The theme this week is Near Death Experience. I have quite a few scenes where my characters are in dire danger, but they come mostly at the end of my stories. I don’t want to give too much away. In the end, I decided on an excerpt from Soldier of Fortune, one of the earlier scenes where the hero and heroine face an ambush on the streets of Iraq.
Soldier of Fortune by Shelley Munro
“Checkpoint,” the driver muttered, slowing the vehicle.
Louie cursed and slipped his gun out of sight but retained it in his hand. Local soldiers ran the roving checkpoints. They shot first and asked questions later. Cooperation and patience were key to remaining alive. If all else failed the driver would barrel straight through and hope for the best.
“Tell him we’re going east,” Louie instructed the driver.
The driver spoke rapidly in the local dialect, answering questions fired at him by the young soldier.
Louie relaxed fractionally when the soldier waved them through. “Good man,” he said to the driver.
They made good progress despite the slow-moving traffic and the wait for a British army convoy to pass through an intersection. Overhead, a Black Hawk helicopter buzzed like a whining mosquito, drawing sporadic fire from a patch of undergrowth.
“Don’t like this,” Simon said via the radio. “More gunfire than usual. Not many locals either. What’s your gut say?”
“Something’s going on.” Louie agreed, the back of his neck tingling in warning. Danger lurked in the shadows.
Somewhere. “Guess our quiet period is over. Can you see anything?”
Up ahead, two vehicles jammed on their brakes, coming to an abrupt stop. Behind the second recon car, another stopped, blocking their retreat. Magically, the few remaining locals faded into the background, leaving a deserted street.
“Ambush,” Simon shouted.
Gunfire cracked directly behind them. A signal. Bullets rained down. From the front. From the rear. The rat-a-tat-tat of guns filled Louie’s ears, made them ring.
“Fire!” Simon hollered through the radio.
Louie concentrated on the two vehicles in front. “Shoot to kill.” Simon would watch their six, but he gave orders anyway. “Mac, check our rear.”
Like a freak hail storm, the bullets pelted their vehicle. Cautiously, Louie opened his door. Crouched behind. Fired.
Mac, Tai and Garrett fired with rapid precision from behind lowered windows. The jackhammer of AK-47 assault rifles echoed between the buildings, replaying in his head. All the time he was aware of Mac behind him. Part of him wanted to throw her back in the vehicle, keep her safe. He started to move and froze when a bullet whizzed past his cheek.
“Fuck.” He ducked behind the door, forced himself to concentrate. Just him and his weapon in hand. Shoot to kill. Fire. Fire. Fire! Bullets hit the door, kicked up dust until his eyes smarted. Men shouted. Somewhere in front of him, a man shrieked for help, his French accent casting him as one of the insurgent volunteers from abroad. Fanatics, they came from all over the world to fight for the cause.
Time slowed, the insurgents returning a barrage of fire. Sweat dripped down Louie’s face. He swiped it away, fear clutching at his chest. They couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Should they make a run for it? He fired another round of shots, assessing the situation, making decisions.
“Rear car is retreating,” Simon reported in a terse voice.
Thank you, God. Something was going right.
The driver moved the second car up, giving them better cover. Another of the insurgents fell to the ground, didn’t move. Grimly, Louie fired until all return fire ceased. The guns of his men fell silent, but they remained watchful. Louie cautiously peered around the door to scan the vicinity. When no one moved, he ordered everyone back into the vehicles.
They’d been bloody lucky this time. He swiped a weary hand over his face. Mac… Damn! Thoughts of her had distracted him. Time to get a grip. He’d get them all killed if he didn’t start thinking with his head instead of his dick.
Purchase your copy of Soldier of Fortune here.
To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:
Eliza Gayle
Moira Rogers
Ashley Ladd
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
Juliana Stone
TJ Michaels
Shelli Stevens
McKenna Jeffries
Anya Bast
Victoria Janssen
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I always enjoy the snippets.
by Linda Henderson December 20th, 2009 at 12:50 amMerry Christmas and Happy New Year!
by Kimberley C December 20th, 2009 at 8:03 amThanks, Linda.
Kimberley – yes, I get the same way. I’m trying to avoid temptation at the moment! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family as well.
by Shelley Munro December 20th, 2009 at 11:28 am