Seeing Red (Gareth Red Thrillers Book 1)
Page 20
“You’re talking about the sample you’ve got in the freezer, right? Those boxes that were shipped back with you?”
Valère nodded. “We wished to also use this substance as a defense mechanism, just like the plant itself. However, I needed to strengthen it; to improve its potency —”
“You created a virus?”
“I discovered one, yes. In its natural state, it was barely enough to harm a small mammal, unless it is ingested in quantity. But with a few alterations and improvements —”
“What are you talking about?” Josh was horrified. “That’s not a medical application, Francis —”
“It does not concern you what the application is,” Francis said.
Josh stepped up to his ball and slammed his club down in a reckless swing. The ball flew off the ground, leaving a dirty streak of brown in the grass. He watched, his anger building, as the ball careened to the right and over the line of trees. Without turning back around, he began walking toward the trees to find it.
How could he do this? he wondered. Josh had been working with Valère for over three years, and he thought he knew the man. They both had been interested in preserving life through their work and science.
This sounded like the exact opposite.
He crashed through the thick bushes that marked the end of the golf course and the beginning of undeveloped land, and kept walking toward a stand of pine trees he’d last seen his ball flying toward. As he neared the trees, he could hear the sound of running water.
The trees stood like sentinels in front of a steep hill, standing guard over the cliff. The hill fell away at a steep angle down to a river, where he could see water tumbling over rocks and forming small rapids as it wound through the canyon.
What he didn’t see, however, was his ball.
“I believe it landed farther up,” his boss’s voice called out from behind him. Valère had driven their cart to the edge of the course and walked to Josh.
“You can’t do this, Valère. You can’t sell us out like that. Who’s buying, anyway?”
“It is not a matter of money —”
“Bullshit!” Josh yelled. “Of course it is! Why else would you have kept this from me?”
“I told you, it is not something you should concern yourself with. This plan predates our arrangement, Josh.”
Josh watched as his boss removed Josh’s driver from his bag. He inspected it, examining the lightweight graphite build. “We have been working for a lifetime on this, and it is not something I will abandon before I am finished.”
Josh took a step backward toward the hill, a pained expression on his face. “You’re a terrorist. That’s all this is. You’re a smart, suicidal, ignorant terrorist.”
“You have your names for what I do, and I have mine. I am working on something far bigger than anything you can imagine,” Valère said. “Something much more significant.”
“You won’t get away with it,” Josh said. “You won’t be able to run from it when you’re done.”
Josh’s eyes widened as he noticed Francis raising the golf club into the air.
“I am not planning on running, Josh. I am here, and I will stay right here. And if I am removed, there will be another to take my place. And another.”
Valère turned his head slightly sideways, examining his employee and business partner as if intrigued. “It is truly a shame, Joshua.”
“What?”
Valère lashed out with the club and struck Josh in the head. There was a sickening smack, and Josh immediately fell to the ground. The pain was excruciating, but Josh’s brain felt like mush. He couldn’t think straight; he couldn’t speak.
“It is a truly a shame to lose a mind such as yours, my friend. But you are wrong. I will get away with it. America is not united enough to save itself.”
He lifted the club again. Josh tried to close his eyes, to raise his arm, to do something — but couldn’t.
He could only stare as his boss bought the driver down onto his head.
WANT TO CONTINUE THE STORY? Find The Enigma Strain here!
AFTERWORD
If you liked this book (or even if you hated it…) write a review or rate it. You might not think it makes a difference, but it does.
Besides actual currency (money), the currency of today’s writing world is reviews. Reviews, good or bad, tell other people that an author is worth reading.
As an “indie” author, I need all the help I can get. I’m hoping that since you made it this far into my book, you have some sort of opinion on it.
Would you mind sharing that opinion? It only takes a second.
Nick Thacker
Colorado Springs, CO
ALSO BY NICK THACKER
Mason Dixon Thrillers
Mark for Blood (Mason Dixon Thrillers, Book 1)
Death Mark (Mason Dixon Thrillers, Book 2)
Harvey Bennett Thrillers
The Enigma Strain (Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 1)
The Amazon Code (Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 2)
The Ice Chasm (Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 3)
The Jefferson Legacy (Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 4)
The Paradise Key (Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 5)
Harvey Bennett Thrillers - Books 1-3
Gareth Red Thrillers
Seeing Red
Chasing Red
Relics
Relics: One
Relics: Two
Relics: Three
Relics: Omnibus
The Lucid
The Lucid: Episode One (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Two (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Three (written with Kevin Tumlinson
Standalone Thrillers
The Golden Crystal
The Depths
The Atlantis Deception (A.G. Riddle’s The Origins Mystery series)
Killer Thrillers (3-Book Box Set)
Short Stories
I, Sergeant
Instinct
The Gray Picture of Dorian
Uncanny Divide
Nonfiction:
Welcome Home: The Author's Guide to Building A Marketing Home Base
Expert Blogging: Building A Blog for Readers
The Dead-Simple Guide to Guest Posts
The Dead-Simple Guide to Amazing Headlines
The Dead-Simple Guide to Pillar Content
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Thacker is an author from Texas who lives in a cabin on a mountain in Colorado, because Colorado has mountains, microbreweries, and fantastic weather. In his free time, he enjoys reading, brewing beer (and whisky), skiing, golfing, and hanging out with his beautiful wife, tortoise, two dogs, and two daughters.
In addition to his fiction work, Nick is the author of several nonfiction books on marketing, publishing, writing, and building online platforms. Find out more at www.WriteHacked.com.
For more information, visit Nick online:
www.nickthacker.com
nick@nickthacker.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I never thought I’d be writing the acknowledgements section of a real, live book. It’s been an amazing and thoroughly moving journey, and I’m more excited about this project than I thought possible. While I’m at the very beginning of (what I hope to be) my career, there are still — and will always be — people in my life who deserve my thanks and gratitude.
First, to my beautiful, amazing, and humble wife Em. You are a blessing in every way — I thank you for your undying love and support, and for pretending to like all the sections of this book — even the ones that never made it to print!
To my family and friends — thanks for putting up with me for all these years; you’ve guided me, taught me and corrected me along the way, and although I’ll always be stubborn, you’ve definitely worn off on me — however good of a person I am is a reflection of you all.
To my coworkers, church family, and others. I know it’s bee
n unbelievably annoying to hear me call out daily word counts and “Look at this cover! How about this one!” constantly, but I hope this makes it worth your while (if you’re not into fiction or thrillers at all, then I’m just sorry to have bothered you so much!).
To Mike, my editor and friend who literally turned my hodgepodge manuscript into a viable story and (hopefully) a great read. You’re amazing, and I can’t thank you enough.
Finally, above all else, I thank God for giving me the life and blessings I have — none of what I do would be possible without Him, and I hope to live a humble, honoring, and honest life filled with His presence and grace.
For Matt and Sydney
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(thanks for letting me publish a book on your wedding day!)
Copyright © 2014-2017 by Nick Thacker, Turtleshell Press
Printed in the United States of America
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First Printing, 2012
Nick Thacker Colorado Springs, CO
www.NickThacker.com
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All rights reserved.
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.