Whomever these people were, they had known the defenses they would have to overcome. They were prepared. They had planned. They had obviously even rehearsed as was apparent in their staged and perfectly timed precision movements. And the most dangerous thing Angela and her team had for protection once that door came down were a few custom computer viruses.
She'd known the risks. The success of their project was potentially worth upward of a hundred billion dollars in the first year alone, and that was on the conservative side. The long term applications of the soon to be patented technology could not even be calculated. The reason they worked out of her home instead of in some downtown lab was for the secrecy of the project, a vain hope of security by obscurity.
They'd taken additional precautions which Angela belatedly realized she had characterized as "paranoid." A commercial exothermic incendiary device much like a military grade thermite grenade perched atop each server array that would, when detonated, melt their way through the machines at over 4 thousand degrees Fahrenheit, effectively destroying everything in a completely unrecoverable fashion. They would burn 3 times hotter than molten lava and the crew would have to be careful not to look at them since the radiant energy was bright enough to blind them without a welding visor.
"Then destroy it. Destroy it all."
Lorie's finger hovered over a steel pin. "You're sure?"
The explosion above them shook the room. Alvin rushed to the inner door and made sure the panic room door remained bolted on all four corners. Angela closed the lid on her laptop and slid it into the 2 inch air gap between network switches. Then she draped her hand on Lorie's shoulder and whispered, "Do it."
She closed her eyes and started to pray as the room around her grew suddenly very hot and smoke started billowing up to the ceiling. "Lord Jesus, if I live through this, let me remain in Your will. But if I come home to you, sweet Jesus, please watch over my husband. Let him feel your comforting love and let him find the destiny you have in mind for him."
Smoke alarms went off and the lights flickered. Then she felt herself being picked up and thrown aside, riding on the wave of a perfectly timed blast. As she flew backward from the shock of the multiple explosions blowing open her steel door she prayed even harder — she prayed for courage, for protection, for strength.
As she landed and fell against the tower of computer drives, she watched the thermite spill and splatter like lava, setting the entire area on fire. Her last thought was of pain as a spray of burning powder fell on her chest.
¯¯¯¯
AN ARIA FOR NICK
PLEASE enjoy this special excerpt from the upcoming full length Christian suspense novel, An Aria for Nick, Part Two of the Song of Suspense Series.
ARIA Suarez stood on the corner of the patio at the coffee shop on Macadam Avenue observing the man wearing the dark blue shirt who occupied the corner table of the outdoor cafe. Sunlight glinted on his brown hair, revealing highlighted streaks that nearly glowed, lending his visage a halo-like appearance. He'd flirted with the waitress each time she'd come by, and had even grinned at a small child making a mess at a nearby table. He looked harmless enough, though she couldn't completely make out his face behind the sunglasses he wore and the Monday edition of the Portland Tribune he continuously ducked behind.
She clenched the purse strap in her hand a little tighter. She kept a sharp eye toward the crowd, scanning faces for anyone who looked either familiar or out of place. Finally, she mustered the courage to step forward.
Aria hesitantly began her approach, unsure of how this might work and trying very hard not to reveal even a hint of uncertainty. Then she remembered that she also didn't want to attract any undue attention to herself by appearing uncomfortable or out of place in any way, and she smoothed her stride.
When she reached his table, she stood still and waited for him to look up from his newspaper. When he failed to do so, she cleared her throat. When that didn't work, she said, "Excuse me."
He shifted the newspaper downward enough to peer over the top of it in her direction, staring at her through the dark lenses of his sunglasses, but she still couldn't see his eyes. All she could see was her own reflection in the tinted lenses. "Are you waiting for me?"
The man glanced downward, very purposefully and very carefully folding the newspaper which he set on the table at right angles to his silverware directly next to his cup. That accomplished, he gestured with his left hand in the direction of the chair across from him, silently inviting her to join him without raising his eyes. As she perched herself on the wrought iron chair, she thought to herself that this man looked familiar.
All those weeks when she had felt such apprehension, glancing over her shoulder in foreboding, she had checked all the shadows and every corner, certain someone was always following her. Had her trepidation been well-founded after all? Had this man been following her? Had she seen him somewhere before? Or was her nervousness and disquiet simply getting the best of her? Did this man just have one of those faces that you felt sure you recognized?
Aria started to feel some very deep, very real anxiety and did her best to quell it. She waited for him to speak, assuming if everything was on the up-and-up that he had done this kind of thing before, and would take the lead to get them to the next level, whatever that was.
The waitress came back to the table to refill the man's lemonade and Aria ordered a cup of decaf with cream, no sugar, then folded her hands and waited. The man across from her sat up a bit straighter then took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"Hello, Aria." His voice flowed over her like a warm baritone blanket. It was deep and comforting and frighteningly familiar. He removed his sunglasses. Ice blue eyes, almost silver in color, calmly met her glance. Already tense muscles contracted in her stomach and around her heart, stealing the breath from her body and sending a surge of adrenaline that made her palms sweat even though her fingers felt ice cold. Her throat let out a startled gasp as recognition dawned.
