After
the Silence - Bree
Part
4
Jacqueline
Paige
One
woman’s journey through the chaotic new world.
Those
left standing make the paths for the future generations.
Those
the planet allowed to live still have to survive the trials of the
virus. If you manage to come out of it alive you are left with some
form of mutation that could give you an ability that could be
harmless or lethal.
Bree
Taylor is the last survivor of her family. With no other choice she
sets off on her own to escape the clutches of the new government’s
army—that does not place safety and security in their code of
behavior only the highest bidder get their protection and loyalty.
The
entire volume 1 will be released in January 2015.
First
part of volume 2 (Kane's story) is TBR in November 2014
Excerpt
for #4:
It
felt like months, the hours dragged on. I’d listen carefully to
the voices to try to figure out when the guards changed, but without
ever seeing daylight or night I couldn’t be sure if it was three
times a day or only twice. My hands no longer throbbed; in fact I
couldn’t feel them at all.
I
tried not to think about the woman I’d known only for that one day,
I tried not to think about Kismet and Tremor and what was happening
to them without me to keep them safe. I drifted in and out of sleep,
or maybe I was just numb, not feeling or sleeping at all.
When
I stopped feeling thirsty, I knew I’d reached some sort of bridge.
A person should always feel thirst to some degree I imagined. My
stomach, was insistently reminding me that I hadn’t had more than a
few sips in the time I’d been here—I still didn’t try to
identify what the taste had been. With each second I lay there in
the dark, I felt myself starting to accept not getting out of here.
My
teeth hurt from trying to chew the cord around my wrists to free my
hands. Why they only tied my hands I didn’t know, was I a threat
to the two men that were always outside the door? In my weakened
state probably not much of one, unless they were afraid I’d flick
dirt off the floor at them when they came in.
After
the Silence - Bree
Part
3
Jacqueline
Paige
Excerpt
Part 3
The
sound of wings flapping had my undivided attention; I stopped and
held my breath trying to locate the direction it was coming from. The
moment I honed in on the area the bird had been I wished I hadn’t.
Here I was half way to the middle of the clearing in snow up past my
knees and coming out of the trees roughly thirty feet from me were
two very rough, huge men. I had twenty seconds grace before they
spotted me, just enough time to turn in the snow and take the first
step in what would likely end up being the most difficult run of my
life.
Running
in snow this deep was like running through water. If your feet didn’t
clear it you got nowhere. I hadn’t stopped long enough to measure
the height of the men quickly gaining on me, but I was fairly certain
their long legs would move through this snow faster than my own.
As
I hit the tree line again, I hesitated long enough to pick a
direction. Kismet and I had been through this area enough times I
knew most of it without thinking now. Slipping in the snow I changed
directions and headed towards the hill that led to the river bed. If
I could out-maneuver them in the densest part of the trees I might
just be able to put a big enough gap between us that they’d give
up.
Chancing
a glance over my shoulder I noted one thing. They were large enough
it would take four of me to make this anywhere near equal. My heart
was thrumming, pumping blood through my veins in a chaotic beat. A
part of me knew I couldn’t outrun them, but I had to try. Turning,
I bolted back towards a tight grouping of trees. I could hear the
pounding of their feet hitting the ground behind me and had one
second to regret the one time I didn’t let Kismet come with me. He
would have evened the odds.
One
of them was close enough I could hear his heavy breathing over my own
as I dodged between two trees I knew he wouldn’t be able to go
through. My coat was actually slowing me down, but it held the knife
and gun and there was no way I was dropping either of those right
now. I heard him curse behind me and knew I only had seconds before
he would have me. Ducking left, I stopped and spun around at the same
time. My knife was now in my hand held down against my side as I
gasped to settle my breathing. He stood a foot away from me and
looked really pissed with the fact that I had made him run after me.
I
wanted to look around for the other one, but didn’t dare take my
eyes off of him. A familiar flick sound brought my attention to his
hand to see a blade slide smoothly from the handle it had been folded
into. There was nothing I could say that was going to change this
man’s plans. His eyes were wide and bored into mine with a look of
craziness. A branch snapping behind me was the only warning I got
before a big arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into a
hard chest.
They
spoke to each other and it wasn’t in any language I understood,
then again I only knew English. The tone the man in front of me used
and the sudden smirk on his face told me I was in deep shit. There
was no way, no how this was happening to me. I refused to be a
victim. The one behind me tightened his hold, making breathing hard.
He rubbed his face against my neck making my skin crawl. The other
one waved the knife in front of me a few times and then used it to
push open my coat. He grinned and said something to the one that was
breathing on my neck.
