Book 2 in the NOK Series
Exceprt 1
“I brought donuts for everyone.”
Max stepped into the high-tech briefing room and placed the box of sweets, along with a stack of napkins, on the oblong table. He sat in his usual seat, on Vivian’s right. Dan sat next to him and then Amanda. A few weeks ago, two other team members, Brent and Doreen would have sat across from him, but Doreen had been exposed as a double agent and Brent was recuperating from broken bones and a gunshot wound.
“How are you feeling?” Vivian asked him.
It was a loaded question and the honest answers hit him full force.
Uncertain of who I am.
Like a science experiment.
Frustrated with this damn situation.
But he wasn’t about to admit any of that. Instead, he fought back the waves of twisted confusion that cursed through him and replied, “I was out and about yesterday. I’m fine.”
“You shouldn’t be out.” Vivian cautioned. “Someone might recognize you. Tampa isn’t far from Orlando.” She tapped on her keyboard and an image of FBL appeared on the four large screens behind her.
“It was a figure of speech,” Max told her.
“Huh!”
The hushed expression had been so faint, he wondered if he’d actually heard it. He looked at Dan, who glanced away from Max to the box on the table and then back again. Max ignored him.
“According to the notes you downloaded from FBL,” Vivian went on, “the virus within you is dormant right now, but if you’re not administered an antidote within eighteen days from the exact second of your last transfusion, the disease will become active again, attacking you physically and mentally and making its way into your DNA. And let’s not forget it’s been five days already, which leaves us with only thirteen days to find the antidote.”
“Do they have the antidote at FBL?” Amanda rested her arms on the table and leaned forward.
“I would assume so, but I never saw it.” Max replied.
“We need to get someone else on the inside.” Dan toyed with a pencil as he spoke.
“Too risky,” Vivian countered. “Whoever discovered Ben’s true identity, knew Max was one of us, or else, how would they know to drop him off in the garage?”
Well, if it isn’t Max Anderson.
The words echoed in his mind.
“It was a woman,” he blurted. “She knew who I was. And she also guided the driver to the parking garage.”
“Who is she?” Vivian asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see her. I only heard her voice.”
The voice of a dead woman.
“If she knows about NOK, then we have to assume she knows all of us.” Amanda deduced.
Dan scoffed. “So much for No One Knows.”
“Doreen most likely gave away our location before she was shot,” Vivian said. “But no one’s getting in here without authorization. All security measures have been changed since we discovered her betrayal.”
“She’s dead, which means she can’t say anything else.” Max said it out load more for his own sake then for his team. Doreen was dead. There’s no way he could have heard her voice.
“Let’s get back to FBL and the situation at hand.” Vivian tapped on her keyboard. “The security footage in the garage shows a white, non-descript van and nothing else. Whoever was in it, was careful not to show themselves.”
The Video played on the screens behind her.
The van pulls in. The door opens. Max falls to the ground. The door closes and the van takes off, leaving Max behind.
He’d been dumped like a discarded animal. A wounded rabid animal, left behind to die. But he didn’t die. And as long as he kept breathing, he wouldn’t let the bastards who did this get away with it.
“We need someone from inside.” The words came out before he realized it. “And I know who.” Heat surged through him as his heart thumped against his ribs. “Christine.”
The stare of his teammates descended upon him. They probably doubted his sanity. He hadn’t come to the briefing with this plan. As a matter of fact, he had no plan at all. He didn’t even know if he could convince Christine. But someone was following her, most likely under Lexington’s orders, and Max wanted to protect her. No way would he let them treat her like an animal as well.
“Christine?” Dan and Amanda questioned in unison.
“The head of technical support?” Vivian asked.
“Yes.” He started this, now he needed to see it through.
“Isn’t she loyal to Lexington?” Vivian penetrated him with her green eyes, demanding he be forthcoming with his intensions.
He could do this. He could convince his boss…his aunt. No, right now she was definitely his boss.
“She is loyal to Lexington,” he said, “but she’s not one of them. She’s just an employee who doesn’t really know her boss.”
Just like he hadn’t really known his boss…until now.
“Whether she’s willingly or unwillingly involved is irrelevant.” Vivian explained. “If she trusts Lexington, she’ll be difficult to convert, and a risk. She may tell him someone has approached her.”
“I can convince her.” He had to. Christine couldn’t go on working for someone like Lexington. She deserved better.
“You?” Vivian questioned him. “How?”
“I have a plan.” He’d come up with one as soon as the briefing was over. “I need to finalize a few details and then I’ll go over it with you.”
“You do know what’s at stake here?” She asked him.
