Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, father figures, mentors, and fur dads out there. And if this is a hard day, please find peace where you can.

It's so mild in Ohio right now and I'll take the comfortable temperatures. We're supposed to have a soggy week, but the rain is welcome. Hopefully without flooding.

Busy work week with multiple projects crossing my desk. I have a potential new project with a new author starting possibly soon. Finished up a proofread and got that one invoiced. Continued work on a memoir developmental edit, pulling several files together into a single document. Also finished a copy edit and returned it for review. Started a new one that's on the long side, close to one hundred thousand words. A jammed week ahead.

Had a pretty good viewing week. I made it through my regular stable of shows and started one of my back-burner ones. I didn't end up making it all the way through but I'll finish it up this week. I hope.

Started with a Foyle's War behind the scenes interview with one of the guest stars. Very interesting.

Watched another episode of Tales from Irish Castles. Truly a fun series to watch. So many castles in Ireland.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise and kind of loved the bit of a cliffhanger. I also kind of like how Mervin is settling in with the other officers. Very cool to see the new sarge completely supported by the commissioner also.

Also enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very interesting case with an unexpected ending. So many colorful characters.

Elementary ended up being a little mind-blowing. I'm really interested in how the whole Shinwell situation will be resolved.

Caught another episode of Young Justice and I'm rather enjoying seeing how the team is coming together.

Also watched another episode of Star Trek Lower Decks and I'm really amazed by how much I love this show. Started out being pretty iffy on whether I'd like it or not and I'm totally in if I haven't mentioned it before.

Started an episode of Peak Practice and made it about halfway through. There's a lot going on in this one and I didn't want to miss anything. I'll finish up this week. Maybe.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Explosive Situation, a novella that plays on the title and brings a couple together.

Here's the miniblurb:

Hadley and Tab are the go-to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings for the man she calls partner.

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley helped get Tab loaded and followed along to the med bay. "You better make sure he's okay." The realization she could've lost him hit hard.

While she got checked over, everything settled on her, and the weight felt … heavy. Searching for him in the smoke and debris … finding him … dragging him to safety … nothing else mattered at that moment. Not the loss of four other team members or the hostage taker. The after-action debrief would be a shitshow.

"Open." The med tech held a nebulizer in front of Hadley's face. "Breathe this in until the vial is empty. This will treat your lungs." He placed the small unit in her hands.

Hadley nodded and stuck the end between her lips.

The other med tech rolled up the sleeve on Hadley's free arm. "Gonna treat these burns. You got lucky and don't have any second or third degree. But they're gonna be a little painful for a day or two." A cool wash dispersed over the skin of her forearm.

Once the breathing treatment ended, they got the rest of her uniform off and directed the cool burn relief to spots on her neck, her back, the other arm, and her hands. Then they made her get settled on a gurney and hooked up an IV.

The first med tech slipped the needle in. "We're gonna replenish your fluids and use a broad-spectrum antibiotic to ward off any possible infection from contaminated debris." He injected a large syringe of fluid into the IV bag. "This will take about thirty minutes."

The half hour gave her time to think about what she wanted.

When she finally got the all clear, she went to find Tab.

The med tech gave her an update. "He's conscious but sedated. His burns have been treated. The bump on his head is concerning, so we're keeping a day or two for observation."

Hadley grabbed a chair. "I'm not leaving him." She sat and grasped his hand. "At least not until I talk to him."

The tech shrugged. "Might be a while, but you can stay."

Damn right.

Having a good time with this one. Hadley and Tab are a cool couple to write and giving them a big conflict is fun.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate. For me, this includes those who mentor others because being a mom isn't always about giving birth to a person or have fur babies.

Had another busy work week and I'm thrilled to have multiple projects to dig into. I love what I do and being freelance means being happy when the work is rolling in.

Had a limited viewing week with so many other things going on. I sadly lost one of my aunts I've been particularly close to and needed some quiet reflection time.

I did get the double-header of the last two episodes for the first season of Battlestar Galactica in, and they held up as being one of the most perfect season finales of all time.

