by Bob Mayer
Cesar was dead before he hit the deck plate.
Dalton shifted back into the virtual and jumped, heading back toward the Ranch.
Chapter Twenty-five
The computers on the two B-2 bombers had been released from the reprogramming that Jackson had done. The planes were on their way to the nearest Air Force base outside Anchorage. The crews were certain their careers were over. Dropping eighty thousand pounds off-range was an offense they were sure they would never recover from They could only hope they had hit wilderness and not killed anybody.
Behind them, there was little to indicate that 540 steel towers had once occupied the torn and savaged ground. On the hillside where the control center had been, there were just a few chunks of smoldering concrete.
*****
Captain Lonsky looked at the body of the man who had bought the ship. He issued an order. "Throw him overboard."
Once that was accomplished, Zenata waited for the next order.
"Let us head back to Russia," Lonsky said. "The less said about all this, the better."
*****
Dalton raced along the power connection with Sybyl, back to his body at the Ranch.
*****
Souris diverted the Lear to Dallas. She ‘knew’ that Cesar had been unsuccessful, but she also knew that the Psychic Warriors had been responsible for destroying HAARP, so the two canceled out.
She had failed in the mission she had been assigned, but gaining the Psychic Warrior update was a coup. The Mithrans would appreciate that. It would give them a way to enter the real world and fight the Priory.
*****
Dalton climbed out of the isolation tube, his body shivering uncontrollably. Jackson was already back, a towel draped over her shoulders, and she handed one to him as he reached the floor. He immediately noted Barnes's body still in its tube. "Do you have contact with him?" he asked Hammond.
"No," Hammond said. "I've been trying, but he hasn't responded."
"His signs?"
"Strange."
"Strange how?" Dalton demanded.
"Not like the others. He's out there being supported with power somehow, just not from Sybyl."
Dalton turned back toward his tank. "We need to go look for him." He halted as Mentor entered, coming from the operations center.
"You did it," Mentor said, slapping him on the back.
"MILSTAR is still up there," Dalton said, "with the retransmit capability."
"I can work on correcting that, now that I have some time," Mentor said.
"And the Priory and Mithrans are still out there," Dalton added. "We've only stopped them for the moment."
To that, Mentor had no reply.
Jackson put a hand on Dalton's shoulder as he prepared to climb back into his isolation tube. "You need a break. Wherever Barnes is, he can wait for a little while. You need rest."
Dalton was about to argue with her when he realized she was right. He sat down wearily on a crate, Jackson doing likewise across from him
"We have to reconstitute Nexus here in the United States," Mentor said. He pointed at the other three people in the room: Dalton, Jackson, and Hammond. "The four of us."
"Five of us," Dalton said, indicating Barnes. "We need to do better than reconstitute Nexus," he continued. "This war between the Priory and Mithrans has been going on for a long time. With the advances in technology we're seeing that this conflict can destroy us. I say for the next round, we go on the offensive."
He put his hand out palm up. "Are we agreed?"
Jackson immediately reached out and put her right hand on top of his. Hammond followed. The three of them looked at Mentor.
The old man slowly nodded. "It is time." He placed both his hands over theirs.
Dalton could feel the power, the aura of strength, coming off the other three. It wasn't much to fight the Priory and the Mithrans with, but it was a start.