It can't be! her mind screamed. It's not possible!
"How've you been?" he asked. "You look even more beautiful than I remember."
Aria didn't know what to say, literally shocked speechless. She had never spoken to a ghost. Her mouth felt so dry that the air coursing in and out of her lungs scorched her throat. Finally, she made an attempt. "What? … How? …"
Nicholas "Nick" Williams leaned forward and spoke very quietly but with great urgency, his low voice pitched for her ears alone. "It's okay, Aria. It's a long story, and I'll be happy to share it with you. But I have to call my superiors in less than twenty minutes, so right now, just show me what you have. We can stroll down memory lane later on, okay?"
Aria finally felt able to speak. She gripped the wrought iron chair handles beneath her fingers until her muscles ached. "You aren't Nick Williams," she announced as she stood. "Nice try, but I buried Nick ten years ago."
A HARMONY FOR STEVE
PLEASE enjoy this special excerpt from the upcoming full length Christian suspense novel, A Harmony for Steve, Part Four of the Song of Suspense Series.
HARMONY Harper stood on the deck of the cabin. The crisp air provided a sharpness to the late morning drizzle. Through the mist, she could see the bone white car climbing the curving road below her. She estimated that she had about three minutes before he arrived. She'd anticipated her brother arriving yesterday and wondered what took so long for the news of her recent nuptials to reach him. With a nervous twist in her stomach, she turned and went through the glass door and back into the great room.
Steve Slayer, her husband of less than two months, added another log to the fire. He'd changed into slacks and a dark brown sweater. Her heart gave a little leap of love and excitement when she saw him. He fit so perfectly in this room. He fit so perfectly into her life. They'd had six weeks of peace and restoration in this secluded little environment. However, the real world rapidly approached in the form of a bone colored Mercedes.
He turned as she s
lid the door closed, smiling at her. She couldn't believe how much he'd changed over the last several weeks. He'd gained weight, his hair had grown back, and his green eyes shown bright with the passion for God that had so recently taken over in his life. His features looked relaxed, happy – no longer strained by the addictions and hate that had poisoned his life for so long.
While she had no desire to see the relaxed and content look leave her husband's face, they both knew that this day would eventually come. "Franklin's on his way up. I just saw his car."
There was a hesitation to his smile before Steve stepped forward and offered his hand to her. "You're not scared, are you?"
Scared? With half a laugh she said, "Maybe a little."
"I'll be right here beside you." She stepped down into the room and took his hand, letting him pull her into his arms. "We knew this would come."
"He's not going to be happy."
He framed her face with his hands and looked down into her eyes. "Of course not. I'm a wasted drug addict who sings very worldly songs. What's there to be happy about? He'll either accept me or not. We knew this going into it."
With a sense of urgency she put both of her hands on his chest. "Don't let him discourage you or bring you down. He's very good at verbal play."
His smile set her at ease. "Princess, I got this. Don't worry. What is it you would say to me? 'Fear is not of the Lord?'"
Standing on tiptoe, she gave his mouth a quick peck with her own just as she heard the crunch of tires on the gravel outside. "Touché."
Hand in hand, they walked to the front door and stepped out onto the porch. Harmony felt her stomach twist when she saw her mother sitting in the front seat of the car. Alice Harper did not wait for Franklin to come around to open the door for her. For the first time in Harmony's memory, her mother opened the door herself and got out of the car. Harmony had prepared herself for Franklin, not Alice.
"Mama," she said, smiling, praying, hoping.
"Darling," Alice greeted as Franklin exited the driver's seat.
"Harmony," he began, but Alice held her hand up and stopped him.
Her mother walked up the steps and onto the porch until she stood in front of Harmony and Steve. "This is Steven Slayer?"
He didn't seem phased by Alice Harper, international best-selling author and radio personality. "Yes, ma'am," Steve confirmed, holding out his right hand, keeping Harmony's secure in his left. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She took his hand and looked him up and down, clearly taking in the holes in his ear lobes and the tattoo snaking out from beneath his right sleeve. "Is it? What makes you say that?"
"Because Harmony loves you, and I love her. That's enough to make it a pleasure for me."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what the media is saying?"
Her mother still held his hand. Harmony wondered about that. She looked away from her mother and glanced briefly over at Franklin, who scowled at her with cold, steely gray eyes.
Steve answered her mother. "I imagine they're all about little Harmony here and her break away from the message of Christ to shack up with a drug addict rocker. I'm sure I'm not doing them justice at the way they'd word things."
"Do you find it amusing?" Franklin bit out.
Steve pulled his hand from Alice's and slipped it into his pocket, as if knowing Franklin would not return an offer of a hand shake. "Nothing that would hurt Harmony would amuse me. However, I stand here with the grace of God, sanctified and redeemed. I don't answer to man, but to Him. They are going to crucify me and, because I love your sister she'll hang on the cross next to mine. All we can do is stay steadfast and strong, and we'll be old news one day."