I also finished up the episode of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say I had a feeling the artist would do something creepy and she totally did.

Other than that, I watched my classic standby of Perry Mason and also caught some early seasons of Midsomer Murders.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Explosive Situation, a novella where the characters get caught in a situation and have to face their feelings then navigate the fine line between personal and professional.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hadley and Tab are the go-to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings for the man she calls partner.

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley appreciated Tab's promise to have her back. "That's incredibly—" She started to thank him but their comm units went off.

Shit. Not good.

Tab shot to his feet and accepted the call from the command station. Hadley's gut tensed. Shit had to have gone sideways. The only reason command would reach out this soon.

The chief didn't mince words. "The three hostages are safe, but Hacksure's crew isn't." He rubbed a hand through his hair. "I wanna know how Hack's team got trapped."

Hadley rolled her eyes and gave a point-blank answer. "Because Hack forgot unstable doesn't mean stupid and he went in with his ass hanging out, which is SOP for him." An image of Aldus thinking he had the upper hand filled her mind.

He'd be wearing a smirk, thinking he had everything under control. With the hostages out, the only thing left to do from Hack's point of view would be hauling Magnus in for evaluation to see if an arrest or a trip to the psychiatric clinic worked best. He wouldn't consider Magnus had a different scenario in mind. Like cutting bait because he had the big meal served up on a platter.

The chief sputtered. "Listen, Moax. I've known Aldus Hacksure for a decade. The man doesn't go anywhere with his pants around his ankles." His shoulders tensed and he leaned closer to the monitor. "You'd do well to stop ripping him and get on board with a plan to extract fellow team members."

Hadley sent Tab a sideways glance. "Be happy to, sir. Just wanted to be clear about not taking the necessary precautions. Because his team didn't." They couldn't have if they were now barricaded inside the space with Magnus.

The chief grumbled under his breath then pointed a finger at the screen. "We can hash that out in the after-action briefing. Right now, you can either help or step back." He turned his focus to Tab. "What's your take on this situation, Missoni?"

Hadley hoped like hell he backed her up. Because Hack had been sloppy lately. This crisis could've been avoided if he didn't strut around crowing about his accomplishments all the time and he remembered what he trained for.

Tab backed her up. "She's not wrong, sir. In fact, she left out a few recent incidents. All due respect, you only see one side of him."

The chief's shoulders slumped. "Fine. Duly noted." He squared his shoulders. "What's your plan?"

Tab gave him a brief rundown of how they would approach the situation.

The chief grunted. "All right. You have a go." He signed off.

Hadley grabbed her pack and hefted it over her shoulder. "Uh, thanks for not letting me twist on the pole with the chief." She started for the door.

Tab gathered his gear and caught up with her. "Told you I had your back. Always will." He held her gaze longer than necessary.

Hadley gave him a wide smile. "Appreciate it." And she wouldn't doubt him again.

I like where this story is going. Hadley and Tab are about to step into a really hinkey situation and I can't wait to see what happens when they do.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

I'm a little surprised May is at an end and I shouldn't be. Then again, I spent the entire week getting days mixed up so there's that.

Pretty decent week of television viewing. I started out by finishing the Roswell, New Mexico episode and, frankly, loved it. I like that Maria didn't let Liz off the hook. I'm so glad she knows what's going on now. I also hope she gets over the betrayal and becomes an ally for the alien side. I'm very cautious about Cameron's appearance. Something tells me she's going to be doing a lot of backstabbing but for a good reason. I don't for a moment believe Jesse is as bad off as he makes out to be and we'll be seeing his evil ways rear their ugly heads again. And, finally, Isabel. What a terrific episode for her. I enjoyed the way her connection to Max was explored and explained. I'll look forward to more of this type of storyline for her.

On a fun note, I got to watch my daughter's graduation via YouTube. I can honestly say it was rather nice to sit in a cool house to see her get her diploma rather than sitting in a hot stadium. The circumstances might not have been ideal, but the school put a ton of effort into making the graduation special and I appreciate their work.

