Sneak preview of my 2nd novel

Cynthia Fridsma
My first novel:Hotel of Death the chosen one

After I published my first novel, I decided to work on my second novel that entirely takes place in Boston during the terrorist bombings that took place on the marathon of April 19, 2013. When I saw the horrible images on the news, I felt the goose bumps, just like the 9/11 attack in 01.

Here in this blog, you can read the prologue I wrote.

Title: Hotel of Death: the black widow, written by Cynthia Fridsma

Prologue

The yearly marathon on Patriot’s Day started four hours ago in Boston. Jack looked at his watch and expected to see the second group of runners any moment.

“I bet you a kiss that we see the second group of runners within five minutes,” Jack yelled over the noise of the crowd. The streets were full with day-trippers and residents talking excitedly as they waited to welcome the runners. The Sun did its best despite the chilly wind and it felt warmer than 52 degrees F when the wind died down for a little while.

Catherine smiled at him. “OK, I’ll give you a kiss if they appear within five minutes. But if you’re wrong, then you'll have to kiss me instead.”

Jack smiled at her. He was happy that she was with him. Jack had only known Catherine for a month but in his heart, he has known her all his life, they had been through a lot together. Their dreadful adventures at the hotel on a hidden place nearby the Cedar Grove Cemetery still brought shivers on his back. His fingers stroked her soft hair that hung loose around her shoulders. Catherine’s hair had a few playful waves; that’s the way he liked her hair the most. It was a lust for his eyes. He hugged her and together they looked at his watch. Six minutes passed by before the runners appeared.

“You’ve lost!” she shouted and grins at him with her bright green eyes.

“OK,” he surrendered willingly and rewarded her with a kiss. She closed her eyes and he did the same. His hands touched her head gently and he bent over to kiss her again. This was a bet that he didn’t mind losing. In the background, he heard the crowd cheering. Apparently, a new runner appeared. But he didn’t care. All he cared for was this woman in his arms, the love of his life. Nothing could go wrong today. All the doubts and worries of last month slipped off his shoulders. He wanted them to enjoy each other without thinking about the next day. His temporary substitute Tony took care of his tasks at the ATU – the Anti-Terrorism Unit - and Catherine’s aunt Sybil didn't report strange activities either; she wished them a nice day.

He enjoyed the warmth of Catherine’s lips. It was a long time ago that he felt so good with a woman. After his divorce with Dorothy, he didn’t expect to fall in love again. But now he felt the butterflies of love when he was with Catherine. She made him complete and there was still so much to discover. Jack toyed with the idea to take a week off to explore the West Coast with her.

A loud explosion shredded his daydreams. Startled he let her go and looked around. A second explosion followed. Instinctively he let himself drop to the ground and pulled her with him. He went on top of her to protect her with his body against the glass shards and flying debris. He used his hands to protect her face. His gut twisted and he desired only one thing – keep her safe! Anxious he looked at her because broken pieces of glass flew around in the air and some of them touched them. He inspected her face. To his relief, he only discovered a few scratches on her. Nothing serious – thank god.

He wanted to say something to reassure her because he saw the fear in her eyes. He wanted to tell her that there’s no need to worry. But he couldn’t hear his own voice. Everything around him sounded dull, and he heard an annoying beep in his ears.

“Stay calm,” he shouted but he didn’t know if she heard him. Jack stood up and pulled his revolver that he always carried - even during a day off - with him. A policeman ran towards him and held him at gunpoint. The cop shouted something, but Jack, still suffering from tinnitus, couldn’t make it out. The cop came closer while Jack careful raised his left hand to get his ATU badge. The cop nodded when he saw Jack’s badge - since the dreadful killings on the cemetery last month that also costs the life of two cops, the whole police department of Boston knew about the existence of the ATU - and put his revolver back in his holster. Again, he said something but Jack made with a small gesture clear that he could not hear so well. Worried he looked at Catherine, who didn’t move and bent over to help her on her feet. He puts his arm around her shoulder while he felt something wet on his neck. Automatically, he touched his neck and then looked at his fingers. Blood!