“Yes.” That was an honest answer. “If I’m not cured in time, I’ll need another round of blood from all of you. If the transfusions don’t work the second go around, I’ll become contagious to all of you, and we could all die, including anyone else related to us.” He glanced at the three of them, one at a time. “That’s why it’s important we obtain the antidote. We need Christine.” He needed Christine. “I don’t trust anyone else at FBL.” That much was true.
“Finalize your plan and get back to me. I’ll be in my office.” Vivian collected her notes. She reached for a napkin and picked up one of the glazed pastries. “Thank you for the donuts.”
Spying on Christine this morning was easy. But approaching her? How the hell was he going to get her to turn against her boss?
“I see you were in the mood for a ride this morning,” Dan said, once Vivian was no longer within hearing.
“They do have good donuts.” Amanda selected one of the glazed treats. “I suppose none of the donut shops in Orlando compare.”
Max hadn’t considered the two of them would recognize the box, or the selection of donuts, his favorite, blueberry, and Christine’s favorite, lemon filled glazed. He had met Dan and Amanda for breakfast a couple of times while pretending to be Ben, and Christine had also been there for her morning fix. Max had introduced Dan as Donny, Ben’s best friend, and Amanda, who had transformed her green eyes and dark hair, turning herself into a blue-eyed blonde, as Megan, Donny’s girlfriend.
“So, how was Christine this morning?” Dan tapped his pencil against the table as he spoke.
“Being watched and followed.”
“What?” He shot up straight in his chair. “And you want us to approach her?”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“You’ll talk to her? You’re supposed to be dead.”
“She didn’t see you, did she?” Amanda took another bite of her donut.
“Not Max,” he told her.
She smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Dan bawled. “How are we supposed to convince Christine to spy on her boss?”
“Max said he had a plan.” Amanda replied with calm.
“What is your plan?” Dan asked.
“I need a little more time to put it together.”
“You don’t have a plan, do you?” Dan defied him.
“Not at the moment, but I’ll have one soon.”
“Max, I just want to get this out in the open.” Dan leaned forward. “The head you’re using right now is not the one that’s going to put a plan of this magnitude together.”
If that comment had come from anyone else, he might have taken offense, but coming from Dan…
“Are you going to help me or not?” Max asked.
“I’m in.” Dan grabbed a blueberry donut and took a bite.
“Me too,” Amanda said.
“Thanks,” Max cleared his throat. “It’s…uh…good to have family.”
“Absolutely.” Dan took another bite.
Max glanced from one to the other. Brother and sister. His brother and sister, who came to his rescue with the blood transfusions. “Thank you…for saving my life.”
“Anytime.” Amanda’s smile radiated an affection that called out to him, branding them as being connected, which they were. Connected by DNA.
“But we’re not quite done yet,” Dan reminded them. “We still need the antidote.”
“Let’s get this plan together,” Amanda took the last bite of her donut and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “If Christine’s being followed, we need to intercept, so you can talk to her without anyone seeing you.”
“If we intercept, whoever’s following her is going to report back to Lexington that someone got in their way,” Dan pointed out.
“That would confirm any suspicion Lexington has concerning Christine,” Max deduced.
“If you were a woman, I’d suggest the ladies’ room,” Amanda leaned back against her chair, “Unless the follower is also a woman.”
“The guy at the donut shop was a man,” Max told them, “but I didn’t see the driver. For all I know, it could have been a woman.”
“We need an isolated area,” Dan suggested. “Somewhere—”
“I got it,” Max exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of this before?” He stood and paced the room as his idea developed further in his mind. “It’s perfect.”
“What?” Amanda asked him.
“Fantastic Avatar.”
“The on-line game you play?” Dan scrunched his forehead.
Max stopped walking. “I can approach her avatar with mine and with a few key phrases, get her thinking.”
“That’s crazy!” Dan countered.
“No,” Max insisted. “It’s perfect. If I say the right things, she’ll know it’s me, not Max, but Ben. She and her friend created this game. This is her world. She’ll be in a non-threatening environment where she feels safe and comfortable.”
“That’s good,” Amanda said. “She’ll be relaxed, and apt to listen.”
“You’ll be on-line,” Dan pointed out. “It’s not secure.”
“I’ll speak in code.” Max returned to his seat.
“Code?”
“Phrases she’ll understand but will make no sense to anyone else. Christine is smart. She’ll get it.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Dan asked.
“Sarter will keep trying until she does.”
“Who’s Sarter?” Amanda asked.
“My purple, fire-breathing, flying dragon avatar,” Max explained.
“You’re a purple dragon?” Dan scoffed. “And Christine?”
“Sexy green alien.”
“Great,” Dan said. “It’s all set then. Alien hero saves the day.”
Excerpt 2
Christine was supposedly meeting with Ben, but Ben was dead. Her boss had told her so.
