“Which is why I’m here today,” Kerrigan interjects. “Now that you’re gonna be operating on American soil, we need to get a couple of things clear.”
The General turns to Kerrigan and raises his hand, pardoning his interruption before addressing Govinda himself. “Mister Mayor, if I may. We do this by the book. I don’t want a civilian body count, I don’t want stories leaking to the press about torture, and I sure as hell can’t afford to have another incident like we had in China. Do you know how many people had to disappear after they saw the wall melting? The New World Council is built on a foundation of faith, Mister Govinda; faith that the government can actually improve people’s lives and keep them safe in the long-term. If we lose that, we lose the Council. And I don’t have to remind all of you what was happening before the Council was formed. Things were spiraling out of control, and we were on the brink of a third world war. I’ve seen enough bloodshed to last ten lifetimes, and I’m not going to let us reach that point once again.”
“Understood,” Govinda nods, quick to respond. His deep baritone voice seems compliant – almost submissive.
“I’m glad we have an understanding. And remember the primary objective: once you take down the group that is responsible for this ‘Muse’ drug, we’ll need the vaccine ready for distribution immediately.” The General glances around the table, addressing the leaders from every continent. “We’re all in agreement that it goes directly in to the water supply, starting in North America. Then we move onto South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Rim. By this time next month there won’t be a single manifestation, and peace will be restored.”
“And the funds?” Govinda asks.
“A wire transfer directly into your Cayman Islands account, just as you’ve requested. As soon as the vaccine takes effect you’ll have the full amount deposited. After that, your entire criminal record will be expunged, but your technology stays with us,” The General says gravely. “We can’t afford to have international terrorists with access to teleportation devices, cerebral dampeners and the type of containment units you’ve created.”
The General stands, palms flat on the table. He leans forward with an authority that commands everyone in attendance to pay strict attention. “I’ll have eyes on you anywhere and everywhere you choose to go, Mister Govinda. If you try to reproduce and sell any of your tech, you’ll be dealt with swiftly…and there won’t be a Basement deep or dark enough for you to hide in. I’ve authorized the destruction of entire countries to keep democracy intact, so believe me when I tell you that if you try and stand against the Council or the United States of America, I will have no qualms about unleashing the full power of our forces in order to bring you to justice.”
Govinda stares into The General’s piercing grey eyes and Paige can almost see the wheels turning in his head. He’s trying to mask his concern but a dark realization is setting in: this man would tear apart the world to find him, and Govinda would be powerless to retaliate. She gets the feeling that ‘powerless’ is an emotion that someone of his stature is not accustomed to experiencing.
The General nods to the leaders of the Council, giving them tacit approval to conclude their meeting. He straightens his jacket and turns to leave.
As everyone gathers their belongings and prepares to exit The Backyard, Govinda stands, but feels a hand on the back of his shoulder; a powerful, constricting grip like an iron vise. He spins around and comes face-to-face with The General.
“One last thing, Mister Govinda: I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that I want Dia returned to me, unharmed. We can’t go forward with the next phase of our plan without her. Everyone else is expendable.”
“Yes sir,” Govinda replies, an almost imperceptible tremor of fear quaking his words. “I’ll have her delivered to you directly, General Davenport.”
Chapter Thirty-Four – Bête Noire
Paris, France
August 27, 2011
9:07 pm, Central European Time
Paige takes a long, deep breath and gazes back out the window before letting her eyelids fall shut. “I’m going to have to tell Dia that dad is looking for her.”
To be Continued in ‘Relapse’ – Vs. Reality Volume 2
USA / UK / Canada
Thank you so much for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the first part of the Vs. Reality series. Please leave a quick star rating and a review on the Vs. Reality Amazon page if you liked it – I would really, really appreciate it, and every single review means the world to me.
And if you didn’t enjoy it, just feel free to keep that information to yourself. This is the internet, after all – it’s not some place where curmudgeons go to complain about things :)
Thanks again, and please come say hi on the social medias. I’d love to meet you!
