C James

Chapter 114: Hunting the Hunter High above the sparkling sea, Basingstoke glanced down at Kookaburra, taking note of her course, so similar to his own of southeast. By now, Basingstoke was almost certain that Trevor’s promises to return had been false, but he still held to a shred of hope. That hope died as Basingstoke climbed past ten thousand feet and, ahead, he saw the wake of a high-speed boat, on a bearing for East Wallabi. A look through his binoculars as he grew nearer confirmed; it

Hunting the Hunter is up. MikeL came up with the chapter title. (thanks Mike!) I also need to mention that the next chapter will post in TWO weeks (sorry) However, it's in a good cause; the GA Spring Anthology will be released next week, and all being well I'll have a story in it: Infinite Density. I've been working on that (it's about the size of two Circumnavigation chapters), which is why I'm late with the next chapter. CJ

The name of the coming chapter (I'm late announcing, again!) is Hunting the Hunter. And yep, Trevor was not inclined to just passively run away... he was looking to turn the tables. Of course, that could (literally) put his head on the chopping block if he's not careful. Maybe Trevor's cooking is a greater danger than the approaching hit man? Bridget has been in that business longer than most of them have been alive. She's also very upset about losing her operation.

I can’t say enough good things about my team. Without them, my writing would be just files gathering electronic dust on my hard drive, never seen by anyone but me. However, that’s not all; they inspire me. Sometimes it’s very lateral; one will make a comment on something, maybe not even about writing, and then, or later, it will bubble to the surface and make its way into a story. Or, while looking at a typo one of them caught, I’ll see how a paragraph or scene could be improved. There are many ways they have input to the writing, and I am quite sure that they don’t realize just how much they contribute. They do even more than they know. I consider the stories that go out under my name to be not just mine, but ours. They truly are a team effort. Who are my team? That’s complicated. First, the guys who work on every chapter and story, and work it is. What they do is hard, oft thankless work. Bear in mind, I’m dyslexic, so typos are huge issue, to name just one. I try hard, via proofreading and running spelling and grammar checks in Word, to catch all I can before inflicting the chapters on the team, but a lot gets through. Catching typos, though, is just one small part of what they do. All make comments and offer opinions and ideas, which I find more precious than gold. Here are the regulars, the ones who have to put up with me week in and week out, and I’m going to do this alphabetically, for I could think of no other way. Emoe, Editor extraordinaire: He is, as he has been for many years, my guide, my teacher, and the man who polishes, fixes, and smoothes. More times than I could ever count, he’s taken a phrase, sentence, or passage that was convoluted and awkward, and changed it, making it better than I could have ever managed. Graeme: My mentor, a great author who guided and taught me when I was learning (and I’m still learning!). He is wise and insightful, with a special gift for characters and personalities, and for seeing what I cannot. More times than I can count, he’s come up with an idea for how to fix or improve something. He’s also inspired me many times without even knowing it, when something he has said triggers a new train of thought. RedA: A technical expert in many things, he most often reads for technical accuracy, and also lets me bounce what-ifs off him, to see if they’d work. It’s in large part his knowledge that gives my current novel, Circumnavigation, its real feel when it comes to yachting, and he helps in many other aspects as well. MikeL: The oft-grueling task of spotting and fixing my typos often falls hardest on his shoulders; he is usually the first who reads for typos and errors to see the draft pages. He also makes comments, observations, and reads for continuity, and asks questions that let me know how things look from the other side of the page. TalonRider: He offers his keen insight and thoughts, along with his skills at the grueling task of catching my goofs. His comments tell me how things are coming across to the reader (it’s often hard for an author to know exactly how something will read to someone who does not know the plot). Low Flyer: Truly gifted, an expert in grammar and structure, and he has keen eyes for spotting things that are amiss. Beyond that, his comments are insightful, and he has caught many things that I have missed, and also his comments have provided inspiration. Now, two guys who have helped me tremendously, including betaing an occasional chapter and scene, whom I certainly consider to be members of the team. However, their insightful comments in the forum are also an inspiration and tremendous help to me; Benji & Wildone. Also, to all the wonderful people who leave me feedback in the forum, reviews, PM’s, and E-mail; you are my inspiration, and your feedback give me the invaluable insight of letting my see the story through your eyes. Thank you. There are so many more I should thank, and so many things I should say about my team of friends, but were I to list them all, this post would be novel-length. All I can really say to sum it up, is THANK YOU for all that you do, and it is my honor to work with you. CJ

