Sunday Snippet: No Escape

Had a family wedding this weekend and it ended up being terrific weather, kind of warm but the venue had air conditioning and it cooled off in the evening and the mosquitoes weren't awful.

Had another weird mix of a week. Got a lot of writing done and several new projects on the horizon I prepped for. Not a bad week for television either.

Started out with a new episode of Blue Heelers. Didn't quite finish it up yet, but I'm over halfway through.

Watched another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I'm still enjoying this one. I'm a little on the fence with Zelda but I'm kind of invested in finding out what happened to Sabrina's parents. And Harvey's dad is a total ass.

Caught the second class on graphic design in the Master Class series I started. This one focused on typography and ended up being pretty interesting and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Started the Ready Room episodes for Picard. I enjoyed Wil Wheaton's mix of insider knowledge and uber-fan vibe. Looking forward to more of these.

Watched another Passionflix holiday Quickie. The Package ended up being another fun elevator setting. I'm a fan of being trapped with nowhere to go and having to deal with a bad day.

Caught another episode of Chicago Med. I'm really happy I'm finally able to watch this series from the beginning. A heartbreaker of an episode but happy at the end.

Watched the series two finale of No Offence. This ended up being a really terrific season. I'll look forward to starting series three this week.

Also started the first part of a Silent Witness two-parter. I vaguely remember this one and the next episode marks the end of series ten. We'll be getting into the seasons I've watched before.

Caught the final episode arc for season fifteen of Classic Who. Leela stayed behind on Gallifrey so I'm assuming there'll be a new companion when I start sixteen this week.

Started the second season of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. The first episode opened with a deep dive into Nazi secrets surrounding unidentified flying objects. I've seen quite a few of those clips on another program but it's interesting to see how different experts interpret things.

Watched two more episodes of The Muppet Show with Milton Berle and Rich Little as the guest stars. Lots of fun to have the comedians interact with the muppets.

Also started a new episode of The Hardy Boys. I had a long conversation with my brother about the show, which he recommended. I enjoy the intrigue and clues and I love how the brothers interact with each other and their friends.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from No Escape, a follow up to Viable Options.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lissa Albrecht, an unwitting enemy agent, questions everything she believes when she's faced with the reality of what war really looks like. Caught in the heart of enemy territory, she won't give up her secrets … not until she speaks with Matt Kandigan, a former substance addict and the only person who cares if she lives or dies. At least she hopes so.

And a sneaky peek…

Lissa Albrecht paced the confines of the holding room. "If I don't see Matt, I don't talk." After four times of the same routine why didn't they take her seriously?

Matt Kandigan would hear what she had to say even if he still hated her afterward.

The door opened and Lissa's heart rate jumped. Finally. The rapid staccato plummeted when Karlin Hex entered the room.

Lissa held up a hand. "Stop. I'm not talking to you. I want Matt or I go back to my cell." She turned away to hide the sting of tears threatening to escape.

Karlin ignored her and dragged a chair from the table to spin it around. "Yeah, I got that part." She settled on the seat, her arms on the backrest. "So, you can just listen then I'll leave and you can go back to the lovely gray box you've been calling home." Her tone held no rancor but the sarcasm edged through.

Lissa shook her head and continued to face away from Karlin. She could talk until the world ended—again—and Lissa wouldn't care.

Karlin sighed. "Look, I get it. You and Matt had to rely on each other to escape the hellhole your side turned our planetary system into. You two formed a bond." Her fingers drummed on the table. "But you broke and betrayed that. Betrayed him." The drumming stopped abruptly on Karlin's last words.

Lissa's eyes closed. Karlin spoke the truth. Betrayal should be my middle name. Except the full reality of what her side had planned devastated Lissa. She had no idea they'd blow everything to shit and render the planet and moons unlivable—at least on the surface.

Karlin spoke again. "Anyway, Matt enlisted. And when he did, he swore he wouldn't collaborate with an enemy agent—that would be you—or offer aid and comfort, which includes talking to you, and that presents quite the dilemma, since it's apparently the only thing you want…" She trailed off a moment and Lissa almost turned to see why, but Karlin started speaking again. "So, here's your deal. In the spirit of cooperation and to hopefully spur you to work with us, Matt agreed to see you. Once. That's it." She got up and scooted the chair around again. "If you want to see him, you'd better know exactly what you want to say, because this is a one-time thing and basically your only shot." She pushed the chair back under the table. "What should I tell the admiralty when I go back?"

Lissa's mind raced. She had to see Matt. Had to explain how everything went so wrong in her life she got sucked into the movement. Then how her whole world changed when she met him. When she fell for him, she lost everything but she also gained a vision of the future she wanted. And it included him.

Lissa clenched her hands into fists. He wouldn't believe her and she didn't blame him. But she had to try.

Straightening her fingers, she turned to face Karlin. "Tell them I want to see him." When her gaze met the other woman's, she didn't find the judgment she expected. Instead … she found a glimmer of understanding.

Hope unfurled in her heart.

"After that, whatever I know, and it's not much, I'll share. But I see Matt first or they get nothing."

Karlin gave a curt nod. "Done. For what it's worth, none of this is easy on any of us. But you came through when we needed it and I haven't forgotten that." With a dip of her chin, she turned and exited the holding room.

Lissa pulled a chair out and sat down, resting her elbows on the table and dropping her head into her hands. There had to be a way to make Matt understand. To prove she loved him and regretted getting caught up in the vicious plot that destroyed their home world.

I only have a good idea of where this one is going but only a vague sense of how it's going to get there. I love putting the pieces together to stitch up a good story.

 

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

ML Skye