She sat in her car in the parking lot of the convention center. She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel and swallowed the knot in her throat.
Calm down. It’s no big deal. You can do this. You can go in there and meet with a ghost.
Are you crazy? This is the most ludicrous thing you’ve done. How do you know it’s safe in there?
She didn’t. But, considering it was a public place with lots of people, she would rather take the chance than go insane having a double conversation with herself that would lead nowhere unless she figured out what was going on.
Christine opened the car door and got out. She made her way across the grounds and to the front entrance. She was half-way up the widespread, concrete steps when a man exited the extensive building. She’d seen him before. Here at the convention center, and at her favorite donut shop. It was Ben’s friend, Donny.
“The café is great place to meet a friend.” He spoke the words as he passed by her.
Taking her cue from him, she continued up the steps and inside the building. She entered the cafeteria style café, which was tiny, considering how huge the center was, and ordered a latte at the counter. With her hot drink in hand, she walked over to one of the small tables and sat. A quick glance around told her Ben wasn’t there.
Of course not. He was dead.
Then who had been communicating with her through Fantastic Avatar? Who told her she was in danger and being watched?
Christine padded the pocket of her jacket. The bulge of her keys, along with the pepper spay that hung from the key ring, settled her nerves—a little bit.
She scanned the interior of the cafe. Was it her imagination or was everyone staring at her? She gave the room another inspection and realized it was all in her head. No one was looking at her, except maybe the man in the grey suit sitting at the opposite end of the café. She caught a glimpse of a faint scar from the corner of his left brow down to his ear, just before he hid his face behind a newspaper. A case of déjà vu spread through her. Had she seen him before?
“Hi, Christine.”
A woman pulled out a chair and sat across from her. She’d been so preoccupied with the man in the grey suit she hadn’t noticed anyone approach her table. Christine studied the dark haired woman. She had vivid green eyes and a friendly smile. She’d seen that smile before.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“We met once,” the woman replied. “I was a blue-eyed blonde.”
“Megan.” Donny’s girlfriend.
“Yes. But my name isn’t Megan, it’s Amanda.”
“Ben is dead, isn’t he?”
If he were alive, wouldn’t he be meeting with her, instead of his friends? Sadness filled her. For a brief moment, she’d been hopeful she’d see his chocolate bon-bon eyes again.
“Actually, I’m here to take you to him.”
“What?” Hope grew within her. “He’s alive?”
“I know this is confusing, but Ben will explain.”
“Why isn’t he here?” Christine asked.
“Too risky,” Amanda told her. “Lexington thinks he’s dead. For your safety, as well as his, he can’t be seen with you.”
“You think someone would see us and report back to my boss?”
“You’re being followed.”
“That’s absurd.” Christine turned to scan the room, but Amanda stopped her with a gentle touch to her arm.
“There’s a man in a grey suit at the far table.” She told her. “He came in seconds after you did.”
The man with the scar.
And then it hit her. She had seen him before. At the donut shop. He’d been reading the newspaper there as well. She remembered glancing his way and catching a glimpse of the thin line marring his face.
Her blood froze, stifling her next breath. She was being watched!
“There’s another man over there.” Amanda tilted her head toward the entrance of the café, where a blond-haired guy in a white dress shirt and black slacks leaned against the wall.
“Why would they be following me?” She asked the question, even though she suspected the answer. Mr. Lexington didn’t trust her. But she needed his trust. She couldn’t afford to be involved with any of Ben’s friends. “I have to go.”
“No.” Again the woman stopped her with a touch to her arm. “Those men are watching us, assessing our every movement, our demeanor,” Amanda explained. “If you leave now, it’ll look suspicious. Your reaction so far has been perfect. You’re not comfortable with the situation and you attempted to go, but I stopped you.” Amanda leaned further into the table separating them. “To get you to Ben, we’re going to need a diversion, and to ensure your continued loyalty to Lexington, you’re going to need an explanation. We’ve got a plan that covers both.”
“What kind of plan?” Christine’s mind spun with rapid thoughts. She felt as if she was inside a spy show. Any minute now Sydney Bristow would show up and start kicking ass. For all she knew, Amanda could be one of Sydney’s aliases.
“Christine?” Amanda brought her out of her fantasy. “Pretend I’m trying to convince you to spy on your boss and react as if you’re appalled.”
“This is crazy,” Christine exclaimed.
“Good,” Amanda coached, only Christine wasn’t acting. “Now, insist you’ll never betray your boss,” she instructed. “Do it loud enough to show how upset you are that I would suggest such a thing.”
Paralyzed by the enormity of the situation, Christine stared at the woman who made such a ludicrous request.
“You need to react or else this won’t work.” Amanda told her. “Once those men report back to Lexington that you met with me, if he doesn’t believe it was against your will, your boss will start to have doubts about you.”
Amanda was right, but only because she’d provoked the situation.
“How dare you assume I would spy for you?” Christine spat. She wasn’t going to allow this woman to manipulate her. “I would never betray my boss or FBL.”
“Good,” Amanda said, “Now pretend—”
“This is no act and I’m not pretending.” Christine leaned forward, anger growling within her. “I’m not interested in your stories. I will not participate in any of this. Not now. Not ever.”
Oh God! How could she have been so stupid as to show up here, knowing Ben and his friends were terrorists? Her heart raced with fear, pounding against her chest. Oh God help me. No way could she go against Mr. Lexington. She needed him to find her parents. She needed to get out of there. Now!
“I don’t want anything to do with any of you. Don’t ever contact me again!” Christine got up to leave. Amanda also stood and grabbed her arm, and not so gently this time. “Let go of me.” She struggled without success. “Let go!” This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be taken hostage. “Someone please help me,” she blurted out.
The man in the grey suit came rushing to her side. “What’s going on here?”
“None of your business,” Amanda shot back.
“She won’t let me go,” Christine shouted.
“I don’t think this woman welcomes your grasp,” the man said.
“Stay out of this,” Amanda warned.
“Let her go,” the man insisted.
“No.”
The man reached under his jacket and pulled out a gun. Amanda let go of Christine’s arm and kicked the table into the man’s chest. Stunned, Christine stood there, watching. The man fell to the floor and Amanda pulled out her own gun. At first, it seemed she was going to aim at the man, but then she directed the pistol at Christine. No longer frozen, Christine darted toward the café entrance and collided with the blond man Amanda had said was also watching her. He grabbed her arm as Amanda fired the gun, the blast vibrating through the air. With every ounce of force, Christine jerked free from the stranger and scurried down the hallway. She hadn’t gotten far when the blond man gripped her arm again. Christine screamed, but the echo of gunfire behind her drowned her cries. She shrieked again. The blond man shoved her past the glass doors of the main entrance and down the concrete steps.
“Let go of me!” She tried to wiggle free of his grasp, but to no avail. “You’re hurting me!”
They’d made it to the bottom when Ben’s friend, Donny, walked up to them and punched the blond in the jaw. The man toppled to the ground. Donny also grabbed Christine’s arm and rushed her toward a white van. Just before reaching the vehicle, the blond tackled Donny, bringing Christine down with him. The two men grappled on the pavement. Christine got up and ran toward the parking lot as fast as she could, ignoring the scuffling sounds behind her. She had almost made it to her car when someone wrapped their arms around her midsection and whirled her around. She screeched a non-verbal high pitched sound while kicking her legs in mid-air. “Let me go!”
Her assailant, the blond haired man, opened the driver’s door of a dark sedan, thrust her inside and then shoved her over to the passenger side in his attempt to get into the driver’s seat. Before Christine could open the door, he locked the car and turned it on. Within seconds they were driving out of the parking lot.
Unable to get the locking mechanism to release, Christine banged on the door. “Let me out!”
The sedan rounded a corner and swerved sharply to avoid hitting an oncoming car. The blond man floored the gas pedal, burning a red light and continued onto the main road. Car horns honked behind them as tires shrieked to a halt. Christine glanced at the side mirror. The white van was following them.
Pop!
Someone shot at them from the passenger side of the van. The blond swerved onto a side street. The white van followed.
Pop! Pop!
Christine held onto the door as the vehicle zigzagged and then rounded another corner. The white van stayed behind them, its passenger still shooting at them. Her blond captor rotated the steering wheel to the left, bringing the car around into a U-turn. Christine checked the mirror. The white van repeated the same maneuver.
Pop!
The last shot hit the sedan, causing a rapid lurch and swerve. Not wearing his seatbelt, her captor lunged forward, banging his brow against the steering wheel. Christine also hurled toward the dashboard just before the vehicle smashed into a parked car and came to an abrupt halt. The driver’s airbag deployed, covering the blond in a cloudy powder. Christine climbed over the unconscious driver and the airbag, its chemical components burning the back of her throat and blurring her vision. She coughed to keep from choking and ignored the acrid smell as she pressed the button on the driver’s door to release the locking mechanism. She barely heard the click when her door swung open and Donny grabbed her.
“No!” Christine yelled. But his grip was firm. He yanked her out of the sedan and propelled her into the back of the van. Christine landed on her hands and knees. She raised her head and a chill crept through her when she came face to face with a dead man.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
This is currently a work in progress.
Stay tuned for future updates on this intriguing story.
