Welcome to a month of excerpts shared for your reading pleasure. The Roses of Prose would like to present to you the most exciting, the most romantic, the most of what we write. I hope you will return daily for new exciting posts and will find new stories you will want to know more about.
The excerpt I am sharing is from Trial on Tour, the second installment of the ShadowsForge series. The set up for the scene is Diane Starling, the new wardrobe lady currently attired in a sun dress, is on the deserted roof of a hotel when she meets Geoff Richards, lead singer for the band. Someone has been making attempts to kill the members of the band. Geoff has shoved a chair under the door latch to be sure his body guard can't follow him. The lock-down the band has been under finally got to him and he needed to get out. He didn't expect to find Diane on the roof.
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| Geoff Richards |
Geoff stopped, barking her name in a commanding tone that made her stop several yards ahead of him. “DIANE. If you call me Mr. Richards again, I’ll paddle your ass.”
Diane spun to glare at him, eyes wide. “You’ll do what?” she demanded.
Geoff's lips curled into his media smile. “I said I’d paddle your ass.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” she challenged, not even attempting to hide the amusement that the thought brought to mind. She smiled at him before adding, “Mr. Richards.”
As his smile faded, his eyes narrowed with a mischievous glint. Diane turned to run, hoping to get around the corner and through the door before he caught her. She could hear his pounding footfalls closing behind her as she reached the corner. She didn’t look back, instead locking her eyes on the chair jammed under the door handle.
“Oh, no.” Diane yelled, laughing. She skidded to a stop, grabbing the chair, tugging to dislodge it. She glanced up in time to see Geoff rounding the corner twenty feet away, the greatest pleasure showing on his face as he bore down on her. She was struck with the giggles as she tugged at the stubborn chair. Before she could successfully break it free, Geoff caught her around the waist, lifting her effortlessly off the ground, taking her along with him as he slid to a stop.
Diane spun to glare at him, eyes wide. “You’ll do what?” she demanded.
Geoff's lips curled into his media smile. “I said I’d paddle your ass.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” she challenged, not even attempting to hide the amusement that the thought brought to mind. She smiled at him before adding, “Mr. Richards.”
As his smile faded, his eyes narrowed with a mischievous glint. Diane turned to run, hoping to get around the corner and through the door before he caught her. She could hear his pounding footfalls closing behind her as she reached the corner. She didn’t look back, instead locking her eyes on the chair jammed under the door handle.
“Oh, no.” Diane yelled, laughing. She skidded to a stop, grabbing the chair, tugging to dislodge it. She glanced up in time to see Geoff rounding the corner twenty feet away, the greatest pleasure showing on his face as he bore down on her. She was struck with the giggles as she tugged at the stubborn chair. Before she could successfully break it free, Geoff caught her around the waist, lifting her effortlessly off the ground, taking her along with him as he slid to a stop.
 | |
| Diane Starling |
He swung her up into his arms, planning to carry her to a chair to administer her punishment. Three gunshots sounded from the far side of the door. Three holes appeared in the door, one slug pinging off of the chair in a cloud of rust as Geoff jerked Diane beside him, throwing their backs against the wall.
“What the hell?” Geoff hissed, pulling Diane close to his side. He stayed between her and the door, inching toward it with the intention of making sure that the chair was secure.
“What are we going to do?” Diane whispered, hearing the trembling note in her voice. She tried to force her fear down as she clung to Geoff’s arm.
“I’m going to make sure who ever is in there can’t get out here. Is there anywhere we can go, another way in or down?” Geoff moved with caution toward the door, Diane matching his every step.
“A fire escape on the far end but it’s well rusted.”
“That’ll have to do.” Geoff lowered his voice as they stood beside the door. He whispered into her ear. “I'll jam the chair under the door, you run for the fire escape.”
Diane nodded, biting her lower lip.
The door burst open, Geoff and Diane behind it. As the door swung at him, Geoff pulled his knee up to chest level and kicked as hard as he could. He repelled the door, slamming it closed again as he scrambled for the chair.
“GO, NOW.” Geoff grabbed the chair, shoving it as hard as he could into place. Diane ran. Once he was sure it would hold, he followed her. As he turned the corner, he remembered the window. “Diane!” he shouted, “the window.”
Diane skidded to a halt. The pane of glass shattered outward with several more shots, not three feet in front of her. She screamed, dropping to her knees, covering her head. Geoff caught up with her, pulling her to her feet. He took her hand, leading her to halfway between the window and the end of the building. He looked around, frantic for a place to go.
“You’d think someone would hear all of this,” he commented, pulling Diane against the wall so he could think. He looked at Diane before looking up at the small overhang above them. Not too high. “Come here.”
