But as much fun as it was to create new characters, it was a huge challenge creating the other elements of the story. I feel confident in stating this has been my most challenging novel to write, mostly because of the God Games. I had to create a series of unique events for my heroes and villains to participate in. This turned out to be pretty hard, as the events themselves needed to be both interesting and fun to read. Without a doubt, the hardest event to create was hezball. I had touched on this sport briefly in Incident 27, and at the time, I had no intention coming up with rules for it. But for this book, I decided to really challenge myself and create a new sport that could actually be played in real life. What I ultimately came up with was this amalgam of football, basketball, soccer and rugby. If you’re reading this right now, hopefully you liked the finish product. If not…*shrugs*
At any rate, I’m proud of what I have managed to accomplish with this series thus far. I’m planning on finishing the war with the next volume, so stay tuned and enjoy. And, as always, thank you for your patronage.
--April 2015
First Look
Where Gods Dare
Warden Jane stood in the Control Center, an odd mix of fury and excitement building within her. Part of her was enraged at the audacity being displayed here, yet another part was thrilled someone had the guts to try this.
The room itself was darkly lit with most of the light coming from the video screens and computer monitors lined up along the far wall. People sat at small desks in front of said equipment, typing information and manipulating the camera feeds.
“I want good news, and I want it now,” Jane said.
“We’ve identified one of the culprits,” one of the operators said from his station. “It’s former Zero Grade officer Minerva.” Two images appeared side-by-side on the screens in front of her. One was an older photo of Minerva, while the second one was a screen capture from a few moments ago.
Tsk. “Figures it would be her. She always was a troublemaker,” Jane said. “What about the other one?”
“It appears to be the unknown prisoner we brought in a little while ago. There are no matches in the prison records.”
Jane replied, “Expand the scope. Search the entire Zero Grade database.”
After a few moments, he said, “Facial recognition software has found a match. Minerva’s partner is the Level 5 criminal Ev Bannen. He’s wanted for trespassing, theft, destruction of Zero Grade property, and murder. He was last seen in his assault on Olympus, but his ship was destroyed by our defenses.” Images of Bannen appeared on the screens.
“Seems he survived,” she said, a slight smile forming upon her lips.
The images changed to show Minerva and Bannen running down a flight of stairs accompanied by their ever-growing army of prisoners. Jane tensed; exciting or not, the Flawless Few wouldn’t tolerate such a failure on her part. She needed to contain the situation ASAP.
“I’ll go,” Ophion said. He had been standing next to her, silently watching events unfold. “I’ve been wanting to kill that pooslicker ever since he showed up here. I’ll take the Serpents and make quick work of them.” They were his elite guard detail.
“Make sure you take Minerva alive. She’s still a high-ranking god.”
He sneered. “Don’t worry about that. I can still rough her up, can’t I?”
Jane nodded. “Just as long as she doesn’t die. Bannen you can do with as you please.”
He slithered out of the Control Center, a sadistic look on his face. He would enjoy this.
Of that, she had no doubt.
* * *
Ev and Minerva had to pass through Level 15 to get to Level Z. They soon found themselves in the prison cafeteria. It was noticeably empty; most of the prisoners they had freed were busy rioting on other levels. Only a handful had accompanied the two this far.
“All right,” Minerva said. “All we have to do is get through here. From then on, it’s a short walk to the elevator which goes directly to Level Z.”
“Should be easy,” Ev said.
“Don’t get cocky. Warden Jane still has a few tricks up her sleeve.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Like what?”
As if to answer his question, a ceiling panel suddenly dropped, along with a green figure. The newcomer landed behind one of the prisoners and, to Ev’s horror, shot out a long tongue which impaled the prisoner through the head. The now-dead man fell to the floor in a bloody heap.
Before Ev knew what was happening, four other similar figures began popping out of the walls, floor and ceiling from previously-unseen spaces. In short order, the prisoners who had accompanied them were wiped out.
The last assailant to appear was Ophion, the bastard with a stick up his ass. “So good to see you both.”
“How’d you get here so quickly?” Ev asked him.
“Wasn’t so hard. We saw you going deeper into the ship, so it didn’t take a genius to figure out you were headed to Level Z. Why else would you have gone to the trouble of infiltrating this prison if not to break out our most dangerous prisoners?”
Ev said to Minerva, “Who are these other guys? More guards?”
She shook her head. “Not just any guards. They’re the Serpents, Warden Jane’s best.” She began pointing at each one. “Besides Ophion, there’s Dahomey, Orochi, Waugyl and Typhon. We have to be extremely careful here.”
Dahomey was a good six and a half feet tall with slick blond hair and bulging muscles. Orochi was a good deal shorter with short black hair and slender eyes; he appeared to be the same ethnicity as Izanagi and Izanami. Waugyl was several inches taller than him and sandy-colored dredlocks. And, finally, Typhon was deathly pale, seemingly emaciated, with scant scraggly ash-colored hair. Ev swore he could see every bone on the man’s body sticking out. Typhon was the one who had impaled the prisoner through the head.
All of the Serpents had oily, disgusting skin with scales. Otherwise, they looked like sick humans. Each of them swayed back and forth like snakes, though, and as their tongues darted in and out of their mouths, Ev had the unsettling feeling they could strike at any moment.
“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Ophion said. He opened his mouth to give a twisted smile, and Ev saw his teeth for the first time. No, they were more like curved fangs, exactly as a snake would have. Ev wondered if they were filled with venom.
“Can we begin?” Dahomey hissed.
