What's Next for the Slaughterhouse? Sneak Peek for Exclusive Content Subscribers
Here we are with only a few days left in the month! February is going to be filled with lots of thrills and chills. Kicking off on the 1st is the release of Pact, the second short read in the Slaughterhouse series. I feel as though I have been neglecting my subscribers so I thought I would bring you the first part! If you are reading this prior to February 1st, you can still preorder it on Amazon so that you may continue reading it once released.
Enjoy!
Here’s the legal bit:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact jensequel.com
By proceeding to read the horror content herein, you acknowledge and consent to engaging with potentially disturbing, unsettling, or frightening themes. Your voluntary participation signifies an understanding of the genre's intent to evoke fear or discomfort. Reader discretion is advised, and please prioritize your well-being by opting out if you find the content too intense or distressing.
Day 5
The air was crisp yet pungent with the acrid smell of burning. The firelight danced upon the water courting the moon as she peeked timidly from behind the clouds and reflected her image on the river's surface. As though she too didn’t dare to stare fully at the havoc the war was wreaking across the earth's surface.
Still, the fire was a beautiful sight.
Much better than viewing the shells of abandoned homes and vehicles and overturned boats the daylight brought. Not to mention the bodies.
Fire was pure. It cleansed the earth so that nature could reclaim what was rightfully hers.
Soon, they wouldn’t need to worry about the chaos on the shore. They were heading deeper into the forest now. Farther than many men have tread for centuries. At least the men that still donned a charade of civility.
It would become more dangerous now. The men on the small ship stood and watched the fires for a time. Each lost in their thoughts. Each, she supposed, dreaming of home.
Her eyes admired the fire for what it was. But stayed searching the shadows that bordered the trees. And watched the ripples on the river herself. There were worse dangers than men now. And she had a job to do.
6 Days Ago
She had been in her apartment exactly ten minutes when the knocking on the door began. She frowned, muttered obscenities under her breath, and grabbed a towel from the rack as she stepped out of the shower to answer it.
Two soldiers snapped to attention and saluted her when she opened the door. The younger one who stood in front blushed at her lack of clothing.
“Well?” she asked, wanting to get this over with so that she could continue her shower.
She could still smell the stink of blood mixed with fire.
“The Admiral wishes to see you, Ma’am.” He presented her with an envelope. “We’re to escort you to the base, Ma’am.”
She sighed and took the envelope. She was expected at 0900. She looked at the clock, her frown deepening. She had thirty minutes.
She closed the door, left the men outside, and returned to her shower. It would be the last one for a while it seemed, and she was taking every precious minute she had to enjoy it.
4 Days Ago
“You’ve been reassigned.”
Officer Reigns dropped the bag on the dock and stood to accept the orders extended to him by Lieutenant Commander Evans. After reading his new assignment, Reigns slapped the letter back onto the officer’s chest.
“Our tour is over,” he said. “This was our last mission. Check with Admiral Kent.”
“I’m not quite sure you understood the letter, sir,” Evans stated, his jaw clenched. He wasn’t used to his orders being questioned. “It wasn’t a request. It is a direct order. And it was issued by Admiral Espinoza. Admiral Kent is dead.”
Reigns narrowed his eyes, looking over Evan’s shoulder to the woman standing behind him. She was slight in build with thin black hair that fell past her shoulders. She was dressed in a black duster over similarly dark clothing with no insignia to show a military rank. Slung across her body was the strap to a large, black, equipment bag.
“We’re not a ferry for civilians. My men need R&R. We can leave in two days’ time.”
He turned to reach for the previously left bag on the dock. Evans was about to object when the air was pierced by the loud report of a gunshot. First Class Petty Officer Reigns’ head disappeared in a haze of red as the bullet tore through his skull. His body collapsed on the dock.
Evans jumped, not anticipating the gunshot. His hand instinctively pulled his firearm yet stopped when he noticed who had fired. All eyes turned toward the woman who held a Smith & Wesson M&P R8. Her expression was unreadable.
She pointed the weapon at the next man standing on the dock.
“Do you have any objections?”
He swallowed, looked nervously at Evans who had already holstered his weapon, and returned his stare to the woman. “No, ma’am. Not a one.”
“Well, all right then,” she returned the weapon to the holster on her upper thigh and smiled. “You’ve just been promoted.”
I hope you enjoyed this bit from Pact! Preorder it now.
In case you missed the first short read in the series, you can grab a copy of Feed now.
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