Angler: Litmoo

Submission to a Iced

Submission to a Iced

The death scene was clean. No blood, no gunshot holes, noknife wounds. No problem, except for that annoying dead body. Icepick thought, “Maybethe death was natural causes. Yeah right. Lilli was perfectly healthy. Damnfitness freak. Maybe it’s not murder. Maybe. . . shit. It doesn’t matter howshe died. What the hell is her body doing in my office?”

Icepick dialed the mortuary. He recognized the voice thatanswered. “Hey Stuart, it’s me, Schmidt.”

“Icepick! What’s a big-time law...

Submission to a Iced

“Anyone else been around asking about her?” Icepick inquired
“No. You expecting someone?”
“Not sure. This situation has me baffled. Someone’s trying to frame me.”
G-Man looked surprised. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I hadn’t talked to Lilli in a month. There’s no reason for her to be in my office. No reason for the police to show up at the same time as me.” Icepick trailed off as he headed to call on Dave.

Submission to a Becca's Roots

she would try a new look. Something savvy. Maybe pearls, from Target, with jeans and heels. She never managed to feel savvy either.

The phone rang. Kendra was panicking because her son, Daniel, had a fever and rash, and her husband was out of town. Becca would have to fill in for Kendra at Sublime tonight.

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

“You’re right, uh, correct, RinBin,” Matt replied. “I was wondering why so many races are here at the same time. It is more common for a disco to attract beings from two or three colonies on one night. Some of the species here tonight do not mix well.”
“Mix well?”
Aargh, Matt thought, frustrating! “Some of the beings in line are enemies. More likely to kill one another than speak to one another.”
“Yes.” RinBin leaned and looked at the line.

Submission to a Iced

George ran into the body prep room. “Icepick, there are two cop cars parking out front and we’re not expecting any for funeral escorts. They here for you, man?”

Icepick, G-Man, and Dandy Dave glanced from one to another. Of the three of them, Icepick was the only one attracting heat, at least today. G-Man and Dandy had their secrets, but nothing working at the moment. Nothing like a murder wrap.

Since Ice was driving a rental car the cops wouldn’t know that the Honda Civ...

Submission to a Iced

Wings. Lunchtime. Icepick pulled into a KFC. His cell phone blasted Jail House Rock, the tone he’d assigned to his criminal defense attorney, Bryan Longstreet. Icepick considered bestowing the nickname, Bugsy, upon Bryan. Bugsy seemed like a crime-related name, and besides his eyes were buggy and you can’t have a criminal lawyer named Bryan. It doesn’t sound menacing enough.

“Hello,” Icepick answered.

“Mr. Schmidt, this is Bryan Longstreet. There’s a new development ...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

“No one. Eat your breakfast. Are you ready for that math quiz today?”

“Yeah, I did that homework last night. Can I go over to Michael’s after school today?” Tommy asked.

“Sure.” Allie’s heart slowed to a normal pace. She didn’t want to say yes, but she was relieved that Tommy was already distracted from the man-at-the-door topic. With luck, by the time Tommy came home from Michael’s this afternoon the episode would be completely forgotten. Maybe today would have a bright s...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

“It’s not our home, Jason. It’s my home. You’re dating, so back off. You have no right to say who comes into my home.” Allie barked. “Tommy’s fine. Get over it.”

“Yeah? I’m still making the payment on that house, and Tommy’s my kid. I don’t want him living with someone sleeping with every jerk off the street,” said Jason.

Allie hit the end button on her phone and slammed it to the desk.

Tina peered over the cubicle partition. “Now I know something’s up. S...

Submission to a Iced

“Good to see you too,” Icepick replied. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention death, okay?”

“Get over it and give me a hand. This box is heavy,” she said.
Icepick took one side of the box and helped Pinky load it onto the truck. Three other boxes were already secured in the bed.

“What’s in here, bricks?” he asked.

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to know. Just hurry up,” she ordered.

“What the hell?”

“There’re Ivan’s. He hid t...

Submission to a Iced

Icepick tramped past the box and peered inside the warehouse.

Half of the usual inventory was gone. “What are you doing? Skippin’ out on me? I’ve got the biggest stake here.”

“No, Ice, honest,” Pinky sputtered.

“Yeah, right.” Icepick stepped closer to Pinky. “Sneakin’ around the mortuary, emptying the warehouse. Where’s the inventory? Maybe you’re the one framing me. Planning to run this operation by yourself?”

