied the importance of what lay beyond – a terminal that could provide crucial intel on Syndicate operations.
"Alright, boy," Rayna whispered, her hand resting on Zeke's flank. "You remember the plan?"
The Ruins of Hope
The acrid stench of burnt circuitry and ozone hung heavy in the air as Captain Rayna Khail picked her way through the debris-strewn streets of New Oakland. Zeke, her cybernetically enhanced canine companion, padded silently beside her, his metal and grafted tissue paws barely making a sound on the cracked pavement. The eerie quiet was broken only by the occasional crunch of rubble underfoot and the distant, hollow echo of wind whistling through abandoned skyscrapers….
The Gentleman
Sarah Jennings crouched behind a dumpster in Pioneer Square, rainwater seeping through her jeans where they pressed against the wet pavement. The fabric of her tactical vest caught on the dumpster's rusted edge as she leaned forward, tracking movement at the far end of the alley. Her quarry - a low-level enforcer named Martinez - had just ducked into the shadows of a recessed doorway….
The Arsonist
The manor loomed through the coastal fog like a ghost ship run aground, Victorian towers stark against the pearl-gray dawn. Smoke wisped from one of the chimneys, though Marcus knew the building's heating was entirely electric. Had been for months, ever since Tyler Chen converted the place into his "digital detox" retreat.
Marcus pulled his tablet from his coat, checking the fire pattern analysis one more time……..