I started an episode of The Heart Guy and, well, didn't finish it. The show isn't grabbing me the way I'd hoped. I'll probably come back to it later.

Also caught another episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. For a show that's well over twenty years old, some of the storylines are very relevant to today's circumstances.

Caught the beginning arc of the fourth doctor on Classic Who. Four has a long, long run for the show and I'm excited to get started on his tenure.

Watched one episode of Gargoyles and it's another one I didn't remember from my initial viewing. Pretty decent episode with some cat and mouse maneuvers.

Was able to get in another episode of Strike Back and quite enjoyed it. The team now knows what's going on with the blood vendetta and I'm excited for the final three episodes. Can't wait to see how the series ends. The declassified behind the scenes also ended up being really enjoyable.

Caught another episode of The Witcher and I'm getting sucked deeper into the mythology of the show. I thoroughly enjoyed all three storylines, two of which converged together in this episode. I'm interested to see what happens next.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. I'll be starting a new Passionflix movie sometime later tonight and look forward to seeing the first part of Gabriel's Inferno.

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

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hadley and Tab are the go-to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings.

And a sneaky peek…

Tab settled against the pillows in his berth. "Wonder what crawled inside Hadley's head earlier?" She'd gone a little pensive on him.

Grabbing a book from his shelf, he flipped it open to the page marker. After reading the same page three times, he put the tome away and folded his hands behind his head. The whole situation with Hack took up the ready space in Tab's mind.

He'd meant it when he said he'd make a career change, but he'd start with a transfer. "And I'd ask to stay with Hadley if I did." Of course, he didn't speak that part out loud. "Because it should be a known fact." They had a good rapport, worked well together, and their teammates from other units meshed with them with little acrimony.

So not the case with Aldus's four-man crew.

Tab snorted. "Then again, Hack struts around like he owns the world and expects recompense for gracing it with his presence." Seniority didn't equate to being a good leader.

Tab tried to give the man the respect due to a senior member of the negotiating team. Hacksure had fifteen years in when Tab came up the ranks and started in the unit. Fresh out of training, Tab hoped to learn and hone his negotiating tactics from Aldus.

Tab rolled his eyes. "Instead, Had and I got an up-close and personal view of how to not do shit." And Aldus didn't like how much their team got called in for sensitive situations. "Maybe if he didn't always revert to blazing guns and head bashing, his team would be the go-to instead of the last resort."

Tab got how much of an ego blow it would be to have a young team come in and usurp the honors and accolades. Then again, Aldus did nothing to change the status quo. He fully expected to have the plum assignments simply because he'd been on the job the longest.

And because he cultivated powerful friendships.

Tab frowned. "I swear those relationships are the only reason Hack is still around." Anyone else would have been shuffled to another department or a remote quadrant of the galaxy that didn't require much in the way of negotiations. But Hack's friends in high places kept him in the thick of things.

A niggle of concern for Hadley settled between Tab's shoulders. "Maybe that's why she went a little quiet earlier." She'd be looking in shadows for the unexpected for a while.

Unless Tab had spooked her with his ready and willing comment.

He shook his head. "Nah. I think we're pretty clear it's a when not if thing. It'll happen when it's supposed to." And neither would let a personal thing get between them and their work.

Settling down, he punched his pillow and turned off the lamp. "I'll catch her tomorrow and make sure she knows I've got her back with old Hack."

 

I like writing Hadley and Tab. They have a great rapport and I always enjoy kind of letting readers in on the fact a couple have been dancing around their attraction for a long time.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

Okay, I finally finished the six seasons of Hawaii Five-0 that were available on Netflix. Only a few small quibbles, the biggest being it makes me insane when actors play two different, unrelated roles on the same show. I love Ingo Rademacher, but don't make him the parent of a kidnapped child in one episode and then call him back to play a prosecuting attorney trying to bring Five-0 down. Seriously? Were there no other actors who could have played one of those roles? Ugh.

And thank the universe the whole Gabriel Waincroft saga is over. Yeesh.

