It’s Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday time again!
To keep with the theme I’m following on my blog, “Celebrating Big Damn Heroes,” this week’s snippet is a departure from the upcoming release, SOVRAN’S PAWN (April 20). This week’s snippet comes to you from one of the lost novels of THE MERCENARY ADVENTURES OF BLADE DEVON. Set approximately five years after SOVRAN’S PAWN, this snippet from ARCANA DOUBLE CROSS (Fall 2012), finds Blade and his band of merry mercenaries in a firefight in a multilevel promenade filled with restaurants and upscale shops.
***
Blade looked desperately around for the fastest way to the lower level where Nina and Adin were pinned down. He studied the banners with a speculative eye. With a mad flash of inspiration, he raced for the balcony railing, shouldering the rifle as he ran.
“Phinny! Cover me!”
With Phinny laying down a spray of covering fire, Blade slipped the knife from its sheath and swung his legs over the rail. Giving a mighty effort, he leaped for the nearest banner. Catching a handful of it, he slashed the ties with one quick swipe of the knife. As gravity took over, rending the banner free of its mooring, he slid the knife blade between his teeth and swung the rifle around.
Blade’s stomach lurched as the floor raced towards him.
***
Well, that’s the Saturday Snippet for this week! Please don’t forget to comment by clicking on either the blog title or the little quotation balloon in the upper right hand corner. Tell your friends. Stop back here next week for another!
If you want a little more of SOVRAN’S PAWN, BARRON’S LAST STAND, or to learn more about THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, just click on the links.
In case you missed them, here are links to an interview with Blade Devon and the blog post kicking off the Celebration of Big Damn Heroes, complete with a heroes gallery slideshow. Can you spot the inspiration for Blade Devon in the gallery?
Gotta Name My Blog 
Could this be the end for Blade? Noooo! (oh – he’ll be fine. I just know it).
The end of Blade? Say it isn’t so!
Just like a stereotypical pirate!
Of course… or a Big Damn Hero! LOL!
Well, you know you have to post more from this. Just saying… Great stuff. Nice, tight action!
This is going to be the next release after SOVRAN’S PAWN. I’m hoping for September. You’ll be seeing a LOT more of it. 🙂
Nothing better than using the banner to drop a few levels!
He’s just that kind of guy!
Action-packed stuff! And yes, he does sound like a Big Damn Hero (I’m guessing he’s easy on the eye, too! :P)
Indeed, Gayle, he is FAR too pretty for his own good. He looks like a holofeature hero, mostly because he IS a holofeature hero.
Tsk Tsk Blade. Knives in the mouth are a great way to cut your tongue off. It’s no good being a BDH if you can’t kiss the girl…
Not to worry, Cassandra, he’s an expert with bladed weaponry (hence his name.) He’s not just a BDH, he’s THE BDH – the one his fans lovingly refer to as BFD, usually within the context of “He’s Blade Freakin’ Devon, for cryin’ out loud!” (Aside from the other, more commonly accepted meaning of BFD, that is, which also applies.)
That sounds like a good way to cut your tongue, but I bet he looks cool doing it!
Not if it’s a single-edged hunting knife with only one sharp side.
I hope he’s flexing his knees and getting ready to drop and roll.
Diving shoulder roll? Isn’t that a bit too cliche? (Yes I do draw the line somewhere!) 🙂
Yikes! Hope the landing isn’t too hard!
LOL! Hard? No. Wet? Yes.
Ooo, very Errol Flynn!
Hmmm. Now how did THAT happen?
Very visual. I could see his jump and the ground rushing. Hopefully it’s not too hard a landing.
It really is a wet one… there’s a fountain down there. BTW, Patrick, this leads to one of the wet t-shirt scenes I was telling you about!