Alice tilted her head, sizing him up once again, then she gestured at the door. "Let's go inside. Harmony, dear, make us some tea. Franklin, get my bag. Steven, we have some rather urgent things we must discuss."
As Franklin carried Alice's bag into one of the guest rooms, and Harmony put together a tea tray, Alice and Steve sat on the big sectional couch. From the kitchen counter she watched as Alice drew out a stack of envelopes and handed them to Steve. Whatever he saw when he opened the first one darkened his face in a way that made her worry. He looked up at her but was too far away for her to read anything on his face but a flash of anger.
Harmony quickly sliced a lemon and tossed it into a bowl, then poured boiling water over the tea leaves in the tea pot. She picked up the tray and carried it down to the living room, setting it on the table in front of the couch.
"What are those?" She gestured to the stack of envelopes as she perched on the couch next to Steve.
He handed them to her. "I don't know yet."
"They began arriving about three days after your marriage announcement," Franklin said, coming down the stairway. "I have no idea if your people have received the same kinds of things, Steven. They won't return my calls."
Harmony opened the first envelope as Alice poured the tea. She pulled out an index card that had a pentagram burned onto it. In what looked like dried blood, someone had written "DIE" across the burned image. She frowned and looked up at Franklin. "What does this mean?"
"Well, sis, I'm no expert but I reckon it means someone wants you to die. They were addressed to you, after all." His gray eyes cut to Steve. "Addressed to Harmony Slayer." His tone carried an accusatory sound.
Steve's lips thinned. "Have you contacted the police?"
"I told Franklin that was your decision. They were addressed to Harmony, after all." Alice handed him a cup and saucer. Despite his strong dislike of the brew, Steve accepted it automatically which made Harmony love him all over again.
Harmony tossed the envelopes onto the table and took Steven's free hand in both of hers. "I guess it's time to go back to Nashville."
"You need to contact the police," Franklin began, but Harmony cut him off and looked at Steve.
"What's your impression?"
He rubbed his face with his hands and leaned back against the couch. With a nervous finger, he tapped his knee, something that she knew he did when he wanted to be smoking a cigarette. "I have some odd fans. I'm sure it's a juvenile prank, but I don't want to risk it being something more."
"More?" Harmony picked up her cup and saucer, her hand trembling enough to make the china rattle. "Like what?"
"Like true danger. Like a true threat. This is absolutely something that should not be ignored." He reached over and took her hand. "I'm sure it's nothing, though."
Despite his comforting words, she could see the worry in his eyes. She could feel his tension in the way he gripped her hand. Her heart gave a nervous flutter at the thought that someone might actually want to harm her.
THE JEWEL SERIES
More Great Christian Fiction…
The Jewel Anthology
by Hallee Bridgeman
Hallee Bridgeman's critically acclaimed best selling award winning Christian anthology, together in one book for the first time. The complete novel Sapphire Ice. Inspired by The Jewel Series, the all new novella Greater Than Rubies. The second full length novel Emerald Fire, and the final novel Topaz Heat. All works complete, uncut, and unabridged.
Sapphire Ice
The Book Club Network's July 2013 Book of the Month: Robin's heart is as cold as her deep blue eyes. After a terrifying childhood, she trusts neither God nor men. With kindness and faith, Tony prays for the opportunity to shatter the wall of ice around her heart.
Greater Than Rubies
2014 EPIC eBook Awards™ Finalist, Spiritual category: In this novella, Robin plans a dream-come-true wedding. Anxiety arises when she starts to realize the magnitude of change marriage will involve. Forgotten nightmares resurface reminding Robin of the horrors of her past. She gives in to her insecurities and cancels Boston's "Royal Wedding." With God's guidance, will her bridegroom convince her of her true worth?
Emerald Fire
Inspirational Novel of the Year RONE Award Finalist: Green eyed Maxine fights dai
ly to extinguish the embers of her fiery youth. Barry's faith in God is deeply shaken when he is suddenly widowed. Just as they begin to live the "happily ever after" love story that neither of them ever dreamed could come true, a sudden and nightmarish catastrophe strikes that could wreck everything. Will her husband find peace and strength enough to carry them through the flames?
Topaz Heat
Inspirational Novel of the Year RONE Award Nominee: Honey eyed Sarah remembers absolutely nothing from her bloodcurdling younger years. Derrick fled a young life of crime to become a billionaire's successful protégé. After years of ignoring the heat between them they surrender to love, but must truly live their faith to see them through.
Available in eBook or Paperback wherever fine books are sold.
THE VIRTUES AND VALOR SERIES
EXCERPT: TEMPERANCE'S TRIAL
PLEASE enjoy this special preview prerelease excerpt from the upcoming Christian historical novella, Temperance's Trial, part of the exciting upcoming Virtues and Valor series.
&&&&
THE pounding on the door startled Marie and she let out a startled cry. The pounding came again, even louder and more insistent, and the scissors she held in her hand clattered to the table as she covered her heart with her hand.
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