Smokin' Hot—Hot and Swoon-Worthy: Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella)

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Hello!

This week we're tasked with posting a piece of dialog where our hero gets to take center stage and deliver a swoon-worthy line to the heroine. I can't wait to read some hot and smooth moves from our heroes.

For my feature, I'm posting one of my favorite bits from a current release, Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella).

For a little background, here are the book and brand taglines:

Furlough 99: The last stop before uncharted space. Welcome to the ass end of the universe.

Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

And the swoon-worthy dialog… (Bolded for convenience)

Shyler smiled with satisfaction. She had her shadow neutralized in under thirty seconds, but something didn’t feel quite right. The guy had an incredible build. Solid. Muscular. Hard.

Why didn't he resist?

And dammit, she felt a zing. Did he have to be so flipping handsome, too? She couldn't let herself be distracted by super-hot shadow man.

She huffed out a breath to regroup and got down to business.

She let go of his head, but kept her legs strategically positioned. "Well, hell. I'd hoped you'd at least try to fight back so I could use lethal force if necessary."

A whiskey smooth voice, answered with casual ease. "My mother taught me to never argue with a woman. Especially one who packs a punch."

Interesting thing for a mother to teach her son. Shyler tried a different approach.

"You have five seconds to tell me why you're following me." And explain the lack of trying to break free. "Who are you?"

Her prisoner slowly lifted his right hand. "If I may?" He made a downward motion, toward his back pocket.

The man had a truly fine ass.

~*~

Shyler would never admit it, but Marsh pretty much had her from that moment, which doesn't mean she didn't make him work for every inch of additional ground he gained. LOL

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Sparks fly when Inter-Stellar Police Inspector Shyler Lumen meets Mars entrepreneur Marshton Grey. She's after one of his employees who created a lethal club drug. Shyler doesn't want the distraction Marsh provides, but he could hold the key to solving her case.

Or he may end up being her biggest obstacle.

Marsh wants to help Shyler catch his former employee before he can slip the net from Furlough 99. He isn't prepared for the attraction to the tightly wound inspector, but he doesn't fight it. Shyler proves to be a fascinating puzzle Marsh doesn't come across very often.

It's a good thing he's up for the challenge she presents.

Anthology Brand Blurb: The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Inequity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Saturday Standard: Meet Shyler Lumen

My new blog feature called the Saturday Standard is a fun little sneak peek behind the scenes featuring character interviews and other items of interest—thirteen questions about the setting, plot, or character traits, a collage of inspirational pictures I used while writing, or anything else that strikes my fancy. Each week one of my pseudonyms will post for the new weekly feature.

Today, I'm going to revisit my very first release with Ellipses Press and interview the main characters, Shyler Lumen and Marshton Grey.

This week… Shyler will be answering questions about what makes her tick—not one of her favorite pastimes. LOL

Let's get to it…

THE SATURDAY STANDARD

ML Skye: Hello, Shyler. Thank you for agreeing to answer some questions, especially since I know you're not fond of being on that side of the table.

Shyler Lumen: You're right. I'm usually the one conducting interrogations.

ML: My notes indicate you've been doing it for a long time, too. First as a rookie with the Mars Sector Police then moving up the ranks to become an inspector the Inter-Stellar Police Force. Is that correct?

Shyler: Yeah, I got recruited by the ISP when they were looking for people with interplanetary connections. Mine aren't extensive, but I traveled a lot before my mom retired.

MLS: Your mother is very famous, and well-loved.

SL: She's also dead.

[A moment of uncomfortable awkwardness.]

MLS: You're blunt and to the point, aren't you?

SL: I am, yes. I think is saves time, but my chief inspector keeps telling me my abrasive attitude won't win any congeniality contests.

MLS: He's probably right, but you're under a lot of pressure right now, so I understand the desire to get directly to the issue at hand.

SL: That's nice of you to say, but I'm technically off on leave, so the pressure thing doesn't apply.

MLS: Oh, I think it does. From what I understand, one of your informants is fighting for his life. Regardless of whether you're officially on the case, you're concerned about him.