Good point! Yep, the situational awareness that Trevor has (due to being at sea so long (it's a skill solo sailors have to have) was what saved them. As for Bridget; she did lift the hit on Lisa and Joel, so maybe she's not all bad? 0:-)

To paraphrase the immortal words of John Paul Jones, when faced with overwhelming odds and dire circumstances, and when asked to surrender, "I have not yet begun to whine!"

Thank you!!!! Yes, Vote Cia in 2012!!!! And I was indeed framed..... by an eeevil conspiracy!!! And BTW, Jan, As I've said, *ALL* the awards won (Circumnavigation won Best Hosted, and Bridget won best antagonist) are, by right, shared equally by our TEAM, so therefor, that makes you King of Cliffhangers too.

Bridget is indeed a force to be reckoned with; she's survived for decades in a profession that tends to be a short career. Thanks!!! But but but... I never use cliffhangers! I was framed!!!!! I think this is a case where, for the sake of unity and harmony, we should all agree to just... blame Wildone. But but but... I was framed!!!! And fear not... I shall avoid any and all cliffhangers with my usual meticulous care. But but but... A goat would never have anything to do with a cliff! But I shall be campaigning this year, even though not eligible... I'm already thinking that Cia 2012 has a great ring to it!

It's especially bad for the Costa brand. I'm going to go have a look to see if they are running any bargains; I've spent a total of about 5 weeks on Costa, and they aren't bad. (when they don't sink, anyway).

Yep, he did; he put in a complaint to the customs service. But, like all bureaucracies, one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing.

For those that doubted the existence of a vast, eeevil conspiracy against me, it is my sad duty to report that not only have I been framed (again!!!) for king of cliffhangers (I never use cliffhangers!!) but they hacked into my signature, so the King of Cliffhangers award appeared at the end of every post I've ever made on GA, every PM, everything!!!! I have since fixed my siggy, but all I can say is, this proves the conspiracy is out there, and it's out to get me!

Chapter 113: Head Games Trevor, still drying in the sun after his deck shower, bounded down into the cockpit, his stomach growling. “Hey cooks, we need food!” he bellowed. “Slave driving bastard!” Shane grumbled, looking up from the spear guns before turning to Joel and saying, “Still, the bastard has a point; it’s time to eat, and we daren’t let him near the galley; his cooking could be the death of us all.” Trevor was raising his middle finger in reply when he, long accustomed to scannin

Head Games is up! Say hi to Bassingstoke.

We're about to find out, but you are intuitive as always! Thanks!!!! They picked it up when Kookaburra was in Fleet Base West, but didn't realize what it was. It did piss off HMAS Perth's weapons officer though!

What is bothering me is ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR DAMN MINDS reporting the ship's position? Basically, they just rang the dinner bell for the pirates; it's hard getting on board a ship like that when it's at speed, but far easier when dead in the water. They don't need to take it anywhere; just get aboard and they have a thousand hostages. Reporting the ship's position (Costa was nice enough to do this in an early press release) is nothing short of insane IMHO. Why put those people at far greater risk for no good reason? And yeah, this isn't far from where Trevor was hit. Not the worst area for pirates, but they do hit ships in those waters sometimes, and the Costa Allegra is now a sitting duck.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank and credit by wonderful team; the stories that go out under my name are a team effort, not the work of one person. You guys are the best, and THANK YOU!! And thank you as well to Cia for the graphics, and to Talonrider and the WST for running the awards. Special thanks to all readers who voted in the awards (irrespective of who you voted for) because these awards mean a very great deal to authors and their teams. Now, regarding the (gulp!) cliffhanger award. I've been framed!! I demand a recount! Heeeelp!!!!!

