Schism

Preview - Entanglement chapters 1 and 2

(Author's note:  Hey everyone!  I'm trying a new way of publishing previews...putting everything for the preview on this page!  (less obnoxious unpublishing this way) So, while I'm putting out the previews of Entanglement, I'll just keep adding every few days.  So, I hope you like this peek at Entanglement!!!)

Chapter 1 part 2 begins on page 4...

Chapter 2 part 1 begins on page 5...

Chapter 2 part 2 begins on page 7...

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 Entanglement

Chapter 1 (part 1)

Tension spread throughout his back and shoulders as Alan leaned forward.  He could do this.  He didn’t have to kill anybody today.  He wouldn’t kill anybody today.

Trying to drop the tightness out of his arms, he reached down to the grass and picked up a few loose strands.  The lawn between the chemistry and physics buildings had been mown just the day before and the chopped blades felt dry against his fingertips.

A quick bend of his knees told him they were warmed up enough to run, maybe even get up to a sprint.  He tried to push the anxiety out with a deep breath as he looked around.  The line of chemistry grad students snarled at him while the physics grads to his left all stared at him, their faces focused, intent.  He knew that not one of them was his enemy, but when he closed his eyes, the memories came back.

Immediately, he was back on the field.  His body felt stronger, more stable and the shoulder pads rocked against him as he reached a foot out sharply to the left, matched the movement of the receiver that was trying to step around him.  He lowered a shoulder, hit the man low in the ribs, hard.  The ball tumbled loose and Alan grabbed it, dug his feet into the turf and sprinted toward the open goal line.  As he ran, he shook his head.

The college stadium was gone, replaced by a small backyard.  The small body hit him, arms wrapped around his knees and he fell.  Alan laughed as his son, Alex, climbed up and pulled the football out of his hands.  As a smile grew on his face, Alan wondered how old his son had been then.  Maybe six years old?  His smile disappeared and he shook his head.

His body felt like it was made of energy as he dodged around Jennifer in the park near their high school.  She reached in and he skittered back, made her work to get hold of him.  With a laugh, she passed by and nearly stumbled before she turned to run back at him.  He sidestepped, but caught her around the waist as she moved by and he pulled her in close, both of them laughing.  She felt so good against him, always had.  Alan clenched his eyes tighter and shook the memory away.

He kept his muzzle low as he ran through the room.  Upstairs, he heard the woman’s screams again.  One of his squad mates reached out, tried to slow him down, but he sprinted up the stairs, burst through the first door.  There were three men, all around the woman.  Their woodland camouflage uniforms were half undone, but each had the patches and insignia of Bosnian Serb infantry.  Two of them reached for their machine guns and Alan brought his rifle up, aimed quickly.  The third man stumbled back, away from the woman, his hand going to the pistol at his side.  As their guns came up, Alan lowered his weight and began to fire, shaking his head.

He ducked as he walked out the door.  A book grazed the top of his head as he went out the door, the last box in his arms.  “Yeah!  Quit!”  Her voice echoed out of the house, seemed to bounce off the stone covered lawn and hit him from every direction.  “That’s the only thing you’ve got the guts to do!”  He stopped, picked the book up from the ground.  It was his copy of Atom and Void.  Oppenheimer stared up at him from the cover, head cocked to one side as if waiting for an answer.  Alan turned, looked at Jennifer and shook his head.