From Chapter 1 - New Blood
The four of us marched down a narrow corridor that led to
Commander Z's quarters. The air was
sticky as we stamped past the engine rooms.
Anchovy had to resist the urge to cover his ears a few times. His earlobes were probably throbbing. It takes a while to grow accustomed to the
sub's 24/7 noise schedule. Another part
of the M.E.R. program's curriculum was learning to control our heightened
senses.
"Have a
seat." A cold voice echoed through
the hallway and forced its way into my brain.
Z was our Chief Commander. He
wasn't too tall like Frankie and me were, but he more than made up for it in
girth. Commander Z's bulky frame let us
know he was in charge.
The four of us sat down on a wooden bench in the Commander's
office. Anchovy looked like he was about
to hyperventilate. Brian gave his side a
quick pinch and Anchovy straightened his hunched back.
"Welcome aboard the
Pugio, son." Commander Z looked in
Anchovy's direction as he spoke.
"You're an official M.E.R. soldier now. I assume you've been briefed on the soldier
you are replacing?" The Commander
paused and raised an eyebrow. Anchovy
gulped. None of us had spoken a word
about Davis since he went missing. Not
even to Anchovy.
"No sir," Frankie
interjected. The Commander's eyes
shifted towards Frankie.
"Let the boy speak for
himself," he responded firmly.
Frankie nodded. "Well?"
"No sir," Anchovy
answered mimicking Frankie.
"Have your teammates
even given you a civilian name, boy?"
Anchovy hesitated. "Answer
me!"
"Uhhh," Anchovy
muttered.
"Louder,
soldier!"
"Yes, sir! Anchovy, sir!" Anchovy shouted. A bead of sweat dripped over his brow. I could see a slight smile cross the
Commander's face. He paced around our
team letting his heavy boots crash against the ground.
"Bad things happen to
those who disobey, soldier. Remember
that." He stepped back and gave all
four of us a burning stare. "Your
former teammate failed to follow orders – an offense punishable by
abandonment. That's why he was left
behind without serum."
I tried to show no emotion but my head was buzzing with images of
Davis. He'd been part of our team for so
long. It was like losing a brother. And now that brother was either wandering
around somewhere or dead.
"If you choose to
follow in his footsteps, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes,
Commander." We all recited our
replies in unison. The Commander looked
pleased and shook his head.
"Good." Commander Z waved towards the door and sat
down at his desk. This was our cue to
leave. "Not you, E." The sound of my letter made my chest
tighten. Rarely would the Commander ever
address any of us individually. Frankie
raised his eyebrows as he and the others passed by me. Commander Z browsed through papers on his
desk keeping his head down. "Shut
the door." I closed the door behind
Frankie and waited.
The only thing on my mind was Davis. He'd been unusually stand-offish his last
couple days aboard the submarine.
"You know why you're
here?" I shook my head and waited
for Commander Z to glance up.
"You're here because your continued obedience is about to be
rewarded."
"How?" My voice shook a little. I knew better then to speak out of turn but
ever since Davis disappeared, I had a lot of questions. The Commander looked up and chuckled.
"You don't believe in
bogus conspiracy theories like some of the others. Asking pointless questions is a sure way to
get your team into trouble. You've got
your feet firmly on the ground soldier and because of that, I'm going to give
you a special assignment." I nodded
in agreement and waited for my orders. I
expected my 'special assignment' to be toilet duty or dish washing but I was
dead wrong.
"You've been selected
for a solo mission. We'll be surfacing
soon. When we do, you will have only a
few hours to complete your task." I
was surprised. There were loads of other
soldiers more experienced than me.
"When do I leave
sir?" The Commander chuckled again.
"Tonight."
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Mutiny
M.E.R. series, #1
Book Blurb:
Eric's life aboard a top secret stealth submarine as a member of the government’s M.E.R. program has been about discipline, cunning and survival.
As both a soldier and a natural born regenerator, he can heal from any wound, but to stay alive he must accept a vein-burning serum that prevents his DNA from over-mutating. In exchange Eric must follow his Chief Commander’s every order. And never ask questions, no matter the assignment.
When he goes ashore on his first solo mission he runs into a complication he didn't expect; Mariella, the target’s daughter. She’s about to change everything.
Author Bio:
Jacqueline Gardner works as a Story Editor for the production company, Labragirl Pictures. Her love of storytelling began at an early age when she would make up stories with her grandmother before bedtime.
In early 2010, she completed her first novel and has been stuck on writing ever since. She resides in Colorado and loves hiking, writing, fantasy fiction, and all things cupcake.
Website: www.jacquelinegardner.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorjacquelinegardner
Twitter: @Writer_Jacque
1 comment:
Loved the excerpt. I would love to read more.
debby236 at gmail dot com
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