“I brought donuts for everyone.”
Max stepped into the high-tech briefing room and placed the box of sweets, along with a stack of napkins, on the oblong table. He sat in his usual seat, on Vivian’s right. Dan sat next to him and then Amanda. A few weeks ago, two other team members, Brent and Doreen would have sat across from him, but Doreen had been exposed as a double agent and Brent was recuperating from broken bones and a gunshot wound.
“How are you feeling?” Vivian asked him.
It was a loaded question and the honest answers hit him full force.
Uncertain of who I am.
Like a science experiment.
Frustrated with this damn situation.
But he wasn’t about to admit any of that. Instead, he fought back the waves of twisted confusion that cursed through him and replied, “I was out and about yesterday. I’m fine.”
“You shouldn’t be out.” Vivian cautioned. “Someone might recognize you. Tampa isn’t far from Orlando.” She tapped on her keyboard and an image of FBL appeared on the four large screens behind her.
“It was a figure of speech,” Max told her.
“Huh!”
The hushed expression had been so faint, he wondered if he’d actually heard it. He looked at Dan, who glanced away from Max to the box on the table and then back again. Max ignored him.
“According to the notes you downloaded from FBL,” Vivian went on, “the virus within you is dormant right now, but if you’re not administered an antidote within eighteen days from the exact second of your last transfusion, the disease will become active again, attacking you physically and mentally and making its way into your DNA. And let’s not forget it’s been five days already, which leaves us with only thirteen days to find the antidote.”
“Do they have the antidote at FBL?” Amanda rested her arms on the table and leaned forward.
“I would assume so, but I never saw it.” Max replied.
“We need to get someone else on the inside.” Dan toyed with a pencil as he spoke.
“Too risky,” Vivian countered. “Whoever discovered Ben’s true identity, knew Max was one of us, or else, how would they know to drop him off in the garage?”
Well, if it isn’t Max Anderson.
The words echoed in his mind.
“It was a woman,” he blurted. “She knew who I was. And she also guided the driver to the parking garage.”
“Who is she?” Vivian asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see her. I only heard her voice.”
The voice of a dead woman.
“If she knows about NOK, then we have to assume she knows all of us.” Amanda deduced.
Dan scoffed. “So much for No One Knows.”
“Doreen most likely gave away our location before she was shot,” Vivian said. “But no one’s getting in here without authorization. All security measures have been changed since we discovered her betrayal.”
“She’s dead, which means she can’t say anything else.” Max said it out load more for his own sake then for his team. Doreen was dead. There’s no way he could have heard her voice.
“Let’s get back to FBL and the situation at hand.” Vivian tapped on her keyboard. “The security footage in the garage shows a white, non-descript van and nothing else. Whoever was in it, was careful not to show themselves.”
The Video played on the screens behind her.
The van pulls in. The door opens. Max falls to the ground. The door closes and the van takes off, leaving Max behind.
He’d been dumped like a discarded animal. A wounded rabid animal, left behind to die. But he didn’t die. And as long as he kept breathing, he wouldn’t let the bastards who did this get away with it.
“We need someone from inside.” The words came out before he realized it. “And I know who.” Heat surged through him as his heart thumped against his ribs. “Christine.”
The stare of his teammates descended upon him. They probably doubted his sanity. He hadn’t come to the briefing with this plan. As a matter of fact, he had no plan at all. He didn’t even know if he could convince Christine. But someone was following her, most likely under Lexington’s orders, and Max wanted to protect her. No way would he let them treat her like an animal as well.
“Christine?” Dan and Amanda questioned in unison.
“The head of technical support?” Vivian asked.
“Yes.” He started this, now he needed to see it through.
“Isn’t she loyal to Lexington?” Vivian penetrated him with her green eyes, demanding he be forthcoming with his intensions.
He could do this. He could convince his boss…his aunt. No, right now she was definitely his boss.
“She is loyal to Lexington,” he said, “but she’s not one of them. She’s just an employee who doesn’t really know her boss.”
Just like he hadn’t really known his boss…until now.
“Whether she’s willingly or unwillingly involved is irrelevant.” Vivian explained. “If she trusts Lexington, she’ll be difficult to convert, and a risk. She may tell him someone has approached her.”
“I can convince her.” He had to. Christine couldn’t go on working for someone like Lexington. She deserved better.
“You?” Vivian questioned him. “How?”
“I have a plan.” He’d come up with one as soon as the briefing was over. “I need to finalize a few details and then I’ll go over it with you.”
“You do know what’s at stake here?” She asked him.
