You know Linda Hurtado as a 13-time Emmy Winning television news journalist, but she spends her nights writing romantic thrillers under the name Linda Bond. Her latest, “Flatline,” is due on May 25 via Colorado’s Entangled Publishing. It’s her first since 2015’s “Cuba Undercover,” which is about a Cuban-American TV reporter who’s kidnapped by a fierce and intensely handsome man who needs her help.
“Flatline” follows a different fictional TV reporter, investigator Rachel Wright, as her work gets tangled up with that of her ex, Dr. Joshua Salvador, who is watching people die in his emergency room.
In the excerpt, Salvador is thinking that the cause of the recent deaths could be a contaminated vaccine, so he and Wright head to the local vaccine plant to see what they can find on the night shift, when the plant will be less busy. The pair actually stumbles into another obstacle preventing them from finding the truth.
Honestly, this sounds way better than reading #plandemic truther posts in your social feed. And you can truly reel those truthers in by telling them that the scene is based on real life.
“I chose this excerpt to share because this has really happened to me as a reporter working in the Tampa Bay area—chased by a dog and hauling you-know-what to get to the news van,” Hurtado told Creative Loafing Tampa. “And the photographer in this scene is based on my good friend, a chief photographer at the ABC station in town. He helped me write dialogue. Forever grateful for my friends and their help.”
Read the excerpt below. Get more information on the book via amazon.com.
“Hey, I’ve got something.”
They turned towards Dallas’s voice.
Her photographer stood outside a ground floor window of the warehouse.
Dallas’s height made him tall enough to see in. “I think I’ve got the collapsed roof.” He flipped on the light atop his TV camera. “Still kinda dark, but I’m
rolling.”
They were all walking toward him when a low growl set off a flurry of electrical warning shots at the base of her neck. “What the hell is that?” She flipped around. Too dark to see far.
“Sounds like a dog.” Joshua turned on the flashlight app of his iPhone.
Swept the area around them.
She didn’t see any animal. “A dog?” She searched for Carla and the friend. “They keep dogs at the vaccine plant?”
“I think there’s a night watchman or guard,” the friend said. “I don’t know about dogs. I don’t usually come out here at night.”
Another menacing growl, followed by a bark. Rachel froze. The sound was closer.
“That’s definitely a dog.” Steve pointed.
Joshua hit the area with his iPhone light. “Looks like a pit bull.” His gaze locked into hers.
She swallowed, afraid to say anything. Afraid to move.
“I ain’t dog food.” Dallas’s words burst out in winded spurts as he sprinted by them. “That bad-ass dog looks madder than a hen with hemorrhoids.” His camera, still on his shoulder, bounced as he ran. “What are you waiting for?” Dallas yelled as he blew past them.
“Wait.” The blood in her temple beat so hard it hurt. “Isn’t running more dangerous? The dog will chase—”
Joshua grabbed her hand, jerking her into motion. But her body moved before her feet and her ankle turned. She stumbled.
Joshua’s arms encircled her, lifting her and setting her back on her feet.
“You’ve got about two seconds—”
The barking got louder. It was dark again. Joshua’s hands were too busy to light the way.
He grabbed her hand again, their fingers entwining as they had a million times before.
Before the break up. Before the screw up. Before.
But here they were again.
United. In action.
Carla’s friend dashed ahead of them, her movements jerky, too. Before she could take three more steps, she went down.
“Oh no,” Carla yelled.
Rachel sprinted to Carla’s friend. “Come on. Get up.” She had both of her hands under the young woman’s armpits, trying to pull her up.
Joshua was on top of her before she could help. “I’ve got her. You get to the car. Start it.” He tossed her the keys.
Thank God she had good reflexes. Keys in hand, Rachel caught action in her peripheral vision. A big dog sprinting toward her like a cheetah on the Discovery Channel, fierce in its approach.
Holy hell. Her whole body went ice cold.
She took off, a weirdly high-pitched scream squeaking out of her as she ran. Heart pumping madly, her vision became sharply focused. Get to the car.
Unlock the doors.
She wanted to look back and check on Joshua, Carla, and her friend.
Just as that thought slowed her, Dallas sprinted up to her. “You got the keys? Open that shit.”
Right. She pressed on the key, praying she’d hit the right button.
A click.
Lights on.
The car was unlocked.
Thank God.
Out of breath and sweating, Rachel reached for the car handle. She pulled.
The door opened, but her forward momentum stopped as teeth clamped down on her calf.
“Ouch!” she howled.
The sting of teeth entering her flesh shocked her. As did the instant burn.
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This article appears in May 14-20, 2020.