SL: I am. Glib and I go a long way. He's one of the first people who ever kept the card I gave him with the address for a halfway house. And… he saved my life once.

MLS: The card goes back to your mom's battle with addiction, doesn't it?

SL: Well, yeah. I volunteer in my downtime and when I worked vice, I handed out a lot of cards.

[Shyler's flight is called over the intercom]

MLS: I'll wrap this up so you can get going. Where are you headed?

SL: Furlough 99, an Alliance space station, otherwise known as the ass end of the universe.

MLS: [laughs] That's quite the nickname.

SL: [smiles] I think it's fitting.

MLS: Thank you for your time. I hope you find what you're looking for.

SL: Not so much what, but who, and I really need to be going.

I feel kind of sorry for whoever she's seeking. Shyler Lumen always gets her collar. Find out who Shyler wants to find in Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella).

Available on Amazon

More e-retailers coming soon. 

I hope you enjoyed the latest edition of the Saturday Standard. Stay tuned for more next week when we meet Marshton Grey.

Thanks for reading!

Catch everyone on the flip!

ML Skye

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella) #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

I'm revisiting one of my first releases, Shyler: Finding Home, one of the offerings from the Furlough 99 line from Ellipses Press. I'll be posting a series of pivotal scenes over the next couple of weeks. Please enjoy!

Today's post features Marshton Grey's introduction.

Book Tagline: Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

Series Tagline: Furlough 99: The last stop before uncharted space. Welcome to the ass end of the universe.

~*~

Greyswell Industries—Head Office—Queen City, Mars

"What's the death toll?"

"One hundred and fifty-seven as of ten a.m. this morning."

Marshton Grey nodded curtly, accepting the information and his chief of security quickly exited the plush office. The man had gone above and beyond by keeping Marsh informed of the situation. Now Marsh had to do damage control and nip the problem in the bud. He'd already laid the building blocks to make that happen.

Marsh stood up from behind his desk, gathered his travel documents and pressed the intercom to his admin.

"Lucy, I'm unavailable until further notice."

"Have a safe journey," her soothing voice answered. "I'll see you aren't disturbed, Mr. Grey."

Marsh trusted her to do exactly that. Super-efficient, his admin would block, handle, or delegate whatever came up while he had to be off planet. He peeled off his suit and tie, and threw on a pair of comfortable dungarees. Didn't worry about an overnight bag, he had plenty of wardrobe options located where he'd be headed.

Furlough 99.

Ass end of the universe.

Available on Amazon

More e-retailers coming soon!

~*~

Series Blurb: The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Inequity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.

Book Blurb: Inspector Shyler Lumen and entrepreneur Marshton Gray don't have much in common. A manhunt for a brilliantly mad chemist brings them together and sparks fly. Shyler and Marsh can fight the wave of change… or grab hold and go along for the ride.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella) #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

I'm revisiting one of my first releases, Shyler: Finding Home, one of the offerings from the Furlough 99 line from Ellipses Press. I'll be posting a series of pivotal scenes over the next couple of weeks. Please enjoy!

Today's post features Shyler's interaction with a droid on Furlough 99.

Book Tagline: Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

Series Tagline: Furlough 99: The last stop before uncharted space. Welcome to the ass end of the universe.

~*~

Shyler elbowed her way out of the transport and ran through her mental checklist. First, she had to find out who to cajole, threaten, or bribe to be able to work in relative peace or at least not step on toes. Second, find a place to meet, and third, well, she needed to take care of the first two before worrying about number three. She glanced around, found a porter and flagged him down.

"Can you tell me who runs security—not the official kind—on Furlough and where the best place to meet would be?" As he got closer, Shyler realized 'he' was a droid, very lifelike, but a machine nonetheless. "And um… maybe how I can get a message to them?"

Droids always threw her. She never knew if they had to have commands or if simple conversations were possible. And of course it always varied by model.

The blond machine's eyes blinked several times then looked directly at her. "Oh, they'll find you, sweetie cakes. Trust me."

Shyler couldn't help it, she laughed out loud. And felt much more at ease. An android who talked like a flaming queen? Exactly what she needed to feel more at home.

Her outburst stopped a gentleman on the glide path in his tracks. She flicked her gaze sideways and narrowed her eyes. She'd seen him before but couldn't place where. The answer hovered just out of reach, yet she knew he'd come from Mars, the rock she called home.

He had to be from Queen City, the largest metropolis on the red planet. 4.5 million souls strewn throughout—from the swank, high end condos down to the no rent tent squats—and she ran into one of them way out on Furlough?

Interesting.

Dismissing him, Shyler focused on the droid again. "I'm sorry. They'll find me?"

The porter shocked her again when he rolled his eyes. "Sweetie cakes, you've got enforcement written all over you." He made air quotes to emphasis enforcement.

Shyler chuckled. "I'm not enforcement per se. More like ISP. And I'm not exactly trying to hide it. Don't have the time to waste going covert." The guy from home moved away slowly, maybe too slowly, and it piqued her curiosity.

Available on Amazon

More e-retailers coming soon!

~*~

Series Blurb: The last stop before the emptiness of unknown space, Furlough 99 is inhabited with a myriad of personalities, each one looking for something different, something they can only find at the end of the line. With a bar called the Den of Inequity and a whole station devoted to pleasure and hedonism, there's nothing that can't be found here, or won't.

Book Blurb: Inspector Shyler Lumen and entrepreneur Marshton Gray don't have much in common. A manhunt for a brilliantly mad chemist brings them together and sparks fly. Shyler and Marsh can fight the wave of change… or grab hold and go along for the ride.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

A Gift from the Stars – The SFR Brigade Presents #sfrbp Shyler: Finding Home

Welcome to the Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents, a weekly sneak peek sampler hosted by the SFR Brigade.

Readers: enjoy brief glimpses of currently available, soon to be released books, or works in progress. Authors are sharing short excerpts for your enjoyment. Please have fun and spread the joy.

~*~

My post today features the first snippet from Shyler: Finding Home, a Furlough 99 novella available from Ellipses Press, Ltd. I'm introducing Marshton Grey.

Tagline: Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

~*~

Greyswell Industries—Head Office—Queen City, Mars

"What's the death toll?"

"One hundred and fifty-seven as of ten a.m. this morning."

Marshton Grey nodded curtly, accepting the information and his chief of security quickly exited the plush office. The man had gone above and beyond by keeping Marsh informed of the situation. Now Marsh had to do damage control and nip the problem in the bud. He'd already laid the building blocks to make that happen.

Marsh stood up from behind his desk, gathered his travel documents and pressed the intercom to his admin.

"Lucy, I'm unavailable until further notice."

"Have a safe journey," her soothing voice answered. "I'll see you aren't disturbed, Mr. Grey."

Marsh trusted her to do exactly that. Super-efficient, his admin would block, handle, or delegate whatever came up while he had to be off planet. He peeled off his suit and tie, and threw on a pair of comfortable dungarees. Didn't worry about an overnight bag, he had plenty of wardrobe options located where he'd be headed.

Furlough 99.

Ass end of the universe.

~*~

Available at Amazon 

Please visit my website

~*~

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

Thank you for reading! 

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book Shyler: Finding Home – a Furlough 99 Novella #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today I'll be sharing a glimpse of Shyler: Finding Home—a Furlough 99 Novella, from Ellipses Press, Ltd. Furlough 99 is a space station, the last stop before uncharted space, situated in the ass end of the universe.

Inspector Shyler Lumen and entrepreneur Marshton Gray don't have much in common. A manhunt for a brilliantly mad chemist brings them together and sparks fly. Shyler and Marsh can fight the wave of change… or grab hold and go along for the ride.

