Island In The Sand, Book 2 ,Part VII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Book II Part VII No sooner had Jameson secured the hatch, then Star realized that she had not asked or advised Jordan about the exact timing under which the careful shock tactic they were planning would be implemented. With Ninety-One no longer able...
THE TWENTY-FOURTH NIGHT, SECOND PART, 30 Day Has September
I’d lost something indefinable, aside from my illegally promoted scout sergeant. I’d lost something like a loyal friend, but it was deeper than that. I moved through the jungle, low and almost on full automatic. How had the young black man eaten his way into my very...
Island In The Sand, Book 2, Part VI
ISLAND IN THE SAND Book 2 Part VI Star stood staring at the console. There was no question about what action she was going to take. That was dictated simply by the fact that the survival of the band had to be central to everything she did. Her mission was the...
THE CAT, Chapter V
The cat lay erect, able to give over a good portion of its living existence to sleep without ever having to slip into a languid defenseless slumber. His eyes filmed over, his translucent third eyelid drew across his eyes for protection, and to moisten them while still...
Island In The Sand, Book 2, Part V
ISLAND IN THE SAND Book 2 Part V Star stepped forward and exited the lift, feeling Jameson following right behind her. Upon clearing the open doors and making certain that there were no threats present, she turned to examine Ninety-One. The robot had not moved....
Island In The Sand, Book 2, Part IV
ISLAND IN THE SAND BOOK II PART IV The thunder of horse hooves tearing up the forest floor dominated everything, as hundreds of them penetrated the perimeter separating the trees and beds of pine needles from the dry flat grasslands just beyond. Star wasn’t...
THE CAT, Chapter IV
The cat reacted in shock, the unexpected recovery of the hominid, from what seemed like deep sleep, surprising him to the point of near shock. The cat froze in place, its own eyes staring into the dark, shiny and unblinking eyes of the human. The meatball was...
Island In The Sand,Book 2, Part III
ISLAND IN THE SAND Book 2 Part III Star Black stood in shock. Ninety-One’s voice but not Ninety-One, instead of some entity, another entity, that she had just been introduced to by no one at all. Star thought for a moment before commenting, knowing her comment was...
THE TWENTY-FOURTH NIGHT, 30 Days Has September
The third time, I thought. The third time in so few days that our company had been called in to be saved from an attacking enemy, but in every case having to save Kilo Company, while they were being sent to do the same for us. The helicopters had flown an unlikely...
THE CAT, Chapter III
The light faded from the valley, the sunlight descending the canyon wall beyond the river like a curtain slowly falling on life itself. But not to the cat. The night brought stealth and slow-moving life to a very busy but also very elusive forest during daylight...
Island In The Sand, Book 2 Part II
ISLAND IN THE SAND Book 2 Part II Star stepped forward and stared down into the canyon bottom far below. The distance was such that it would never occur to any human to wonder about what a fall into it might cause in the way of bodily damage. A fall would be a one-way...
THE CAT, Chapter II
The cat rested. He lay as he’d been before, not wanting to deal with the things that had been circling around in his head. He knew he was risking a small bit by returning to the bear ravaged den, and he hated the scent the grousing, rolling predator had left behind,...
Island In The Sand, Book 2, Part I
ISLAND IN THE SAND ~ Book II Part I Star loped through the forest, following behind her small charges, with Jameson to one side and Wren to the other. The band worked through the floor of lush pine forest like following vastly long strings of cooked pasta carefully...
THE CAT, Chapter I
THE CAT Prologue A very minor tendril of the lightning strike caught the running cat’s head on its left side. The thin super-heated tendril split the cat’s ear half way down and tossed its body down and to one side. The cat lay seemingly lifeless while the...
Island In The Sand, Part XXXIV
ISLAND IN THE SAND Chapter XXXIV Star stared at the three-dimensional image appearing atop the console and could not believe her eyes. All thoughts of aliens, Distants, artificial intelligence, and even the complex disappeared from her mind. She concentrated on the...
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY, SECOND PART, 30 Days Has September
The Ontos moved forward, with the Gunny swinging both armored back doors of the tracked vehicle closed behind him. I followed, slowly dropping back as the vehicle picked up speed, to stay clear of any back blast. I’d wanted to ask the Gunny if I could use a spare M-16...
Island In The Sand, Part XXXIII
ISLAND IN THE SAND PART XXXIII Star could only stare at Sly, wondering how the boy had changed so much since she’d last seen him in the forest not so long ago. His appearance had gone from unkempt to neatly clean, except for the soot and debris that covered...
Island In The Sand, Part XXXII
ISLAND IN THE SAND PART XXXII Ninety-One glided almost silently past Star’s right shoulder before she had any idea what the service robot might be doing. Her rifle was aimed, supporting Jameson’s rifle, at the same well-disguised crack which would likely open to...