“No, Ice, honest,” Pinky’s eyes dar...

Submission to a Iced

The warehouse was as empty as the house had been the day after Lilli cleaned him out in the divorce. What the hell, he thought. Icepick headed for the hidden safe that was built in to the floor of the back office. Empty. He walked back outside and stared again at the ice pick in the dirt. Can’t leave it here, but now I have to dispose of a possible murder weapon. Damn, this won’t look good. He reached for it, then removed his zip-up sweatshirt and used a sleeve to pick up the incriminating...

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

Matt landed with a thud. His body splayed out like a cartwheel in stop action and the contents of his pockets spewed across the floor.

“Ando, clean this mess up. Stuff him in that container. He’ll be out cold until after we deliver him.” Dap waved his arm and turned, heading toward the front passenger cabin.

Ando reached for the strewn items. “What do you want me to do with this shit?”

“I don’t care. Try having an original thought moron. Or would that cro...

Submission to a Becca's Roots

“Of course they’ll sell. Look at his fresh interpretation of…”

Fizel interrupted. “I’ve made the offer. You don’t have to push it. Perhaps you’ll be joining Hamilton in New York. He could use someone to keep him focused on his work. I won’t pay expenses forever, you know. In fact, you could stay at my Manhattan Pied-a-Terre.” Fizel took a step toward Becca.

“Pee what?” A twang escaped Becca’s lips.

Submission to a Iced

Dirk took another look at the restaurant receipts. Most of them were from Amore', and the totals appeared too large for one person, even with a hefty bar tab. "Hmm," he thought, "maybe not quite so pitiful. Dinner for two at a place called Amore' isn't picking up the tab for a buddy at a Sports Grille. Interesting. Who's the other broad? Another reason to ice Lilli?"

He stuffed a photo of Schmidt in his pocket and picked up his hat. Four or five times a week--Schmidt isn't just a re...

Submission to a Iced

“After-hour activities?” asked Dirk.

“Yes, she was involved in a bird smuggling ring.” Pinky shifted in her seat.

Dirk pulled at his collar, and then laughed. “Bird smuggling. Yeah, right. A no brainer, huh?”

“No. Really. Exotic birds. Very lucrative.” Pinky uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them in the other direction. She folded her arms defensively.

“Exotic dancer, maybe. But birds? You almost had me going there, Miss Tibierri.” He returned to...

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

“They won’t have enough time. I’ll be ready to extricate him.”

“Not cleared.”

“I’m clearing it. Get it done in the next 20 minutes if you want me to work for you again. I can do jobs your other operatives cannot do. Are you willing to lose me for the simple cost of a controlled exposure of Schuster?” Rinbin countered.

Web mother hesitated. “In 20 minutes for one hour, no longer.”

“Confirmed,” replied Rinbin. He closed the communications channel and a...

Submission to a Becca's Roots

The two women turned to face him, their scowls shooting dark arrows in all directions. Josh stopped dead in his tracks.
“Becca’s not going.” Kendra wagged her head from side to side.
“Bull, no way I’m not getting on that plane.” Becca and Kendra returned to their toe-to-toe confrontation.
“Ladies, please.” Josh approached.
“Stay out of this cowboy.” Becca aimed a punch at his face.
Josh intercepted the blow with his right hand. “What the hell?”
“Exactly,” ...

Submission to a Vampires' Buffet

Thomas found Dante wandering in a circle at the park. “Where’s Candice?”
“Don’t know. Looking for her. She just disappeared.”
“Well old boy, not such a good hunter, I guess.” Thomas laughed.
“Bloody hell. I’m hungry. Let’s go back to the buffet. There’s plenty to choose from”
“Sorry chap. Off limits. John will stake you himself if he finds out you’re feeding. You’ll get a pass for trying it the first time, but that’s it. No exceptions.”

Submission to a Becca's Roots

“Huh?” Josh looked at the carrousel. “Oh, yeah.” He lungedtoward the passing bag and tripped on a Louis Vuitton dog carrier. The yappyYorkie inside the bag growled and barked like it thought it was a Germanshepherd.

