Sue asked for a little more of what I am working on. These, by the way, are just a random few paragraphs. Not from the beginning or the end. And they don't go together so don't read this one as a continuation of the last one.
Berger takes a bite of his sandwich then mumbles with a full mouth, “And what did you do before you got started fighting?”
“I was a soldier, then a cop.” I look for the woman who took our order and ask her to bring us two beers. “These are on me,” I tell Berger. He nods his thanks then asks more questions.
“That where you learned to fight? The military?”
“That’s where they taught me how to throw a proper punch. Nobody teaches you how to fight. You just know how to do that. Born with it.”
The redhead sits two label-less brown bottles on the table. They are a home brew and I take a long drink. It’s bitter and I shut my eyes tight as I swallow, fighting to get it down.
“So, a soldier, huh?” I say to Berger and reach down to my boot and pull a pistol that’s been holstered to my ankle and put it on the table. “I guess you know how to use one of these.”
Berger smiles and says, “Yes, I’ve used a gun before.”
“How long ago did you last shoot?”
“Basic training.” He puts what’s left of his sandwich in his mouth and washes it down with a swallow of the home brew. “I worked the kitchen, and let me tell you, I make better sandwiches than these things. Better beer, too.” He slides his empty plate to the middle of the table and pulls his napkin from his lap.
“I worked the kitchen...."
ReplyDeleteA touch of Steven Segal,(Under Siege) perhaps.... ;-p
Joking aside, this has an interesting feel, Jarrett - hope it continues to develop! Keep us posted.
Thanks, Sue. It's been fun writing it. I have been playing with different characters in the same world, sort of feeling my way around. This story, so far, has the right tone. It's also the most detailed as far as setting goes, although you can't tell from these few excerpts.
ReplyDeleteThe style is also a little more sparse than I usually write. Sentences are shorter and a bit more straight forward. I think that may be some of the tone that I like.