Lone
Wolf - sci-fi adventure at its best! The year is 3032 and mankind
has expanded far beyond Earth’s galaxy. Matilda Dulac is a member
of the Galactic Mining Guild. With her lover, Marc Slatterly, she
works in a small mining ship in deep space. Their well ordered life
if suddenly thrown into chaos when one miner arrives with a load of
Trimagnite, a highly toxic liquid ore. Enter the Lone Wolf.
Wil VanLipsig, known as the Lone Wolf, arrives to take the
Trigmagnite off their hands. Is it a coincidence for him to show up
on Marc’s ship years after Marc thought he’d killed Wil? Or is
this the beginning of something far more insidious? The Lone Wolf
is book in a new science fiction series by Dellani Oakes. Below
is an excerpt from Lone Wolf. Wil has just arrived on the
mining vessel where Matilda and Marc serve together. It's obvious
fairly early on that something isn't right between the two men.
Marc
opened the door to the docking bay. The other ship had attached and
the airlock was pressurizing. As the door spiraled open, Matilda
sensed a shudder pass through Marc. He raised his weapon, covering
the entrance.
Slowly,
with a casual air, a man entered the airlock. Nearly as tall as Marc,
he was leaner of build. His curly, dark brown hair fell to his
shoulders. He stood still while Rubee scanned his identification tag
before releasing the force shield in front of him.
He
wore a black eye patch over his left eye and a scar ran from his left
temple to the corner of his lips. It was an old scar, worn and
somewhat sunken. A slight stubble of beard shaded the lower half of
his face, all but the scar line, leaving a pale crescent in the dark.
His uncovered eye glittered, black and dangerous in his ruggedly
handsome face. Holding his arms from his sides, he waited as Rubee
scanned him for weapons. Finding none, she gave clearance for him to
pass.
He
stepped forward, lighting a dark, thin object. The pungent odor of a
cheroot filled the confined space. Squinting past the smoke, he gazed
into Marc's eyes. Marc's weapon remained pointed at the other man's
head, his calm expression strangely predatory.
Their
visitor sized Matilda up with a glance, dismissing her as
non-threatening. He puffed on his cheroot thoughtfully. A crooked
grin cracked his face in half, the scar pulling his left lip up at an
odd angle.
"Marc,
it's been a long time." He held out his hand.
Marc
remained aloof, not taking his eyes off the visitor, lowering his
weapon or acknowledging the proffered hand.
"Kind
of a cold reception, isn't it?" His voice was rasping and low.
The
smile was replaced by a slight frown, a hint of sadness in the
obsidian eye. Then the same placid expression took its place. Nothing
in Marc's face betrayed what he was thinking or feeling.
Marc
spoke calmly. "Commander Dulac, please show Colonel VanLipsig to
the lounge."
"Of
course, sir." Looking puzzled, she did as he asked, feeling his
eyes on her.
Marc
followed, covering the man from the rear. When they had seated
themselves, Matilda ordered three cups of joe from the synthunit.
Marc kept his weapon out on his knee with his hand resting upon it.
The
other fellow leaned back, seemingly unconcerned and at ease. Taking a
sip of the joe, he grimaced, glancing down at his cup before matching
his gaze with Marc's.
"I
know we parted under difficult circumstances, but is this really
necessary? I'm here to do a job, nothing more." He carefully
kept his hands in plain view, moving slowly, talking with deliberate
ease.
Marc
looked at him blankly. "I thought you were dead, Wil."
VanLipsig
nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "You were sure you killed me."
His voice was flat, toneless, unemotional. He shrugged casually,
tilting his head to the left. "I got better." There was a
flash of a chilling smile.
"The
reports...."
"The
reports of my death were greatly exaggerated," VanLipsig
quipped, dark eye glittering mischievously.
Marc's
fist dented the metal table with a furious blow. "Dammit, Wil!
Can't you stay dead?"
VanLipsig
threw back his head, laughing caustically. The laugh became a long,
high-pitched, chilling howl. Matilda felt a shiver run through her to
the very bone. She did her best not to show it, but a subtle shift of
her bearing betrayed her. His gaze penetrated her soul, laying it
bare, finding it wanting.
"Aren't
you going to introduce me to the lady, Marc?"
"No."
Marc
hid his anger, but Matilda knew he was furious. His attitude toward
VanLipsig was puzzling. They seemed to have known one another for
years, obviously parting on less than amicable terms. Though
VanLipsig seemed to harbor no ill will, Marc certainly did.
"May
I present myself, ma'am? I'm Colonel Wilhelm VanLipsig, also known as
the Lone Wolf. Perhaps you've heard of me?" He
attempted to look humble. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
His glance flicked to her nametag and insignia, dark eye lingering
hungrily on her chest. "Commander Dulac." His mouth formed
the words, enjoying the feel of the consonants on his tongue. He
waited patiently for a response. Getting none, his eye locked with
hers, curious, intrigued. "Do you speak?"
Matilda
studied him quizzically, raising an eyebrow. "There seemed
little to say."
©
2017 Dellani Oakes
- This Lovely New Cover by Suzette Vaughn
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