She had it planned, but was flushed out early, so it almost went very badly for her.

Don't worry, all shall be resolved in the coming chapter, "Head Games", when things truly come to a head...

ACK! Don't believe the rumors!! There are no cliffhangers in Circumnavigation!

But but but... It's not a cliffhanger!!!

It's definitely not a cliffhanger. After all, Basingstoke isn't even mentioned, so nothing to worry about. She came up unlucky a few times; she got shot, then the coin toss went against her and they sent the Jayhawk after her instead of the decoy. She does indeed have good organizational ability, and ruthless cunning. If she wazs heading up an organization, I can imagine what her idea of "severance pay" would be... Her boat is indeed well-named. While writing that chapter, I made (and caught a few minutes later) a goof; "The Sea Witch roared on, at the helm of her boat..." A Freudian slip? Bridget isn';t likeley to win any popularity contests, is she? Some of the new classes of cutter will be far better armed, inclucing with Phalanx CIWS guns, a point defence system that would have reduced Sea Witch to kindling. The powerheads on the spearguns were mentioned whiloe they were at Rhys Lagoon, long ago. They make a very nice weapon. A very great deal of light will be shed on secrets hidden, and we don't have long to wait. It's in the coming chapter. Bridget has been a drug runner on and off for decades. Via that, and her knowledge from George (who, as part of the drug task force, sometimes liased with the Coast Guard) she knows thier rules of enagement and capabilities. And, with knowing that, she knew that if she could take out the police choppers, she had a better than even odds chance of getting away. BTW, almost every tactic shown (and maybe all... I just don't know) has been seen in real Coast Guard encounters, and the drug runners often do get away. Maybe she'll end up like the Eric in "For the Love?" Okay, a question: WHERE IS BASINGSTOKE??? I'm amazed that no one has noticed... something. BTW, the coming chapter is called "Head Games".

Sorry I've been offline for a while and am so late replying!! Usually I try to reply to every post, but I'm rather constrained regarding possible spoilers at the moment. I've also been having internet connection issues. I must say, I'm shocked, absolutely shocked, that anyone could say that there was a cliffhanger! One note about the coast guard cutters; asside from a few icebeakers and arctic-service cutters, their hulls are not armored. Far from it, they are quite thin. This is true for real warships as well; armored hulls basically went out after WWII (for new construction, anyway). If Sea Witch hit the cutter in the side at speed, it would be a non-survivable event for both vessels. The cutter could probably survive (with heavy damage and some flooding) a head-on strike. Sea Witch isn't a small boat; she's about 1/3 the length of that cutter. The captain ordered full reverse to reduce the relative speeds (like slamming on the brakes in a car when faced with a head-on collision). CJ

Chapter 112: Blood in the Water Engines roaring, the wind in her hair, Bridget stared at the oncoming Coast Guard cutter, now looming large dead ahead. Beside her, Billy, too scared to speak, flinched and shut his eyes as Sea Witch roared across the remaining few yards. Due to the danger they posed, Bridget had for many years kept abreast of Coast Guard cutters, their armaments, and procedures. It was obvious, even from a picture, that they could not fire directly over their bows. However,

Blood in the Water is up. Nice and relaxing, I think... BTW, on a serious note; I've been beset with internet connection trouble, plus a major project at home, so I've been mainly offline. My apologies to those I owe forum replies, comment replies, e-mail replies, or PM's to. I'll be caught up in a few days at most, and I'll get to them by then at the latest. Oh, and VERY IMPORTANT: The 2011 GA Reader's Choice Awards voting ends on Feb 25th. The category of King of Cliffhangers (or Queen, if female) is one of many being voted upon, and this year we have four fine choices: Cia, JWolf, Lugh, and Nephylim. Pick one and Make Your Vote Count! CJ

I'm having internet trouble tonight (intermittent connection) so I'll reply to the above posts tomorrow. This is just a quick post to announce the name of the coming chapter, so those of you who are concerned that there is trouble ahead can rest easy; Blood in the Water