Fractal

AN EXCERPT

​The ship gave a violent lurch. Anna lost her footing and stumbled forward. Varick steadied her, one hand wrapped around her shoulder, while the other rested on her waist. His hands tingled from the light contact.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know, Your Majesty.” He studied the galaxies overhead; nothing but stars and space above him. Adrenaline sped through his veins.
The ship gave another shudder, and then reversed direction around the blue star.
“What is Fayn doing?” Varick took her by the hand and dragged her to the lifts. He tapped the control panel. “Fayn, what is going on?”
“A Netrite attack cruiser is coming at us, or have you been too busy to notice?” Fayn growled.
“What? This isn’t even their part of the galaxy.”
“Tell that to them,” Fayn said before the ship pitched to the side again.
Sirens sounded. “It’s not safe up here. I have to get you to your quarters.” He hauled her into the lift.
“What’s going on? What’s a Netrite?”
“An enemy. A civilization of pirates. They attack vessels in hopes of selling whatever they can take, including passengers and crew.”
Her jaw dropped. Varick didn’t want to frighten her, but he couldn’t lie to her either. When the lift stopped, he motioned her toward her quarters. As soon as she stepped on the platform, the ship rolled, and she fell forward to clutch at the railing that separated her from the hollow center of the ship. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Where are Hannah and Brendan?” Anna asked once they were inside her empty room. “Can you have them brought here?”
He touched the nearest control panel and ordered their guards to bring them to her room. “They’re at the training center, which is closer to the bridge. It will take a few minutes before the guards can get them up here.”
She paced, but when the ship trembled, she sat down at her dining table. “Can our ship fight these Netrites?”
“Captain Fayn and his crew will do their best to fight them or out run them. It depends on how old their ship is, and if it’s well-armed.”
“What will happen if we lose?”
Varick paused. He blinked once, slowly. He shook his head. “You don’t want me to answer that, Your Majesty. If I need to take you in an escape pod and leave the ship, that is what I’ll do. I cannot let you fall into their hands.”
The ship spun. Varick almost lost his balance. He grabbed for the table and pounded on the control panel. Fayn didn’t even acknowledge him; he just continued shouting orders to his crew. Varick listened as the tactical officer called out the dropping power supply, the damage to the ship with each new strike from the attack cruiser. His heart pounded in his ears as panic set in.
“I don’t know what they’re saying. What’s going on?”
He met her gaze and whispered. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. We need to leave the ship.”
Varick closed the communication with the bridge and called Hannah and Brendan’s guards. He ordered them to take their charges and proceed to the escape pods.
“Where are Brendan and Hannah going to go? We can’t leave without them.”
“Our escape pods can only hold two people. They have to be small enough to evade the opposing ship’s sensors. Their guards will evacuate them.” He took her hand and headed to the materializer. Ordering two survival kits, he scooped them up under one arm.
“Where will we go?”
“The pods are programmed to look for the closest planet that can sustain life. We’ll see them there.”
He escorted her from the room. She dragged her feet, looking down the hall for Hannah and Brendan. Veering away from the lifts, he placed his hand on the wall at the very end of the corridor, and it disappeared. Hidden in the small room was the Vadana’s escape pod.
Similar to the ship that carried Anna to Earth so many years before, it was an oval sitting on two thin legs. This ship, however, had no seats. Two people could stand in it, but that was all. He helped Anna step into it, and then he got in beside her and switched on the navigation systems. A sickening explosion emanated from somewhere below them in the middle of the ship.
“Oh, God.” She clasped her hands over her heart.
Varick said nothing. With all of the systems online, he opened the door that separated them from space. The escape pod lifted, and they floated in midair for a moment, before he guided the vessel out of the ship.
The Netrite cruiser hovered below him, level with the bridge, firing a volley of fusion torpedoes straight up the hull. Varick slammed on the accelerator, and the escape pod vaulted forward. Within seconds, they were clear of the battling ships and halfway around the blue star. He steered the ship along the navigational path marked out by the computer toward a life-sustaining planet on the other side of the solar system.
The escape pod was cramped and cold. She shivered beside him. The second planet they passed boasted a small wasteland of craters and steel gray desert. He pointed to a massive blue and green planet ahead. “That’s where we’re headed. A planet called Valtros.”
She glanced at him, her eyes glassy.
Varick searched for a safe place to land that would have a nearby water supply and the potential for food, but he was approaching the planet too fast. He entered the planet’s atmosphere and the ship’s hull began to fade.
“What’s happening to the ship? Is it breaking apart?”
He wrapped one arm around her and drew her head into his shoulder, as he steered with his other hand.
“We’re fine. Just don’t look. Everything will be fine, don’t watch.” He shouted to her as the atmosphere shrieked around them.
The force of gravity hit them with a bone-jarring impact. Anna threw one arm around Varick’s chest and clung to him.
He glanced down at her as he returned his hand to the controls. He longed to comfort her, but he was trying desperately not to kill them both. The ship was traveling far too fast to land safely. He skipped over the coastal shoreline he had been aiming for, and focused every drop of energy he had on decelerating the escape pod and lowering the altitude by degrees.
They reached the center of a land mass. He tried to bring the ship down in a verdant forest below, but had to increase his altitude to avoid a chain of mountains snaking across the land. He passed over the tip of the mountain ridge, just barely.
On the other side, he made a slow descent. The craft quaked and shuddered, as they flew over a red clay desert. The computer found a river not far ahead, and he steered them toward a rocky outcropping beside it.
As soon as he touched down with a soft thump, he rested against the back of the escape pod and took a deep breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead and rolled down his temples. Anna, still clutching the front of his armor, raised her head. She gaped at the desert before them, and the river that sparkled from the two suns shining overhead.
“Oh, my God, we’re alive. We’re alive.” She hugged him. “For a few minutes, I thought we were going to die.”