Geoff pulled her away from the wall. He turned her back to his chest, took her by the waist, and with little effort, he lifted her up to sit on his shoulder. He wove his fingers together as she reached out for the roof. He placed his hands under her foot. She pulled herself up as he raised her easily to the top of the building. She leaned over, looking down at him.
“What about you?” Fear caused her face to pale, making her dark eyes appear darker.
“Be right with you. Move.” He jumped up to grasp the edge. Climbing the wall with his feet, he struggled, finally pushing himself up over the top. They moved as quietly as possible toward the far end. “If we can get to the end, the elevator will cover any sounds we make getting back down – I hope.” He wrapped his hand around Diane’s upper arm to guide her along the cracked tiles.
They moved over half way to the end when a bullet fired through behind Geoff. It was quickly followed by several more shots.
“RUN.” Geoff pushed Diane ahead of him as they sprinted toward the edge of the building. Each time Geoff moved his foot, a hole would appear where he had been. The adrenaline rush was dizzying.
Diane skidded to a stop at the edge, panic in her face as she turned to Geoff. Only he didn’t stop. He leapt to the roof below, rolled and got to his feet in what seemed to be one smooth choreographed move. He turned back to her, reaching up.
“JUMP.”
Without hesitation, Diane leapt toward him, praying he would catch her. He set her quickly on her feet and taking her hand, pulled her at a furious pace toward the fire escape. Geoff leaned over the edge, evaluating the safety of the rusted ladder that stretched up to him from the alley ten floors below. Given the choice of standing unarmed against a madman with a gun or chancing the ladder, he climbed over the edge. Once he was sure it would hold them, he motioned for Diane to follow.
“He’ll have to go through the door or a window before he can get out here to us. If we’re quick, we can be down before then.”
They moved with care down the ladder, watching for any sign of the gunman above them. If the guy chose to pick them off, they had no place to go. That thought spurred them to move as quickly as possible. A shot might miss but the fall from here would mean certain death.
“Geoff, who’s shooting at us?” Diane finally took the opportunity to ask.
“We have this fan,” Geoff began, careful to test each rung before trusting his full weight on it. “He’s unhappy with the band.”
“I can see that.” Diane tried to keep her mind off of the nine-story drop below.
“One of us had a piece of his woman so he wants us all dead.”
“What a nice guy. Which one of you did she sleep with?”
“Don’t know.”
“Oh, come on. Was it you?”
“Could have been. Do you really want to talk about this right now?” Geoff felt the tension building.
“Yes. I want to talk about anything that will take my mind off of where we are.”
“Okay. Nice panties you’re wearing. Silk, satin or spandex?”
“Oh, that’s really cute, Mr. Richards.” The color rose in her face.
“I owe you for that one and the last one, Babe. Be sure I’ll collect.”
“It’s a date. If you get me down from here, anything you want, it’s yours.”
“You’ve got it. I’m stopping here. Don’t step on my fingers.”
“Why are you stopping?” Diane felt fear rising again, replacing the embarrassment.
“Stay there,” Geoff commanded.
Diane moved to one side of the ladder so she could brave taking a look down. As she did, Geoff moved to the opposite side. He reached out to a window, trying to slide it open. It wouldn’t budge.
“Hold on tight. This might shake the ladder,” he told her.
Moving to the side, he swung out, forcing one booted foot through the glass. The shattering sound made Diane jump and she nearly lost her hold on the rusted metal.
“What the hell?” Geoff hissed, pulling Diane close to his side. He stayed between her and the door, inching toward it with the intention of making sure that the chair was secure.
“What are we going to do?” Diane whispered, hearing the trembling note in her voice. She tried to force her fear down as she clung to Geoff’s arm.
“I’m going to make sure who ever is in there can’t get out here. Is there anywhere we can go, another way in or down?” Geoff moved with caution toward the door, Diane matching his every step.
“A fire escape on the far end but it’s well rusted.”
“That’ll have to do.” Geoff lowered his voice as they stood beside the door. He whispered into her ear. “I'll jam the chair under the door, you run for the fire escape.”
Diane nodded, biting her lower lip.
The door burst open, Geoff and Diane behind it. As the door swung at him, Geoff pulled his knee up to chest level and kicked as hard as he could. He repelled the door, slamming it closed again as he scrambled for the chair.
“GO, NOW.” Geoff grabbed the chair, shoving it as hard as he could into place. Diane ran. Once he was sure it would hold, he followed her. As he turned the corner, he remembered the window. “Diane!” he shouted, “the window.”