~*~

Shyler still had trouble wrapping her head around the stupid series of events that landed her best informant in a fight for his life. A Zoner, the newest lame term for pusher of recreational drugs, thought it would be amusing to release a brand spanking new narco club drug at a rave, just to see what happened. All well and good, but for one thing. The stupid moron didn't realize he'd change the chemical properties when he added the substance to the fog juice in the Underground's five machines. He also didn't know it would prove toxic to ninety-nine percent of the club goers.

The ISP—Inter-Stellar Police—caught up with him on his way off planet. Felt good to have the asshole behind bars, where he couldn't hurt anyone else. And the freak-out of all freak-outs over what had happened made him spill everything he knew about Sheen, so named for the way it gave its users an iridescent glow to their skin. His actual knowledge of the properties of the drug didn't amount to much. But… he gave them a name.

Baj Dogo aka Doctor X.

Dogo hadn't bothered to tell the less intelligent Zoner what would happen if people tried to alter the original compound. Or mix it with something else. Shyler could definitely nail the chemist for negligence, but if she had her way, she'd fry him for accessory to murder.

If he didn't slip the net. As the last bastion of the known universe, Furlough proved a tempting prospect for people who wanted to escape and go off the grid.

Right. Like that would happen.

Dogo would slither away over her cold, lifeless body.

Technically, she shouldn't work the case since she had a very personal connection to one of the victims. Too damned bad. She had buttloads of personal leave she could use however she damn well wanted.

Shyler elbowed her way out of the transport and ran through her mental checklist. First, she had to find out who to cajole, threaten, or bribe to be able to work in relative peace or at least not step on toes. Second, find a place to meet, and third, well, she needed to take care of the first two before worrying about number three. She glanced around, found a porter and flagged him down.

"Can you tell me who runs security—not the official kind—on Furlough and where the best place to meet would be?" As he got closer, Shyler realized 'he' was a droid, very lifelike, but a machine nonetheless. "And um… maybe how I can get a message to them?"

Droids always threw her. She never knew if they had to have commands or if simple conversations were possible. And of course it always varied by model.

The blond machine's eyes blinked several times then looked directly at her. "Oh, they'll find you, sweetie cakes. Trust me."

Shyler couldn't help it, she laughed out loud. And felt much more at ease. An android who talked like a flaming queen? Exactly what she needed to feel more at home.

Her outburst stopped a gentleman on the glide path in his tracks. She flicked her gaze sideways and narrowed her eyes. She'd seen him before but couldn't place where. The answer hovered just out of reach, yet she knew he'd come from Mars, the rock she called home.

He had to be from Queen City, the largest metropolis on the red planet. 4.5 million souls strewn throughout—from the swank, high end condos down to the no rent tent squats—and she ran into one of them way out on Furlough?

Interesting.

Dismissing him, Shyler focused on the droid again. "I'm sorry. They'll find me?"

The porter shocked her again when he rolled his eyes. "Sweetie cakes, you've got enforcement written all over you." He made air quotes to emphasis enforcement.

Shyler chuckled. "I'm not enforcement per se. More like ISP. And I'm not exactly trying to hide it. Don't have the time to waste going covert." The guy from home moved away slowly, maybe too slowly, and it piqued her curiosity.

Tall, dark, and quite gorgeous if one went for the type. And maybe a little too nosy for his own good. She watched until he finally moved out of sight.

The patient droid waited until she made eye contact with it before speaking again. "Hmm…Inter-Stellar Police. You're right, not exactly total enforcement. At least not the kind we used to have around here. You guys at least provide trials for the accused." The droid's face went flat with what appeared to be a bad memory.

Shyler shook off the weird feeling. Droids couldn't have memories, could they?

She got back to business. "Give me a public place that has privacy so I can park it until the security people find me."

"You'll want the Den." At her raised eyebrow, he clarified. "Den of Iniquity…the bar up on Level 4. Ask for Varina, she'll point you to a place you can 'park it'."

"Right. Thanks."

~*~

Tagline: Inspector Shyler Lumen always gets her man—even if she has to go through Marshton Grey to do it.

