My other baby...

The other story that I'm working on from time to time is my first action/drama/romance. It's still very much in baby stages, but I'm really excited about it. Once I get my other stories finished, I'll devote more time to this one. Anyhow, it's called "Legacy" and the synopsis and a excerpt from chapter one are below.


Legacy


Synopsis: A woman and her son are reunited after sixteen years because of tragedy and the fact that they both hold the key to the future. Together they must learn why the world’s largest underground organized crime syndicate and the deepest layers of the United States government are desperate to get them, alive. Once they discover this, they must choose which path they should take, a decision that could change the world forever.



Chapter One - Changes

Like a tall sack of potatoes. It was always like that. No matter how big or agile or athletic they looked, they always fell just like that. Eve used to be fascinated by it. The way the body would stiffen when the bullet made impact, the near imperceptible shudder that would wave through all of the limbs. And then, the graceless fall as their nervous system shut down, synapse by synapse. If she targeted just right, that would be the end of it. But sometimes, they’d convulse once or twice as the body shut down. She’d miss on purpose for that twisted little show, when she was bored.

But she wasn’t bored today; just tired and hungry. Eve lifted her eyes from her scope. She had no desire to watch as the Senator’s security guards poured over his body and then vainly looked to the direction the bullet had originated from. She pulled in her sniper rifle and began to remove the silencer. Like clockwork, her rifle came apart, piece-by-piece. Eve grimaced as the reminiscent Spice Girls tune flooded her ears. For the life of her she couldn’t remember why she’d download the song to her Ipod, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to delete it. She reached over to the bed to change the song and stopped as she caught her reflection in the water-spotted bathroom mirror. Her doppelganger looked back at her, mimicking her blank expression. There was no joy in that face. No youth. Certainly no one could see a vibrant, healthy thirty-five year old woman in that visage. Eve’s eyes slid to the reflection of the tiny television, drawn immediately to the familiar crest of the C.I.A. in the background. She turned around to face the TV fully. She knew the man at the podium.

It was Madsen.

He never made public addresses. Not unless it was vital. She reached over and turned the squeaking volume knob on the TV.

“...not an easy decision to make. My love for this Agency and my country run deep, and I will treasure all that both have given me over the years. But, it’s time to move on, and as my wife keeps reminding me, I’m getting old.” Madsen’s voice cracked through the antique speakers. The sea of paparazzi and dark suited audience members let out a wave of obligatory chuckles.

Eve stopped wiping down the barrel of her gun. Madsen’s...leaving? The thought was so foreign to her that Madsen growing a second head would have seemed more plausible. She’d never known a time that he wasn’t there. Madsen cleared his throat, interrupting Eve’s thoughts.

“Though my time here is coming to an end; it is just the beginning for another bright and talented man. He’s been working within the Agency for over fifteen years, and has an impeccable record. I am honored to hand the reins to him, my friend and new Director, Joshua Briggs.” Madsen held out his right arm to a lean, salt and pepper haired man in a dark blue suit, standing a few feet behind him. The man nodded and gave Madsen a well-rehearsed smile before stepping towards him. The two shook hands and Madsen slapped him on the shoulder - a bit too hard - before he took a seat towards the rear of the stage. Director Briggs walked up to the podium and fixed a plastic smile at the crowd as the flurry of flash bulbs went off. The cameras zoomed in until it framed Brigg’s face in the tiny TV.
Eve studied his narrow face. His forehead was long and spotted with pale brown freckles. He had high cheekbones and a long, thin nose that all protruded almost too sharply from his face. His lips were thin and colorless, as though he kept them pursed often. But it was his eyes that caught Eve’s attention. She’d seen those eyes before. The same cold, mechanical, lifeless stones set in flesh. Madsen had those eyes. All of the upper ranks did. They were the eyes of men and women whose souls and humanity had been ripped from them long ago. Briggs scanned the room slowly before taking a sip of the water on the podium. His plastic smile widened slightly as he spoke.

“I would like to start by thanking former Director Madsen for his kind words and vote of confidence. You set a standard here, during your term that one can only strive to reach” Briggs began. He turned to look at Madsen and his face was obscured from the camera. Madsen’s face was too out of focus for Eve to see his reaction, but he seemed stoic. Briggs looked back to his audience.

“But I will do everything in my power to not only meet it, but continue your tradition and exceed it.”

Eve could see through the blur that was Madsen that he’d started playing with his watch. She knew well that it meant he wasn’t happy. She shifted her attention back to Briggs.

“I consider it a great privilege, that I was given this opportunity to serve in such a vast and integral part of our Government. Yes, there will be changes coming; and though they might bring some challenges, I’m confident that with my expertise and the full cooperation of this chapter that these changes will help us grow and shift into a department that will serve this country to the best of its ability. And with that, I’d like to also thank the Central Intelligence Agency for giving me this esteemed position and once in a lifetime opportunity.” Briggs plastic smile returned in full effect as the suited and uniformed members of the audience broke into applause. Eve noticed that Madsen was not clapping. Briggs held his hand up after a minute and added,

“I am ready to address any questions you may have now”.

Instantly, a swarm of voices filled the silence. Briggs pointed to one of the reporters, who began to shout out his inquiry. Eve was about to turn up the volume when she heard the all too familiar sound of the sirens.

All at once, her surroundings and situation hit her. She glanced at her digital watch and cursed. She should have been at the train station already. She was going to miss her connection if she didn’t get moving, and she didn’t want to spend another day in the unbearable Savannah heat. She flicked off the TV and quickly replaced the rest of her rifle into its case. It barely took five minutes for her to wipe the room down and head down the poorly lit hallway to the stairs. As she stepped into the alley behind the apartment building, she wondered if the tenant that lived in that suite would ever notice that she’d taken one of his ball caps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More to come as I have time to work on it...