Release date: March 15, 2018
Subgenre: Humorous science fiction
About Double Trouble:
Hal Spacejock dons a flash suit, hypershades and a curly earpiece for a
stint as a secret agent, while Clunk is invited to a ‘unique business
opportunity’ by a pair of rusted friends.
Inevitably, things turn sour, and it’s all hands to the pumps as the good ship Spacejock springs leaks from stem to stern.
Inevitably, things turn sour, and it’s all hands to the pumps as the good ship Spacejock springs leaks from stem to stern.
Excerpt:
There was a split second and then the doors opened. Matt dived out,
executing a graceful half-roll and bringing his weapon to bear. Hal
tripped over his dressing gown and fell on his face with a thud. His
knives slid across the marble floor, the blast rifle knocked him in the
back of the head and something rolled past his nose with a beeping
sound.
Around the lobby, conversations ceased and guests lowered their newspapers to observe the disturbance.
"Grenade!" shouted Hal. "Incoming! Fire in the hole! Run!"
Pandemonium reigned as guests leapt up and ran to and fro, shrieking wildly. In the confusion Hal kicked the grenade into the lift, reached inside and pressed the UP button. He withdrew his arm just before the doors closed, and then he loosed off several shots at the roof for good measure.
BOOM!
Dust rained down, and the elevator doors bulged. Hal saw Matt gesturing towards the exit, and they left on the tail of the fleeing crowd. They ran past the doorman and straight into the road, where there was a savage whine of airbrakes as a groundcar came to an emergency stop. The window went down and the driver leaned out. "This is a road, you maniac! You ever hear of sidewalks?"
Hal plucked a grenade from his belt and held it up between thumb and forefinger. "How'd you like an ornament for your dashboard?"
The driver ducked back inside and the car roared away. Hal grinned to himself as he went to put the grenade back, then stopped grinning when he realised the pin was hanging from his belt. He held the grenade to his ear and his heart stopped as he heard a frantic beeping over the noise of the crowd. It was live!
"Grenade! Everyone down!" he shouted, then rolled it under a black van parked nearby. The doors opened and three men tumbled out, running headlong down the road, shedding curly earpieces, sunglasses and guns. The vehicle erupted in a giant ball of fire, sailing several meters into the air before landing on its side, a blackened crumpled wreck. Fortunately, the vehicle had absorbed and deadened the blast, but even so it had been a lucky escape, and Hal vowed to treat his remaining grenades more carefully.
He ran to the pavement, where Matt was waiting for him, his back to the wall and his weapon drawn. "Did you get a look at them?"
Hal shook his head. "Came out of nowhere."
"They seem to be targeting you. You'll have to be careful."
Silently, Hal agreed.
Around the lobby, conversations ceased and guests lowered their newspapers to observe the disturbance.
"Grenade!" shouted Hal. "Incoming! Fire in the hole! Run!"
Pandemonium reigned as guests leapt up and ran to and fro, shrieking wildly. In the confusion Hal kicked the grenade into the lift, reached inside and pressed the UP button. He withdrew his arm just before the doors closed, and then he loosed off several shots at the roof for good measure.
BOOM!
Dust rained down, and the elevator doors bulged. Hal saw Matt gesturing towards the exit, and they left on the tail of the fleeing crowd. They ran past the doorman and straight into the road, where there was a savage whine of airbrakes as a groundcar came to an emergency stop. The window went down and the driver leaned out. "This is a road, you maniac! You ever hear of sidewalks?"
Hal plucked a grenade from his belt and held it up between thumb and forefinger. "How'd you like an ornament for your dashboard?"
The driver ducked back inside and the car roared away. Hal grinned to himself as he went to put the grenade back, then stopped grinning when he realised the pin was hanging from his belt. He held the grenade to his ear and his heart stopped as he heard a frantic beeping over the noise of the crowd. It was live!
"Grenade! Everyone down!" he shouted, then rolled it under a black van parked nearby. The doors opened and three men tumbled out, running headlong down the road, shedding curly earpieces, sunglasses and guns. The vehicle erupted in a giant ball of fire, sailing several meters into the air before landing on its side, a blackened crumpled wreck. Fortunately, the vehicle had absorbed and deadened the blast, but even so it had been a lucky escape, and Hal vowed to treat his remaining grenades more carefully.
He ran to the pavement, where Matt was waiting for him, his back to the wall and his weapon drawn. "Did you get a look at them?"
Hal shook his head. "Came out of nowhere."
"They seem to be targeting you. You'll have to be careful."
Silently, Hal agreed.
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About Simon Haynes:
Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, the Hal Junior
series, and the upcoming Harriet Walsh series, as well as several dozen
short stories. He is also the programmer and designer behind Spacejock
Software, and is responsible for popular programs like yWriter and
yBook.
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