Sunday Snippet: Next Year, Same Time

Hi!

I hope everyone who celebrates the 4^th had a safe and happy one filled with lots of fireworks!

Some great TV even with the holiday week. Defiance keeps getting better… and darker, which I love bunches. Dominion also keeps me coming back. I'm not quite sure I have everything down but I like to be kept guessing. Forgot to mention The Last Ship… loving it. I have a thing for shows with ships and combine it with a mutated virus, I'm totally there.

Tonight's post is from, Next Year, Same Time, a novella with a little suspense to start things off.

Here's the tagline:

Lita Vonn is a book store owner who gets caught up in a bank robbery and makes a connection with the negotiator, Saber Reyes. Saber questions her desire to get together and offers an alternative suggestion—next year, same time, they'll meet at the coffee shop across the street.

And a snippety preview…

Lita kept drumming out words, hoping like hell the negotiator had figured out her tactic.

Barnaby swung around, glaring in her direction. "You're making too much goddamned noise. Stop it."

Lita snapped at him. "You're holding a fucking gun on me and you're strapped with explosives. Excuse me if I'm a little freaked out and shaky right now." She paused, mid-sentence.

The guy responded. "Are you trying to be a smart ass?" He waved the sidearm back and forth.

Lita quieted her tone. "No, I'm stating a simple fact. You're gonna have to cut me some slack here."

He tilted his head, studying her for a few moments. "Yeah, okay, but watch that smart mouth. I'm in charge here."

Lita breathed a sigh of relief.

Saber quietly asked, "Everything okay in there?"

Lita answered. "Yes, it's fine. We're all still okay." She quickly tapped out a new message. He's pacing back and forth, getting impatient.

Saber replied. "I understand. We're working to get everything in place."

Something in his tone gave Lita confidence he'd been following her covert dialog.

Chuck snapped out a question. "What's taking so long? I want that document."

Saber spoke, calm and rational. "The ETA is approximately fifteen minutes." He paused, then continued. "Lita, can you have everyone ready?"

A quick burst of what sounded like static echoed over the line, but Lita got the coded message.

Barnaby squawked. "Ready for what? Nobody goes anywhere until I have what I want."

Saber agreed. "Yes, we're aware. I'd like Lita to prepare everyone for when the exchange takes place. Is that okay?"

Chuck gave a jerky nod, going back to silent mode.

Lita relayed his non-verbal response. "Mr. Barnaby is in agreement." A little more quietly, she added. "I'll have everyone ready."

Saber replied. "Thank you. Fourteen minutes, Lita. Hang in there. Keep me posted, all right?"

She fought the urge to smile. "Okay." Her fingers went back to work, pinpointing Barnaby's location along the outside wall.

So far, I'm having loads of fun writing this one. And I know I say that a lot. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin