“Did I hear that right?” Danner asked. “Special Agent Zachary Hunt is letting a suspect walk?”
“The Christmas spirit has overcome me, sir,” Zach chuckled. “But tell him if he misses another court date, I will lock his ass up for Valentine’s Day.”
“Will do,” Danner said before the connection clicked off.
He didn’t even have time to knock as the door burst open. “Zachary!” his mother exclaimed as she launched into a hug. “It is so good to see you.” Wow, it looked like, for once, she was going to let his tardiness go—until she rubbed his back. “Finally.”
There it was. His mom’s patented guilt-inducing zinger. Luckily, he was too tired to really care. “Yep.”
As they entered the living room, Zach glanced around. “Julia left?”
His mother snorted. “Oh please, she didn’t make it through the first hour of waiting.”
“She’s gone home then?”
“Home? Julia? When she’s mad?” His mother was shaking her head. “No way. She joined some girlfriends who were going to a bar for eggnog shots.”
Yes, that did sound like Julia. He couldn’t blame her, though. It was Christmas, after all. Ellard had warned him.
“Son, that girl is absolutely beautiful, but high maintenance. If you want to keep her you’ve got to—”
“Don’t worry,” he interrupted his mother, guiding them to the dinner table. “I’ll make it up to her.”
His mom put a hand on his arm. “Dear, using sexual gymnastics to solve the problem will not work forever.”
“Mom…”
“I’m just saying that pleasing her in bed isn’t going to make up for—”
“Mom!”
His mother waved him off, then straightened the tablecloth. Most of the food was already plated and ready. “Just because I’m a senior citizen doesn’t mean that I can’t remember what it was like to be young and engaged.”
Zach sighed. “Mom, I was going to give her a ten pack punch card for her favorite Pilate’s studio.”
“Oh my,” his mother said frowning. “You mean sexual gratification isn’t working anymore?”
“Mother!” Her prying was bad enough. And when she was on the cusp of being right? “Can we just eat?” he begged.
“Of course,” she said, a smile replacing the frown. “I’ll get the turkey.” Zach started toward the kitchen, but she urged him to a chair. “No, no. You sit down. I’ll be right back out.”
He didn’t argue. His legs were tired. His arms were tired. His brain was tired. It had been one hell of a day. Then his phone dinged. He’d meant to turn the damn thing off, but he found the text was from a blocked number. A link to a video.
It took a few seconds of the film running for Zach to realize it was a compilation of satellite footage of the chase after Robin Hood. The hacker flinging herself off the oil company building. His car chasing her through El Paso. Then, finally, their confrontation on the garage roof.
The final shot lingered on the Robin Hood Hacker’s face just before she turned to board the helicopter. A smile flickered at the edge of her lips. With her hair flying around her face, the hacker looked a little like Julia in one of her old photo shoots. Only this woman wasn’t in a harness or strapped onto a dozen safety lines. She was actually riding the side of a helicopter in the air, tilting over nearly on its side, for that matter. There was nothing fake about that shot.
Below her picture were the words, “Better Luck Next Time.”
“Ta da!” his mother announced as she carried out the turkey on a platter.
Zach turned off his phone, slipping it back into his pocket, but not before thinking to himself…
Game on.
Want more of Ronnie, Zach, and Quirk? Check out the Robin Hood Hacker Omnibus Collection!
To purchase the Robin Hood Hacker Series on Amazon, click on the link below…
Robin Hood Hacker Collection
Tipping Point: the prequel short story to the post-apocalyptic thriller series, Our Future. Our Fault
CHAPTER 1
“We are not going to see a nuclear strike today,” Jillian tried to reassure the nervous diplomats around her even though her own voice shook.
Russia and China had reached an impasse and North Korea had its finger on the button. Even America’s allies, Israel and India were making some serious noise. Figure in the other eight countries that had nukes and her statement was starting to feel like a long shot.
Jillian looked out the window to what should have been Manhattan. It should have been the glowing tribute to American might. Yet there were only a few lights flickering in the center of the island. Most of the Burroughs had been flooded long ago. The world famous New York City subway was nothing more than a fish labyrinth now.
The fact they had to have this UN meeting across the bay showed just how low they had sunk, literally.
“We’ve lost contact with Australia,” her robotic aid, Reginald blurted.
Jillian raised her hands to stem the flood of panic. “We lose contact with them every other day.”
As an island nation, Australia had been one of the hardest hit by the rising ocean level. They lost the entire country of Indonesia and half of Japan. At the least Australia had a large inner landmass for their population to emigrate to, but still, most of their population pre-tipping point had lived along the coast line. Their economy was still in free fall.
The shift of global power had not left America faring too well either. Losing Manhattan, Los Angles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle had severely crippled their standing as the foremost world power. With Britain in chaos as well, London was gone, just gone, the relatively land-locked nations of Russia and China had taken advantage of the situation.
Which had brought them to this impasse today.
“Raptors are at the gates!” her assistant announced. Reginald really needed to fine tune his “socially appropriate” chip. He knew he should tell her these things first then let her decide whether or not to disseminate them to the group.
