Origins (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781492726791)

Eric Drouant is a freelance writer living and working in Louisiana. His work includes web content, magazine articles, short stories, and full length fiction. His personal favorite author? John Sandford. The author has now spent several years working in Iraq and Afghanistan. He recently returned home at last and is basking in the bosom of his family. Some of his experiences are recorded in his collection of short stories Horror Murder Life War. Excerpt from Origins: Remote Series Book 1 Thorne's agent couldn't believe his luck. He immediately recognized the little girl as Cassie Reynold. They'd been chasing her for two days and she was right here in front of him. He got out of the car. The girl looked tired and scared. If she's here, he thought, the boy can't be far way. Time to wrap things up. Thorne was on his way and it just might be possible to have them both by the time he got here. "Are you a policeman?" the girl asked. She was a ragged looking little thing, her hair was uncombed, a ribbon on top the only thing keeping it together. Her shirt was dirty. The jeans she was wearing rode on her oddly, pinching at the waist. A dirty streak was on her left cheek and bits of the bushes she had emerged from were caught in her hair. "Why, yes I am," he said. "Do you need one?" "Yes, I think I'm in trouble. Can I see your badge?" Oh man, this is going to be easy, the agent thought. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his ID, held it out for the girl to see. "Here you go." Cassie looked at it, and said "Do you have a gun?" The agent nodded. "Right here," and patted his coat over his left armpit. "Do I need one?" "You might. You see that car over there?" she said, pointing to Breed's vehicle. Ronnie was behind the car, heading their way. "That man is trying to grab me and my friend." He followed her motion, looking over to Breed's car. He could see the boy behind it. Breed was just opening the door, one foot on the ground. By the time his head came back around she was holding a pistol, her finger on the trigger. The pistol was pointing at him. His stomach turned to water. "Sorry," she said, and pulled the trigger.