---

Love or Justice

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AN EXCERPT
Laurie

Laurie was tied. Bound. Gagged. A gun pressed into her temple. She flinched and tried to move away, but it followed her.

“You are nothing to me. Nothing,” the male voice said. “If you try to run, I’ll just put a bullet in your brain. That’s it. So don’t ever try.”

The pistol withdrew for a moment and then came crashing down onto the backside of her shoulder. She cried out, but it sounded garbled. The pistol came after her again across her back. She let out a muffled whimper. The sound of the pistol hitting her bones pounded in her head. There was another whack and another, until Laurie doubled over, writhing in pain. Then she felt herself falling, the sounds of the pistol rapping against her body kept tempo as she fell down, down to the earth.

Laurie shot up in bed. She gasped for air, shuddering. Then the pounding in her dream started again. This time, it emanated from her door. Laurie looked over at the glowing clock. It was 1 am.

“Laurie Shelton! Laurie Shelton, this is the United States Marshals Service. Open up,” insisted the door.

Laurie’s brows arched. The pounding at the door resumed. She got up, pulling on her tattered bathrobe, cursing the bastard that waved his gun in her face. She hadn’t had nightmares in years.

The pounding persisted.

“Okay, I’m awake! I’m awake!” Laurie looked through the peephole.

There was a man standing there, a head taller than her. Her eyes slid over his wavy dark hair, down to his firm angular jaw line and high cheekbones. He had a heavy build, with muscles curving out from under his black t-shirt. His skin was like smooth caramel, warmed in the Hawaiian sun. He was wearing a heavy black vest, with the U.S. Marshals Service logo emblazoned in embroidery over his left shoulder. His badge hung from his neck on a chain. She could only see him from the waste up, but Laurie sucked in her breath.

“Ms. Shelton?” Concern flickered in his brown eyes before he knocked again. Laurie shook herself out of her daze, and flung open the door.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to come so late. I was asleep.” Laurie realized how stupid that sounded and blushed. Of course she was asleep at this time of night.

