After a seemingly endless number of life-related delays, Winter of the Drill is currently on schedule for a late August release. This book has been making me crazy for months, and I’m going to be thrilled when it’s done, for a variety of reasons; the biggest being that I won’t have to look at it every time I open my laptop. Don’t get me wrong – I my boys, but after writing Shadow, and then working on the dozen or so sequels that are currently in the series, there’s a definite love/hate relationship between us. 

Today, I hope to draw you into Decker’s world by posting the first chapter of Winter of the Drill. Yes, it’s a shameless bit of self-promotion, but I’m hoping that you like what you read. Please leave a comment if you have the time. I would greatly appreciate it. 

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Winter of the Drill

Chapter One

   A slight rain misted the December afternoon and moistened the face of the young man who raced through the alley, frantically seeking refuge. A graffiti covered doorway caught his eye as he flew past; spinning on [entry. Frantic intensity strengthened his hands and he pounded on the door with both fists, even though he knew that there would be no help on the other side. For even if there was someone there to open the door, they would betray him in a heartbeat once they learned who was chasing him. Once they knew that he ran from the Drill.

   And they would find out; though Tommy had never met the man, he had heard enough to know that the Drill would tear the city apart until he flushed his prey out into the open. He was a man who took great pride in his work, and made it a point not to fail those who purchased his expensive services.  He was also a man whose vicious reputation was legend among the hookers and the hustlers who called those dark and dreary streets their home. They would never risk his anger by sheltering one such as Thomas Gaylord Jenkins III; two-bit dealer, pimp, and all around loser in spite of his pretentious name. They knew better, as surely as Tommy Jenkins had not. But he was learning fast.

   Abandoning his attempts to gain entrance to the building, Tommy sprinted for the far end of the alley. Heart pounding, he prayed desperately for enough time to reach the cross street and make his escape before his pursuer closed enough of the gap between them to see where he went. He knew that the odds were against him; the hellhound on his tail had been hand-picked by the Drill and was even more at home on the dingy streets than Tommy himself. Every turn, every shortcut would be known to him, and Tommy’s possibility of escape faded with each passing second. But knowing that his options were quickly dwindling did not destroy Tommy’s hopes completely. There was still a chance, and it was almost close enough to touch.

   The bus station! Hang a right, then two blocks up. I can do this! The thought of watching his neighborhood shrink into the distance through the tinted windows of a Greyhound caused his heart to thump with anticipation. Just a ticket away from a brand-new life! But that life was not to be. Tommy was only a dozen or so steps from the mouth of the alley when a lean figure stepped out of the shadows and held up a hand in greeting.

   Tommy skidded to a stop, his stomach clenching when he recognized the man who stood before him – another of the young thugs in the employ of the Drill. Tommy knew that the man could not be reasoned with, so he wasted no time with arguments or bargains. Turning, he raced back the way that he had come, cursing loudly when he stumbled over a small pile of debris. His shoes pounded against the damp pavement and his breath burned in his throat as he pushed his exhausted body forward. He knew that retracing his steps gave him a miniscule chance of escape at best, but to stay where he was and face the consequences of his actions required more bravery than he had ever possessed, under any circumstances.

   And so he ran.

   There was a cab parked across from the alley entrance, and he felt a sudden rush of exhilaration. Just a few more steps to the street and then –

   A fist struck him in the diaphragm, lifting him to his toes while the air was pushed from his lungs. He fell to his knees, retching, unable to prevent the flow of urine that darkened the front of his pants.

   Idiot! He screamed silently at himself, disgusted with his own stupidity. He should have known that there would be sentries stationed at both ends of the alley and he should never have gone in, should never have looked at the narrow, rat infested passage as a route to salvation. But he was tired, and the machinery that governed his rational thought was no longer operating at top efficiency. The only thing he knew for certain was that he had gotten himself into the middle of some incredibly deep shit.