Blurb: Sparks fly when Inter-Stellar Police Inspector Shyler Lumen meets Mars entrepreneur Marshton Grey. She's after one of his employees who created a lethal club drug. Shyler doesn't want the distraction Marsh provides, but he could hold the key to solving her case.

Or he may end up being her biggest obstacle.

Marsh wants to help Shyler catch his former employee before he can slip the net from Furlough 99. He isn't prepared for the attraction to the tightly wound inspector, but he doesn't fight it. Shyler proves to be a fascinating puzzle Marsh doesn't come across very often.

It's a good thing he's up for the challenge she presents.

Buy Link

Please feel free to stop by my website for more information: Skye Writes

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Shyler: Finding Home (A Furlough 99 Novella)

Greetings!

Whew! I'm relieved to say my favorite characters are still intact on Strike Back and Sons of Anarchy. And I got to see more of Stonebridge than I have in a while. :D

Arrow returns Wednesday and I'm dying to have it back on my TV. The behind the scene teases and brief clips are only serving to whet my appetite. Come on, Wednesday!!

Enough about television. Tonight's post revisits a current release. Shyler: Finding Home is taking up some space in my brain because I'm working on a new manuscript for the Furlough 99 brand and it features a character introduced in Shyler's story.

Here's the tagline:

Inspector Shyler Lumen and entrepreneur Marshton Gray don't have much in common. A manhunt for a brilliantly mad chemist brings them together and sparks fly. Shyler and Marsh can fight the wave of change…or grab hold and go along for the ride.

And another sneaky peek…

Shyler found the spot she wanted—away from the main entrance, but still in her line of sight. She also had a view of the back, in case another entrance existed. Hopefully that covered all the bases.

She nodded and grinned. At least she felt prepared.

"Care to share?" Marsh pulled out a chair.

Shyler directed her gaze to the annoyance who seated himself across from her. "Share what?"

"The knowing little smile and what it's all about."

Shyler looked away, checking the two areas. "Not really. You're Mr. Intelligent. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Marsh let out a frustrated sigh. "It would save time if you just told me."

She shrugged, pleased she'd pushed a button. "Be that as it may, I'm—"

"Shyler Lumen, Inspector?"

Shit. Damn Marshton Grey for being a distraction. She'd completely missed the Guild operative's approach.

Glaring in Marsh's direction, she didn't bother standing, but swung her gaze to greet her new contact's. "Yeah. And you are?" She pushed another chair out with her foot and nodded, inviting the other man to sit.

"Spider Smith."

If his name was really Spider Smith, she'd eat her creds. He looked like one of the low level dealers she used to drag off the streets during a sweep.

But looks could be very deceiving.

Spider dropped down into the empty chair at the table. "I'll be your contact while you're here on Furlough."

Progress. Finally.

"Look, I'll cut right to it—"

"You're here for Baj Dogo aka Doctor X. Responsible for at least 150 deaths with the count still rising. One of those lost was an associate of yours. Went by the name of Glib."

Shyler sucked in a startled breath. "You're very thorough." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're not a droid?"

Spider cracked a grin. "Yes, I am. And no, I'm not. It pays for me to be as thorough as possible. The Guild needs to know who the players are and how many pieces are involved in the game."

Not a game to her, but she understood. The fewer surprises, the better the outcome.

"I can respect that." She leaned forward. "As I'm sure you've read my jacket, let me assure you right now, I can play nice with others…regardless of how it looks otherwise."

Marsh rubbed the back of his neck and snorted. "I'd like to see that."

Shyler glared. "Shut. Up. You brought that on yourself." She turned her attention to Spider again. "I'm more than willing to cooperate with whomever I have to."

Spider looked from her to Marsh. "You sure about that?"

Slightly offended, she clarified. "I said it, didn't I? I don't want or need the collar. Or whatever bounty there might be on Dogo. I just want to personally interrogate and escort the son of a bitch back to Mars."

Spider looked from one to the other again and it put Shyler's back up. What the hell did he hold back?

Playing it cagey, he lifted a shoulder. "The logistics can be worked out. That's not going to be the issue." His tone clearly indicated something else would be.

