DESIGNATED SURVIVORS – SNIPPET 2

UNEDITED – Getting started on book 2 of our new post-apoc series! And guess what? It should be out by late June! 

Designated SurvivorsElias reckoned that Liza had finished doing what she could for Marisol. The flow of blood from her wound was staunched and Liza had remarked that while serious, the wound was a “through-and-through,” which meant that the bullet had only pierced the flesh. Marisol lay across an old door that had been found in the remnants of a nearby hunter’s shed. Elias watched her lie there, shivering, her flesh puckered and bluish in tone.

“She gonna be okay?”

Liza looked over at him, her face dark with worry.

“Did what I could. I stabilized her. She’s young so that’s good and the wound wasn’t very deep. Thank God it missed her vitals.”

Elias nodded as Liza moved in close to him.

“Are you from inside that wall?”

Elias tipped his head. “Yep. What about you? I haven’t seen you guys in New Chicago before.”

Liza caught a look from Jessup and shook her head.

“No, we’re not from there.”

“So why are you here then?” Elias asked. “I mean, what were you guys doing out there in the grasslands?”

“Scavenging supplies mostly,” she offered.

Jessup looked over, “And we’re done. We got what we came for and we’re ready to push off.” (more…)

Galactic Frontiers – Bloodbag Suppressors

I wanted to share this start to the short story I included in the anthology with CC Ekeke, Chris Fox, and JN Chaney. Why? Because I think it’s going to be a big part of one of my next two solo projects. Let me know what you think please.
 
(Also, we always appreciate people buying the anthology – it’s in KU!)
 
Bloodbag Suppressors: A young Marine wants more than anything to go fight “goldies,” an aggressive alien race. To do so he means to join the best of the best—an elite squad made up of vampires, the only race able to truly cause damage to the enemy.
 
 
Bloodbag Suppressors
 
Justin Sloan
 

Brent pulled at his other hand, trying to keep his elbow bent as best he could to avoid Sarah’s near perfect arm-bar she had on him. She was strong, he’d give her that, but he wasn’t about to tap out, not today, not with the panel watching from behind their protective glass.

He shouted in frustration, then rolled into it and let his elbow land extra hard on her throat just long enough to break her hold so that he could regain his footing.

It wasn’t technically a strike, and though her eyes flashed red, she only snarled slightly at him before leaping up and preparing to take him down again. But this time, he was ready—a quick side-step as she leaped forward, and he faked a roundhouse kick with his right leg before bringing out his ka-bar knife to slash down across her neck and then, while she was still cursing him, bring the blade up and into her chest.

This time there was no question she was going to hurt him. She pulled him close, ignoring the blade still in her chest, and looked about to tear his neck off when a voice crackled over the loudspeaker and said, “Very well done. Sarah, if you’d please…”

Her nostrils flared and she licked her lips with a menacing look, but the red glow faded from her eyes.

Before letting him go, she leaned in and said, “If I see you out there, you’re fucking dead. Remember that, blood-bag.” Her warm, moist tongue flicked at his neck, and then she had released him and was walking away.

At the doorway, she stopped, pulled the knife out, and threw it so that it stuck into the matt at Brent’s feet.

She mouthed, “Fuck you,” before disappearing through the doorway. The metal clanged shut behind her.

“Now, Brent, move on to the shooting demonstration,” the voice on the speakers said.

He gave the panel a nod, trying to clear his head. He had to admit, he’d nearly pissed himself when Sarah had thrown the knife like that, and been even more terrified when her mouth had been at his neck, but he couldn’t let them see any weakness.

He approached the rifle rack and took down his favorite plasma blaster. Waiting for it to recognize him by placing four fingers on its side, he closed his eyes and focused. If he pulled this off, he’d be one of the elite. He could finally say he joined the 15th Marine Space Fleet for a reason. His father would look at him from Heaven or wherever the hell people went when their planets exploded while still inhabited, and Brent could stand with pride.