Super-sized hugs,
Blake xx
Books by Blake Northcott
THE VS. REALITY SERIES
Vs. Reality
USA / UK / Canada
Relapse (Vs. Reality Volume 2)
USA / UK / Canada
Legacy (Vs. Reality Volume 3)
USA / UK / Canada
THE ARENA MODE SAGA
Arena Mode
USA / UK / Canada
Assault or Attrition (Arena Mode Book 2)
USA / UK / Canada
Final Empire (Arena Mode Book 3)
USA / UK / Canada
NOVELLAS
The Manticore Ascension
USA / UK / Canada
About the Author
Blake Northcott is an author, Twitter-er, and Slayer of Vampires (only the ones that sparkle).
She enjoys comic books, novels, movies, travel, and the occasional rum & Coke. Turn-offs include Wheel of Fortune and Ke$ha.
Blake lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her family.
If you want to know more about Blake, visit her on one of those social media thingies. Or her website ... she has one of those too.
BlakeNorthcott.com
facebook.com/BlakeNorthcott
twitter.com/ComicBookGrrl
★★★★★ Mind-blowing
"Blake Northcott is making nerd dreams come true; action, suspense and comics all at once?! Try not to fall in love – I dare you!"
- Regina Carpinelli, CEO and Founder of Stan Lee's Comikaze
★★★★★ Simply awesome
“A fun, mind-bending adventure that moves at a blistering pace. If you love superheroes you need to read Vs. Reality.”
- Mark McKenna, Artist, DC Comics and ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’
★★★★★ Exceptional
“A thought-provoking, white knuckle page-turner of the first degree.”
- Billy Tucci, Creator of ‘Shi’ and Founder of Crusade Comics
★★★★★ A must read for any action/adventure fan
“Fast-paced and exciting, risky, and has wicked awesome characters! Complete with a twist at the end that leaves you totally wishing for the next book!”
- The Bookish Brunette, Book Reviewer
★★★★★ Kick-Ass on steroids
“If you enjoyed that movie, you'll love this book. It's like tossing comic books and action novels into a blender.”
- John Corwin, Author, ‘No Darker Fate’
★★★★★ An adrenaline rush
“Blends the aesthetic of a comic book movie with the mind-f#@& of a Chuck Palahniuk novel. It's an adrenaline rush. It's a commentary on addiction. It's the source material for a future summer Blockbuster.”
- Amy Leigh Strickland, Author, ‘Olympia Heights’
Vs. Reality
Book 1 in the Vs. Reality Series
Kindle Version 2.2 / 06.30.2015
Vs. Reality is Copyright © and Trademark 2011-2015
Blake Northcott, Digital Vanguard Inc. and Noösphere Publishing
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is pure
ly coincidental. All rights reserved. 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 publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.
Credits
Written By
Blake Northcott
Developmental Editor
Jim Deley
Copy Editor
Jeff Geddes
Cover Design
S.R. Dyer
With very special thanks to
Jennifer Joseph
J.D. Hunter
Kiri Callaghan
Mimi Angel
Vs. Reality is currently in development to be a motion picture with Retribution Studios. Additional details are available at IMDb.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One – Illusions
Chapter Two – Prajña
Chapter Three – Reality
Chapter Four – Inertia
Chapter Five – Nirvana
Chapter Six – Disarmed
Chapter Seven – Incipient
Chapter Eight – Dissipate
Chapter Nine – Aftermath
Chapter Ten – Confounded
Chapter Eleven – Circumstance
Chapter Twelve – Revelation
Chapter Thirteen – Continuum
Chapter Fourteen – Relent
Chapter Fifteen – Recovery
Chapter Sixteen – Logistics
Chapter Seventeen – Enervate
Chapter Eighteen – Epinephrine
Chapter Nineteen – Imbue
Chapter Twenty – Pyrrhic
Chapter Twenty-One – Admonish
Chapter Twenty-Two – Seppuku
Chapter Twenty-Three – Reprieve
Chapter Twenty-Four – Plan B
Chapter Twenty-Five – Execrate
Chapter Twenty-Six – Vanguard
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Intromit
Chapter Twenty-Eight – Moiety
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Dauntless
Chapter Thirty – Final Round
Chapter Thirty-One – Mendacious
Chapter Thirty-Two – Plan C
Chapter Thirty-Three – Flashback
Chapter Thirty-Four – Bête Noire
About the Author
Vs Reality Page 17