The Marshal looked her over for a minute, thoughtfully. His eyes took in her robe, her disheveled hair, all the way down to her bare feet.

Laurie crossed her arms over her chest. Her cheeks flamed under his scrutiny, and his eyes snapped back to her face.

“I’m sorry to arrive so late, ma’am. I’m Dante Stark from the U.S. Marshals Service.” Dante extended his hand to her.

Laurie shook it, giving him a weak smile.

She could tell he wasn’t from the islands. He sounded like the tourists from the eastern part of the continent, like New York or Philadelphia.

“You can call me Laurie. Please come in. I’ll try to gather all my things.” She opened the door wider and stepped back into her room.

Dante moved into the room, filling the tiny, cramped space with his lean, long figure. He surveyed the place in a glance. There was a desk, chair, bookcase, and a bed. That was it. His eyes landed on the closed bathroom door.

“Do you mind if I make sure no one else is here?” He nodded at the bathroom door.

“Well, no one else should be here.”

“It’s protocol. I need to make sure no one else is here.”

Laurie shrugged in answer. She was already too tired for this adventure. She moved to the foot of the bed to pick up the clothes she planned on wearing.
Dante drew his gun, reaching for the doorknob. With a swift motion, he entered the bathroom. He moved the shower curtain and checked out the window.

Laurie sat down on her bed, watching him.

Dante moved over to the closet opposite the bathroom. He moved aside clothes, inspecting the panels in the ceiling. He turned around from her closet and faced her.

“Excuse me, ma’am, can you get up from the bed? I have to check under it.”
“Laurie,” she reminded him, as she rose and stepped away.

Dante didn’t answer. He got down on his knees, looking under the bed. He removed a small flashlight from his vest, and flashed it into the shadowy corners.

Laurie felt small beside him and took a step back while he holstered his gun. He was a solid wall of male strength. He stood a foot away, but she felt the heat radiating off him. He flashed her a smile and her pulse leapt.

“All clear. I’ll wait while you change, but we need to move.”

Laurie nodded, and walked into the bathroom to change into her clothes. When she opened the door, Dante was bending over her desk looking at the class schedule she had posted on her corkboard. His eyes lifted to hers.

“You’re a student?”

“Law school. This is my last year.”

Dante took a seat on the only chair in the room. Laurie lifted her duffle bag onto the foot of her bed, and began picking her way through the nearest stack of books. She decided to take all of her Austen books—those she could read every day. She tossed aside most of her psychology books. Then she tucked her tattered copy of Utilitarianism by John Stewart Mill into her bag. She sorted through the most helpful books from her contract law class. She glanced at Dante. He was watching her, but his gaze darted away.

“Do you always pick up your witnesses at 1:00 a.m.?”

“No. You’re a special case. Are you planning to take all of those?”

“As many as I can fit. It’s just hard trying to decide between what I know I should take and what I want. Why am I special?”

Dante met her gaze as she sent him a sidelong glance. Something in the air crackled between them. Laurie looked away.

“Well, the case is special. The man you had a run-in with is Kaimi Quamboa, after all.”

“Exactly what did he do to warrant the DA’s personal and immediate attention?”

“He’s an organized crime boss on the islands. The DA’s been after him for years—ever since he took office. You saw him with a woman and child? You saw him with both of them?”

Now he had Laurie’s attention. Perhaps she could finally get some answers. She turned toward Dante as she tossed another book in her bag.

“Yes. Who were they?”

“The woman is Katherine James, and her son is Easton. Her husband is a federal prosecutor, Evan James. Evan put Kaimi’s brother on death row in California. He had him extradited and tried. Kaimi took it personally. He’s ransoming Katherine and Easton for his brother’s release.”

Laurie dropped the book in her hands as she turned to stare at Dante. Dante nodded.

Laurie shook her head, picking up the fallen book from the floor.

“God, to attack a federal prosecutor’s family. The gall. The FBI would never negotiate with a kidnapper, would they?”
​
Dante shook his head. Laurie saw his jaw muscles tightened, his features solemn.