The sound of automatic gunfire in the distance silenced the room. Okay, so the group would have figured out the raptor attack without Reginald’s premature information. The bursts were short and controlled. Because as ludicrous as it sounded, in twenty years, America had gone from a world super power with enough weapons, both mass and conventional to destroy the world over ten times, to a nation who had to conserve each and every bullet.
Between suppressing the secession attempt by the west ten years ago to Canada’s attack five years ago to quelling the Robotic uprising fifteen years ago, they were low on ammo. And for supposedly stupid beasts, the dinosaurs seemed to be catching on that the humans didn’t have the defenses they once did and were getting bolder and bolder.
“We have adequate security,” Jillian told the crowd as she crossed her fingers behind her back. The actual truth was she hoped they had adequate security.
“This is all your nation’s fault!” the Croatian ambassador shouted, pointing at Jillian. “It was your scientists that let loose the dinosaurs.”
That wasn’t exactly accurate. It had been a team of American scientists and deranged philanthropists who had created and disseminated the dinosaur eggs all over the world, not the American government, but few seemed to be able to make that distinction.
And given all of the global warming, the earth was being turned into the perfect environment for dinosaurs, because rising sea levels, category seven hurricanes and a robot rebellion just wasn’t enough to handle. Humans had to add nuclear war to their list of troubles.
Couldn’t these people see this was the time to come together? The humans needed each other more than ever? How was their species to survive if they were too busy killing one another to combat the multiple threats to their population?
“Emigrates just broke down the wall near El Paso,” Tom told the room.
Jillian really was going to just give up. The rest of the room looked to Jillian to see how
she reacted. The old border wall that had been erected to keep out Mexican illegals trying to cross the border was now taxed by American’s seeking asylum in Mexico.
America had the robotic problem, plus about a hundred nuclear targets. Being a much poorer nation, Mexico had very few synthetics and Mexico City, far to the south was about the only nuclear target in the country. So people were fleeing by the tens of thousands to south of the border. She understood the instinct and had seriously considered a job with a corporation in Paraguay, but in the end she would stand by her country.
Despite her understanding the Great Emigration, the mass fleeing didn’t look good, nor enhance America’s stature that so many people were trying to leave the country they had just broken down a twelve-foot wall.
“This is what we have created, gentlemen,” Jillian said since she was the only woman in the room. “Mass panic. We have got to negotiate a new nuclear treaty and work together to solve our mutual problems.”
“Why should we?” the Russian ambassador said, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was your cars that created global warming. Your scientists that developed the robots. Your arrogant ‘innovators’ that spread the dinosaurs. And now you are feeling the pinch and you want our help?”
Jillian wasn’t fooled by the man’s bravado. Despite being mainly land locked, Russia had suffered as well. After passing that nearly mythical tipping point, although it turned out to be completely real, weather everywhere had become extreme.
“Moscow was buried under snow for three months last year,” Jillian reminded Gorgonage.
The large man with the bright red nose shrugged. “We know hardship. We will survive hardship,” Gorgonage stated. “Besides the weather shift has made Siberia a new breadbasket.
“So why did you invade Mongolia?” the Chinese ambassador demanded.
Gorgonage snorted. “If you weren’t going to get them under control, someone had to.”
Mongolia had gone a little Khan on them all. Militarizing nearly its entire population and developing nuclear weapons. Long hostile to Russia the nation had become a serious threat to the motherland and they put a stop to it in the only way they knew how. Invasion and occupation.
No one had intervened, not even the Chinese because everyone’s resources were far too stretched to retaliate to a minor country’s invasion. They all had far bigger issues to consider.
“Please,” Jillian begged and she wasn’t ashamed of it. “None of us want to see what a nuclear winter looks like, especially you, Gorgonage.”
The large man frowned but did not retort. A good sign. Also Mr. Lin sat back down, settling further into his seat.
The two most precarious diplomats calmed back down. Perhaps they had a chance after all.
“Gentlemen,” Jillian said, smoothing her blouse down. “We have to make an announcement today. That is the only thing that will keep North Korea under control.”
Lin snorted. “Nothing will keep his finger off the button if that is what he decides to do.”
Not even China could keep their ally in line. China had even made rumblings of annexing North Korea just to get their little cousin into the fold, but the tiny dictatorship had threatened nuclear retaliation. Who had given the toddler nation a nuclear weapon in the first place?
She looked to Gorgonage. “Any thoughts?”
The large man shrugged. “What is done is done.”
Typical Russians. They weren’t about to apologize for giving the single most unstable country in the world nuclear technology. At the time they thought it would help the communist cause. Now it might ruin the world.
Short-sighted at best.
“North Korea has launched five missiles,” Reginald yelled. There was no real point in trying to keep him quiet. So much for a protocol robot to help keep things even handed.
The entire table leapt to its feet.
“Where?” Gorgonage asked, although his expression indicated he already knew.
“Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, New York and London.”
“So it is over then,” Lin whispered.
Jillian knew it was true, but her body revolted. How could the world be ending yet she was still breathing, apparently safe? Not in ten hours when that missile hit the city.