Impatient, Shyler all but growled. "Then what is the damn problem?"

Instead of answering, Spider focused his attention on her tagalong. "Marshton Grey, Entrepreneur. Midas touch, growing the already considerable family fortune to greater proportions. On the board of dozens of interplanetary and galaxy wide companies, including the resort section of Furlough. Bachelor, never married, no offspring."

Impressed, Shyler glanced to see Marsh's reaction.

He acknowledged the information. "You are good."

Would that be tension she noticed along Marsh's shoulders?

Spider shook his head. "No, I'm better than good. All that information is public domain. I dug a great deal deeper and uncovered a connection the inspector probably isn't aware of."

Oh yeah, definite tension.

Not taking her eyes off Marsh, Shyler queried. "Oh, really? What would that be?"

Spider shifted in his seat, also keeping Marsh in his sight. "You know Dogo works for Greyswell Industries, yes?"

Shyler inclined her head in agreement. "Yeah. I'm aware of the bastard's employment."

The Guild operative continued. "What you probably don't know is there's a deeper connection, one that might present a problem for you."

Shyler's stomach churned. "Go on. What's the deeper connection?" Her gut readied for a wallop.

Spider shifted again, this time looking at Shyler. "It's familial. Baj Dogo and Marshton Grey share a mother. And from the Guild's point of view, the fact that Mr. Grey wasn't up front about that means he's got a different agenda than you. And that's not okay."

Red. Her anger burned red hot and flashed brightly behind her eyes. Shyler didn't speak…couldn't have if she tried…not until she got it under control.

The son of a bitch had played her. No one's fault but her own. Stupid to feel betrayed by someone she'd just met…but she did. And it sucked. Big time.

Breathing deeply, she swallowed down the rage. When she spoke, her voice came out calm. Cool even. "No. That's definitely not okay. But I'll deal with it." Looking away from Marsh, whose guilty flush didn't help his standing, she turned her attention to Spider. "I appreciate the intel." She decided to focus on more pressing matters. "Moving on. Any assistance the Guild can provide is welcome. I'm assuming you have interview rooms somewhere on this station?"

Spider blinked at the quick change act. "We can probably arrange for one. It might be a holding cell we wire for sound." His cheeks flushed sheepishly. "We don't usually need anything but visuals."

Shyler shrugged. "Whatever works." She thought she'd better clarify a few things. "Look, I don't know how you guys operate, but I need Dogo alive."

Spider tensed for a moment, but relaxed again. "I'll pass the request along…but no promises. The bounty clearly states lethal force is an option."

Shyler leaned forward. "Look, it's important. I need information that only Dogo can provide." She cast a quick glance at Marsh, who had yet to defend himself…or try to. Unsure if she could continue without compromising her case, she opted to throw Spider a bone. "Dig deeper. Into the reports on Mars. Use those mad skills of yours. It might make a difference."

She hoped it would. A person with Spider's ability should be able to ferret out the primo detail being held back from both the press and authorities.

"Please, peel back the layers."

They were racing the clock. 157 dead, but a handful weren't, among them Glib. But they were hanging on by a thread, probably only had 48 hours before they met the same fate as the others.

Spider considered her for a long moment. "Yeah. Okay. I'll see what I can discover." He leaned back in his seat. "Key your creds into any info terminal or droid. It's a link directly to me. It's also how I'll update you with any new intel." He slid his gaze toward Marsh and turned back to her. "Gotta say, I admire your restraint." Referring to the fact her head hadn't completely spun around and popped off as yet.

Shyler didn't acknowledge his comment. Decided it would be best not to. She got to her feet. "Scan my creds to communicate. No prob. Thanks." She leveled her gaze on Marsh. "Let's go."

My next installment for Furlough is going to be Spider's story. Honestly, I'm thrilled about writing it and so far, it's been as much fun as I anticipated. Spider meets his match when Hailey Webb decides she wants his help.

Click to Buy

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

ML Skye