“The federal government won’t negotiate. More often than not, complying with a kidnapper’s demands leads to the victim being killed anyway.”

“If the government knows he’s behind the kidnapping, why do they need me?”

“Evidence. They have no other evidence. The demands come through voice-disguised calls from burner cell phones. Kaimi has eluded capture for decades for a reason. He’s good—too good. You’re the only person who’s seen him with his victims. You’re the only person who can connect him directly him to the kidnappings. If he does kill Katherine and Easton, you’re the only person who can tie him to their murder.”

A chill went down Laurie’s spine. The image of Kaimi’s gun swinging over to hover in front of Katherine James swam in front of her eyes. The look the little boy, Easton, gave her flashed in her mind. Laurie shook her head to clear the visions.

“He said he would kill her if I told anyone…they may already be dead.” Her voice became thick with emotion.

Her hands were shaking now as she placed two books into the duffle bag. Dante reached over and covered one of her hands with his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, the warmth of his touch seeping into her skin.

“You don’t need to worry about that now. We need to worry about getting you out of here. Are you ready?”

“Almost.” Laurie gave him a grateful smile.

He nodded, and took back his hand.

Its absence left her skin tingling. For one brief moment, Laurie lost herself in his mocha colored eyes. She glanced away, and the world came rushing back. Laurie stared at her bed, trying to remember exactly what she was supposed to be doing right now. It took her a few moments to remember she needed to pack.

Laurie agonized over her books until Dante cleared his throat. She chose the most interesting books from her two classes this semester and tossed them in on top. Then she pulled open her desk drawer and took out several photos. Her mother, father, and a five-year-old version of herself smiled back at her. She tucked them into one of the books. She turned in a circle surveying her room.

“I think that’s it.”

Dante rose, but said nothing. He stood frozen. There was a soft scraping noise, and a muffled thump. Laurie dismissed the barely audible noise as she sorted through her books again. Dante grabbed her arm.

“Hey—” Laurie looked up at him as he covered her mouth with his hand.

He held her firmly, but Laurie felt no danger from him. More muffled sounds came from the bathroom. The window popped open, and Laurie jumped.

“Get in the closet, close the door, and don’t move until I tell you to,” Dante breathed the words in her ear.

He reached down to take out his gun.

Laurie’s heart pounded as she went into the closet and closed the door, except for a tiny sliver of a crack.

Dante moved so he was behind the bathroom door.

Laurie’s breathing became erratic. She felt around in her closet for something. She needed some weapon, just in case. Her hand brushed against her shoes, work boots, laundry detergent, and then she felt the base of the heavy, broken ceramic lamp she forgot to take down to the resort electrician. It would have to do.

She went back to the crack in the door. Dante hadn’t moved. He seemed to be a statue that had always stood behind her bathroom door. The wiry frame of a man appeared in Laurie’s bathroom, swathed in black pants and a long sleeve black shirt. His hair was covered by a black bandana, but Laurie saw his rich bronze skin.

He climbed down from the window with the help of the sink. The assailant looked out the open bathroom door and Laurie covered her mouth to keep from letting out a cry of alarm or throwing up. She kept breathing as her stomach churned in fear. The man stood there, staring at the closet door as if he knew she was in there.

A boot appeared through the open window. It fumbled to reach down to the sink. The other leg followed, almost slipping on the porcelain surface. The second man appeared as he climbed down. He was stockier, meatier, but dressed the same as the first. Laurie saw a flash of steel as the first man drew his gun from his waistband.

He strode into the bedroom. The first man turned toward Laurie’s empty bed. The second man was right behind him.

“Where is she?” the second man asked.

Dante leapt onto the second man. He wrapped one arm around the stocky frame, and pressed a knife to the man’s neck. Dante pointed his gun at the thinner man.

“U.S. Marshals Service!” Dante shouted. “Drop your weapon!”

The first man raised his gun toward his partner and Dante.

“Where’s the girl?”

***
​You can order the ebook or the print version on Amazon!