NaNoWriMo2020 Completed & Words from Days 22-25: Lunar Wolves Book 1

 Well, it got busy, but the words got done. Today, I completed NaNoWriMo - and, to be frank, there were days I struggled, as you can see from the word counts below. Fortunately, I'd worked far enough ahead of the minimum, that when I needed to rest, I had enough words in the bag to make the bare minimum and crash.

However, I also believe I owe you some word count accountability and some words:

Day 22

NaNo Starting Words: 44,055

NaNo Ending Words: 46,115

NaNo Words Written: 2,060

Words on Other Projects: 6,078 

EXTRACT DAY 22: In which Oliver and Lewis are almost found out:

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Lewis went through it much faster than Oliver did, and then he went through it a second time, giving the senior were querying looks as he did so.

The team leader watched them for several minutes before asking, “How long has it been since he was bit?”

Now, that showed more knowledge of the weres than Oliver liked, but he shrugged. “Don’t know. Found him in a back alley, bit him a second time to save him, and took him to a clinic.”

“Bit him…a second time?”

Oliver cocked his head. “Like I said. Had to save him. He wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”

That much was true at any rate, and if they were using any kind of lie detector they’d pick that much up. If the equipment was sensitive enough, they’d also pick up that he was concealing something, but not necessarily that he was lying.

His guess about the truth detection was proven correct a few seconds later, when the team leader said, “So what really happened, Mr. Carlisle?”

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Day 23

NaNo Starting Words: 46,115

NaNo Ending Words: 46,615

NaNo Words Written: 500

Words on Other Projects: 5,047 

EXTRACT DAY 23: Oliver senses something's up:

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The shuttle was warming its engines when they arrived, and the mercs escorted them on board. Oliver’s feeling of unease grew worse when he and Lewis were shepherded into separate seats a merc on either side.

“What’s this all about, fellas?” he asked, glancing at the distance between him and the changeling.

The sergeant cocked his head. “What’s the matter? Having second thoughts?”

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Day 24

NaNo Starting Words: 56,615

NaNo Ending Words: 48,049

NaNo Words Written: 1,434

Words on Other Projects: 6,778

EXTRACT DAY 24: As things go from looking bad to looking worse for the boys, they receive an unexpected call:

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All Oliver could do was wait and listen…and there was no sound coming through the door.

He startled when a voice spoke in his head.

“Don’t say anything,” Florey ordered. “I saw the debacle with the boarding party. Harper and her captain kept me updated. I also caught the transmission Lewis made to his girlfriend. That was…ill-advised.”

“So you know where we are?” he asked her, head to head, and Florey sighed.

“You walked right into one of the most mercenary of mercenary companies, and like the captain said that figure is enough to tempt most. Exarch need no tempting. They just make the business decision that’s best for their coffers. New recruits aren’t it.”

“Any advice?”

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Day 25:

NaNo Starting Words: 48,049

NaNo Ending Words: 50,121

NaNo Words Written: 2,072

Words on Other Projects: 6,147

EXTRACT DAY 25:  In which Oliver and Lewis are returned to the planet...but things are not going to plan:

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“Run!” Florey screamed. “Run!”

Oliver grabbed Lewis and dragged him forward, pulling him through the relatively open ground beneath the trees. A second set of engines roared overhead, and Oliver nearly stopped.

So soon?

“It’s not like I could keep any launch a secret,” she told him. “The good news is its going to take them a week to dredge the shuttle out of the bay I just drove it into. The bad news is the bounty hunters that just overflew you are some of the best equipped this side of the sun, and they’ll see your heat signatures when they go back over the footage.”

“When will that be?” Oliver asked.

“As soon as they suspect something’s not right.”

“Which will be?”

“Give them another twenty seconds,” came the less than comforting reply. “They’re being less than their usual selves, today.”

“Any more good news?” Oliver asked.

“Well, they’ll find it hard to follow your trail.”

“Why?” Oliver wanted to know. “I thought a great gaping hole in the canopy would have been a dead giveaway.”

“This is true, but the good news is that you crashed through a ssasarrew colony,” Florey told them.

“And the bad news?”

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