“Yes,” Ophion said. “I think we can.”
Ev turned to Minerva. “I don’t suppose you know their weaknesses?”
But Ophion yelled, “Enough talk! Now we play.”
Dahomey leapt at Ev, his body contorting in ways impossible for a human. He came down on Ev, locking onto his shoulders with powerful hands before exposing his fangs.
Perhaps reading his mind, Minerva said, “Don’t let them bite you! They’re full of venom just like real snakes.”
Dahomey tried to chomp Ev’s neck. Ev moved his head left and right to dodge and the snake man just bit air. He tried to pry Dahomey’s hands off of him, but they were a vise.
After several moments of this, Ev decided if the guy wanted his head, he could have it. Ev reeled back and headbutted him, sending him reeling. He then conjured his gauntlets and drove his fist deep into Dahomey’s face, resulting in a satisfying crunch from his nose.
Ev spared a glance at Minerva who was trying to hold off Orochi and Waugyl. Both Serpents seemed eager to sink their fangs into her.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to help her. Dahomey came back at him with a vengeance, but now he was joined by Typhon. Ev punched at the latter, but he twisted his body like a real snake, nimbly dodging Ev’s attacks.
Ev realized his mistake too late; he had been focusing on Typhon and not enough on Dahomey who grabbed his head with both hands and began squeezing. A wave of pain shot through Ev while his skull was being crushed.
He couldn’t see, and Dahomey’s grip was too tight to pry loose, so Ev swung his fi
sts blindly. When he felt them connect with Dahomey’s face, his kept at it, pounding away furiously. Eventually, the big man let go and Ev could see again.
He didn’t have time to breathe, though. Typhon came at him again, and Ev still couldn’t land a hit on the nimble lowlife. “Too ssssslow,” Typhon said.
Suddenly, Typhon’s head shot forward, his neck elongating in a disgusting display. He bared his fangs and tried to bite Ev.
But, sensing an opportunity, Ev let him get in close before sidestepping the attack. Typhon’s eyes displayed surprise and anger, but Ev wouldn’t give him time to contemplate those feelings. Ev grabbed his extended neck; it felt like slimy rubber in his hands. Nevertheless, he held on tight, resisting Typhon’s attempts to wriggle free. “Let go!” Typhon hissed.
“Nothing doing,” Ev replied.
Typhon tried moving his head toward Ev to bite him, but couldn’t quite manage it. Ev had a firm grip, and he wasn’t about to pass up this chance. So he twisted the neck in his arms and began swinging Typhon about. Around and around they went, picking up speed with each rotation.
In between spins, Ev noticed Dahomey coming at him again. Well, if he wanted some physical contact, Ev would oblige him. Ev abruptly let go, and Typhon flew into Dahomey, sending both of them careening into the far wall. There was a dull thud as they collided with the sturdy bulkhead, resulting in only a slight indentation. The walls here must have been made of a very strong metal to withstand such an impact. In any event, those two showed no signs of getting back up.
Ev turned his attention back to Minerva, who had downed Waugyl, but was being held by Orochi. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Ev had always wanted to say that.
“Have it your way,” Orochi said. He then charged forward at a speed Ev wasn’t expecting, baring his fangs like all the rest of these crazy snake men. Ev didn’t have time to dodge, so he brought up his arms to block. Orochi sank his fangs into them, and Ev thought he was done for.
He wasn’t.
Orochi howled in pain, and Ev saw his mouth was bleeding. He looked down at his arm; Orochi’s fangs were imbedded in his gauntlet but had failed to penetrate. They must have broken off when he bit into it.
Ev took advantage of Orochi’s incapacitation by decking him as hard as he could. Like Dahomey and Typhon, he flew backwards into the wall and collapsed.
Ev looked down at Minerva. “Are we done?”
In response, a powerful force bulldozed him from behind. Now it was his turn to fly into the wall. He’d done it before, and he would never forget the pain.
He gingerly got back up to find a smirking Ophion staring him down. “You ain’t done, kid. Not by a long shot.” Ev had forgotten about the bastard in the midst of the fight.
Ev cracked his neck. “Guess not.”
Catch the war’s heart-stopping conclusion in Where Gods Dare, coming soon.
Also by Scott Kinkade
The Game Called Revolution (Infini Calendar #1)
The French Revolution was never like this. Join Jeanne de Fleur and the knights of the Ordre as they sail the skies in their airship, the Minuit Solaire, battling to save France from a conspiracy that threatens all of Europe.
Published February 25, 2012
Science Fiction/Steampunk
Amazon US: http://tinyurl.com/lkzq6sr
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/pf9k6kj
Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/oae8ejp
Secrets of the New World (Infini Calendar #2)
The adventure continues, this time in post-revolutionary Washington. Austrian spitfire Farahilde Johanna journeys to America and gets caught up in an otherworldly invasion. Can she save the day without igniting a war in the process?
Published February 28, 2013
Science Fiction/Steampunk
Amazon US: http://tinyurl.com/pwcx5hn
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/oydesmc
Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/pkkxdt7
The Revolution Beyond Time (Infini Calendar #3)
A new journey begins a century after the previous books. Nelly Flowers accompanies her parents to Wichita to compete in the Oklahoma Land Run. But when old enemies once again threaten the world, she’ll have to find the courage to fight back.
Published December 23, 2013
Science Fiction/Steampunk
Amazon US: http://tinyurl.com/m78dyzd
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/n8qelj3
Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/n2s539c
Until We Break Page 24
