Teaser Tuesdays I share a little excerpt of what I am currently working on ~ This week is Stupid Car (working title) ~
When Reese Clifton becomes stranded in small-town Georgia she never expects the man, the mystery and the danger awaiting.
~
Eyes open Jess Winters mentally checked everything was still attached and where it was supposed to be. He moved, his body protested, but he did it anyway. He was on his side, rather the truck was on its side, sitting in three feet of water. "Shit."
Jess looked to his right. His passenger hung by her seat-belt above him. Her eyes closed he couldn't tell if she was hurt. Grabbing for the CB mike, it fell apart and into the water. With no way to exit the door, he shifted and thrust his boot into the already cracked glass of the windshield. The safety glass shattered, and another kick finished it off. Jess moved to his passenger, he hesitated about moving her without knowing the extent of her injuries. Should he try to wake her?
She stirred and he breathed a small sigh of relief. "Miss, can you hear me? Miss..." Damn it, what the hell is her name? I suck at remembering people’s names. He saw his clipboard behind him and grabbed it. Reese. Reese Clifton. "Reese, can you hear me?" She shifted slightly and opened her eyes. At first there was nothing, then came the disorientation and fear.
"What happened?" She struggled against the seat belt and he instinctively put his hands over hers.
"Stop. Calm down, one thing at a time. Are you hurt?" Her eyes rose to meet his, clear and shiny, his chest tightened at the mirror before him.
"I don't think so. My head-- my head just hurts." Her hands shook beneath his and he knew it was a reaction to the trauma. He grasped them tightly, keeping her focus on him.
"I’m going to loosen your seat-belt. I want you to wrap your arm around my shoulder." She nodded doing as he stated while he worked the belt. It was stuck.
"What's wrong?" the evident panic in her voice irritated him, one little hiccup and she was already freaking out. "Is there a problem?"
"The belt is stuck," he grunted, tugging on it repeatedly.
"My purse."
He grumbled, women, "We can worry about..."
"No, there is a hunting knife in my purse. Maybe you could cut me out?" Jess stopped, for once there was a pleasant helpful surprise.
"Uh, okay, let me see if I can find it." His eyes scanned the immediate cab, he reached down into the water feeling around. "What does your purse look like?"
"Brown, handle, leather... it's a purse." He didn't respond, in fact, he suppressed a chuckle as he was expecting this detailed description down to the inlet on the side or the look of the tag. He kept his thoughts to himself continuing to search for the bag. His hand caught on something in the water and he pulled. The purse appeared and he dug into it. "Where is it? How can you find anything in here?"
"Just give me the damn thing." She took the bag out of his hand and after a moment retrieved the hunting knife. Handing it to him, he noticed she didn't even look at the remnants of her belongings, just zipped it up and dropped it on the ground in front of her. "Will that work?"
"Should, depends the last time it was sharpened." The blade was magnificent, serrated and curved, it was a paper thin but strong. He knew it could take his hand off with one swipe no problem.
"Two months ago, I know it has been a little while, but it hasn't been used so it should be fine... well that is not true exactly, I used it a few weeks ago to cut a hose to gerry-rig my fuel pump."
Jess took note of the comment, seemingly innocent but in fact very telling of her character. He began work on the thick belt and she waited silently. As the belt held her weight to the seat, he gave her fair warning when the belt came to its final strands. She braced for the release and when it came, she barely needed his assistance. "What now?"
"After you." He gestured to the broken-out windshield. She seemed to ponder how she was going to navigate the exit with a pencil skirt and heels, and he honestly was curious as well. Would she ask for help?
"Aw hell." He heard the ripping of fabric just before she climbed out the window. Using her arms, she lifted her body up and onto the exposed tire above her. Jess followed behind, seeing her working her way over to the muddy side of the ditch. He realized she'd removed her shoes and thrown them across the embankment. Next thing he knew he saw her lithe form in midair to get to the other side. She hit and rolled, exactly what he would have told her to do. Something you learned watching every action movie known to man. She wasn't a wimp he'd give her that. Jess once again followed her lead, landing on the ground just beside her. "My car!"
She rose, and he shifted in the direction she was facing. Her once intact car was upside down and smashed like a pancake. Her hand went through her disheveled hair and a pang of guilt curled in his stomach. "Now what?"
"Both of our phones are underwater, and the CB was shattered."
"What does that mean exactly?"
"It means we walk."
"Awesome."
Come Find Me!
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~
Eyes open Jess Winters mentally checked everything was still attached and where it was supposed to be. He moved, his body protested, but he did it anyway. He was on his side, rather the truck was on its side, sitting in three feet of water. "Shit."
Jess looked to his right. His passenger hung by her seat-belt above him. Her eyes closed he couldn't tell if she was hurt. Grabbing for the CB mike, it fell apart and into the water. With no way to exit the door, he shifted and thrust his boot into the already cracked glass of the windshield. The safety glass shattered, and another kick finished it off. Jess moved to his passenger, he hesitated about moving her without knowing the extent of her injuries. Should he try to wake her?
She stirred and he breathed a small sigh of relief. "Miss, can you hear me? Miss..." Damn it, what the hell is her name? I suck at remembering people’s names. He saw his clipboard behind him and grabbed it. Reese. Reese Clifton. "Reese, can you hear me?" She shifted slightly and opened her eyes. At first there was nothing, then came the disorientation and fear.
"What happened?" She struggled against the seat belt and he instinctively put his hands over hers.
"Stop. Calm down, one thing at a time. Are you hurt?" Her eyes rose to meet his, clear and shiny, his chest tightened at the mirror before him.
"I don't think so. My head-- my head just hurts." Her hands shook beneath his and he knew it was a reaction to the trauma. He grasped them tightly, keeping her focus on him.
"I’m going to loosen your seat-belt. I want you to wrap your arm around my shoulder." She nodded doing as he stated while he worked the belt. It was stuck.
"What's wrong?" the evident panic in her voice irritated him, one little hiccup and she was already freaking out. "Is there a problem?"
"The belt is stuck," he grunted, tugging on it repeatedly.
"My purse."
He grumbled, women, "We can worry about..."
"No, there is a hunting knife in my purse. Maybe you could cut me out?" Jess stopped, for once there was a pleasant helpful surprise.
"Uh, okay, let me see if I can find it." His eyes scanned the immediate cab, he reached down into the water feeling around. "What does your purse look like?"
"Brown, handle, leather... it's a purse." He didn't respond, in fact, he suppressed a chuckle as he was expecting this detailed description down to the inlet on the side or the look of the tag. He kept his thoughts to himself continuing to search for the bag. His hand caught on something in the water and he pulled. The purse appeared and he dug into it. "Where is it? How can you find anything in here?"
"Just give me the damn thing." She took the bag out of his hand and after a moment retrieved the hunting knife. Handing it to him, he noticed she didn't even look at the remnants of her belongings, just zipped it up and dropped it on the ground in front of her. "Will that work?"
"Should, depends the last time it was sharpened." The blade was magnificent, serrated and curved, it was a paper thin but strong. He knew it could take his hand off with one swipe no problem.
"Two months ago, I know it has been a little while, but it hasn't been used so it should be fine... well that is not true exactly, I used it a few weeks ago to cut a hose to gerry-rig my fuel pump."
Jess took note of the comment, seemingly innocent but in fact very telling of her character. He began work on the thick belt and she waited silently. As the belt held her weight to the seat, he gave her fair warning when the belt came to its final strands. She braced for the release and when it came, she barely needed his assistance. "What now?"
"After you." He gestured to the broken-out windshield. She seemed to ponder how she was going to navigate the exit with a pencil skirt and heels, and he honestly was curious as well. Would she ask for help?
"Aw hell." He heard the ripping of fabric just before she climbed out the window. Using her arms, she lifted her body up and onto the exposed tire above her. Jess followed behind, seeing her working her way over to the muddy side of the ditch. He realized she'd removed her shoes and thrown them across the embankment. Next thing he knew he saw her lithe form in midair to get to the other side. She hit and rolled, exactly what he would have told her to do. Something you learned watching every action movie known to man. She wasn't a wimp he'd give her that. Jess once again followed her lead, landing on the ground just beside her. "My car!"
She rose, and he shifted in the direction she was facing. Her once intact car was upside down and smashed like a pancake. Her hand went through her disheveled hair and a pang of guilt curled in his stomach. "Now what?"
"Both of our phones are underwater, and the CB was shattered."
"What does that mean exactly?"
"It means we walk."
"Awesome."
* * * *
Come Find Me!
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