Sunday Snippet: Hot Rocks

Well, November is here. Gotta say, I hope it doesn't pass as slowly as September but not as fast as October. I'll look forward to a month that actually feels like a month again. Who knows when that'll happen?

Busy week with work projects. I didn't get a lot of new television watched. I mainly caught a few of the holiday movies on Hallmark and Lifetime and watched a lot of Ovation.

I did catch an episode of Blue Heelers. Also started a new one. The new guy in season two is still kind of annoying me. Here's hoping he settles down soon.

I also watched several episodes of Silent Witness. Finished up season five and started on six.

I also got to do early voting. My daughter and I went on Thursday and, thankfully, didn't have a long wait. One of the benefits to living in a rural area. I'll be happy when the election is over. It's been an exhausting ride this year.

Tonight's post is from Hot Rocks, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ava and Walt are taken by the enemy and subjected to torture. They won't find a better time to examine their long and storied past, right?

And a preview snippet…

Ada scrambled to think of a way out of the clusterfuck she and Walt had walked into. Right smack in the hands of the worst of the worst possible captors. Woggins had a hard-on for Ava—she'd slipped through his fingers once before.

Ada stalled for time. "War's over, Woggins. There's no business, unfinished or otherwise, between us."

Walt snorted behind her and muttered, "Damn straight."

Woggins walked around in a circle and stopped in front of Ava. "Still, it's my lucky day. A two-for-one special. I can't believe you two fell for the same trap."

Ada gave a rude grunt. "Because you don't grasp the concept of loyalty. When one of our own calls, we show up." She kind of cursed the concept now because Woggins had taken the well-known tactic and twisted it to his own ends.

Woggins poked back. "Ah, yes. That beautiful united forces mantra." He moved around again, pausing in front of Walt. "Tell me, do you think that's what won the war?"

Ada could tell him it didn't hurt, but the war obviously hadn't ended for Vince and Ava didn't doubt they'd discover how much it hadn't in short time.

She jumped in to answer. "I think good people who refused to stay down won the war—despite your best efforts to strangle the entire galaxy."

Woggin's smirked. "Perhaps. But your side wasn't quite ready for victory now, was it?" He slowly ambled back and forth. "In fact, you're struggling to keep the shipping lines open, what with all the pirating going on out there."

Her gut leveled with certainty. Woggins definitely wanted something from them. The fact they were old enemies only sweetened the deal.

Woggins moved to stand in front of Ava again. "A shipment of high-end supplies went missing and I want to know where it went." He folded his arms over his chest. "Since Hot Rock company always seemed jacked-in to central command, I figured you red dogs would have a good idea where I should look."

Ava laughed. "Right. As if." She shook her head. "We're not going to give up that information, even if we had it." Which they did.

The shipment contained more than high-end supplies. It also held confiscated medical equipment the AP commandeered during the war. Hospitals needed that stuff if they ever hoped to reopen.

Woggins's lip kicked up in another smirk. "Then one of you will die..." He trailed a finger along Ava's collarbone. "Which one will it be?"

Walt finally spoke. "You'll kill both of us, so what difference does it make?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "Come on, Walt. The real question is who wants to die first?"

Walt shrugged. "Well, in that case, I volunteer."

Woggins arched an eyebrow. "Chivalry? Giving the female longer to live? Maybe escape?" He made a grimace of distaste.

Of course, the concept wouldn't register in his brain.

Walt snorted. "Not chivalry, asshole. More like I'd rather die a quick and painful death than listen to you drone on about, well … anything."

Woggins backhanded Walt and his head snapped to the side.

The entire frame rocked and jostled Ava, who grabbed onto Walt's legs. Woggins didn't like being insulted. He never had. And it proved to be one of his weaknesses.

Vince spit at Walt's feet. "Fuck you. No one said you'd die quick." He motioned for Boggs to place a large, hot rock at the base of the rack. The metal heated quickly, searing the exposed skin against it. Ava bit her tongue to keep from hissing in pain. A different goon entered the alcove and pulled Woggins out with Boggs following hot on his heels.

Once the room cleared, Ava snarled, "Are you bug-ass stupid? Pissing him off like that."

I'm actually enjoying this one. It's a bit of a departure from what I normally do, but it's also a challenge in the best way.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

 

ML Skye