11 January 2013

SFFS: A Snippet From "Hiding in the Shadows"

Welcome back after a long hiatus from the regular Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday installments on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I'm deep into working several different projects at once (because I'm a glutton for punishment). Hopefully this will keep my blog filled with snippets for the rest of the year. At the moment, I'm working up a submission for an anthology call. The title is still a bit up in the air, but for now, we'll keep the interim title, "Hiding in the Shadows" for this Aston tale. As always, things go from bad to worse for poor Aston. At this point, he's making one of his usual transactions that may or may not be completely legal:
I watched the ship’s mechanical arm lift out a cargo container, easing it down into the soft sand. The claw remained attached as I’d instructed. Though these three professed no love for the black market beauty Angelika, I didn’t plan on getting screwed over in this deal.

One of the other men scrambled over, popping open the latches atop the rectangular container. He climbed up the frame, lifted the lid and peeked inside, before giving a nod of confirmation to his leader.

The team leader tossed the money box toward me. I snatched it mid-air and examined it closer. My stomach churned and I stared daggers at him.

“There’s only six thousand here.”

This is why it's always important to get your money upfront and in full. Hope you enjoyed the snippet, and can't wait to bring you more in the coming weeks from this and other projects.

23 comments:

  1. Those crooks! My snippet in over on my website as usual. I have to stop forgetting to add my name to the list.

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  2. "I didn’t plan on getting screwed over in this deal."

    None of us ever do...but it happens to the best of us. I like Aston's style of handling things, though.

    :) Heidi

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  3. O-o! Me thinks there's going to be trouble.

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  4. I'm glad that Aston is prepared to deal with getting out of getting screwed, because it certainly looks like n issue he's going to have to deal with. The stomach churning detail was perfect.

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  5. Heidi, it seems to happen to Aston a lot more than the rest of us. :-P

    Cary, I think so too...but not sure if it will come from these three or not. Be wary of misdirection. ;-)

    J.M., Aston tends to have to deal with it often, so hopefully he has the experience to get through it. :-D

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  6. Planning is one thing, but in real life?

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  7. In real life, it wouldn't be much of a story if there wasn't a little conflict along the way (i.e., getting screwed over somehow). ;-)

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  8. “There’s only six thousand here.”

    Uh oh. Sounds like trouble.

    But that seems the norm for Aston.

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  9. He does seem to get in a little more than his fair share. ;-)

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  10. Nicely set up - I reckon it's going to hit the fan!

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  11. Sounds like something bad is about to happen. I'm intrigued :)

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  12. Folks who've read my other works can almost guarantee both (it's going to hit the fan, and something bad is about to happen). ;-)

    Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

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  13. Aston sure gets screwed on a lot of deals. Poor guy.

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  14. And doesn't when he really would prefer to...hehe. ;-)

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  15. Oh dear...Aston is in trouble once again. I wonder what this time?? :P

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  16. Funny how they like to change the deal once they get the merchandise.

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  17. Well, they had what they figured was a good-enough reason...they always do. ;-)

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  18. Oh, dear, I sense a double cross.

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  19. Six thousand? P'ah, mere pennies! :P

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  20. All depends on the point of reference...six thousand credits doesn't go all that far when you're traveling all over the galaxy. ;-)

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  21. Six thousand sounds enough to me...

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