The Starman of the Amazon
Space Corps never forgave him for suffering a mutiny.
Flying Low
Bernice could feel the wind pulling the skin away from her body. The vibration from the rocket as it skimmed over the alkali flats was shaking the meat from her bones. Because of the speed she couldn’t raise her arms, so steered with her feet strapped to a pair of pedals gently moving a rudder … Read moreFlying Low
Playing Possum
Louise dragged an old roller luggage bag diagonally across a vacant lot scattered with chunks of crushed asphalt, the bag jerking and twisting as she went. She was unfazed by the jagged terrain poking into her thinly protected feet. Louise was mostly torso. She had no neck and pencil-thin limbs which gave her the appearance … Read morePlaying Possum
One Man’s Treasure
Tim stepped on the foot pump as quickly as he could. A river raft was wedged under the safe in the CEO’s office where he worked as a night janitor. Days earlier Tim had seen Mr. Downing busily stuffing it full of bags that appeared to be filled with cash. “Oh, hey Tim. Could you … Read moreOne Man’s Treasure
Jerry’s Trailer
Jerry’s trailer sat alone in the high desert, tethered on a half-acre plot ringed by a pig-wire fence. Native plants pushed against the fence like an inland sea. Bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and sagebrush had grown like coral against a ceaseless tide of wind and sun, slowly rising up as a collective able to withstand the blasts … Read moreJerry’s Trailer
The Sweeter They Fall
Janice and Jenny had pistols strapped to their chests, each with silencers. Formerly employed by drug cartels in Central America, they traveled the world murdering gangsters, politicians, and bankers “You know, in England, they call those crisps,” Jenny said. Janice and Jenny rode side by side on the ski lift. Janice was finishing a bag … Read moreThe Sweeter They Fall
Falling Far From the Tree
George and Merrick made their way down a narrow, poorly lit staircase. “This looks promising,” Merrick said. “Nothing like a dank basement for quality finds,” George replied. Worming their way through an estate sale at a hundred-year-old house, George and Merrick hoped to find some treasures. The owners who built it lived there until it … Read moreFalling Far From the Tree
Dreams Come True
Tammy had been casing the park bench for days. She’d linger in the woods or behind some bushes, careful to remain concealed. Her mission was to receive a thumb drive from a Russian agent who worked for a group of businessmen. The drive contained insider information about Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook that could be … Read moreDreams Come True
Cherry Coke
John was driving faster than he should, trying to make time. “Easy on the corners dumbass,” Susan complained. “Quit your bitching. We’re late because of you and that stupid foster kid.” “He’s not stupid,” Susan corrected, “he’s got brain damage—that’s why they pay us extra for him. You got a better idea of how to … Read moreCherry Coke
Bones and Bears
Trent was fumbling with his keys as he tried to unlock the door to his apartment. The paint around the keyhole was scratched away from years of similar struggles. “Focus,” he said to himself. He closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath but became dizzy and fell against the wall in the narrow … Read moreBones and Bears