AEGIS EVOLUTION: Action Adventure Mystery Thriller (Aegis League Series Book 3)
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In a crisp, husky voice that hinted a Dema-Ki accent, Reyor said, “We will see each other again, Mr. Sanchez. For now, I must take my leave. I ask that you be on your best behavior.”
Jag was still reeling. I never realized… Not only did the Elders try to avoid saying Reyor’s name whenever they could, they avoided pronouns. Like they completely wanted to erase her from their lives. Like not attaching her to anything identifying would bring them comfort.
The old man waited until Reyor departed, then took a seat in the chair beside Jag. “Now, young man,” he crooned. “We have much to discuss.”
* * *
At the center of the roughly circular island, on a grassy knoll overlooking an eighteen-hole golf course, Reyor lowered herself onto a park bench. Her long tresses flowed with a breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Behind the knoll, workers were engaged in reforesting the rest of the thousand-acre island. The place was a private resort, complete with a luxurious hotel by the fairway. Beneath the legitimate operations lay the Heart, the biggest of the six Sanctuaries.
The bench creaked as the old man slid next to Reyor. They watched a gull ride the thermals. It lazed in the sky for a time then straightened, diving into the water to snap up a fish.
The man sighed contentedly. “It is a sight to behold.”
Reyor pinched some soil underfoot and rubbed it between a thumb and forefinger. “Surely a bird catching its meal is barely noteworthy.”
“The island, Reyor. The island is a sight to behold. Through land reclamation, you brought our home back.” The man pressed his palms together, fingers against his lips. “I lost my wife and two daughters to the volcano that claimed the original island.”
“I know, Mentor.”
“That day never ceases to haunt me. Much of the pain has ebbed over the centuries, but sometimes thinking about it brings the ache back, as fresh and raw as if it had just happened.”
“The past cannot be changed, but we can grow from it.”
“Indeed. And grow we have. This island has risen again, like a phoenix. All thanks to you.”
“Mentor, please. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known which outcrop to purchase from the Italian government. You hold the key to a trove of important information.”
“Your words are gracious but carry impatience, Reyor. Get on with it, then.”
Reyor flicked the soil away. “You spent an hour with the boy. What do you think of him?”
The man looked out at the turquoise sea. Distantly, he said, “Evolution is a funny thing. An enigmatic force. Just when you think you know all there is to know about it, it will throw you a surprise, much like the universe itself.”
Reyor was careful to avoid any telling motions. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure, exactly. I’ll need more time with the boy. But there’s something about him… a fire. He’s a fighter. And as much as he tries to deny it, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Dangerous combination, but there is certainly something special about him.”
“He’s a freak of nature, Mentor, an anomaly. Him and his friends. They aren’t proof that humanity is capable of our kind of evolution.”
“You’ve made how you feel about this abundantly clear, Reyor.”
Reyor turned away, the sole of her boot mincing into the grass. He’s starting to take a liking to the boy, she thought. This had better not be a sign of what I think is happening.
“It would have helped greatly if Mr. Sanchez’s friends had been seized as well,” the man said. “And the seeds.”
“You have one in custody,” Reyor responded brusquely. “I do have other priorities, you know. Why not figure out if Jag’s what you suspect he is. I have pressing work that demands my attention, and I will not expend more time and energy into capturing the others. As for the seeds, it doesn’t matter now. We’ve unleashed two waves. The nanomites have done tremendous damage, and the virus is on a warpath. The Elders may have the Trees of Life but the extent of the devastation is far-reaching and will continue to be so.”
The man yielded. “And what of the next wave?”
“It will need to be moved up.” Though furious about that fact, it took effort to quell the smile threatening to crack Reyor’s taciturn exterior. “It will send humanity back to the Stone Age.”
“Through all this, many will still survive.”
“That’s why the newest Marauders are being mass-produced in Siberia. We acquired a fleet of merchant vessels several months ago as well; they will prove helpful in the distribution process. The Marauders will clean up the stragglers. And then… the fourth wave. The two projects Quest Defense and Quest Biotech have been setting up. The coup de grâce.”
“It’s been a long time coming. Still, I wish this needn’t happen.”
“You have been around far longer than I have, Mentor and you’ve done everything in your power to help, to make a difference. Yet look at where humanity stands now.”
“I did try,” the old man said thickly. “For over two millennia I travelled the world. I witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. I tried to impart wisdom. Whispered in the ears of emperors and monarchs, presidents and generals, but to no avail. They invariably turn into bloodthirsty beasts that slaughter each other. I beheld rivers of blood flowing in the four corners of the world, all for a fleeting sovereignty, a handful of dust. How foolish. None of them heeded my counsel and warnings. At the time, I was averse to taking lives. I could have saved countless souls if I had. But to what end, I ask. Are humans capable of achieving a higher evolution? Mankind has walked such a long path, and it seems this species is doomed to be trapped in a loop of division and destruction. And now their corrosiveness is beginning to destroy the planet itself.”
“And this is why we do what we do,” Reyor said. “We need to stay the course, Mentor. Ours is the righteous path. We are the healers. We protect all that is good.”
“And that will always be our belief.” The man sighed as he brought his knuckles to his lips and softly touched them to Reyor’s cheek. “I know you have things to attend to. I’ll see you at dinner.”
He left, and as he grew smaller against the golf course, the prickle of suspicion that had invaded Reyor’s thoughts earlier returned. He’s grown soft. He was the first architect of this creed, but now… If he slips, if he becomes an apostate…
She pulled the hood on, stood up, and followed the old man’s footsteps toward the Sanctuary.
… I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
The Five:
Tegan Ryder
Aari Barnes
Kody Tyler
Jag Sanchez
Mariah Ashton
The Elders:
Ashack [Ay-SHAK]
Nageau [Nah-GO]
Saiyu [SAY-yoo]
Tayoka [Tah-YO-ka]
Tikina [Tee-KEE-na]
The Villagers:
Aesròn [Ay-zuh-RON]
Akol [AY-cole]
Hutar [HYOO-tar]
Huyani [HOO-ya-nee]
Magèo [Ma-JAY-oh]
Nal [Nahl]
Sentries:
Dominique Mboya – Democratic Republic of Congo
Gareth Vaughn - Wales
Deverell Vaughn - Wales
Victor Colback - Canada
Marshall Sawyer – USA
Lei Shao – China
Zoe King – Australia
Benny Kumar - India
Related to the Five:
Roberto Sanchez — Jag’s father
Jennifer Sanchez – Jag’s mother
Tristan Sanchez — Jag’s older brother
Camilla Sanchez — Jag’s older sister
George Tyler — Kody’s second-youngest brother
Roshon Tyler — Kody’s youngest brother
Rachel Tyler – Kody’s mother
Samuel Tyler — Kody’s father
Krystal Ashton – Mariah’s mother
Ellen Barnes – Aari’s mother
William
Barnes – Aari’s father
Leah Barnes – Aari’s younger sister
Genevieve Ryder – Tegan’s mother
Curtis Ryder – Tegan’s father
Damian Ryder – Tegan’s older brother
Supporting Characters
Carmel
Ezra
Lucius
Kenzo Igarashi
Anya Deol
Asa Abramson
Danny Cohen
Subira Nyamba
Chief – Victor’s wolfdog
Phoenix Corporation:
Adrian Black — CEO, Phoenix Corp.
Dr. Albert Bertram — Chief Scientific Officer, Phoenix Corp.
Elias Hajjar — Head of Security, Quest Mining and New Mexico Sanctuary
Jerry Li — Chief Financial Officer, Phoenix Corp.
Luigi Dattalo — Chief Executive, Quest Defense
Dr. Nate — Director of Human Resources, Global Sanctuary Projects
Tony Cross — Personal Assistant to the Boss
Vladimir Ajajdif — Chief Executive, Quest Mining and New Mexico Sanctuary
Dr. Ina Deol – Lead Scientist, Quest Biotech
The Boss — Owner and Founder, Phoenix Corp. and all subsidiaries
Text to be added
Amazon Bestselling author S.S. Segran is a lover of books, dogs, adventures, and all the popcorn she can stuff her face with. Her genre-defying Aegis League Series roams the exciting worlds of action/adventure, sci-fi, thriller and speculative fiction in the YA universe. Even as she delves into her creative endeavors, she intends to support youths in developing countries realize their potential through her non-profit organization, AegisLeague.org.
When not devouring a novel or writing one, Segran can be found drawing on paper and tablet, or tumbling into a black hole of comic books and video games. She’s an ardent fan of horseback riding and parkour, and having enjoyed jumping out of a perfectly fine plane at fifteen thousand feet — perhaps skydiving.
Segran loves to hear from her readers. If you wish to connect with her, feel free to contact her via her website at www.sssegran.com
www.sssegran.com/insider
Table of Contents
Quick Links
Praise for the Aegis League Series
Publication Information
Dedication
Prologue
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
PART TWO
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
PART THREE
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Epilogue
List of Characters
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Free Ebooks by the Author
Table of Contents
Quick Links
Praise for the Aegis League Series
Publication Information
Dedication
Prologue
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
PART TWO
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
PART THREE
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Epilogue
List of Characters
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Free Ebooks by the Author
Table of Contents