#A2Z Challenge: Y for Yankee

During 2018’s A-Z Challenge, we wrote the first draft of “The November Deadline” and to celebrate that this is now (finally) out with beta readers, we’ll be producing a daily piece of micro-fiction linked to it – some prequel, some containing a detail not included in the story, some snippets from sequels currently being written.

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“Oh bother!”

Burnham had successfully tracked Michaela down in London – he wondered if she could indulge him in providing an outside ear. When she’d arrived, Michaela had been most put out to discover he wasn’t alone. The other man was also in uniform, but American – it was hard to miss the transatlantic twang – yet Burnham introduced him as “my cousin Ezra”, at pains to make it clear this was neither army nor official business.

Intrigued, Michaela accepted the proffered cup of tea, and sat back to listen. It was to be a long and rather unpleasant story, at the end of which Michaela remained puzzled.

“Mr… erm… Ezra, your story has given rise to many deep emotions, but I’m not at all clear how I… we… can help?”
“My apologies m’am, I ought to have been more clear. I was, in fact, offering my services to you and your team, but wanted you to understand where I’m coming from… what’s driving me you might say. I’ll be leaving the service shortly and decided not to return to the States but to remain here in England. I need a fresh start and my cousin here thought you might have room for someone with my expertise.”
“Indeed, and what would that be exactly?”

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© 2021, David Jesson & Debra Carey