“Yes.” That was an honest answer. “If I’m not cured in time, I’ll need another round of blood from all of you. If the transfusions don’t work the second go around, I’ll become contagious to all of you, and we could all die, including anyone else related to us.” He glanced at the three of them, one at a time. “That’s why it’s important we obtain the antidote. We need Christine.” He needed Christine. “I don’t trust anyone else at FBL.” That much was true.
“Finalize your plan and get back to me. I’ll be in my office.” Vivian collected her notes. She reached for a napkin and picked up one of the glazed pastries. “Thank you for the donuts.”
Spying on Christine this morning was easy. But approaching her? How the hell was he going to get her to turn against her boss?
“I see you were in the mood for a ride this morning,” Dan said, once Vivian was no longer within hearing.
“They do have good donuts.” Amanda selected one of the glazed treats. “I suppose none of the donut shops in Orlando compare.”
Max hadn’t considered the two of them would recognize the box, or the selection of donuts, his favorite, blueberry, and Christine’s favorite, lemon filled glazed. He had met Dan and Amanda for breakfast a couple of times while pretending to be Ben, and Christine had also been there for her morning fix. Max had introduced Dan as Donny, Ben’s best friend, and Amanda, who had transformed her green eyes and dark hair, turning herself into a blue-eyed blonde, as Megan, Donny’s girlfriend.
“So, how was Christine this morning?” Dan tapped his pencil against the table as he spoke.
“Being watched and followed.”
“What?” He shot up straight in his chair. “And you want us to approach her?”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“You’ll talk to her? You’re supposed to be dead.”
“She didn’t see you, did she?” Amanda took another bite of her donut.
“Not Max,” he told her.
She smiled.
“What are you smiling about?” Dan bawled. “How are we supposed to convince Christine to spy on her boss?”
“Max said he had a plan.” Amanda replied with calm.
“What is your plan?” Dan asked.
“I need a little more time to put it together.”
“You don’t have a plan, do you?” Dan defied him.
“Not at the moment, but I’ll have one soon.”
“Max, I just want to get this out in the open.” Dan leaned forward. “The head you’re using right now is not the one that’s going to put a plan of this magnitude together.”
If that comment had come from anyone else, he might have taken offense, but coming from Dan…
“Are you going to help me or not?” Max asked.
“I’m in.” Dan grabbed a blueberry donut and took a bite.
“Me too,” Amanda said.
“Thanks,” Max cleared his throat. “It’s…uh…good to have family.”
“Absolutely.” Dan took another bite.
Max glanced from one to the other. Brother and sister. His brother and sister, who came to his rescue with the blood transfusions. “Thank you…for saving my life.”
“Anytime.” Amanda’s smile radiated an affection that called out to him, branding them as being connected, which they were. Connected by DNA.
“But we’re not quite done yet,” Dan reminded them. “We still need the antidote.”
“Let’s get this plan together,” Amanda took the last bite of her donut and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “If Christine’s being followed, we need to intercept, so you can talk to her without anyone seeing you.”
“If we intercept, whoever’s following her is going to report back to Lexington that someone got in their way,” Dan pointed out.
“That would confirm any suspicion Lexington has concerning Christine,” Max deduced.
“If you were a woman, I’d suggest the ladies’ room,” Amanda leaned back against her chair, “Unless the follower is also a woman.”
“The guy at the donut shop was a man,” Max told them, “but I didn’t see the driver. For all I know, it could have been a woman.”
“We need an isolated area,” Dan suggested. “Somewhere—”
“I got it,” Max exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of this before?” He stood and paced the room as his idea developed further in his mind. “It’s perfect.”
“What?” Amanda asked him.
“Fantastic Avatar.”
“The on-line game you play?” Dan scrunched his forehead.
Max stopped walking. “I can approach her avatar with mine and with a few key phrases, get her thinking.”
“That’s crazy!” Dan countered.
“No,” Max insisted. “It’s perfect. If I say the right things, she’ll know it’s me, not Max, but Ben. She and her friend created this game. This is her world. She’ll be in a non-threatening environment where she feels safe and comfortable.”
“That’s good,” Amanda said. “She’ll be relaxed, and apt to listen.”
“You’ll be on-line,” Dan pointed out. “It’s not secure.”
“I’ll speak in code.” Max returned to his seat.
“Code?”
“Phrases she’ll understand but will make no sense to anyone else. Christine is smart. She’ll get it.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Dan asked.
“Sarter will keep trying until she does.”
“Who’s Sarter?” Amanda asked.
“My purple, fire-breathing, flying dragon avatar,” Max explained.
“You’re a purple dragon?” Dan scoffed. “And Christine?”
“Sexy green alien.”
“Great,” Dan said. “It’s all set then. Alien hero saves the day.”
Excerpt 2
Christine was supposedly meeting with Ben, but Ben was dead. Her boss had told her so.
She sat in her car in the parking lot of the convention center. She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel and swallowed the knot in her throat.
Calm down. It’s no big deal. You can do this. You can go in there and meet with a ghost.
Are you crazy? This is the most ludicrous thing you’ve done. How do you know it’s safe in there?
She didn’t. But, considering it was a public place with lots of people, she would rather take the chance than go insane having a double conversation with herself that would lead nowhere unless she figured out what was going on.
Christine opened the car door and got out. She made her way across the grounds and to the front entrance. She was half-way up the widespread, concrete steps when a man exited the extensive building. She’d seen him before. Here at the convention center, and at her favorite donut shop. It was Ben’s friend, Donny.
“The café is great place to meet a friend.” He spoke the words as he passed by her.
Taking her cue from him, she continued up the steps and inside the building. She entered the cafeteria style café, which was tiny, considering how huge the center was, and ordered a latte at the counter. With her hot drink in hand, she walked over to one of the small tables and sat. A quick glance around told her Ben wasn’t there.
Of course not. He was dead.
Then who had been communicating with her through Fantastic Avatar? Who told her she was in danger and being watched?
Christine padded the pocket of her jacket. The bulge of her keys, along with the pepper spay that hung from the key ring, settled her nerves—a little bit.
She scanned the interior of the cafe. Was it her imagination or was everyone staring at her? She gave the room another inspection and realized it was all in her head. No one was looking at her, except maybe the man in the grey suit sitting at the opposite end of the café. She caught a glimpse of a faint scar from the corner of his left brow down to his ear, just before he hid his face behind a newspaper. A case of déjà vu spread through her. Had she seen him before?
“Hi, Christine.”
A woman pulled out a chair and sat across from her. She’d been so preoccupied with the man in the grey suit she hadn’t noticed anyone approach her table. Christine studied the dark haired woman. She had vivid green eyes and a friendly smile. She’d seen that smile before.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“We met once,” the woman replied. “I was a blue-eyed blonde.”
“Megan.” Donny’s girlfriend.
“Yes. But my name isn’t Megan, it’s Amanda.”
“Ben is dead, isn’t he?”
If he were alive, wouldn’t he be meeting with her, instead of his friends? Sadness filled her. For a brief moment, she’d been hopeful she’d see his chocolate bon-bon eyes again.
“Actually, I’m here to take you to him.”
“What?” Hope grew within her. “He’s alive?”
“I know this is confusing, but Ben will explain.”
“Why isn’t he here?” Christine asked.
“Too risky,” Amanda told her. “Lexington thinks he’s dead. For your safety, as well as his, he can’t be seen with you.”
“You think someone would see us and report back to my boss?”
“You’re being followed.”
“That’s absurd.” Christine turned to scan the room, but Amanda stopped her with a gentle touch to her arm.
“There’s a man in a grey suit at the far table.” She told her. “He came in seconds after you did.”
The man with the scar.
And then it hit her. She had seen him before. At the donut shop. He’d been reading the newspaper there as well. She remembered glancing his way and catching a glimpse of the thin line marring his face.
Her blood froze, stifling her next breath. She was being watched!
“There’s another man over there.” Amanda tilted her head toward the entrance of the café, where a blond-haired guy in a white dress shirt and black slacks leaned against the wall.
“Why would they be following me?” She asked the question, even though she suspected the answer. Mr. Lexington didn’t trust her. But she needed his trust. She couldn’t afford to be involved with any of Ben’s friends. “I have to go.”
“No.” Again the woman stopped her with a touch to her arm. “Those men are watching us, assessing our every movement, our demeanor,” Amanda explained. “If you leave now, it’ll look suspicious. Your reaction so far has been perfect. You’re not comfortable with the situation and you attempted to go, but I stopped you.” Amanda leaned further into the table separating them. “To get you to Ben, we’re going to need a diversion, and to ensure your continued loyalty to Lexington, you’re going to need an explanation. We’ve got a plan that covers both.”
“What kind of plan?” Christine’s mind spun with rapid thoughts. She felt as if she was inside a spy show. Any minute now Sydney Bristow would show up and start kicking ass. For all she knew, Amanda could be one of Sydney’s aliases.
“Christine?” Amanda brought her out of her fantasy. “Pretend I’m trying to convince you to spy on your boss and react as if you’re appalled.”
“This is crazy,” Christine exclaimed.
“Good,” Amanda coached, only Christine wasn’t acting. “Now, insist you’ll never betray your boss,” she instructed. “Do it loud enough to show how upset you are that I would suggest such a thing.”
Paralyzed by the enormity of the situation, Christine stared at the woman who made such a ludicrous request.
