Sunday Snippet: Think Twice

Well … my youngest is pretty much officially a graduated senior. She got to walk outside—the weather cooperated—and received her diploma in a socially careful ceremony. The entire thing will be shown next week on the scheduled night of commencement. I'm scared and excited for her future. Times are weird, what else can I say?

Semi-decent week of television viewing. Still haven't finished up the third episode of Picard but hope to get to it this week.

Caught an episode of Gargoyles and remembered this one. I like it when they dive into the mythology of the show.

Watched four episodes of Danger Man. I'm enjoying the longer format of the second season. I also really like the black and white episodes. I think the show moves to color in the next season.

Caught another episode of The Witcher. I love this show! The fluid timeline can be a little confusing but I'm staying pretty clear on what's going on. Based on what I've read, by the end of the season, the timelines converge. Here's hoping that's actually the case.

Finally watched the season finale of Murdoch Mysteries. I'll honestly say I'm pleasantly surprised by the way everything unfolded. Not sure I'm keen on Violet getting a second chance but I'll see how things go. I do believe the moral quandary of not always being able to go by the book comes through in a terrific way. It's also quite nice to see William understand things can't always be firmly put into one column or the other. I so love this show!

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers but didn't get very far before I had to pause. I'll try to finish it up this week.

Also in the middle of a Strike Back episode. Quite happy with how they've moved the timeline forward but we still get to see what happened to Mac play out. That was a massive cliffhanger at the end of the previous episode.

And that's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Think Twice, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Judd Millian asks Pru Watson to work with him to take out the evil invading their city, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. But when he wants something more, she hesitates, unable to commit to an answer. The indecision drives a wedge between them, but Pru won't let Judd get sucked into the worst part of her past.

And a preview snippet…

Judd Millian caught sight of a lone woman peering over the edge of the second-floor balcony. She's the one who stepped into the line of fire. And, like him, she probably had an ability she didn't know much about.

"Millian! A little help here." His colleague held up the automatic rifles the terrorists used.

Judd glanced up again before crossing the short distance to Ben Zoya. Taking the firearms, Judd held them together and used his gift to turn them into a congealed mass. The three men gawked, which looked incredibly odd with their faces under black balaclavas.

Judd handed the weapons back to Ben. "The local LEOs can still pull prints off the magazine if there are any." Usually, the element Judd's team dealt with had higher than average intelligence, so prints might not be an option.

Ben shook his head. "I'm still not used to seeing you do that." He nodded toward the other two team members. "Metro is on the way. Bag and tag these guys then hand them over." He stepped toward the counter. "Ladies and gentlemen, you're all clear. It's safe to come out now."

Heads started popping up from behind the ticket station. Ben motioned the group to come around and they complied, most talking about the woman who'd saved their lives. Shooting Judd a sideways glance, Ben quirked an eyebrow.

Judd shrugged. "Not sure. There's someone on the second floor. That might be who they're talking about." He itched to go after her, maybe discover how much they had in common.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Go on. See if she's still around and maybe find out if she's got any information on this bunch." He didn't have to tell Judd to bring her in, but his tone implied it needed to happen.

He'd do his best, but he wouldn't force anyone to do something against their will.

Judd inclined his chin. "I'll check in when I can." His gaze landed on the spot he'd last seen the woman.

Reaching the second floor, he found the location empty. "She's quiet, that's for certain." He followed the rounded corridor to the left and came upon an empty stairwell leading upward. "Might as well try." He took the steps up three levels and exited out onto the rooftop.

The woman stood at the edge of the wall facing the street below. Her hair whipped in the gusty wind, the dark strands flicking back and forth. He approached quietly, fearing he'd startle her otherwise.

"That's close enough." Her voice carried on the air. "Are you here to take me back?"

His step faltered. Take her back where? Maybe she had the same questions he did … or possibly answers to his questions. Either way, she intrigued the hell out of him and he hoped he got the chance to find out more.

Keeping his distance, he tried to put her at ease. "I don't know where back is. Name's Judd Millian. I think you might have the same type of affliction I have." He clocked the squaring of her shoulders but pushed forward. "Well, not the same. Bullets don't bounce off me…" From her torn clothes, she'd deflected a shit ton of them. "But I can make them harmless before they cut through my body."

She whirled around. "Who are you?" A tiny tremor of fear laced the question.

He frowned. "I told you. My name is—"

She growled. "Not your name, dumbass. Are you military? Black ops? Who are you working for?" Each syllable of the last sentence had perfect enunciation.

Judd took a step toward her but backed off when she tensed, ready to run. "I'm not military, more like private security." Actually, a lot like mercenary for hire but he feared she'd freak if he mentioned that part.

She relaxed but only slightly. "Why are you here?" Her head tilted to one side and she gave him a slow once-over.

Judd widened his stance, hoping to appear conversational. "We've been tracking that trio since they got off their plane. They planned to bomb a building—not sure which one—but something spooked them and they ended up shooting up the station instead." He held back some information; he couldn't reveal the full details yet. "I'm on this rooftop with you for two reasons. One to make sure you're okay. And the second is to find out if you heard or saw anything that might help us." He paused a moment. "Actually, I don't care about the second one. I've only met a handful of people who have our abilities and I didn't want to miss an opportunity to meet another one."

Her lips twisted in a wry smirk. "And that's it? I'm free to go?"

He tried to hide his disappointment. "If you want. Do you have somewhere to be?" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I can make sure you have a ride if you do."

Her face fell. "I have nowhere to go. That's why I was at the station."

A wild idea took root in his brain. "In that case … how are you with heights?" His loft would be quick to get to if they traversed the rooftops … in traffic, it would take thirty minutes.

She gave him a long, level look. "I'm standing on the edge of a building. Heights don't bother me."

He flashed a quick grin. "In that case, if you need a place to crash for the night. Follow me." He made his way to the south side of the building then took off at a run and leaped across the alley.

He didn't stop but smiled again when he heard her land behind him.

So far, his night looked to be very interesting.

I love writing meta-human stories. Working different abilities into the romance is a challenge and fun to do.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye