"Powerful short story!"
Crevan Bryne, leader of the Modartha—the Security Force—of
the Planet Faolchu, has now married the love of his life,
Bailey McKenna. Resistance leader Kona Doyle is in custody
awaiting his death. Wind Wolf, the estate Crevan—or Van to
his friends—had planned to build on his land has been built,
and Bailey has decorated it the way she wants it. Life is
good for Van and his wife. Of course, that can't continue
long and when Doyle escapes, that fact is pretty much
assured. As soon as he learns of the escape, Van takes
steps to ensure Bailey's safety. He arranges for guards on the
perimeter of the estate and has a security code which only
he knows and is changed every time he enters or leaves. When
he's called to the general's office at five o'clock on a
Sunday morning—his only day off—Van is not pleased. When Van
won't allow the general to use Bailey as bait to recapture
Doyle, he is placed in custody and tortured until he gives
up the access code to his estate. Needless to say, Bailey is captured by Doyle and
taken to another planet. Unfortunately, she knows what he
will do with her and refuses to give herself to him. Van who
is in jail being tortured while his wife is kidnapped, is
not a happy wolf. Will Van get out of jail and rescue Bailey? Will Doyle ever
be put to death and the resistance finally quashed? Who is
funding the resistance? What will Doyle do with Bailey while
he has her? WINDWOLF is one of those stories that stays with
you for a long, long time. Charlotte Boyett-Compo once again
comes through with a tortured hero and heroine and gives us
that heartfelt sigh at the end. In this story, we also get to
know Van's three brothers a bit more. I hope they get their
own stories too. Here we have a man and woman forced to
endure what no one should. And we watch as they learn how to
come to terms with what they have endured. Charlotte
Boyett-Compo is a master of this and proves herself worthy
of the title with this story.
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted May 7, 2008
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