Excerpt from 'Citadel':

A hoarse, crazed screaming dragged me fearfully awake, a hideous spittle-drenched mouthing, the sound of a beast, not human.
I stumbled from the bed, terrified, as Barbara jumped from the other side. The screech again, and deep splashes from the pool. Drunken laughter behind it all, and Imp’s high-pitched barking.
“Where’s the little bitch, you shit! Where’s the little bitch?”
We stared out from the window to see three figures in the pool. They were writhing around, and water was pouring over the sides and onto the ground.
“What’s going on—” Barbara stopped as we both felt the house shake. Someone was running up the stairs, and the door to the garden open for the breeze!
“Jesus!” I scrabbled at the high cupboard for my shotgun, supposedly ready for intruders but out of Jason’s reach. The stock tangled in a clutch of pillowcases and sheets and I fumbled in the dark—Barbara screamed as heavy footsteps smashed towards our room. I dragged the gun clear and spun around to fire as a figure burst in on us. The gun came up, centered on the apparition, and I pulled the trigger desperately. Nothing. I hadn’t pulled the slide back. And then it was on me, pouring out a terrifying, inhuman shriek and smashing me back heavily against the wall. An agonizing crunch in my right knee, then a red tide of pain pushed me into blackness.
***

Excerpt from ‘Jason’s Call':

Emundsen raked his gaze over Ruth like she was a piece of meat. Licked his lips again.
My heart sank as Rand flicked on the stereo and the deep thumping music of Black Velvet began to play.
Emundsen sat in a lounge chair close to me. Rand took the sofa at the other side of the room.
Ruth glanced me in the eye very quickly, almost as though she was saying ‘sorry’. Then she began to dance. Amazingly, she seemed to know the moves, and how to work with the music. The two men were instantly mesmerized by her. Later I figured out I would be too if I’d spent a long time in prison.
She used the whole room. Back and forth between them, swaying her hips, lifting the skirt a little, running her hands over her body. Then she turned away from Ginger and backed up to him, pointing to the zip at the rear of the dress neck with both hands. Eagerly he stood and ripped it open. At that moment an intense white light outside passed slowly across the blinds.
Lover Boy lunged to the window, bent down a blind slat. Ginger simply sat there, mouth agape. Ruth put her performance on hold.
“Shit! It’s a cop van! With a spotlight!”
***