“You need to react or else this won’t work.” Amanda told her. “Once those men report back to Lexington that you met with me, if he doesn’t believe it was against your will, your boss will start to have doubts about you.”
Amanda was right, but only because she’d provoked the situation.
“How dare you assume I would spy for you?” Christine spat. She wasn’t going to allow this woman to manipulate her. “I would never betray my boss or FBL.”
“Good,” Amanda said, “Now pretend—”
“This is no act and I’m not pretending.” Christine leaned forward, anger growling within her. “I’m not interested in your stories. I will not participate in any of this. Not now. Not ever.”
Oh God! How could she have been so stupid as to show up here, knowing Ben and his friends were terrorists? Her heart raced with fear, pounding against her chest. Oh God help me. No way could she go against Mr. Lexington. She needed him to find her parents. She needed to get out of there. Now!
“I don’t want anything to do with any of you. Don’t ever contact me again!” Christine got up to leave. Amanda also stood and grabbed her arm, and not so gently this time. “Let go of me.” She struggled without success. “Let go!” This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be taken hostage. “Someone please help me,” she blurted out.
The man in the grey suit came rushing to her side. “What’s going on here?”
“None of your business,” Amanda shot back.
“She won’t let me go,” Christine shouted.
“I don’t think this woman welcomes your grasp,” the man said.
“Stay out of this,” Amanda warned.
“Let her go,” the man insisted.
“No.”
The man reached under his jacket and pulled out a gun. Amanda let go of Christine’s arm and kicked the table into the man’s chest. Stunned, Christine stood there, watching. The man fell to the floor and Amanda pulled out her own gun. At first, it seemed she was going to aim at the man, but then she directed the pistol at Christine. No longer frozen, Christine darted toward the café entrance and collided with the blond man Amanda had said was also watching her. He grabbed her arm as Amanda fired the gun, the blast vibrating through the air. With every ounce of force, Christine jerked free from the stranger and scurried down the hallway. She hadn’t gotten far when the blond man gripped her arm again. Christine screamed, but the echo of gunfire behind her drowned her cries. She shrieked again. The blond man shoved her past the glass doors of the main entrance and down the concrete steps.
“Let go of me!” She tried to wiggle free of his grasp, but to no avail. “You’re hurting me!”
They’d made it to the bottom when Ben’s friend, Donny, walked up to them and punched the blond in the jaw. The man toppled to the ground. Donny also grabbed Christine’s arm and rushed her toward a white van. Just before reaching the vehicle, the blond tackled Donny, bringing Christine down with him. The two men grappled on the pavement. Christine got up and ran toward the parking lot as fast as she could, ignoring the scuffling sounds behind her. She had almost made it to her car when someone wrapped their arms around her midsection and whirled her around. She screeched a non-verbal high pitched sound while kicking her legs in mid-air. “Let me go!”
Her assailant, the blond haired man, opened the driver’s door of a dark sedan, thrust her inside and then shoved her over to the passenger side in his attempt to get into the driver’s seat. Before Christine could open the door, he locked the car and turned it on. Within seconds they were driving out of the parking lot.
Unable to get the locking mechanism to release, Christine banged on the door. “Let me out!”
The sedan rounded a corner and swerved sharply to avoid hitting an oncoming car. The blond man floored the gas pedal, burning a red light and continued onto the main road. Car horns honked behind them as tires shrieked to a halt. Christine glanced at the side mirror. The white van was following them.
Pop!
Someone shot at them from the passenger side of the van. The blond swerved onto a side street. The white van followed.
Pop! Pop!
Christine held onto the door as the vehicle zigzagged and then rounded another corner. The white van stayed behind them, its passenger still shooting at them. Her blond captor rotated the steering wheel to the left, bringing the car around into a U-turn. Christine checked the mirror. The white van repeated the same maneuver.
Pop!
The last shot hit the sedan, causing a rapid lurch and swerve. Not wearing his seatbelt, her captor lunged forward, banging his brow against the steering wheel. Christine also hurled toward the dashboard just before the vehicle smashed into a parked car and came to an abrupt halt. The driver’s airbag deployed, covering the blond in a cloudy powder. Christine climbed over the unconscious driver and the airbag, its chemical components burning the back of her throat and blurring her vision. She coughed to keep from choking and ignored the acrid smell as she pressed the button on the driver’s door to release the locking mechanism. She barely heard the click when her door swung open and Donny grabbed her.
“No!” Christine yelled. But his grip was firm. He yanked her out of the sedan and propelled her into the back of the van. Christine landed on her hands and knees. She raised her head and a chill crept through her when she came face to face with a dead man.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
This is currently a work in progress.
Stay tuned for future updates on this intriguing story.