Diane skidded to a halt. The pane of glass shattered outward with several more shots, not three feet in front of her. She screamed, dropping to her knees, covering her head. Geoff caught up with her, pulling her to her feet. He took her hand, leading her to halfway between the window and the end of the building. He looked around, frantic for a place to go.
“You’d think someone would hear all of this,” he commented, pulling Diane against the wall so he could think. He looked at Diane before looking up at the small overhang above them. Not too high. “Come here.”
Geoff pulled her away from the wall. He turned her back to his chest, took her by the waist, and with little effort, he lifted her up to sit on his shoulder. He wove his fingers together as she reached out for the roof. He placed his hands under her foot. She pulled herself up as he raised her easily to the top of the building. She leaned over, looking down at him.
“What about you?” Fear caused her face to pale, making her dark eyes appear darker.
“Be right with you. Move.” He jumped up to grasp the edge. Climbing the wall with his feet, he struggled, finally pushing himself up over the top. They moved as quietly as possible toward the far end. “If we can get to the end, the elevator will cover any sounds we make getting back down – I hope.” He wrapped his hand around Diane’s upper arm to guide her along the cracked tiles.
They moved over half way to the end when a bullet fired through behind Geoff. It was quickly followed by several more shots.
“RUN.” Geoff pushed Diane ahead of him as they sprinted toward the edge of the building. Each time Geoff moved his foot, a hole would appear where he had been. The adrenaline rush was dizzying.
Diane skidded to a stop at the edge, panic in her face as she turned to Geoff. Only he didn’t stop. He leapt to the roof below, rolled and got to his feet in what seemed to be one smooth choreographed move. He turned back to her, reaching up.
“JUMP.”
Without hesitation, Diane leapt toward him, praying he would catch her. He set her quickly on her feet and taking her hand, pulled her at a furious pace toward the fire escape. Geoff leaned over the edge, evaluating the safety of the rusted ladder that stretched up to him from the alley ten floors below. Given the choice of standing unarmed against a madman with a gun or chancing the ladder, he climbed over the edge. Once he was sure it would hold them, he motioned for Diane to follow.
“He’ll have to go through the door or a window before he can get out here to us. If we’re quick, we can be down before then.”
They moved with care down the ladder, watching for any sign of the gunman above them. If the guy chose to pick them off, they had no place to go. That thought spurred them to move as quickly as possible. A shot might miss but the fall from here would mean certain death.
“Geoff, who’s shooting at us?” Diane finally took the opportunity to ask.
“We have this fan,” Geoff began, careful to test each rung before trusting his full weight on it. “He’s unhappy with the band.”
“I can see that.” Diane tried to keep her mind off of the nine-story drop below.
“One of us had a piece of his woman so he wants us all dead.”
“What a nice guy. Which one of you did she sleep with?”
“Don’t know.”
“Oh, come on. Was it you?”
“Could have been. Do you really want to talk about this right now?” Geoff felt the tension building.
“Yes. I want to talk about anything that will take my mind off of where we are.”
“Okay. Nice panties you’re wearing. Silk, satin or spandex?”
“Oh, that’s really cute, Mr. Richards.” The color rose in her face.
“I owe you for that one and the last one, Babe. Be sure I’ll collect.”
“It’s a date. If you get me down from here, anything you want, it’s yours.”
“You’ve got it. I’m stopping here. Don’t step on my fingers.”
“Why are you stopping?” Diane felt fear rising again, replacing the embarrassment.
“Stay there,” Geoff commanded.
Diane moved to one side of the ladder so she could brave taking a look down. As she did, Geoff moved to the opposite side. He reached out to a window, trying to slide it open. It wouldn’t budge.
“Hold on tight. This might shake the ladder,” he told her.
Moving to the side, he swung out, forcing one booted foot through the glass. The shattering sound made Diane jump and she nearly lost her hold on the rusted metal.
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If you want to read a bit more of Trials on Tour, visit my WEBSITE.
I hope you've enjoyed this small piece. If you want to read the entire novel or the series, it is available at Whiskey Creek Press. The first three books in the series, Three Times a Hero, Trials on Tour, and Retaking America, are available in one Megabook available HERE. If you miss the 80s or missed the 80s, hop on board the tour bus and travel with ShadowsForge. You'll have the time of your life.
Cheers!
Jena
6 comments:
Great descriptions. Took my breath away.
Lots of great action in that scene, Jena!
Nice excerpt, Jena - love the way you start off with fun - and segue into a really tense, scary part!
Loved it! Simply loved it. Great description that got my heart racing. Well done.
Enjoyed it! Thanks!
Thank you all. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it.
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