I'm all caught up on Teen Wolf and aside from wanting to throw things because they brought Theo the Asshat back, I'm loving this season.

I'm working on The Librarians and should start catching up on Murdoch Mysteries and Sherlock this week.

Gotham returned and, yeah, definitely happy it's back on my screen. Now I need all my other DC shows to come back. Also looking forward to seeing what Riverdale ends up bringing to the table. That one could be really fun or truly terrible. Fingers crossed for the first option.

And that's it for television. Tonight's post is from Explosive Situation, a novella where the characters face a tense standoff and how they feel about each other.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hadley and Tab are the go to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings.

And a sneaky peek…

"To another successful mission!"

Hadley Moax tapped the edge of her longneck bottle against her partner, Tab Missoni's.

Tab lifted his beer. "Another save, another win." He tilted the bottle and drained half the liquid.

Hadley followed suit, signaling the bartender for another round. They deserved the indulgence. Hell, they deserved a month of R and R after they'd pulled off a spectacularly executed rescue operation.

Tab kicked a booted foot out, resting it on the lower dais. "You know, I thought for sure Hack's team was going to blow the entire op." He drained the beer and started on the next.

Hadley shook her head. "I can't believe he tried to play the operational jurisdiction card." She held up a finger. "First, he shows up after the briefing." She added a second. "Then, he stomped around like a child when he's informed he's not going in as point." Finally, she added a third digit to the mix. "And to top it off, he thought he could pull rank after the op went mission critical." She washed the bitter taste of anger away with her brew.

Tab snorted. "When he started spouting orders in direct contradiction to briefing protocol, I wanted to shove my fist down his throat." He rested his forearms on the bar. "But you managed to shut him up at a crucial moment." Sliding her a sideways glance, his lips quirked.

Hadley shrugged. "Nothing like an elbow jab to the back of the ribcage to knock the wind out of someone." She wouldn't be on the top of Aldus Hacksure's friend list anytime soon.

And she didn't care one damned bit. The overblown ego the man carried around could trip a horse. Shutting him up earlier would be worth looking over her shoulder for the foreseeable future.

Tab sobered. "You know he's going to carry a grudge, right?" His gaze filled with concern.

Hadley's lips curved. "Aw, I'm touched. You're worried about me." She took another swallow of her beer.

Tab leaned in. "I'm worried about us, Had. He's got the connections to split our team."

The thought jarred her. And ruined her buzz. Being separated from Tab? Worst idea ever.

She shook her head. "He wouldn't dare." But would he? "No, Tab. Hack's a pain in the ass, but he's not stupid. You don't destroy a winning combination to appease some dickhead's wounded opinion." For certain if they tried, she'd put up one hell of a fight.

Tab drained his bottle then ordered another round. "I think you're giving him too much credit. He'd like nothing more than to break us up, maybe under the guise of building better partnerships with others. If the brass doesn’t go for that, he could always dig up dirt and hope that separates us." His voice took on a menacing note.

Hadley straightened. "Look, there's no dirt to dig." Not that she and Tab hadn't entertained the idea of making more of their partnership.

At least she had. Several times.

But something always got in the way. First, Tab had an established relationship when they started on assignments together. When that ended, he expressed an interest, but she shied away from the idea, their partnership being too new to test the limits. Then, once they had a handful of successful missions under their belt, she didn't want to mess with the dynamic. Finally, Hadley's breakups with short-term boyfriends never ended well. Working with Tab meant a lot to her. An ugly ending to a workplace romance didn't rate high on her list of shit to get done.

Tab snorted. "Maybe there isn't, but the lack of anything going on wouldn't stop Hack from making accusations." His lips twisted in a smirk. "You know I'm game… anytime you change your mind." He waggled his eyebrows.

Hadley barked out a laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Maybe in twenty years, after Hack retires." The thought of working with the raging egomaniac for two decades turned her stomach sour.

Tab grimaced. "Don't even. If he doesn't step in a big pile by next year, I'm making a career change." He started on his fresh beer.

The idea had merit. But the thought of not working with Tab anymore gave her pause. Tab tilted his head to one side and gave her a curious look. Caught without a solid response, Hadley recovered the only way she knew how.

She lifted her bottle in a toast. "Here, here."

If it isn't clear here, Hadley likes to live in denial. It's a good thing Tab is very patient.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Explosive Situation

It's SDCC weekend! I love how much my Twitter and Facebook feeds explode with fun and exciting information about my favorite shows and movies. So many great pictures, quotes, and rapid-fire reports to sink into and devour—a new trailer for what to expect on the rest of Defiance, a teaser for Arrow season three, reports about The Avengers: Age of Utron, and tons of cosplay pictures, which I love to see.

And SDCC kind of launches the countdown for Dragon Con in September. I've never had the opportunity to attend, but I have so many online friends who go, I'm lucky enough to pretty much experience the whole thing vicariously through them.

Tonight's post is from, Explosive Situation, a short story where the main characters are co-workers who become more.

Here's the tagline:

Hadley and Tab are the go to people for explosive situations. They work in tandem and haven't lost anyone, or each other, yet. When Tab gets caught in the crossfire on their latest mission, Hadley digs deep to save him and finally faces her feelings.

And a sneaky peek…

Hadley crept along the darkened corridor, following behind Tab, listening to the sound of muted conversation and an occasional barrage of bullets. They inched closer and closer to the area where Magnus held his hostages. He shot off another round and Hadley flinched. Such a dangerous location for gunfire. Too many flammable chemicals and metal surfaces for ricochet.

Hadley got up close to the door and pressed her ear to the smooth surface. Another volley sounded, five rounds—the same number of hostages Magnus had—followed by the pop and hiss of a pipe bursting. She shot Tab a worried glance, but kept her ear to the hatch.

Tab slid closer and she held up a hand.

Magnus swore. "Well, god dammit. That sure is a lot of blood." His muffled voice rose.  "Guess I won't be coming out with a hostage after all."

Hadley signaled the news to Tab. He nodded and jerked his head toward the door. Hadley moved her hand to the release and pushed it inward. The heavy steel scraped along the metal decking and sparks flew. A sharp hiss and a burst of ignition and Hadley's reflexes kicked in. She yanked hard on the door, pulling it shut, and took off at a rapid pace.

She shouted. "Fire! Run!"

Tab fell into step and sprinted beside her. The deck rumbled underneath their feet.

Tab glanced over his shoulder. "Get down!"

The door burst and he shoved Hadley out of the way, taking the brunt of the explosive impact. Hadley slammed to a halt, doubled over against the bulkhead. Her eyes stung and watered, noxious fumes filling her lungs. She blinked through the flow of tears and couldn’t find Tab.

She shouted his name. "Tab!" Flaming debris rained down around her and she scrabbled to her feet.

Another explosion rocked the corridor and she dropped to her knees, crawling forward, searching frantically for her partner. Her throat burned, but she wouldn't leave him behind. Reaching out, she swept her hands back and forth, careful to avoid the visible hot spots. Smoke filled the corridor and she coughed, struggling to find Tab. Her fingers brushed over a tuft of hair and relief filled her. Scrambling forward, she shoved what remained of the hatch off Tab and felt for a pulse. Weak and thready, but there. She grabbed hold of his tactical vest and dragged him out from under the rubble. Hauling him forward, she made slow progress, tugging him along behind her. Another few meters and she'd have him to safety. The emergency response team could put the fire out and get Tab to sickbay.

Reaching the all clear zone, she collapsed, but pulled Tab close. He didn't regain consciousness and her heart kicked against her ribs. He couldn't die on her. Not now. They had too much to do together.

Together.

Her hands fisted in his vest. "Dammit, Tab. We've got a lot of shit to do. You'd better stick around for it." She breathed out a watery sigh and let the tears flow unchecked.

Hadley just got an inkling of how much Tab means to her. Thankfully, she'll have a little time to figure out what to do next.

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

ML Skye