THE END
Other Books
by Bob Mayer
"Heart-racing, non-stop action that is difficult to put down."-Mystery News on Bodyguard of Lies
"Thelma and Louise go clandestine."-Kirkus Reviews on Bodyguard of Lies
PURCHASE
“ . . .delivers top-notch action and adventure, creating a full cast of lethal operatives armed with all the latest weaponry. Excellent writing and well-drawn, appealing characters help make this another taut, crackling read.” Publishers Weekly
PURCHASE
“Fascinating, imaginative and nerve-wracking.” Kirkus Reviews
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
THE GREEN BERET SERIES
“Mayer had me hooked from the very first page.” Stephen Coonts
PURCHASE
“Exciting and authentic. Don’t miss this one!” W.E.B. Griffen
PURCHASE
“Mayer has stretched the limits of the military action novel. Synbat is also a gripping detective story and an intriguing science fiction thriller. Mayer brings an accurate and meticulous depiction of military to this book which greatly enhances its credibility.” Assembly
PURCHASE
“Will leave you spellbound. Mayer’s long suit is detail, giving the reader an in-depth view of the inner workings of the Green Machine.” Book News
PURCHASE
“Mayer keeps story and characters firmly under control. The venal motives of the scientists and military bureaucracy are tellingly contrasted with the idealism of the soldiers. A treat for military fiction readers.” Publishers Weekly
PURCHASE
“Sinewy writing enhances this already potent action fix. An adrenaline cocktail from start to finish.” Kirkus Reviews
PURCHASE
“Incredibly believable and absolutely riveting. Quite possibly the best book every written about the Green Berets. Bob Mayer tells Green Beret stories like Joseph Wambaugh tells cop stories!” Macon News-Record
PURCHASE
BRAND NEW FICTION COMING 7 MAY 2013
NEXT IN THE GREEN BERET SERIES
“A background in Special Forces gives Mayer credibility and understanding from ‘having been there and done that.’” Airpower Journal
COMING 7 MAY
THE BLACK OPS SERIES
“Sizzling, first rate war fiction.” Library Journal
PURCHASE
“A military thriller in the tradition of John Grisham’s The Firm.” Publishers Weekly
PURCHASE
“The Omega Missile comes screaming down on target. A great action read.” Stephen Coonts
PURCHASE
“What a delicious adventure-thriller. Its clever, plausible plot gives birth to lots of action and suspense.” Kansas City Journal Inquirer
PURCHASE
“Exciting and authentic. Author Mayer, a Green Beret himself, gave me a vivid look at the world of the Army’s Special Forces as they battle America’s most deadly enemy. His portrayal of Green Beret operations and techniques takes you deep into the covert world of Special Operations as a you follow an A-Team into combat. Don’t miss this one.” W.E.B. Griffin
PURCHASE
Praise for Atlantis by Bob Mayer:
“Spell-binding! Will keep you on the edge of your seat. Call it techno-thriller, call it science fiction, call it just terrific story-telling.” Terry Brooks, #1 NY Times Bestselling author of the Shannara series and Star Wars Phantom Menace
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PSYCHIC WARRIOR SERIES
“A pulsing technothriller. A nailbiter in the best tradition of adventure fiction.” Publishers Weekly.
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
PURCHASE
AREA 51/NIGHTSTALKERS SERIES
PURCHASE
Nightstalkers is a NEW series birthed from the 9 book Area 51 Series
CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE 9 BOOK SERIES
Write It Forward Titles
&
nbsp; Books by Bob Mayer
The Novel Writer’s Toolkit
PURCHASE
Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author
PURCHASE
102 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes
PURCHASE
Books by Bob Mayer and Jennifer Talty
Writer’s Conference Guide: Getting the Most of Your Time and Money
PURCHASE
The Shelfless Book: The Complete Digital Author
PURCHASE
About the Author
NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer has had over 50 books published. He has sold over four million books, and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing, and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept, which he translated into Write It Forward: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors. He is also the Co-Creator of Who Dares Wins Publishing, which does both eBooks and Print On Demand, so he has experience in both traditional and non-traditional publishing.
His books have hit the NY Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and numerous other bestseller lists. His book The Jefferson Allegiance, was released independently and reached #2 overall in sales on Nook.
Bob Mayer grew up in the Bronx. After high school, he entered West Point where he learned about the history of our military and our country. During his four years at the Academy and later in the Infantry, Mayer questioned the idea of “mission over men.” When he volunteered and passed selection for the Special Forces as a Green Beret, he felt more at ease where the men were more important than the mission.
Mayer’s obsession with mythology and his vast knowledge of the military and Special Forces, mixed with his strong desire to learn from history, is the foundation for his science fiction series Atlantis, Area 51 and Psychic Warrior. Mayer is a master at blending elements of truth into all of his thrillers, leaving the reader questioning what is real and what isn’t.
He took this same passion and created thrillers based in fact and riddled with possibilities. His unique background in the Special Forces gives the reader a sense of authenticity and creates a reality that makes the reader wonder where fact ends and fiction begins.
In his historical fiction novels, Mayer blends actual events with fictional characters. He doesn’t change history, but instead changes how history came into being.
Mayer’s military background, coupled with his deep desire to understand the past and how it affects our future, gives his writing a rich flavor not to be missed.
Bob has presented for over a thousand organizations both in the United States and internationally, including keynote presentations, all day workshops, and multi-day seminars. He has taught organizations ranging from Maui Writers, to Whidbey Island Writers, to San Diego State University, to the University of Georgia, to the Romance Writers of America National Convention, to Boston SWAT, the CIA, Fortune-500, the Royal Danish Navy Frogman Corps, Microsoft, Rotary, IT Teams in Silicon Valley and many others. He has also served as a Visiting Writer for NILA MFA program in Creative Writing. He has done interviews for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, PBS, NPR, the Discovery Channel, the SyFy channel and local cable shows. For more information see www.bobmayer.org.