Champagne Books
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A derelict freighter abandoned in outer space is too much for space pirate Aston West to pass up and he can't fight the urge to pilfer its valuable cache of illegal weapons. However, the ship's one last occupant has other ideas and fights to maintain her hold on the weaponry. After attack craft return to finish the ship off, Aston has no choice but to save her from certain destruction. Who is she? What are the weapons for? Why was the freighter destroyed? For every answer he finds, he discovers more questions, and his life is put in jeopardy every time he stops to catch his breath. Aston's life motto of never getting involved is put to the test, and he must decide whether to become a hero for a people in need, or continue on his path of self-preservation.
Sneak Peek Excerpt:
I lifted the left sleeve of my black jacket up and spoke through the embedded transmitter. “Can you get me through the airlock hatch?”
“Negative.”
Green indicator lights above the inner circular hatch told me the pressures had already equalized. I stooped over to the left and looked at my reflection in a dark computer screen mounted in the wall. My face was rugged, covered with a few lines and weathered by experience. My once bright blue eyes were dim from the passage of time. I quickly grew tired of looking at myself and pulled the screen from the wall, where it dangled from a large jumble of wires.
It was a mystery which ones controlled the locking mechanism, so to save time, I yanked all of them out amidst snapping sparks and rancid fumes. The screen dropped to the floor and smashed. The door popped loose, just enough where I could put my fingers around the edge. The muscles in my arms bulged slightly as I strained. Finally, the door hit a point where it rolled out of the way on its own and I ducked through the entryway.
“I’m in,” I announced to Jeanie.
“Be careful.”
Inside, I broke into a sweat, from both the physical exertion and the climate controls on-board the freighter. Rulusians were from an extremely warm and humid jungle planet, and liked to make their ships feel like home. My heavy jacket didn’t help matters. Lines of sweat made their way down my face, as I stepped away from the airlock hatch.
I turned my gaze down the entry corridor and saw carnage I wouldn’t soon forget. Rulusian bodies lay on either side of the hallway, burn marks from energy weapons as black patches on a background of dark green skin. The putrid scent of scorched flesh was in the air. I passed an open doorway on my left, and looked inside at crew quarters. More Rulusian corpses lay amidst sparks and clouds of smoke.
I lifted the transmitter again. “You’re sure there isn’t anyone on this ship?”
“Affirmative. All scans show nothing but yourself.”
“This damage is far too recent for my liking.”
“Did the crew abandon ship as we had thought?”
I grimaced. “Doesn’t look like it.”
I continued down the corridor toward the bridge. Dark blast marks lined the doorframe and floor, where an access hatch had been blown open. Smoke particles lingered in the air and I detected a faint chemical odor while my eyes watered. I took slow, cautious steps through the opening and became witness to even more carnage. Ten more Rulusians were collapsed against the wall or slumped over consoles, all roasted by weapons fire. I definitely didn’t need to meet up with the people who had done this. I didn’t get into the scavenging business to be a hero. Everyone loves heroes, but heroes have a tendency to die young.
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HEROES DIE YOUNG by T. M. Hunter is available as an e-book or print book at most online stores, including Amazon.com. More information on this book, links to his published short stories, and much more can be found at his website, AstonWest.com. Also be sure to check out the excerpt from his second book, FRIENDS IN DEED, coming in January 2010.
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