Metal Boxes - Rusty Hinges (33 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

United Empire Navy officer Ensign Senior Grade Blackmon Perry Stone sat on the veranda of his guest bungalow. He propped his bare feet up on a small wicker ottoman. The overhead fan swished back and forth with a slow rhythmic monotony, but the pleasant onshore zephyr overwhelmed its delicate breeze. The view of the black sand beach and calm, blue ocean were stunning through the grove of thirty foot tall ferns surrounding the building. The scene wasn’t spoiled in the least by small groups of families and military personnel playing in the mild surf.

Picking up the fruity drink off the side table, he swished it, unconsciously matching the rhythm of the fan overhead and the roll of the surf from the beach. This wasn’t Peach’s Rest, but it sure beat living in his assigned BOQ room. He glanced over his shoulder at Allie asleep in their bed, her half-naked body, lying twisted in the sheets.

The amenities here were much better than even his room aboard the Rusty Hinges. A thank you note to Queen Danielle was definitely in order. She offered him the use of his old governor quarters for as long as he was on the planet. He may not have any official duties while on leave, but Allie was filling in his nothing to do time quite nicely.

He wanted to ignore the space commander’s invitation to visit their new piglet colony and review their progress. He couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than spending quiet time with Allie. He wanted to ignore the invitation, but he wouldn’t. The piglets put on quite a feast and throw one heck of a party, once they get past their speeches.

He shifted slightly as a loud screech filled the air. No strange odors wafted up from the beach alerting him to danger, but he looked anyway. Newly promoted Sergeant Barbara Tuttle was holding Petty Officer Third Class Tim Dollish over her head. With a heave, she tossed the young navy man into the clear, clean water. The screech had been one of delight. Dollish even managed to keep his swim trunks on this time. Tuttle followed Dollish into the water with a wild spray.

The light warm wind blowing in from the beach brought him the fragrance of cinnamon. The odor wasn’t pleasant like cinnamon on snickerdoodles. This fragrance had overtones of burnt garlic so strong he could almost taste it on the back of his tongue and it made his eyes water. He knew the drifting odor and it wasn’t a good thing.

Stone was halfway to the beach at a full run before the guard towers made their clack and whir drive to their height. A sharp report cracked through the air and the towers settled back down. A small geyser spouted far out to sea, well beyond the safety nets. The all clear sounded. The partiers on the beach barely looked up from their fruity drinks, books, or games.

Turning around, he walked back to his bungalow.

Allie sat up in the bed, the sheet pulled up to her neck. As he entered, she dropped the sheet and wiggled her fingers in a “come here” command.

The End

Books

By

Alan Black

Science Fiction

Metal Boxes

Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside

Metal Boxes - Rusty Hinges

Chewing Rocks

Empty Space

Larry Goes To Space

Steel Walls and Dirt Drops

Titanium Texicans

Christian Historical Fiction

(An Ozark Mountain Series 1920 Trilogy)

The Friendship Stones

The Granite Heart

The Heaviest Rock

(An Ozark Mountain Series 1925 Trilogy)

The Inconvenient Pebble

The Jasper’s Courage

The King’s Rock

General Fiction

Chasing Harpo

Western

A Cold Winter

Non-Fiction

How To Start, Write, and Finish Your First Novel

About the author

www.alanblackauthor.com

Alan Black has been writing novels since 1996 when he started
Eye on The Prize
. He is an Amazon #1 bestselling author for
Metal Boxes
, a young adult, science fiction, military, action adventure and he’s a multi-genre writer who has never met a good story he didn't want to tell.

Alan spent most of his adult life in the Kansas City area. The exception came at the orders from the U.S. Air Force when he was stationed in Texas, California, Maryland, and Japan. He and his wife were married in the late 70s and lived in Independence, Missouri, but now live in sunny Arizona.

Alan Black's vision statement: "I want my readers amazed they missed sleep because they could not put down one of my books. I want my readers amazed I made them laugh on one page and cry on the next. I want to give my readers a pleasurable respite from the cares of the world for a few hours. I want to offer stories I would want to read."

Praise for Alan Black’s books

Chewing Rocks

Chastity Snowden Whyte only has a small chip on her shoulder. No problem. She’s an asteroid miner and works alone. But author Alan Black knows that comfortable characters don’t make for good reading. From page one, he piles problem after problem on Sno, keeping the reader turning pages to find out what happens next. Chewing Rocks is engaging science fiction and a fun read.

Goodreads review by Paul Bussard on
July 06, 2014

Empty Space

Funny, disturbing, and poignant.

