If you read a short story and you wish it was not a short story, has the author failed?

The book’s Amazon page states that it’s just 18 pages long (estimated) and it’s priced at $1.19. This is just one quick science-fiction adventure of a hit man.  As soon as he finishes this one last mission he’ll be very rich and, more important to him, free from any more obligations to the Guild.

The protagonist’s problem is that his target is not where he was expected to be, so he has to change plans and ends up arriving late. Though perhaps not too late. When he gets there the Guild has already hired some local contractor, just in case. Whoever scores the kill gets all the money.

Another problem is that his conscience is bothering him, distracting him, making him slow, when he needs to be very quick.

I’m not sure why but since page one I was seeing Charles Bronson as Desh, the protagonist. Perhaps because he is a hit man who knows his job but so far he is far from rich. He has to get this job done so things can change for him.

The ending might not be what you expect.

The author, Piers Platt, joined the US Army in 2002, and spent four years on active duty, including a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2004 as a tank and scout platoon leader with B Troop, 1st Squadron, 4^th United States Cavalry Regiment – the “Quarterhorse.”. He led over 200 combat patrols in the Sunni Triangle, and was named the Squadron Officer of the Year. He has written a non-fiction book about that year in Iraq titled Combat and Other Shenanigans: Tales of the Absurd from a Deployment to Iraq.

Last Pursuit is strictly a one-man hit-and-run story. Whatever Platt thinks of leading is not at all present here. I hope he’ll use that experience as a platoon leader to write other – hopefully longer – stories.

RATING: 8/10