This World That Bleeds: Civil War
an excerpt

Jake was having the time of his life. He had just blasted a few of King Burr’s soldiers and he was readying the next grenade when he heard the sound of running feet pounding on the hard earth coming up behind him. Turning, he brought up his handgun, arm steady and aim true as he waited to see if who was coming up behind him was friend or foe.

When he saw General Adam, his face relaxed but he did not lower his gun.

“General Adam!” Jake said with a falsely cheerful smile. “What brings you here at a time like this? I would have surely thought you to be in the thick of things, giving orders, receiving orders, maybe even doing some fighting yourself. I did not however expect to find you taking a nice stroll through the woods.”

“Shut up you no good thief!” General Adam said, a growl lacing his words. “Are you trying to get me killed or are you just being your usual self and disregarding everyone else’s safety but your own?”

At General Adam’s words, Jake’s eyes turned cold.

“Actual General,” Jake said his tone very pleasant and in no way distracting from the malicious grin he wore. “I was kind of hoping I would get to see your cold dead body before the night was over.”

“I helped you!”

“And now I am finished with you,” Jake said as he pulled the trigger. His aim was perfect and the General jerked back, eyes seeming to cross. Blood, bone and gray matter flew out behind the General, spraying the tree behind him. Blood also splattered across Jake’s face, arm and part of his chest.

With his wide eyes and grin, the added gore gave Jake a madly sinister look. He was positive he looked a fight and planed on using it to his advantage. Turning his back on the now dead General Adam, Jake went back to preparing the next grenade, all the while whistling a jaunty tune.