Neil Colquhoun's Journal

TEASER! an extract from the new, beefed up 'Jimmy and the Black Wind'

From it's humble beginnings posted in parts on Twitter to the expanded version on my site, the version I'm working on is the real deal. And once it's finished, then hopefully you get to see it in print.

So, without further ramblings from me, here's the extract below -

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Jimmy and the Black Wind (Book 1) - a teaser extract!

At the end of the docks, in an area that is run-down and poorly maintained is a building that has seen it's fair share of events over the years.

Initially used as a storeroom by the dock operators in the early days of their trading business, it soon fell out of favor as the area expanded. And it didn't take long until it was neglected as more modern buildings were added to the complex. As the surrounding lands were swallowed up by expansion, the building faded further into the background.

The padlocks and chains that were fitted have remained in place since the day they were fitted. The doors were closed and the hinges seized up from years of misuse. Windows collected grime and mold. Everything inside was covered with an undisturbed layer of fine dust. The only tracks visible in the building were from the birds which flew in from the broken skylight and the animals which found a way in.

For years, the animals and birds were the building's only occupants. For years, they were the only living things which set eyes on what the building housed. They didn't pay much attention to what the objects were; to them, they were nothing more than a place to perch or roost, an obstacle which had to be traversed in order to get from one place to the next. But even if they were able to comprehend the enormity of the objects, there was nothing they could do.

Sealed within packing crates, the writing on the labels had long since faded into an illegible blur, there was no way to tell what the objects were. To the untrained eye, the packing crates were nothing special. There were no distinguishing marks or high-security locks, the color and make-up of the crates were like countless others in countless similar warehouses in numerous locations.

When the objects were placed inside the packing crates, the decision was made to keep it simple. Hence, no adornment or anything which would draw attention to the crates. Of course, the original idea had been for the packing crates to seamlessly blend with all the rest.

But by a peculiar set of circumstances, the crates did more than blend in: they were completely forgotten about.

Several decades passed with the crates only visitors being the birds and the animals... until now.

Two figures stood at the building door. One of the men fingered the chain and padlock, the other pulled tools from a rucksack. Both men then gave one last look around them before working on the ageing lock. Within a minute, the padlock had been sprung and lay on the ground beside the chain.

The door proved to be a much harder obstacle for the men to overcome. Nevertheless, it soon yielded and opened enough for them to slip through. In such a remote part of the docks there was no need to pull the door closed behind them. Besides, they planned on being in and out real quick.

They knew what they wanted: a quick look inside to see what was stored inside, hopefully grab a few things and get out.. The building hadn't been used in such a long time, that much they knew.

The interior was gloomy and a musty smell from lack of air made them wrinkle their noses. The corridor they stood in was open at one end and it was in that direction they headed. Both men marched into the main part of the warehouse and waited for their eyes to adjust.

What they expected to see was nothing to what emerged from the gloom. The hope that there was an Aladdin's Cave to be found disappeared when they realized the vast building was almost empty.

A huge empty space stretched in front of them. The little light that was available struggled to reach every corner of the warehouse but it was enough for them to see that there were a few packing crates in the centre. They had expected far more.

One of the men sighed and took a step forward. He was stopped by his companion who placed a hand on his chest and said, "Wait a minute."

The first man was puzzled and was about to protest when he looked in the direction his friend was pointing. His eyes struggled to pierce the semi-darkness at the far end of the warehouse. He wondered what he was supposed to be looking for, then he saw it.

A faint blinking red light could be seen and the more he looked, it became clear to him that there was more than one. Stretched across the back wall was a row of the faint blinking red lights. Both men knew immediately what they signified.

"Let's go," the first man said, glancing back over his shoulder at the half-dozen crates.

They quickly reached the door they had used to enter the building. It was only then that they noticed the alarm contacts on the door. Why was there no siren or bell wailing to inform all and sundry that the warehouse had been breached?

The first man asked, "Silent alarm?"

"Yeah," replied the other, a short stocky man, his nose bent slightly to the right as a result of one punch too many in a drunken fight. That was not to say he couldn't handle himself and help to protect anyone who was in his company; the problem was he liked to drink. It was as simple as this: get him off the drink, or at least get him to drink sensibly, and you would have a powerful ally. His name was Archie Forbes but his surname should have been Bannister and in the city, that name was a very powerful one. But for a curious quirk of fate, Archie would not have been attempting to steal from an old dilapidated warehouse; his career path would have been one which didn't involve the underworld but one where he lived the high-life, the rich, rich life.

(c) Neil Colquhoun 2009-2010

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Well, there you have it. What do you think?

I know it's only a tiny part of the big picture but it's new and that's good! And it's completely new content, not in the original Twitter postings or the expanded version.

Leave a comment please and come back for more exclusive content from the story as it's being written.

Stay Alive

[posted by Neil]

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