ELEANOR…A Short Story
Eleanor, A Short Story No politics. No crime. Just a good story. Probably not believable. I call the story ‘Eleanor.’ One day three years ago I was at my office when a hundred dollar bill turned up in an unmarked envelope. My people at the Geneva Shore...
Best Friend, 1993
This is a good story. No politics. No crime. Just a good story. Probably not believable. I call the story “Best Friend.” It was around 1993 when my career with the CIA played out and I had nothing to do except lay around to see what kind of reward-labeled...
Island In The Sand, Part XXXI
ISLAND IN THE SAND PART XXXI The hatch to the tunnel closed slowly behind them. Star and Jameson stood side by side, rifles held out and down in front of their chests, ready to be brought into firing position if any threat appeared in front of them. But nothing...
TWENTY-FOURTH DAY, 30 Days Has September
First light was almost upon us. I peered around the left edge of the ammo box. What I saw told me that there would be no more pawing around through the supplies dropped by the choppers in the dead of night. Through the misty rain, and what was left of the gently...
Island In The Sand, Part XXX
ISLAND IN THE SAND PART XXX Star would have liked to do nothing but she couldn’t. The dwelling was seemingly impenetrable, except for the tiny openings created by the special weapon Sly and his band had been able to find and bring into action. That this was the second...
Island In The Sand, Part XXIX
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXIX Star slept like she’d never slept in her life, awakening knowing that the depth of her sleep and her feeling of renewal and near total recovery was different from any other ‘get through the darkness of night’ experience of her life. She...
Island In The Sand, Part XXVIII
ISLAND IN THE SAND PART XXVIII Star looked into first Wren’s and then Jameson’s eyes before saying anything. Her stares were returned with the same stupefying looks she knew she had to be sending to them with her own facial expression. “Why can you not…” Star...
THE TWENTY-THIRD NIGHT, 30 Days Has September
Nguyen was gone into the night with the 106 round. I hadn’t given any thought at all as to whether the ammo box was marked with a flechette designation for its contents or not. There was no way to tell by feel, and there was no way I was going to use the flashlight...
On the Road Again 2018, Hawaii Bound
Dateline: July 31, Heading to Hawaii I love to tear United Airlines apart. I’ve been enjoying myself with that diversion, when I travel, down through the years. I think United was ready for me on this trip, however. The plane was half an hour late getting off...
On the Road Again 2018, New Etiquette
Dateline July 31, 4:00 AM, Chicago I am at O’Hare with nothing to do. So, I’m watching the people, many of whom look like they were in that pod science fiction movie. No expression. Sitting outside a gate and just watching. I could write the lyrics to a...
On The Road Again 2018, O’Hare
Dateline: O’Hare Airport, 3:30 AM Not much traffic at O’Hare, what’s wrong? A guy walked up to the skycap just before me and then stopped, to let me go first. I demurred and thanked him. How nice to start the trip out that way. The skycap was totally...
Island In The Sand, Part XXVII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXVII The artificial intelligence built into the complex was different than the one built into the house, and then there was Ninety-One, an artificial intelligence (possibly greater than the other two), and it was independently and strangely...
TWENTY-THIRD DAY, 30 Days Has September
I scrambled, slid and crabbed my way through the low growing debris spread like small islands of living flora all over the mud flat I was trapped on. The NVA gunners had opened up high or were trying to take out the Ontos instead of shooting at a few scavengers trying...
Island In The Sand, Part XXVI
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXVI
Island In The Sand, Part XXV
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXV Star lunged backward, the muzzle blast from the rifle was so close in front of her it seemed to explode with yellow fire all around her. There were seats in the conveyance and she found one by striking, and then bowling backward over it....
THE TWENTY-SECOND NIGHT, THIRD PART, 30 Day Has September
I made it back to my cave under the rock wall of the cleft I was holed up in, the one I’d spent some time hoping to get back to. I laid in the darkness, shedding outer pieces of my wet rotting uniform, and wondering about the reality of the combat I was hopelessly...
Island In The Sand, Part XXIV
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXIV The fateful words were heard by every member of Star’s band, but none reacted as she did. “I’ve killed him,” she breathed out, leaning into the wall at her side for support. “He was a long way from perfect, but he didn’t deserve to die,”...
THE TWENTY-SECOND NIGHT, SECOND PART, 30 Days Has September
The vibrations from the low-flying Huey choppers beat the mud, the low jungle debris, and even the pebbled cliff face into a mixed frenzy of anticipation. That state was nothing compared to the feelings of anticipation I and all the Marines were feeling inside our...
Island In The Sand, Part XXIII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXIII Once again, the entire band, from Star, Wren, and Jameson, stopped to stand and stare at the walls of the house in silence. “Did that thing just say the conveyance could fly off the planet? Jameson asked. There was no answer to his...
Island In The Sand, Part XXII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXII Star Black walked the short distance back to the living room where her band was once more gathering.
TWENTY-SECOND NIGHT, 30 Days Has September
I stared at Jurgens, waiting for an apology I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear, and damned well knew I didn’t want to accept. The man was the epitome of a phrase I’d never used in my lifetime and had only heard about in occasional passing while I was in college. White...
Island In The Sand, Part XXI
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XXI The single heavy door opened all the way all on its own as if powered by some unseen force. There was no sound which surprised Star. How long since the doors to the house had been open, and if they hadn’t been opened for many many years...
Island In The Sand, Part XX
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XX The trek through the whispering pines took more than an hour. Star made sure that they stopped along the way, every few yards, in order to reconnoiter and approach the building with extreme care. She couldn’t stop thinking about the pack...
Island In The Sand, Part XIX
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XIX Star crouched down, her knees bent to allow her to move instantly in whatever direction might be required. She held the big rifle, a cartridge carefully inserted and locked in the chamber and the little safety lever pulled back to...
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY, THIRD PART, 30 Days Has September
The NVA soldiers moved back and forth in the tufted growth mud distance, like sidewinding snakes across a desert of nearly flat sand. The numbers, I instantly knew, although it was impossible to see individuals at distance even through the mildly magnified gun sight,...
Island In The Sand, Part XVIII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XVIII They ran after the Ninety-One robot, as it accelerated, taking the railroad track passages in bouncing leaps, correcting its’ treads for directional control upon each landing. They made no effort to control the noise of their flight,...
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY, SECOND PART, 30 Days Has September
My chest and face hit the mud at the same time, the impact so hard that water was pressed out of my uniform blouse and sprayed up into a fine mist around me. My helmet and liner landed a good five feet away, but I didn’t care, as I fought to take any air at all into...
Island In The Sand, Part XVII
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XVII They all agreed on two things about the newfound rifles. They were too loud and shooting them hurt the shoulder, and sometimes the hand, of the person shooting them. Some sort of ear plugs would help with the sound, but there was...
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY, 30 Days Has September
Corporal Mike Riorden was the Ontos Commander, although everyone called him Rio, like the city because his roots were from somewhere down in South America. The Ontos crew loved the Ontos, and I was almost certain their love had little to do with the machine’s armor or...
Island In The Sand, Part XVI
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XVI Sol and Tal emerged from the opening carrying what appeared to be long-barreled weapons. Each boy squeezed through the opening carrying one of the weapons vertically. The weapons were almost as long as the boys were...
THE TWENTY-FIRST NIGHT SECOND PART, 30 Days Has September
My body remembered each and every turn and drop, as I literally fell toward the fast-approaching bottom of Hill 975. I let the mashed mess of fern fronds, dead leaves, twigs and mud mix possess me like I was a well-massaged larva just popped out and plunging toward...
Island In The Sand, Part XV
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XV Star stopped what she was doing and stood still. After a few seconds, she began to get control of both her emotions and her breathing. It was ridiculous to get mad at machines, no matter how sentient they might seem. It was like getting...
Island In The Sand, Part XIV
ISLAND IN THE SAND Part XIV Star was leaning against the back door to the operations center, when it opened. Star fell backwards, but her flipping body never hit the floor, as many small hands caught her and brought her to a halt in mid-air. Star didn’t hesitate or...
The Hustle, The Escalator of Life
The Hustle, The Escalator, The Rush of Life. When you put the brakes on, by going on vacation somewhere far away, traveling abroad for a while, or simply holing up and pulling the cords out of the walls with respect to electronic equipment, you discover that life...
Island In The Sand, Part XIII
Island In The Sand Part XIII Star flipped in mid-air, brought her body around in a twist to land face down, her hands and knees ready to take the impact on the hard flooring. Her mind raced, but like a fast blinking strobe seemed to give her only brief shots of what...
Reflections From Hawaii, 2018, The Whales are Back
Dateline: Oahu, Hawaii April 16, 2018 The whales are back. For two nights the coastal waters grew silent, the songs and cries of the whales went to places where humans have no clue. The great unknown under the sea remains just that, for the most part. Look up...
Reflections From Hawaii, 2018, Bobby’s again
Dateline: Oahu, Hawaii April 15, 2018 Bobby’s Place The second box on the way back to the continental 48. What’s in the box? Well, nothing I have to indicate to the post office might be dangerous. But that’s it. I went to Bobby’s Market nearby....Subscribe to FROM THE WILDERNESS
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