“Gimme a closer look at that gun you don’t aim to use,” Theo said.
I pulled it out and handed it to him.
“Well, slap my momma. That’s a Ruger Big Fuckin’ Gun 3000.” He tossed it from one hand to the other, getting a feel for its heft. “Feels like nothin’,” he said. “Hold on. Be [...]

Instead of risking travel by skyporter, I made the trip on foot, and was surprised to find that the woods behind my apartment building stretched the entire two miles to the rendezvous point. I enjoyed a walk through woods that I had always known as sprawling parking lots surrounding a huge factory. Good riddance to [...]

“So, will you help us?” Chura asked.
“All my jumps are being closely monitored right now. Identities on the manifests are being verified. Come to think of it, you shouldn’t be here with me right now.”
Chura smiled at two boys, the brothers I had seen fighting, eating Pittsburgers. Created by a Pittsburgh food vendor, they were [...]

“Chura?”
“As far as you know,” she said. She looked a lot different. Still a pretty girl, but with short, bobbed blonde hair instead of the long black hair she had when I met her.
I know I visibly brightened even though I tried not to draw attention. “Are you okay? Where are your mom and your [...]

The connection was taking too long. When I dialed her before, it was instantaneous, and the difference was not due to an underpowered portable. I looked at the unit’s display. “Unreachable,” it read.
Unless Glock and Speel were lying to me, Time Code Enforcement couldn’t have got to Danetta yet. It seemed that she and her [...]

“Hold on a minute. I have to change clothes. Front door display off,” I said. The screen went dark.
“Dammit!” I shouted.
“There, there, easy now.” Said my sexy computer. Her tension abatement programming had kicked in.
“Engage legal advisor.”
“Legal advisor engaged.”
“Analyze data from front door reader. Tell me if it’s legal.” I wanted to make sure the [...]

Chura yelled out, “Aunt Danetta! You have one minute!”
I was lucky; my grip on Danetta’s hand was loose enough that she didn’t take me down with her. I stopped and turned to help her, knowing well that leaving someone behind would be worse than being left behind. Had I deserted her, I never would have [...]

(Part One appears on my other blog.)
“I’m coming, too,” Chura said.
“No, you stay. If I’m not back when it’s time to step, you both go without me, okay?”
I left Chura admiring the butterfly and Chethra glaring at her watch. There I was again, headed back into the forest, trying to find some idealistic customer with [...]