Spider - A New America Short Story

New America #1.5

by Richard Stephenson

Three convicts have escaped from Highland Valley State Prison, a supermax penitentiary located in southeastern California. James "Spider" Littleton has parted ways with his fellow escapees, Richard "Killer" Dupree and Billy "Tank" Bratchett, and is going to take his chances on his own in the town of Highland Valley.

Highland Valley is not without it's dangers for the escaped felon. The town holds the only signs of civilization for miles and the population is made up of prison guards that would shoot an escaped inmate on sight.

Will Spider pull off a daring escape from Highland Valley, or should have taken his chances with Dupree in the desert and made a break for Las Vegas?

Genres: Fiction

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2012

About the author

Richard Stephenson was born in 1975 in Denison, TX and spent his childhood in North Texas. In 1992, he graduated high school after only three years. He then pursued his degree at Oklahoma Christian University, once again accomplishing the task in three years. Richard then married his best friend before going off to basic training to be a military policeman with the US Army. With his new wife joining the adventure, they spent the next four years at Fort Polk, LA and had two children.

Richard currently lives in Southeast Texas with his family where he is working something very top secret.

Why haven't I published anything in four years?

Well, stay tuned!

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

When inmate James "Spider" Littleton finds himself miraculously freed from certain death in a maximum security state prison, he soon realizes that he must fend for himself. Little does he know that that the nearby town of Highland Valley, in imminent danger from the same act of God (?) that enabled his escape, is not quite as easy a target as he thought it was.

This short story, which may be read as a stand-alone, is related to the author's recently published post-apocalyptic novel Collapse. Somehow, it reminded me both of Stephen King's The Stand and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

[Alan Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool short story

This is a short stand alone story, which apparently compliments a long trilogy by the same author (which I have not--yet--read).

Set a few years in the future. Drought has seized the US, and wild fires rage across California. Three convicts escape from a maximum security prison in the southeastern dessert during a smoke and dust storm which kills most of those in the prison.

Two of the escapees decide to head to Vegas on foot. The third thinks he'll do better walking to the much closer company town, inhabited mostly by families of guards...on the assumption that those headed to Vegas will die of thirst and exposure long before they get there.

This is his story.

[Randall Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was pretty good, but the plot did not keep my interest throughout. I know it was just a short story, but it did not have much going on, so I don't feel the plot was strong. The longer novel might be more interesting and more developed, and because the writing was good, it does make me want to read the novel.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fast read.

Convict escaped from prison, after an emergency. He and two others, decided to go their separate ways. This book, could have a sequel.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

With. A back story filled with pain and romance, a cast of characters so weird ad varied this book could do nothing but entertain!

The bad guys, an assortment of North Korean, Lebanese and a few choice extra's immediately grabbed my attention.
The likely hood of this combo adds much as do the biological agent they plan to use...now if only the army base OD would listen.....
Detailed and entertaining. I would recommend it to all lovers of the genre.
WaAr

[Diane Major · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Paced! I picked up this 30 page book when it was available free. At first I wasn't sure if it was for me, but soon found myself enjoying the story. The book runs at a pace. When Spider escapes from prison the journey begins. If you like action, it's definitely worth a read!

[Yvette Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a tease!! I wanted to see how the prison warders family got on back at their house... Did he get his son home ok?? What happened to the driver in the crash?? This has TOTALLY whetted my appetite for the next book!!! Hurry up July!!

[Ted Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

Very good I'M definitely going to get the other books in the series. Thanks for writing this short story. It got me hooked.

[Uncle Dave Avis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a good short book following a character from the first novel.