Funny, disturbing, and poignant...not how I would usually describe a SF space novel. This book, while well written SF has a lot to say about social class, society, humanity, and the human condition. Our protagonist is almost an anti-hero as he's someone you root for throughout the novel, even though he's a serial killer at heart.

This is a great book, and I didn't want to put it down but it has thought provoking components throughout the novel and intertwined with action, adventure, and technology.

Amazon review by
Fred
on March 20, 2015

Larry Goes To Space

Easy read with some surprising depth

This is a fun book full of wry humor. It's an easy read with what seems to be a fairly straight-forward plot. But, there is an underlying genius in the narrative. I think a lot of different types of readers can get something out of this. Definitely recommended.

Amazon review by
Greg Trickey
on January 23, 2016

Metal Boxes

WOW!

What a great rip-roaring adventure, I loved it from page one to the end. A grand space opera with a very likeable main character of Midshipman Stone.

I am reminded of Heinlein's writing with the humor, drama and palpable love the characters show for each other, I felt like I was reading a Lazarus Long story. Which is very high praise! This is the first novel I've read by author Alan Black, but it won't be my last. I don't give very many five-star ratings but this one is well deserved, I'm sure it will come to be considered a classic of the sci-fi genre, it's that good.

Amazon review by
last spartan
on April 28, 2015

Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside

Page Turner...who needs sleep?

Shades of Heinlein and Ringo. I am hooked and can only pray that Alan Black continues to bless us with his yarns. So fresh in theme and direction reading his stories reminds me of so many firsts as a teenager. I've read each of his Boxes stories twice to glean any facet I may have missed the first time. Sad to have come to an end ... now I wait for sequels.

Amazon review by
Reg Tyson
on on September 12, 2015

Steel Walls and Dirt Drops

Military sci-fi ground pounder action in space–so cool!

A long time reader of military science fiction, I found this book to stand with the best like David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers and Redline and anything by Dietmar Wehr. I hate spoilers in reviews so am in a turmoil because I very much want to shout out the so cool surprise ending – but I won’t.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the author builds the story putting the hero in situation after situation that challenges her abilities causing her to grow and develop. Even more, she is a commander we can all like. She is smart, savvy, honest with herself, deals well with her people, has self-doubt where it makes sense to, and not automatically so beautiful she would be completely unbelievable. I even like her better than David Webber's Honor Harrington because she feels more real.

The author does not take the easy, predictable route to the good guys always doing the exact right thing. There are plenty of good guys doing the wrong things – sometimes for the right reasons, but still wrong. There are other good guys mostly doing the right things, but then have lapses of judgment. Sound like what a real commander might face in a tight situation? It all rang true to me. So not only are there good human insights (in outer space – people are still people after all) there is also a lot of quick well-paced exciting action with a great military elite.

The science is believable and just the right amount to support the deep space situation and keep the story moving without being overwhelming. There a few twists I absolutely didn’t see coming – I love that in a book.

Amazon Review by
Sandy
on September 28, 2014

Titanium Texicans

Alan Black's work will suck you in!

I am not good at reviews, but this is the third work of Mr. Black's that I have read in three weeks because his writing captures my imagination. I like good space operas because they last longer, but Black's stand alone works are great because they leave me satisfied at the end and not disappointed that there isn't more to come.

Titanium Texicans is a page turner full of authentic dialogue with concepts greater than the satisfying amount of sci-fi technology woven into a well-written coming of age story. Take the time to read it, I certainly wasn't sorry that I did.

Goodreads review by
Michael A. Cox
on June 13, 2015

The Friendship Stones

Alan Black hits a home run with his book, The Friendship Stones. Its poignant story set in the Ozark Mountains in the early 20th century, brings to mind the life and stories my father lived while growing up in the southern North Carolina mountains. It is a life that today most of us do not know as we are accustomed to many luxuries and technology. Mr. Black brings an appreciation of what it means to cherish every little thing in life while appreciating the beauty of the world about us. It is set in a time of simplicity and hard work, and its main character, LillieBeth, accepts this with humility and determination to follow the lessons she has learned in life, both at church and from her family. Even in this simpler time, the world is flawed and the antagonists come in different characters. The suspense and tension they bring keeps the reader on edge and turning pages.

I highly recommend this excellent book and suggest all readers should continue reading the books of The Ozark Mountain Series.