“If you’re ready,” the speaker voice said. “Commence.”

Brent opened his eyes to see the yellow strip along the side of the blaster, signaling it was synched with him and ready.

He turned to the wide, open room. It reminded him of the hanger bays they’d practiced fighting skills in at boot camp, two years ago when he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Little did he know at the time that, had he stayed behind and went to The Empiric University like his father wanted, he would’ve died alongside everyone else he’d known his whole life.

Sometimes, he wished he had, but that was before he was given this opportunity to join the elites fighters, to be one of the best.

And to get his fucking revenge.

 

 
 

SYNDICATE WARS 2: THE RESISTANCE – SNIPPET 2

UNEDITED (Book 1 is now available on Amazon! Book 2 on preorder)

Syndicate Wars 2“Enough!” someone shouted. Samantha looked up to see one of the other boys around fifteen or sixteen, black, broad-shouldered, and bespectacled appraising her.

“What’s your name?” the bespectacled kid asked.

“Samantha,” she said. “But I go by Sam.”

The bespectacled boy nodded. “I’m Arnel.” He pointed to the tall boy that Samantha had knocked down. “That’s Blake.” He pointed to the other boy next to him, “Carter.”

Samantha nodded and pointed to the boy on the ground, the one that Blake had been pointing the stick at. “What’s his name?”

“Seth,” the boy on the ground croaked. “My name’s Seth.”

“How come you’re messing with him?” Samantha asked, gesturing again at Seth.

Blake stood and dusted himself off. He grabbed his stick back from Samantha and iced her with a look. “Because he almost gave us away to them, that’s why. He broke the first rule of this place.” (more…)

SYNDICATE WARS: FIRST STRIKE – SNIPPET 2

UNEDITED (Follow us on the Facebook page)

Syndicate WarThe Marines continued their journey, but it was another eleven hours before they completed their ascent and were driving through the colossal tunnel that had been drilled into the rear of the mountain. The tunnel had been built two years earlier, back when word of the Syndicate first arrived via SETI’s Alien Telescope Array.

The news had been almost impossible to believe and was initially chalked up to yet another “fake news” story. But then the truth was revealed. An armada of alien craft had emerged from a globular star cluster known as M-25, traveling at speeds of what appeared to be a thousand miles per second, heading directly toward Earth.

The first scientist to discover the craft, a man whose name was lost to history, described the spacecraft as moving in formation, as part of a team. He’d used the term “Syndicate” to describe the armada, and the name had stuck. (more…)

SYNDICATE WARS: FIRST STRIKE – SNIPPET 1

UNEDITED – Launching May 30! In the meantime, follow the series on Facebook!

Syndicate WarWith every reason to suspect that this might be the last day of her life, Quinn adjusted her well-worn battle armor and shouldered her assault rifle, staring up at the billowing gray clouds of the early afternoon sky.

There were no rays of light, no sign from the heavens, nor any other reason to be optimistic.

Yet, somehow, she still possessed a modicum of hope, because she wasn’t just readying to fight for herself. Hers wasn’t necessarily a personal battle for survival; rather, it was a fight on behalf of humanity against an invading force of aliens that might soon sweep across the Earth, ushering in a new age of extinction. Quinn had always thought that despondency arose out of having choices, and since there was only one option—do battle against the invaders and squeeze every ounce of life from their bodies—there was little reason to lose heart.

A bemused smile danced across her lips, and she wondered how it had come to this. How a young woman from an Ohio backwater could enter the Corps as a means to support herself and her little girl and then, only a few years later, be on the front lines of what might be history’s last great stand. The battle to end all battles, the fight to save Earth from a powerful alien force that the Marines simply knew as the Syndicate.

Soon they would likely see the first sign of what might bring their impending death. Quinn and the others in her squad, the thirty-six men and women of the Global Force Marines, were ready for whatever the day might bring, even if that meant their complete and utter annihilation. (more…)