   The “businessmen” that he had so gleefully cheated wanted him. Wanted him badly enough to pay the Drill and his team to hunt him down, and the Drill was not the kind to let his quarry slip through his fingers. Therefore, Tommy knew that he would most likely be dead by morning. Idiot, he berated himself again when a strong hand gripped his hair, pulled his head back, and forced him to look up into the face of the one who held him.

   To his surprise, the man who had chased him into the alley was not the man who stood before him. His pursuer had been young, of average height and build, with light blonde hair poking out from beneath a blue stocking cap. This man was older, darker, and completely unknown to Tommy Jenkins. He was also very tall, and would have towered over Tommy even if the boy had not been kneeling. But his height was not the only thing that caught Tommy’s eye. Massively built, his broad shoulders and muscular arms left no question as to the raw power that lurked beneath the surface of his skin.

   Tommy began to whimper uncontrollably as the man lifted his hand, pulling him to his feet by his hair. He dared another quick look at the stranger’s face and saw with astonishment that it bore a pleasantly amused expression instead of the scowl he had expected. And when the big man spoke, his voice was easy on the ears with a tone that was almost friendly.

   “Look at you,” he said as he released Tommy’s hair and rested a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. “What a mess you are. Hard to believe you’re man enough to get yourself into the kind of trouble you’re in. But…stranger things have happened.” He paused briefly, eyeing Tommy without any change of expression. “So…what do you have to say for yourself?”

   The ringing of a cell phone spared the boy from having to answer. His mind raced, trying to think of the best way to extract himself from the situation, while his captor answered his phone one-handedly. “Hunt,” he said into the mouthpiece, laughing with genuine delight. “My favorite P.I.! Damn, it’s good to hear your voice. How was the flight? Are you all settled in?”

   Tommy found himself hoping that the conversation would take a while, but it proved to be a brief exchange. “Hunt” was not a man of excess words, and only a few sentences passed between him and the giant whose fingers gripped Tommy’s shoulder like talons of steel.

   “You’re sure you’re up for this? From what I’ve been told they’re just a bunch of kids but…well, let’s be real, bud. You’re not as young as you used to be.” There was a burst of indignant chatter from the cell and the man laughed again. “Okay, okay. Don’t blow a gasket. Grab a nap and we’ll see you tonight.” The stranger disconnected the call and slid the phone back into his pocket. When he turned his attention back to Tommy, his ruggedly handsome face wore the same bemused expression.   

   His smile gave Tommy the faintest stirrings of hope that this man, unlike the others who had been chasing him, might be of a more sympathetic nature. Taking a deep breath, he met the man’s gaze and prepared to plead for his life.

   But before the first words were spoken, he realized that he was mistaken, that there would be no chance of gaining his freedom.  The smile was still gentle, but from under a shock of raven-black hair, crystal blue eyes glittered like shards of the purest ice. Devoid of mercy, they were the eyes of a jungle cat, of a bird of prey. Cold as the grave, they were the eyes of the Drill.

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Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and read my post. I hope you’re having a great weekend, and, if all goes as planned, I”ll be back on Wednesday.

Contact Information

Twitter: @rhanidchae

               @rhanidchaebooks

Email: rhanidchae@gmail.com

Purchase link for Shadow of the Drill
http://t.co/AMzFy8uiSf

 

John was in town, and it was hot outside, so we hid out in the theatre where the air conditioning was. There were lots of great movies out, and I think we saw most of them. At least, we saw the ones intended for an adult audience. This weekend we saw: Max, Magic Mike, The Gallows, Ant-man, Trainwreck, Terminator Genisys, Self/less, and Ted 2. It was a great weekend, and I hope you enjoy the reviews.