Goodreads review by Nancy Livingstone on
Jan 26, 2015

The Granite Heart

Heartwarming Historical Fiction

Alan Black takes us back to the 1920’s, to the Ozark Mountains, and back into the world of twelve year old LillieBeth Hazkit, who tries to live by the teachings of God, but finds life can sometimes be confusing, brutal and too unforgiving to always accept that God has a plan for all contingencies. Her strange hermit-like friend has been killed, her teacher has lost her job through no fault of her own and the impoverished mountain town becomes a colder and less friendly place for someone with a heart as big as LillieBeth’s. The archaic and small-minded double standards set her teeth on edge and she is determined to stand strong and be heard, no matter what. The men who murdered her friend and raped her teacher have been captured, but enroute to the county seat they escape and kill one man while injuring her father. To LillieBeth, justice must be done, plain and simple and she and her former teacher, Susanne Harbowe set out on an impossible mission to hunt down and capture these monsters.

Told from Susanne’s point of view, LillieBeth’s story takes on a new depth as she makes her mark on the hearts and minds of those who know her. Alan Black has created a warm and inviting tale that places the reader back in time, to a place so remote, it’s almost as if the rest of the world does not exist. Simple joys, complicated pain and a loss of childhood innocence shake LillieBeth’s world and harden her heart, while forcing her into the world of adults.

Alan Black creates a world filled with history, rich in detail and well-developed characters that worm their way into your heart and mind. That I could feel LillieBeth’s feelings and see what she saw is the mark of an amazing author who deserves to be read.

Amazon review by
Dii
(
TOP 500 REVIEWER
) on August 22, 2014

The Heaviest Rock

Strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you ...

This series is one of the most enjoyable ones I have read. It has heart, action, humor, strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you right there through till the end. Can't wait for the next one 'wiggles on' for those of you who don't know what this means I guess you will just have to get the book and find out for yourself, big hint it is so worth it !!!

Amazon review by
Tammie
on March 2, 2015

The Inconvenient Pebble

Always great

The author has developed a great character who we as readers want to follow. I'm not into the religious part but it really makes the main character who she is and what she does. I hope the author has a lot more of this story for us to read.

Amazon review by
Dave R
. on July 4, 2015

The Jasper’s Courage

Anger, Retribution, and Fulfillment

Once again, five times in a row in this series, Alan Black has roped me into a story that has filled my belly with anger, flooded my mind with a desire for retribution, and then filled my heart to overflowing. Unlike many series that seem to fall away from their origins, this book delivers on the promises of the first four books. It makes me want to be more courageous.

LillieBeth Hazkit is caught up in more problems than a seventeen-year-old girl should ever have to deal with, but that is like life. Our problems do not come at us one at a time. LillieBeth has the courage and fortitude to face her attackers head on, inspiring the readers to take a stand in their life.

Unusual problems? Not hardly! Read a paper. What was happening in 1925 Ozarks is going on around us today. This book should appeal to all ages, races and creeds. I could hope for more in a book, but I couldn’t ask for better.

Amazon review by
NonStop
on November 11, 2015

The King’s Rock

Saying Goodbye to LillieBeth with the perfect end to a Wonderful Series

Alan Black brings LillieBeth Hazkit’s tale to an end with the final book of the series, The King’s Rock. After watching LillieBeth grow up, this is a bittersweet finale, but perfectly timed, because she is now an adult, still set in her ways, not very flexible and on a mission that could be her last in life as she knows it. LillieBeth’s horses have been stolen and she is determined to retrieve them and bring the thieves to justice. With a reluctant Leota at her side, their journey will take them back to Arkansas, the place Leota ran from to escape the clutches of her father. Will the journey give Leota the strength to face her fears and the man who has made her life a living hell? Will LillieBeth show Leota the kind of trust and faith she so sorely needs to grow as a person? Will they find and retrieve the horses without unnecessary bloodshed? How far will LillieBeth go for justice?

Life is always in flux and LillieBeth’s is now at a crossroads as she must determine which path to follow and listen carefully to what her heart is telling her. This is her time, these are her decisions to make, will she make the right ones? Her future lay in the balance, as do the futures of those she cares about…

Alan Black made me feel good about saying goodbye to LillieBeth, not “happy” good, but assured that she is on the right path for the rest of her life and has also pointed the way for those she has called friend. Mr. Black slips into the voice of LillieBeth and has given her a hard-headed personality, limited filters for her thoughts and a strength of character that few could rival. His ability to create a world that breathes will have his readers walking the dusty roads, feeling the raw heat and humidity and believing you are there in the Ozark Mountains of the early twentieth century. This is a series that will stay with me for a long time to come!

Amazon review by
Dii
(
TOP 500 REVIEWER
) on December 30, 2015

Chasing Harpo

Loved this book!

Alan knows how to write to engage the reader. Chasing Harpo had me laughing in some parts and on the edge of my seat in others. He has obviously researched the mannerisms of Orangutans and is able to describe the apes point of view with ease. The characters are believable and the writing style flows well. Great read.