“Tokyo will be the first hit,” Reginald stated.
Across the table, Japan’s ambassador, Mikikio bowed his head. “Not before we have countered the strike.”
Reginald frowned. “Japan already has several missiles in the air.”
Then the mass exodus to the exit began.
Jillian stepped in front of the men, blocking the door. “No, this is bad and we need to evacuate, however we’ve got several hours lead time. We can stop this. Keep it to this. In six hours there won’t be a North Korea anymore. We can still salvage this.”
“I’m afraid Israel has launched against Lebanon and Syria. Pakistan has fired on India.”
Like a house of cards, the nuclear web they had woven was tightening like a noose. India would strike back and soon America, Russia and China would be drawn into the mutual protection trap.
This really was it.
“The raptors have broken through,” Reginald yelled.
Perfect timing. Jillian couldn’t keep the diplomats back any longer. She stepped out of the way as a suited stampede rushed past.
In a few moments it was only Jillian and Reginald left in the room. Not even the UK’s diplomat stayed. The rattle of gunfire got closer and closer.
“I’m so sorry,” Reginald said. “We’ve launched on Pakistan and Iran and--”
Jillian shook her head. She didn’t need to hear the rest. She knew. Armageddon.
There was nothing else to do but call her family.
She opened her phone and dialed her husband. The phone rang a few times before he picked up.
“Jill?”
“It’s happened,” she said, not being able to really name it.
And her husband understood. They had moved the family to south Washington state, far enough away from Seattle to avoid the nuclear fallout, but North enough to enjoy the high precipitation and flora and fauna that it fed. The family could survive there off the grid.
“Do you have enough time to get out of there?” he asked.
“We are under a raptor attack. They breached the fence,” Jillian stated, holding the phone up for him to hear the gunfire.
“Babe, you’ve got to try. You’ve got hours to get clear of the blast range. You’ve got to try. If not for yourself then for us.”
Tears streamed down her face. It seemed impossible to get away from the inevitable. Besides, did she deserve to survive? This was her fault. She couldn’t bring Korea to the table. She couldn’t keep the diplomats together enough to stop the domino effect.
“I can’t,” Jillian wept into the phone. “Tell the girls I love them.”
Then Reginald grabbed her elbow and jerked her up. “Keith, I will try to get her off site,” he said then clicked the phone off.
“There is a helicopter on the south side of the campus and a flight with your name on it in Connecticut.”
“Reginald, not that I don’t appreciate it but I think I’d rather just stay here and accept the inevitable rather than try to take on an entire pack of raptors.”
Her protocol synthetic tugged on her arm, dragging her along. “You are just in shock. Think of your girls.”
Hot, bitter tears burned Jillian’s eyes. She’d done all of this. Attempted to bring the world’s diplomats together to stop exactly what had happened. What kind of world did she leave her daughters?
“Come on,” Reginald urged pulling her along the hallway as the lights flickered overhead. One of the raptors must have downed a power line. Had it been an accident or on purpose? With raptors you could never quite be sure.
Reginald held her hand as they slinked down the hallway. He suddenly came to a halt jerking her down to the ground. Then she saw it. The shadow of a dinosaur only it wasn’t a raptor with its
long snout and sloped forehead. It was worse.
It was a Troodon. They didn’t look scary like the raptors or the T. Rexs' of the world. These looked benign and almost human like. Their snouts were shorter with domed foreheads and larger than normal eyes for a dinosaur. You really wanted to reach out and pet one, only you’d lose an arm.
The Troodons were human sized, weighing no more than 150 pounds, yet they could take down a full-grown tri-top. They hunted in larger packs than raptors, more like eight to ten like a wolf pack rather than a two to three raptor flock. The Troodons had strength in numbers.
The domed forehead made room for way more brains than even the raptors and the large eyes made it easier for them to hunt in the dark. The dinosaur was built to hunt, not to look scary.
So if there was one Troodon, there were lots more where it came from. It wasn’t uncommon for a pack of Troodon to track some raptors. The larger predators had a far more advanced sense of smell than the Troodon, so they would lurk in the shadows, allowing the raptors to hunt the prey, then at the eleventh hour, jump in to claim the prize.
In this case the prize was Jillian. She thanked the gods that the Troodons couldn’t smell for crap. If that had been a raptor, they would already be dead.
“This way,” Reginald whispered and tugged her down a side hall.
Jillian shook her head. That led to a dead end. They would never get out if they were trapped down there. There was no jumping from the building, not from the eleventh floor.
Instead she tugged Reginald further down the hallway. The half wall should protect them from the Troodon. As long as it didn’t see them, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Slowly they crept, knees bent, backs arched over. Reginald would have no problem with the position. He was a robot. She however was already having to bite back the pain.
The loud sound of a door slamming shut down the hallway echoed off the walls. The Troodon rushed in that direction.
“Go,” Jillian hissed as they ran in the opposite direction of the dinosaur. They made the stairwell door. Reginald stopped and opened the door scanning the stairs for more dinosaurs.
Apex Predator Thriller Series Collection (Including the blockbuster new shark park thriller, Salechii) Page 62