#author 18-17

[captainswanbigbang]

CSBB Snippet

Here’s a snippet from a CSBB work in progress for you to enjoy!

The radio buzzed, hummed quietly in the background, the only sound in the otherwise silent car as they drove. And drove. And drove. Out of London city, out of the metropole and into a new county.

She glanced over to him, watched him out of the corner of her eyes and saw that the moment had passed again. Instead of trembling, his fingers tapped the rhythm of some eighties classic against the dark leather of the steering wheel.

“Okay. I have to ask the question: are you kidnapping me?”

“I know better than to kidnap you.”

Emma narrowed her eyes.

“Still doesn’t completely answer the question, Killian.”

His focus left the road before him and went in search of her.

“I am not.” His eyes and brow emphasized his words before returning to the highway ahead. “We’re almost there.”

Having finally received a hint about their destination, Emma let her eyes roam around, scanning every traffic sign for whereabouts they were and what—or better yet where—Killian’s ‘almost’ could mean. The only thing the boards told her was that they were close to Southend-on-Sea which only told her theme park.

“Are you taking me to Adventure Island, because when I said I liked adventure,” she said, the words mirroring those she uttered when they first met, when they were—more or less—strangers. “I didn’t quite mean it like that.”

“I know.” Killian rolled his eyes. “Now if you’d be so kind as to wait until we arrive.”

“You’re sure you’re not kidnapping me to Belgium or something?”

His look spoke volumes and Emma shut her mouth. The best decision in this situation—the situation where he was her only way of safely getting back to London. Patiently waiting and peering in silence, it was.

She could smell it before she could see it: the salt in the air, briny taste of it on the tip of her tongue.

The sea.

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[captainswanbigbang]

CSBB Snippet

Here’s a snippet from a CSBB work in progress for you to enjoy!

They watched the final seven minutes of the match without a hitch and without anything notable happening. They did a close up of number five again and some other easy-on-the-eye players but besides that, it stayed uneventful, the competition ending with a tie between the two teams and both audiences and fans equally content and disappointment by the outcome. Killian grabbed the remote control and as soon as the analysts appeared on the screen again, he pressed the red off button, the image fading to black and taking the background noise with it, only leaving a comfortable silence between them. “So Swan, did you actually enjoy yourself or was it only tolerable thanks to the beer?” There was a vulnerability beneath the surface of that question, under the humor in his words, one that proved he did want her to have enjoyed herself, to not have disappointed her. “I have to admit that I did have fun watching it.” His face lit up. “I’m still calling it soccer though.” “Fair enough,” he conceded with a slight bow of his head, a strand of hair falling in front of his forehead. “Can I get you another?” A quick nod towards her now empty beer bottle and the question made the hesitance rise in her chest. She should go home. The match was over, the purpose of this get-together was fulfilled, her job was done. But there was something holding her back, keeping her from getting off of the cozy couch, putting her shoes and jacket back on and walking out, slamming the door behind her and leaving all of the enjoyment and attachment in his apartment. He would let her leave, she knew he would give her a choice and he would pretend it wasn’t as much of a letdown to avoid making her feel guilty, to avoid entrapping her. It was exactly that notion that caused her to feel at ease, that made her want to spend time with him, more than she should.

Her obligations and longings were as far from one another as they could be. Polar opposites. So far that she had to make a choice between the two, pick left or pick right to reach one destination.

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[captainswanbigbang]

CSBB Snippet

Here’s a snippet from a CSBB work in progress for you to enjoy!

A dense downpour covered the streets, distorting the view. Emma walked, all of her senses heightened—her ears searching for any sound that did not belong. She didn’t trust the dark that enclosed her, nor was she pleased with the curtain of rain. She was at a disadvantage and she knew it, knew that this was exactly why he had waited before informing her where their meeting would take place. Why he chose for it to be this late. He wanted the upper hand and Emma couldn’t do anything but to hand it to him. She was but an employee, a hired informant that could be laid off at any moment.

The rain was just a welcome bonus, she supposed as she trudged on, avoiding puddles that had gathered; he was powerful but controlling the weather required some magic that he, a mere mortal, did not possess.

The cobblestones of the alley shone with a layer of rain, the water enhancing the sound of her high boots echoing against the stone. Emma was already regretting her choice of footwear. It was drawing attention to her, attention that might not be wanted.

She checked her phone for the umpteenth time since she had left to be certain and it handed her the confirmation she sought. This was it, it told her, the brightness of her screen causing her to squint against the artificial light. She had reached her destination.

And she was all alone.

That didn’t seem right.

Her eyes slid across her surroundings, searching for a sign of life, a clue that someone else was present, but found none.

“So, Ms. Swan.”

Emma was startled by the voice surfacing out of the shadows. And the man accompanying it.

“What have you found out?” Mr. Gold asked.

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[captainswanbigbang]

CSBB Snippet

Here’s a snippet from a CSBB work in progress for you to enjoy!

She scanned the crowded bridge before her again, adjusting the camera around her neck. Its synthetic band was uncomfortably chafing against the skin of her neck, turning it raw and itchy. In a soothing manner, her hand massaged the dry patch of skin, but to no avail. She had to stop thinking about it, the irritation would only get worse.

A distraction presented itself and Emma let out a relieved sigh when she obtained a visual confirmation that the selfie-taking girl had not ruined everything. It had taken her more that a week to figure the whole situation out, to know where she should be and at what time. The shortcuts she was supposed to take were etched into her mind, a detailed map with a moving X. Left here, two blocks ahead another left, she could almost do it with her eyes closed—if it weren’t for the other people.

If anyone ever asked her what her dream job was, her answer wouldn’t be crossing around London by foot, but she’d made the choice for this profession a long time ago—after she’d been beaten up as a bail bonds person far too often—and it had stuck. She was good at what she did and after a couple of jobs, her reputation began to proceed her, offers coming from left and right, giving her a wide array of choices and letting her be picky, a luxury she could not afford when she was younger. It helped her to be able to fly to another continent and pay way too much for her shit apartment.

The move here was a bit radical, almost crazy, but she’d been asked and she was never one the pass up on a good work opportunity. Her ties back in America weren’t deeply rooted; they could easily be yanked out to start afresh and even though she’d had some mournful and aghast responses to her news, all of her friends knew her enough to have prepared for this situation, to always have kept an eye open for the impending moment, the sudden flash when Emma would get sick of the suburban life and would want a whole one-eighty. The whole picket fence life… well, she wasn’t there yet and doubted she ever would.

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