Max – Wow, what an awesome movie! A military dog handler is killed in action, and the dog refuses to respond to anyone else, so he is given to the soldier’s brother. An unlikely but deep friendship develops between Justin (Josh Wiggins) and Max (Carlos), and their close bond allows them to survive the adventures contained in the film. The only negative I could possibly give is not about the movie, but about the promotion that it received. It was billed as the family film of the summer, and had it been about a wonderful dog who changed the lives of a troubled boy and his family, I would have completely agreed with that description. But…I’m not so sure that this film is appropriate for young family members. The sad parts are very sad, and Max faces death several times from both human and animal opponents. There are dog fights in this movie. There is gunfire, explosions, and attempted murder. I would hesitate to bring young children to this movie. Adults, and kids who are beyond the age of being frightened by loud noises and precarious situations will love this movie. I wish I could give it more than five stars, because it sure does deserve them. 5*

Magic Mike XXL– I was very disappointed in this film. Quite honestly, I was bored. Don’t get me wrong – the dancing was wonderful! There just wasn’t nearly enough of it. The film was basically a road trip with some dancing thrown in along the way, and I found the plot to be monotonous. Not to say that it wasn’t well written or that the acting was bad, because that wasn’t the case. It was just that, like most women, I didn’t go to see a well written plot. I went to see beautiful men, nearly naked and shaking their stuff. Now, there was one scene where Joe Manganiello dances in a convenience store on a bet, and that dance alone is more than worth the price of admission. I’m glad I saw XXL, because the men were gorgeous and the dancing was good, what there was of it. But it’s not a movie I ever need to see again. 4*

The Gallows – Don’t waste your time. Seriously. Twenty years after a student was killed during a high school play when a gallows prop malfunctioned the play is revived. I have no clue why. The ghost of the dead student starts killing people, but I was expecting more of a prom night kind of thing, with a fairly high body count. Instead, there were four students locked in the school overnight, so potential deaths were limited. The script was decent and the acting wasn’t bad, but the plot was more than predictable, and it was seriously missing the horror element that a horror movie kind of needs. Also, it was filmed entirely with a hand-held and cell phone cameras, which I personally found irritating. A waste of money. 1*

Ant-man – It’s a cute film, and it was a pleasant way to spend two hours. Paul Rudd turned in an excellent performance as Ant-man, and the other roles were also well cast. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly were wonderful, and Corey Stoll shone as Yellowjacket. I think people of most ages would enjoy this movie, and I do recommend it as a cute summer action film. 4*

Trainwreck – We laughed our way through this light, delightful romantic comedy. It was predictable, as those movies so often are, but we didn’t care. Not a movie for kids, but adults who enjoy a well-acted movie with some off color hilarity will probably love Trainwreck. 4*

Terminator Genisys – One of my favorite Terminator films, rating five stars because of Arnold’s stellar performance in the lead role. The action was intense, the plot fast-paced, and I have to say that I loved Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese. I’ve heard that the franchise was failing, but if so, Genisys is exactly what it needed. Humor, action, drama…this one has it all. A very strong 5*.

Self/less – Incredibly rich man is dying of cancer. Man pays the wealth of a small country to transfer his mind into a lab-grown body that will allow him to live on in health. Man discovers that things are not as they were explained to him, and it all goes haywire from there. A reasonably believable plot, good acting by Ryan Reynolds and Ben Kingsley as Damien, Matthew Goode as mad scientist Albright, and Victor Garber as Martin, Damien’s longtime business partner and friend. Personally, I would have ended it differently so that there could have been a sequel, but I think most people will like the way it turned out. Overall, a good film and we both like it. 4*

Ted 2 – Don’t go see this movie if you are easily offended by…well, pretty much anything. Otherwise, buy your ticket, get your popcorn, and settle back for two of the funniest hours you’ll see this year. Long story short, Ted has to prove his’s a person in the eyes of the law, and sets off on a quest to accomplish that. An absolute 5*. Times 350.  

Thank you so much for joining me today, and for taking the time to read my ramblings. I plan to be back on Wednesday with a look at my upcoming novel, Winter of the Drill. I hope you will stop by and take a look.    

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Contact Information

Twitter: @rhanidchae

                @rhanidchaebooks

Email: rhanidchae@gmail.com

Shadow of the Drill
http://t.co/AMzFy8uiSf