Scott Taylor

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2023

Stories (11)

11 Stories

211 karma pts

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“The Interloper” by Scott Taylor

“You know damned well why I am not going to work at NASA.”Smoke filled the bar as people around her took notice of her tone. The wind howled outside on the northern slope as she sat closer to the stove. Besides the wind, there was the sound of his heavy breathing among the static caused by the unusually intense auroral activity.“Sammy, this isn’t about me or you; this is about something much more important.”General George Richards had not called his daughter by that name sin...

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“I See You” by Scott Taylor

“I’m fine. Find someone else to mother.” Howard clenched his teeth while pondering his next move. He knew she was not fine. The nausea she ignored as a bug lasted too long to be a ‘bug.’ “Can I get you some chicken soup, maybe some rice?” Sarah glanced at him, flaring her nostrils as if she were a stallion waiting to bolt out of the gate of the Kentucky Derby.

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“Unlikely Bed Fellows” by Scott Taylor

Unlikely Bed Fellows “My, it’s rather warm today. I know you don’t know this, but I am sitting in the shade, so don’t worry about sunscreen.” The breeze made the tops of the trees close to where my parents were buried sway.. After everything that had happened, it seemed like a good idea to talk things out. Mom and Dad had turned into excellent listeners. I was a freshman in college. My parents wer...

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“K-POP-Brunch” by Scott Taylor

Contains strong language. I never expected to feel used after a fling with my assistant Valerie. Still, as our professional relationship grew and distance separated us, our friendship morphed in ways I never imagined. The last thing we spoke of was a call from a client in California. “Sylvia, I don’t understand your connection to a Korean band,” I said.

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“Rumor Has It” by Scott Taylor

Rumor Has It “It surprised me that you left your phone number. Are you ok?” Gloria was a lady I met at a bar. We had been mugged on the beach after we met. I stopped the criminal with choreographed precision, not thinking about how my actions would affect my date. While I was at the police station going over the night’s events a dozen times, she left for work. “I t...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith 'Targets'” by Scott Taylor

Bullets ricocheted off the stone wall protecting us. Kill or be killed was the only important fact to remember.It wasn't all that many years ago that my neighbor taught me how to shoot. He and I entered shooting competitions before teaching me to hunt. The neighbor was not only a pilot and ex-Air Force, but he enjoyed outdoor things like hunting. He was a man's man. Three things he taught me before he died. Self-defense, flying, and marksmanship. He was also the father of the one I would marry.The enemy...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith, The Headless Pilot Pirate, Part III” by Scott Taylor

Monday didn’t start as I was used to. Instead of a taxi, Gloria drove me to the airport after dropping Tammy off at school.“How do you like this family man stuff?” She asked.I smiled as I watched the red lights ahead. A storm, typical for this time of year, had passed through the area the night before. Litter on the freeway had traffic slowed to a crawl as people dodged around debris from an overturned truck.Emergency services had several lanes blocked. I wondered if I would...

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“Living The Lie” by Scott Taylor

Screams from the living room sent Sarah away from the dishes to break up the disturbance from her children.“Elizabeth, don’t hit your little brother.”Billy wanted the Doll Elizabeth laid down while playing on a smartphone.“But Mommy!”Elizabeth protested as Sarah removed the Doll from her daughter’s hand and returned it to Billy.“Why can’t he play with your doll?”“He’s a boy!”Billy was one. Who knows why he was interested in t...

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“If at first, you don’t succeed… ” by Scott Taylor

Big Ben had just struck noon. I had been asked to come out of retirement for a special mission. The Queen had asked me to investigate a person of interest who left for the States on the 11:15 flight from Heathrow. They had bought into the idea that this person knew something about a mysterious flying object seen over a military base. It had been years since I had been in the States. ...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith ‘Who Am I?' Part II” by Scott Taylor

The image of Tammy and Gloria’s sister walking away at the airport left me empty inside. Gloria would take the red eye back to Dallas, and I would do what I do, fight bad guys. The love I had willingly ignored after Connie passed haunted me night after night. During the day, when I was actively searching for digital villains or the payload they left behind, my emotions were locked away. In the wee hours, when slee...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith ‘The Good’ ” by Scott Taylor

An excited voice on the other end of the line was one I had heard many times before. No matter the vagueness of the threat, the process begins the same way. Someone did something that allowed a cyber threat to penetrate their system. My job is to neutralize the threat, repair or replace the data, and harden their network against future attacks. Monday morning started as so many others tha...

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Author bio

Retired from the corporate world, I am focusing on the autumn of my life. Turning my back on technology, I paint portraits, among other things. I play music and teach myself new instruments while waiting for the next idea to materialize. When asked why I write, I respond, ‘I like my worlds better than this one.’ Following Laura for years on YouTube, I support her efforts by participating in these contests. I direct the Carrollton League of Writers. Assisting others to achieve their goal of being published is a passion I don’t take lightly. I guide many here to Reedsy as we seem to share similar intentions. If you like my stories, you will probably enjoy my first novel, ‘Earth’s Last Hope.’ It is sci-fi that is soft science and brutal reality. Doctor Richards figures out who she is while working to save the world from extinction by aliens. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Scott-Taylor/author/B0BQCX3SRH https://www.carrolltonleagueofwriters.com/ My blog is here... https://wordpress.com/home/thetimedok.com -Best