Jaycee Woods

Let me share a snip from one of the teaser short stories set in a future Second American Civil War of my in progress Boudica and The Butcher novel. As a draft, the snip is raw and laconic.

**

Aaron was in an abandoned building near a rebel garrison. Suddenly a girl jumped on him and pinned him to the ground with a knife to his neck. She did not say anything. She just looked at him dead in the eyes.

Aaron laughed. “Aren’t you spirited, little rebel girl?”

Ellie did not laugh, instead she applied more pressure with the knife. She spoke in a harsh tone, “You laugh while a knife is pressing against your throat? I’m surprised you’re not panicking.”

Aaron said, “I figured that you were so happy to see me that you were offering me a shave. Dry shaves in the field are not my favorite, but your eagerness pleases me.”

The girl was taken back by his odd reaction. The knife was still at his throat as the pressure lowered down. “I’m not happy to see you…I’m trying to take you as a hostage.”

Aaron laughed, “You are a humorous little she-beast.”

The girl started to become a little annoyed by his laughter. “What’s with the laughing? Nothing is funny about this! I’m literally about to cut into your throat and you’re laughing!?”

Aaron laughed, then suddenly stopped. His face shifted to a deadly serious visage. His furious eyes stared at her as if he was about to bash her skull in. “How many Union soldiers have you killed?”

Ellie looked shocked by the sudden change in his facial expression. She slowly took the knife back until it was barely grazing his neck. The rebel soldier girl was quiet for a few seconds before answering his question, “Over 6…I’ve lost count…why do you ask?”

Aaron asked, “Have you ever had to look in a man’s eye when you killed him face to face?” His eyes lit with a fire of bloodlust.

Ellie tried to stay calm under his questioning even though it was obvious she did not know what was going on in his head. “No,” she admitted.

Aaron quickly grabbed her wrist. He squeezed hard. She was unable to move her arm. His grasp painfully led her to drop her knife. She feared that he would break her wrist.

Ellie moaned, “Owwww.” As soon as she dropped her knife, her eyes widened with fear as she tried to rip her arm out of his grasp, but she could not. She struggled to get away, but he was too strong for her to break out of his grip

Aaron commanded, “Silence!” The intensity of his eyes was that of a man not to be disobeyed.

Ellie stopped trying to break free and just stared at him. Her eyes looked like she would lose her mind from fear as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. Not wanting to anger him more, she stayed quiet.

Aaron mocked, “I don’t think that you will kill me today, little she-beast.”

Ellie did not speak; she knew she was in no position to argue with him anymore. Instead, she just looked down trying to not meet his savage eyes again.