"I'll be back": circa 1350

Finally, Lord Guan spoke: "If I fail, my head is yours."

Cao Cao had a draft of wine heated for Lord Guan before he mounted. "Pour it," said the warrior, "and set it aside for me. I'll be back shortly."

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

Where do Westerns and Action movies come up with their awesome scenes and dialog?

Maybe from "action books", which I never would have thought was a genre. And this book has cliffhangers, too:

What was the outcome of the fight?

Read on.

Every chapter ends in that fashion.