The
adrenaline was pumping so fast through my body I didn’t know how I
was able to not vibrate. Now or never! Lowering my head, I relaxed my
body as much as I could. Taking a deep breath, I threw my head back
and brought my hand with the knife up at the same time, aiming for
the arm around me. The loud crack and sudden pain in my head told me
I’d connected hard with the face behind me. He cursed and let me go
just as the other one lunged towards me. I felt the sting across my
cheek as I brought the knife down and across his chest.
After
the Silence - Bree
Part
4
Jacqueline
Paige
One
woman’s journey through the chaotic new world.
Those
left standing make the paths for the future generations.
Those
the planet allowed to live still have to survive the trials of the
virus. If you manage to come out of it alive you are left with some
form of mutation that could give you an ability that could be
harmless or lethal.
Bree
Taylor is the last survivor of her family. With no other choice she
sets off on her own to escape the clutches of the new government’s
army—that does not place safety and security in their code of
behavior only the highest bidder get their protection and loyalty.
The
entire volume 1 will be released in January 2015.
First
part of volume 2 (Kane's story) is TBR in November 2014
Excerpt
#4:
It
felt like months, the hours dragged on. I’d listen carefully to
the voices to try to figure out when the guards changed, but without
ever seeing daylight or night I couldn’t be sure if it was three
times a day or only twice. My hands no longer throbbed; in fact I
couldn’t feel them at all.
I
tried not to think about the woman I’d known only for that one day,
I tried not to think about Kismet and Tremor and what was happening
to them without me to keep them safe. I drifted in and out of sleep,
or maybe I was just numb, not feeling or sleeping at all.
When
I stopped feeling thirsty, I knew I’d reached some sort of bridge.
A person should always feel thirst to some degree I imagined. My
stomach, was insistently reminding me that I hadn’t had more than a
few sips in the time I’d been here—I still didn’t try to
identify what the taste had been. With each second I lay there in
the dark, I felt myself starting to accept not getting out of here.
My
teeth hurt from trying to chew the cord around my wrists to free my
hands. Why they only tied my hands I didn’t know, was I a threat
to the two men that were always outside the door? In my weakened
state probably not much of one, unless they were afraid I’d flick
dirt off the floor at them when they came in.
After
the Silence - Bree
Part
3
Jacqueline
Paige
Excerpt
Part 3
The
sound of wings flapping had my undivided attention; I stopped and
held my breath trying to locate the direction it was coming from. The
moment I honed in on the area the bird had been I wished I hadn’t.
Here I was half way to the middle of the clearing in snow up past my
knees and coming out of the trees roughly thirty feet from me were
two very rough, huge men. I had twenty seconds grace before they
spotted me, just enough time to turn in the snow and take the first
step in what would likely end up being the most difficult run of my
life.
Running
in snow this deep was like running through water. If your feet didn’t
clear it you got nowhere. I hadn’t stopped long enough to measure
the height of the men quickly gaining on me, but I was fairly certain
their long legs would move through this snow faster than my own.
As
I hit the tree line again, I hesitated long enough to pick a
direction. Kismet and I had been through this area enough times I
knew most of it without thinking now. Slipping in the snow I changed
directions and headed towards the hill that led to the river bed. If
I could out-maneuver them in the densest part of the trees I might
just be able to put a big enough gap between us that they’d give
up.
Chancing
a glance over my shoulder I noted one thing. They were large enough
it would take four of me to make this anywhere near equal. My heart
was thrumming, pumping blood through my veins in a chaotic beat. A
part of me knew I couldn’t outrun them, but I had to try. Turning,
I bolted back towards a tight grouping of trees. I could hear the
pounding of their feet hitting the ground behind me and had one
second to regret the one time I didn’t let Kismet come with me. He
would have evened the odds.
One
of them was close enough I could hear his heavy breathing over my own
as I dodged between two trees I knew he wouldn’t be able to go
through. My coat was actually slowing me down, but it held the knife
and gun and there was no way I was dropping either of those right
now. I heard him curse behind me and knew I only had seconds before
he would have me. Ducking left, I stopped and spun around at the same
time. My knife was now in my hand held down against my side as I
gasped to settle my breathing. He stood a foot away from me and
looked really pissed with the fact that I had made him run after me.
I
wanted to look around for the other one, but didn’t dare take my
eyes off of him. A familiar flick sound brought my attention to his
hand to see a blade slide smoothly from the handle it had been folded
into. There was nothing I could say that was going to change this
man’s plans. His eyes were wide and bored into mine with a look of
craziness. A branch snapping behind me was the only warning I got
before a big arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into a
hard chest.
They
spoke to each other and it wasn’t in any language I understood,
then again I only knew English. The tone the man in front of me used
and the sudden smirk on his face told me I was in deep shit. There
was no way, no how this was happening to me. I refused to be a
victim. The one behind me tightened his hold, making breathing hard.
He rubbed his face against my neck making my skin crawl. The other
one waved the knife in front of me a few times and then used it to
push open my coat. He grinned and said something to the one that was
breathing on my neck.
