As we move into September, fall temperatures and rainy weather are upon us. Earlier in the week, it was mainly sunny and dry, so I was able to get some outdoor work done even in the cooler weather. Now the rain’s falling so everything I haven’t done outside will have to wait.
Today’s the final day of this month’s three-day small business market at the local mall. Overall, it hasn’t been too bad. I’ve sold nine of my novels, while thirteen of Sylvia’s laminated poetry sheets and two of her poetry books went to new homes, as well as one of her knitted scarves.
Here’s this week’s quote (Compliments of http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com/):
“A beautiful expression of love is to want the best for someone whether it includes you or not.”
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on September 4, the first Sunday of the month:
Any names familiar to you? I didn’t spot any I knew. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!
My Work in Progress
I’m moving along nicely with my next WIP, Frozen Conquest. Chapter thirteen is almost ready to post. There were another nine chapter reviews, bringing the total to 187, some from long-standing reviewers while others came from new people. Plenty of good suggestions to improve my story and I’m greatly appreciative of the support.
Here’s the next snippet:
CC and the others lounged in QRF-1’s new premises. Scattered sofas, chairs, and a variety of tables filled the break area. A large screen TV was suspended from the ceiling above a handcrafted teak bar sufficient to handle six stools. A fridge sat at either end of the bar. One held beer and wine, while the other was stocked with soft drinks, fruit juices, and water bottles.
Rufus glanced at the TV, currently showing a message from Admiral Blakely. “QRF-1 doesn’t have a network—yet. I hope we can establish one in the future.”
“Aye.” CC drank from a bottle of orange juice. “The admiral will always include QRF-1 on anything he sends to the teams, so you’re aware of our tasking.”
“Do you need to respond to him?”
“No. He knows we’re with you, and our second-in-commands will pass the word.”
Rufus nodded. “I see. So our order will come out the same way, and you, Trevor, and Evelyn will see them?”
“Aye. Keeps everyone in the loop.” CC frowned. “Of course, we don’t know what will happen toward the end of the year. The admiral’s status as chairman runs out. We’re hoping for one of two actions: the president extends the admiral’s role as chairman, which requires congressional approval, or he becomes the deputy National Security Advisor and retains control of the teams. This will also require approval from congress but might be easier.”
“Which one do you favor?”
“I think his appointment as the Deputy NSA would be best for us. However, the president won’t be asking for my opinion.”
Rufus glanced at a smiling face clock above the bar. Time to head to the terminal and pick up our new team members. Care to accompany me?”
“Aye.”
Fifteen minutes later, they stood by the taxi stand waiting for the C-37A aircraft to come to a halt. As soon as the steps descended and locked into place, three men and a woman disembarked and stood on the tarmac.
Rufus raised a hand, and the four headed toward him.
The first two stopped in front of Rufus. Well over six feet, bald, with bulging biceps, they looked as if they were carved from the same mold.
The one on the left extended a massive paw. “I’m Maverick Kingfisher. You must be Condor.”
“Call be Rufus.” He introduced CC.
Maverick grabbed CC’s hand and squeezed.
When CC extended his hand, he tried not to wince.
The second man stepped forward. “I’m Quincy Kingfisher. Maverick and I are cousins.”
The third man, short when standing next to Quincy and Maverick, but the same height as CC, grinned as he introduced himself. “Many thanks for this opportunity. I’m Gordon Russell. I won’t let you down.”
The woman, a tall African-American with close-cropped black hair and a scar on the left side of her chin, joined the others. “I’m Alexandria Steele, but I preferred to be called Alex.”
After a round of handshakes, Rufus gestured to the vehicle behind him. “Let’s store your gear, and we’ll head to our headquarters.”
When they arrived at the warehouse, August, Trevor, and Evelyn came out of the building and met them.
Rufus climbed out of the vehicle. “Leave your luggage in the van. After we’ve shown you around the facility, we’ll take you to quarters.”
They entered the warehouse and headed to the makeshift lounge area.
Rufus looked at his new team members. “Take a seat. What you’re about to listen to is classified top secret, so keep your ears open and your mouths shut.” He turned to CC.
“Welcome to the QRF. You beat out several well-qualified individuals to become part of this unit, so well done. I’m CC, also referred to as Haggis. I’m Alpha’s team leader. You’ll need to learn the callsigns of all team members since you’ll usually hear from us in this manner, as real names will not be used in any emails or text messages. Alpha team uses callsigns associated with our countries of origin, while Bravo uses colors, and Charlie relies on birds of prey.”
Maverick raised a hand. “How do we choose ours?”
“We’ll discuss this later, Maverick.” Rufus smiled. “Your name would be a good one, but you’ll need to choose something else.”
“Once the QRF is organized, we’ll arrange for meetings with the teams so you can learn how we operate.” CC gestured to Trevor.
“Good morning, lady and gentlemen. I’m Colonel Trevor Franklin, retired, a former member of the British paras. My callsign is Black. I would also like to extend my welcome to you. We’ll train hard and play hard.”
Evelyn stood. “I’m Lady Evelyn Evinrude, formerly from the British MI-6. I’m sure we’ll all get along famously.” She smiled. “However, don’t assume any of us are pushovers. We’ll expect a log out of you, but at the same time, we’ll help you in any way we can.”
“How many women are in the teams?” Alex frowned.
Evelyn chuckled. “An excellent question. With you, there are three of us in the teams but more in the support units. The other woman on my team is Barbara Battersea.”
“Just wondered how much competition I had.”
Everyone chuckled.
CC glanced at his watch. “I’m afraid we’ll have to cut the welcome short. Rufus, Trevor, Evelyn, and I have a meeting with the installation commander to iron out a few details. We’ll catch up later on the obstacle course.”
More next time.
This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.
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