Locked & Loaded: A Collection of Short Stories

by Lee Ellis

"Peer into the cold underworld of killers, cut throats and the criminally insane. Locked & Loaded brings you five stories of the dark lives lived gilded beneath suburbia and the American dream. Here there are no saints or heroes but only the corrupt and deranged; those who’ve lived each day from behind the barrel of a smoking gun. Follow a lustful assassin, a young hustler, a desperate murderer, a crazed outlaw and a victimized lover in their tales of mischief, manipulation, chaos and passion.“…a year ago nine of us were sent out… Nine professionally trained assassins. Guns for hire… there was only one do anything and everything to get the job done. Trust no one, kill the mole.”-The Mole“This town is dead. Chewed on and spit out like the fatty edge of bad meat. Sucked up by the cracked lips of corruption. Scraped dry by the cold fingers of addiction… there are only two creatures that survive in a wasteland such as dealers and users, abusers and abused. But for Mikey Frost, it’s time to get out.”- Quicksand“The Made Man, this parasite that’s grown wealthy exploiting the innocent, gained power from other’s weaknesses, has no care in the world… With a warm cloth over his eyes, gold jewelry on every limb, and a smile on his face, this Mafioso has nothing to fear. Nothing other than The Stranger creeping through his master bedroom.”-The Man Made, The Stranger, and a Silhoutte“Dirt smeared and blood stained, face dented, scarred and pricked as cactus, teeth black and few, Bobby Sixguns reeked of despair… “My names’s Bobby Sixgun!” he declared like thunder. “And I’ll unleash and unload all six of my shooters so you’ve enough holes to bleed out good and dry…”-How Cotton Mouth Crossing Burnt to the Ground“I reach behind my back and pull a large revolver from the rear of my belt as I promise them love, trust, and a prosperous future… Soon they will understand. Soon their emotions will fade. Soon they will be fearless. I destroy their morals. I destroy their ethics. As I circle the table, I destroy God’s work.”-Genesis"

98 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2011