Short Story: Cab Ride

Cab Ride

 By

Jonathan Yanez

“You have to get out now. We have a confirmed sighting in your area.”

            That was it. The phone went dead.

            Taylor clenched her jaw, took a deep breath and sprung into action. There was no time for anything, any second they could be there. Walking down the hall she took the ancient elevator to the bottom floor and forced herself not to run as she entered the sidewalk traffic on a busy New York day.

            Pedestrians pushed past her on their way to meetings, events and errands. She didn’t dare look behind her for fear that if she was being tailed, they would recognize that she knew. Instead she used her extensive training and took advantage of her environment.

            Every store window, car windshield or passing stranger’s glasses were a small glimpse behind her. At first there was nothing. It was almost impossible to pick out one stranger from the rest.

            It was sunny mid-afternoon in downtown and a sea of bodies congested the sidewalks. However after five blocks and two crossed streets, Taylor was able to hone in on her pursuer.

            He was tall with a square jaw and long hair down to his shoulders. Dressed casually, he fit in with the rest of the crowd in this area. He fit in too well.

            Her phone went off, vibrating in her pocket.

            “Hey, Mom, how are you? No, just doing some shopping. Yes, I promise to pick up some lady-like clothes while I’m out. I know, I promised. OK, yeah that sounds great. I’ll call you later tonight. Love you, too. Bye.”

            Her mother was great but always insisted that Taylor should dress more like a lady and less like a tom boy. Shaking her head from these thoughts she focused on her current situation: the stranger tailing her.

            A block later an opportunity to test her theory presented itself. A group of tourists stared wide-eyed, in the middle of the block, snapping photos every which way. Taylor approached the group in a friendly manner and offered to take a picture of them. They readily agreed and posed together, with huge smiles plastered on their faces.

            Taylor positioned herself so she was looking through the camera, back the way she had just come and toward her mystery man. Sure enough, as she took the picture he ducked into an alleyway.

             Handing the camera back to the group of colorfully clad foreigners, she continued down the street. Within seconds the man picked up her trail again, staying a safe ten to fifteen yards behind her.

            A plan quickly formed itself in Taylor’s mind as she flagged down a taxi. A second later an older taxi cab pulled up next to her driven by a rather large darkly skinned man. The driver looked at her through the safety glass that separated them, as she entered the cab.

            “Where to, Miss?”

            “Airport. Can you take the highway please?”

            “Sure.”

            They were interrupted by a knock on the door. The same man that had been tailing her stood outside with a smile. He opened the door, “Mind if I share the cab?”

            Taylor gave him a winning smile of her own, “Of course, please come in.”

            The man entered the cab, “Thank you.”

            “Where to?” The cab driver asked.

            “You can take her first I’m not in a hurry.”

            The cab driver shrugged and maneuvered into traffic. There was an awkward silence in the backseat as the two sized each other up. He was muscular and rigid, probably ex-military of some kind. His knuckles were scared and his left ear was slightly disfigured. This was going to be interesting, Taylor thought to herself.

            “So, what do you do for a living?”

            She looked at her companion with another smile, “I’m in the information industry. How about you?”

            The cab driver was waiting to enter the freeway now, the sun on their left.

            “Interesting, I’m also in the information business. Maybe we know some of the same people.”

            “It’s possible. Which company do you work for?”

            “Oh, were not very well known. It’s a private firm that tries to stay under the radar.”

            “Oh, you can tell me,” Taylor winked. “I’m good at keeping secrets.”

            “That’s not what I heard.”

            The cab was on the freeway now picking up speed, the sun streamed through the window with blinding intensity.

            “Well, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”

            There was another awkward pause as the two mentally prepared themselves for what they knew was to follow. With lightening reflexes the man’s left hand reached inside his jacket.

 He was fast but Taylor was faster. She sent a right jab that connected with his jaw and as soon as the gun was free from his jacket his wrist was in both her hands being slammed over and over again into the cab’s roof.

“Hey, hey! What’s going on back there?” the cab driver yelled, trying to both look in his rearview mirror and keep on eye on traffic.

Left hand pinned against the roof, the man struck out with a series of right punches connecting with Taylor’s face and body. In such a tight space however, he was unable to take advantage of his superior strength and most of his punches lacked momentum. Bending forward, the sun’s light blazed through the window, blinding her adversary. It gave her the split second she needed. Releasing her right hand she balled it into a fist and sent a powerful strike breaking his wrist.

The man winced as the gun fell to the floor.

“Is that a gun?” the cab driver screamed. “Oh lord Jesus!”

The fight was already over even if the he didn’t know it. Taylor blocked a straight right and unbuckled the man’s seat belt. She could see panic in his eyes as he considered his options. He had nowhere to go, throwing himself from the car at this speed was out of the question.