A woman approached, apparently wearing a mask. Oh no, sorry.It’s no mask; it’s her face, botoxed so thoroughly all lines and wrinkles werevanquished along with any capacity for movement except at the jaw. “EEEEKKKK. Youmonster.” She ran toward Josh in six inch strides on...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

TaleBait’s Get Hooked Write Away Contest 
Hook your readers in the first few lines, or starve for attention. Your hook, or opener, sets up the tale and pulls your readers in. TaleBait’s Get Hooked Write Away Contest challenges you to write a hook, 100 word maximum, that will get readers reading and writers writing. Sharpen your craft and increase your creativity. 

Winners receive a critique of 30 pages by a literary agent or a...

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

Matt woke from his dream in abject terror.  Rinbin wasn't who he said he was.  He put his faith and his very life into the hands of a fraud, and called him friend.  Matt breathed in deep gulps of air to calm himself.  As the terror subsided, he became acutely aware that he was in a big overstuffed bed wrapped in thick soft furs.  He sat up and tried to blink the sleep from his eyes.  His head hurt.  Had he been drugged again?

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

"No, darling, it wasn't R.B., you were targeted by these lobe inducers we found.  Schuster had many enemies, including me.  I don't know what he stole from your files, but we think it was destroyed, leaving you the only one with the information and they want it."
"So this lobe inducer scans my brain and tells them what I know?"
"No, the lobe inducer plants false memories into your brain to break the trust between you and R.B.  Their hope is to catch you alone.  Their extraction m...

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

"She is an extraordinary thief, and she has many renowned thieves in her employ."
Matt followed Rinbin to the den where they had his files laid out for him.  They were sorted chronologically which made it easy for Matt to run through matching up with the way he remembered the cases.  He ran through the files then shrugged his shoulders, "They're all here.  Whatever they are after, must be in those other files when I was loaned out to military intelligence."
Everyone at the table ...

Submission to a Destiny's Annex

Matt and Rinbin were given a new craft, but it had a tracer on it just like his original craft had.  As soon as they had breached the outer rings, Matt turned on the communicator and dialed in an older encryption code.
"Matt," Rinbin said, "do you not think they know that code already?"
"I hope so."  He picked up the mic and said, "Jimmy?  Jimmy?  You don't have to answer, just listen.  I need you to go get the file from grandpa's cabin on Lake Finch.  Be careful little brother, ...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

Marissa stared into Petrov’s eyes and thought for a moment.She couldn’t—shouldn’t trust him. But she knew if Petrov wanted to kill her, hewouldn’t bother with conversation first. He never played cat-and-mouse. Hisstyle was quick, silent, and deadly. “Why should I trust you, of all people?”

“Because you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“For how long?”

“You can’t take Dmitry alone. He would never expect the twoof us working together. It’s your only chance. You can listen to my...

Submission to a Shards

Marissa stared into Petrov’s eyes and thought for a moment.She couldn’t—shouldn’t trust him. But she knew if Petrov wanted to kill her, hewouldn’t bother with conversation first. He never played cat-and-mouse. Hisstyle was quick, silent, and deadly. “Why should I trust you, of all people?”

“Because you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“For how long?”

“You can’t take Dmitry alone. He would never expect the twoof us working together. It’s your only chance. You can listen to my...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

            “Are you sure you want to do thisAnton?  You‘re not having a very goodday.  Sounds to me like you lost thelittle boy, and you already misplaced your daughter.  Maybe you should just call it quits while youcan.“

            “Where are the ledgers?“

            “I don‘t know,  Anton, where is your daughter?“

            “You don‘t need to worry about mydaughter.  You just need to te...

Submission to a Allie's Choice

“You‘rebluffing.  You don‘t have my daughter.“

            Drew patted his pocketsagain.  “You got me.  I don‘t have her...on me.“

            Footsteps pounded up thestairs and Chooch burst into the room panting and gasping for air.  “Boss, Deke is dead and the boy is gone.“

            “Shit!  Get the girl.“

            Chooch ran out the room.

            “Tell me where my ledgers are,or I kil...

Submission to a Shards

 Petrov leaped on a truck, waving his AK. “Maybe we see each other again…maybe not.” He winked and pointed to the sky off in the distance where a flight of choppers dotted the sky.

She shrugged Haroon off. First Clark, then Khad-bhai’s wife, then Khad.

She flipped on the cell. “Clara. Listen…”

“Marissa…I had no choice…”

“Clara…I know…don’t worry. I need some time to get lost.”

“…I…I’ll send in some confusing data to the choppers…I can buy you some time…wh...