The
adrenaline was pumping so fast through my body I didn’t know how I
was able to not vibrate. Now or never! Lowering my head, I relaxed my
body as much as I could. Taking a deep breath, I threw my head back
and brought my hand with the knife up at the same time, aiming for
the arm around me. The loud crack and sudden pain in my head told me
I’d connected hard with the face behind me. He cursed and let me go
just as the other one lunged towards me. I felt the sting across my
cheek as I brought the knife down and across his chest.
After
the Silence – Bree
Part
2
Jacqueline
Paige
Excerpt
Part 2:
Claws
dug into me as it climbed to my neck at the same moment ice cold
water swallowed me. My breath left my body so quickly it felt like
my lungs were going to burst. The intense pain from the incisions
the animal was making across my chest brought me the strength to kick
as hard as I could towards the surface. I wasn’t the strongest
swimmer by far, but I had more than enough will to live to try for
both of us.
In
the brief glimpses I managed to keep my head above the water, I
didn’t spot the shore once. We were being sucked into the middle.
Through the white choppy water that blurred my vision I was only able
to catch a quick look each time before we were dragged under again.
I could feel the rocks rake over my back and hoped there would be
enough flesh left to survive it.
The
cat was practically wrapped around my neck and holding several layers
of skin and flesh captive in its young claws as we swirled around
again in a deep pit of rushing water. Each time we surfaced, I
gulped as much air into my lungs as I could before water filled my
mouth again. The undercurrent calmed just long enough for me to find
the direction of shore and with every ounce of strength I could find
I kicked and paddled with my arms trying to shove us in that
direction. I could make out a tree that was floating near the bank
just seconds before I was inhaling water again.
Hitting
the bottom I shoved as hard as I could and tried to aim to the calmer
water near the shore, not even knowing if I was going in the right
direction until air hit my face once more. The tree was still in
sight and I somehow knew if we didn’t reach it we wouldn’t be on
land after that. Releasing my hold on the animal that was anchored
to me so deeply that no way was it going to jump off and float away I
swam towards the tree and prayed I’d reach the limbs lying in the
water before we were dragged beyond them.
After
the Silence – Bree
Part
1
Jacqueline
Paige
Excerpt
Book 1:
The
snapping and crunching of branches told me something was moving
through the trees. Turning the flash light off, I hunched down to be
as small and invisible as possible. I listened in the darkness for
anything that would let me know where the noise had come from and
what had made it. Voices were carried to me in the dark, a man and a
woman. I moved slowly back towards my things and sat with my back
against the tree straining to see in the dark.
Time
stopped as I waited to see if the voices kept moving or came closer.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do if they did come closer. I touched the
handle of the knife inside my coat, hoping this wasn’t when I find
out if I could use it. Leaves rustled from behind me. I held my
breath and pushed back against the tree, waiting. When I heard a low
growl coming from around the tree I think even my heart even paused.
I
had strangers coming closer on one side of me and an animal voicing a
warning behind me. Tremor shook his head and pranced a few times and
the growling got louder. I sat there trying to gauge what was the
most important and decided there was no way I was going to let
something happen to my horse. Sliding up the tree as quietly as I
could, while focusing on the voices, I tried to recall every skill
instilled in me, drawing more blanks than anything useful.
Pulling
the knife from the pocket, I prayed it was sharp enough to cut the
rope I’d tied Tremor to. I guessed I had about fifteen seconds to
cut it and get to the horse before whatever was growling took a bite
off one of my legs or other body parts. Chewing my lip, I hoped I
could still get on his back without the saddle. The plan was to ride
like hell and come back later for my stuff—if we could find it
again.
About
the Author:
Jacqueline
Paige lives in Ontario in a small town that’s part of the popular
Georgian Triangle area. No one has ever heard of Stayner, so she
usually tells people she lives “near Collingwood” and no, she
doesn’t ski at Blue Mountain or at all, in fact she’s not even
fond of snow.
She
began her writing career in 2006 and since her first published works
in 2009 she hasn’t stopped. Jacqueline describes her writing as
“all things paranormal”, which she has proven is her niche with
stories of witches, ghosts, physics and shifters now on the shelves.
When
Jacqueline isn’t working at her ‘reality job’ or lost in her
writing she spends time with her five children, most of whom are
finally able to look after her instead of the other way around.
Together they do random road trips, that usually end up with them
lost, shopping trips where they push every button in the toy aisle,
hiking when there’s enough time to escape and bizarre things like
creating new daring recipes in the kitchen. She’s a grandmother to
four (so far) and looks forward to corrupting many more in the years
to come.
Jacqueline
loves to hear from her readers, you can find her at
www.jacqpaige.webs.com
, www.jacqpaige.blogspot.ca
or http://magicseasonsbooks.blogspot.ca
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