Taylor almost felt sorry for him - almost. A few second later the seatbelt was twisted around his neck, his left hand lay limp, his right hand reached behind him and pulled at her hair.

Her scalp screamed in agony, but she pushed the pain from her mind and instead berated herself for listening to her hairstylist and letting her hair grow out.

“Hey, hey lady,” the cab driver yelled. “You let him go, you let that man breath.”

“Sure.” She released the belt buckle strapped around his neck and the limp body sunk in the seat.

The cab driver stared wide-eyed, he looked like he might cry, “Is he—is he dead?”

“I hope so.”

“You’re, you’re not going to kill me are you?”

“Only if you stop driving.”

The pudgy cab driver’s mouthed dropped open and Taylor felt the cab speed up. Her face was going to have some bruising and she could taste blood on her lip, but other than that she didn’t seem the worse for wear.

Going over her dead companion’s belongings didn’t reveal much; no ID, no wallet, just the gun and a cell phone. Maneuvering through the phone revealed an empty text message box and only one call. An incoming call received an hour earlier. Taylor redialed the number and pressed the phone against her ear.

“Is it done?” A strong, elderly male voice asked. “Jax, are you there? Do you have it?”

“Jax can’t come to the phone right now. But now I’ve heard your voice. I know who you are. And I’m coming for you.”

Cover Reveal Confirmation

Cover Reveal Update

     I just received two new covers for The Elite Series. That's right not one but two! Not only does the cover for book two "The Trials" look amazing but "The Beast Within" has gotten a face lift as well. My awesome publisher and the entire team at Limitless Publishing have done it again and created two more amazing covers. I'll be posting them here as soon as I get the go ahead but trust me you will not be disappointed. 

     As The Trials begins the editing process I want you all to rest assured that book three in The Elite Series is soon to be underway. I'll be starting the first draft on Tuesday and I'm looking forward to revisiting characters. I know it sounds silly but I almost feel like I'm going to go hangout with friends I haven't seen in a long time. As always I'll be sure to keep you updated and let you know as soon as I do. 

P.S. On a side note I've also been working on a New Adult mystery/suspense that is finished and with my beta readers now. Titled "Bad Land" the book is completely separate from The Elite Series but I hope to have it in the hands of my publisher by early to mid June. 

The Elite Series book two: The Trials

The Second book in The Elite Series, The Trials.

     Okay so obviously there is only so much I can tell you about book two because my publisher would kill me but more importantly I don't want to ruin the story for you. What I can tell you is that book two is finished and in the process of getting its own cover. I also want to give you a sneak peak into the places that Connor, Laren, Katie, Lu, and others will be taken over the course of The Trials. So since I can't actually tell you I'm going to show you. Starting with the picture above and the two below. 

And...

No it's not what you're thinking. Nope still not even close. Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for The Trials.

Cover Reveal: Return of the Taken by Shane Scollins

Coming June 2013…

Synopsis:

RETURN OF THE TAKEN: Humble Walker Book 2

When a prominent religious scholar, goes missing without a trace, Humble Walker becomes a desperate mother’s only hope to find her daughter.

The clock is ticking on a deadline that is not negotiable. Deep in the lair of an immortal enemy, a wicked plot is unfolding. Humble and his team are the only ones with a chance to stop it, but the cost may be too great.

Ancient mysteries come alive and the fate of the entire world is at stake. Not even Humble’s immense abilities are going to be enough to fight the powers they’ve come up against…

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17888272-return-of-the-taken

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shane Scollins is a freelance writer and Amazon best selling author. Originally from New Jersey, he now resides in Upstate New York with his wife, Heather. He has a degree in computer science and has worked as an automotive service manager, a website developer and a computer network engineer. In his spare time he enjoys playing ice hockey, riding his mountain bike, and strumming on his guitar. Primarily a SciFi and paranormal novelist, Shane enjoys taking readers on surprising and unexpected journeys that twist reality. He is currently working on his next book

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shane-Scollins-Author/208046712568634

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shanescollins

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4893553.Shane_Scollins

Website: http://www.shanescollins.com/

The Beast Within Available in Paperback

Book One of The Elite Series Available in Paperback

     After much debate the original cover was decided on to showcase the paperback version of The Beast Within. Thanks to everyone who has been waiting patiently but now the waiting is over. You can purchase your paperback copy of The Beast Within through amazon by following this link http://www.amazon.com/dp/1484859693

     I also wanted fans of The Elite Series to rest assured that my publisher and I have been hard at work not only with details of The Beast Within's release, but also with book two in The Elite Series. Book two of The Elite Series titled "The Trials" is completed and in the capable hands of the publisher for editing. I'll be sure to keep you all updated with the release date and information as soon as it becomes available.