Welcome to a some cool fun for a hot Sunday. To celebrate the release of Blind Heat, the second book in my Pantherian Passions series, I've set up a little game related to the story.
Our hero, Marcus St. Germaine has a habit he hasn't been able to kick. At the start of Blind Heat he gives into temptation and this time it gets him into trouble. I'll be sharing the first chapter in blog posts throughout the day. At the end of each post, I'll show you a picture and tell you the name of the blog where it's hidden. Simply email Master Bond ( the kinky French Chef from The Dungeon Gourmet) lemarquis.debond on gmail.com telling him where you found the picture. For every correct answer you send in, you'll get your name in the hat. The prize is your choice of my backlist:
The Tiger's Tale (First book in the Pantherian Passions Series)
The Dungeon Gourmet
Snatch Me
I'll announce the winner Monday morning on the Words, Women, Wisdom blog.
Happy Hunting and good luck. I'll be checking back throughout the day, so if you have questions, leave them in the comments and I'll be along shortly with an answer.
Blind Heat: Excerpt 5
Biometrics. He wasn’t getting in and she wasn’t getting out.
He’d come so far only to be defeated at the final stage. Usually security was all at the front end, and there weren’t special safeguards placed around animal holding pens. Unless, he realized, what went on in those experiments was so controversial, not even all the researchers could be trusted with full access.
The hybrid wailed, a childlike sound, so human and devoid of hope that if Marcus could have clawed his way in he would have. This door, again unlike the others, had a thin sheet of metal over the wood base. Her cries magnified his frustration. How could he defeat a fingerprint reader? He needed more time. He needed someplace where he could think, someplace out from under the gleaming eye of the security camera at the end of the hall.
The office door directly across from the lab had no security in evidence. Marcus nudged the lever-like handle down easily with a paw and gained access. A quick look around showed no cameras. He looked up along the ceiling, hoping a common air duct might give him access. Nothing.
The room was lit by the soft glow of a computer screen. A screensaver flicked through images that appeared to be vacation and family photos. Marcus didn’t want to think about families, but as he paced the narrow space between desk and counter, it occurred to him whenever they were stumped by a problem, every member of his family under the age of three hundred turned to a computer for answers.
Marcus didn’t trust computers and never had a desire to use one, so he did what he always did when forced to utilize one—called his assistant. The faintness of the telepathic connection, once established, suggested Jake was distracted.
Jake? Where are you?
Babysitting. Why do I suspect it’d be more interesting to know where you are?
Marcus wished he could turn back the clock, visit his son Adam’s family with Jake instead of trying to lose his restlessness in the park. Helping care for the septuplets was the sensible, practical thing to do. What his son would do. Pain zapped through his body, as if he’d grabbed a live wire, and then was gone. A dim flicker of what the hybrid must be enduring, he knew.
No time to chat, Jake. Look up something on the computer for me?
Look up what?
How to override a thumbprint lock.
Shit!
A long silence followed the expletive and for a moment Marcus thought he’d lost his link.
Jake?
Magus, wherever you are, turn around and leave. And make sure you leave alone.
Marcus decided this was not a good time to remind Jake not to call him by his formal title.
Jake, just do this for me without arguing. Marcus swallowed a king-sized chunk of pride. Please?
There are a couple of reasons I can’t do that, Magus. One, there’s that little matter of the low profile we promised to keep. Two, I have a baby in each arm with eyelids at half mast.
Fine. There’s a computer here in front of me. Tell me what to do.
Now we’re back to that first reason.
Marcus didn’t want to fight dirty, but he was running out of options. Using himself as a conduit, he linked the hybrid’s mind to Jake. The connection lasted a few seconds before babies wailed and Jake broke communication.
That didn’t go well. Marcus hadn’t considered tension in Jake’s body would telegraph to the infants. He stared at the computer, certain it was the key, tried to remember what he’d seen Jake do to operate one. He nudged the mouse with his nose. The photo show disappeared and was replaced by a screen with tiny pictures of objects. Hmm.
He didn’t have a clue what to do next.
Jake’s thoughts broke into his. Maya is trying to reestablish calm in the nursery. She gave me five minutes, so we have to do this quick.
Maya had escaped Pantheria to avoid a forced pregnancy when she refused to choose two males to join her in a traditional mating triad. Even Maya could tame her restless urges and impulses for the sake of family. Maybe the difference for Marcus was that as high magus, all beings were his family, their suffering his duty to alleviate.
Tell me what to do, Jake.
I said quick.
You say that like I’m feeble-minded.
I’m using Adam’s computer to research the locks. Pay attention. I can only tell you this once.
Marcus had the info he needed in under a minute. The paperclip he required would take a bit more work, work that couldn’t be accomplished in leopard form. The constant shifting between states was draining his energy, but he had no choice—lock picking required an opposable thumb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This cutie is hidden at NaraMalone.com
No comments:
Post a Comment