He took off out of the kitchen at a run. He ran across the common room, and as he entered the hangar, his body was thrown into the air by a huge blast. He landed on his back and slid across the rough floor, and the last thing Miko saw before everything went black was debris and dirt crashing down on him.
Eve finished reviewing the feeds from the drones she had secreted throughout the lab with a feeling of satisfaction. Each one showed that it was buried. The pair of one-kilogram pucks she had launched had dropped the complex in on itself. There was nothing left standing once the dust outside cleared.
She recalled the carriers and most of the drones, leaving a few around the lab to maintain the surveillance Akio wanted, then took one last look at the damage she had wrought and grinned. Satisfied she had taken care of the threat, she accelerated the Black Eagle toward Japan at the best possible speed.
Chapter Forty-Six
Tokyo, the Palace (Three Days Later)
“Asai, can you believe it?” Koda gushed as she looked at the line of excited people that snaked from the door all the way around the corner of the building. “Look at all the people waiting to get in.”
“I can,” Asai answered. “Eve has had advertisements running across all forms of media for a solid week. There is no one in Japan who hasn’t seen or heard an ad for ‘the most realistic experience you can have without being there yourself.’” Asai chuckled as she made air quotes with her fingers.
“I know, but this is still unbelievable!” Koda exclaimed. “There have been people camping here for three days, wanting to be one of the first in, and the line has gotten longer each hour today.”
“Eve said she didn’t think this place was going to be big enough. I believe she was right.”
Eve laughed as she approached the two women. “Did I hear someone say I was right?”
Koda chuckled. “As if you would ever be wrong.”
“That would be highly illogical,” Eve deadpanned as she raised one hand and spread her fingers into a distinct V configuration.
Both women burst into laughter at her response and action, having been recently introduced to the old science fiction television show by Eve.
“Have we had a good turnout of the special guests we invited?” Eve inquired, looking at the door that was designated for the government officials and other invited guests.
Asai’s face flushed red and Koda chortled. “Well, one special guest was the first in line at daylight this morning. I’m not sure if it was the place or my co-manager that inspired him to arrive so early.”
“Eve-san!” an excited voice called.
They all turned as a young man approached.
“Seki-san, how do you like it?” Eve inquired.
“It’s amazing! I see you used my idea in the monster maze. When that fire-breathing Akuma dropped from the roof, I could feel the heat from his flames.”
“I thought it was a good idea. Have you taken the dinosaur tour yet?” she inquired innocently.
He laughed. “Oh, that one was evil. When the T-Rex broke through the barrier, my friend Tomi screamed like a girl. I thought he was going to soil his pants.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I can’t take credit for that one, though. Akio said the first version was boring, and it would be more exciting if the people had to get away from the dinosaurs at the end.” She chuckled.
“I knew something was up when I saw the sign warning pregnant mothers and people with heart problems not to try it,” Seki enthused. “I remember the version I saw. It was like going to a zoo. This one is much better.”
“Have you thought about the job offer?” Eve inquired.
“Yes. I thank you for asking, but I am happy where I am. I was offered a manager’s job recently and feel it is best that I stay. Besides, it wouldn’t be proper to ask my boss out on a date.” He looked hopefully at Asai.
Asai smiled and ducked her head, too shy to respond.
Koda gave her a gentle push forward. “Seki, Asai would be honored to accompany you on a date. Why don’t the two of you go to the refreshment stand and discuss it over a Coke? They are quite good.”
Asai hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively reached out and caught Seki’s hand and pulled him toward the stand. “That is a lovely idea.”
Koda was watching her cousin and snickering when she felt someone approach her from behind. When she turned, she was looking at a dark t-shirt stretched over the muscular chest of a very large man. She slowly looked up and found herself staring into the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. She continued to stare until Eve caught her by the arm.
“Koda, did you hear me?”
“Huh? Uh, I mean, did you say something, Eve?” she stuttered.
“I said, I would like you to meet Horst.”
“Oh, yes, it’s very nice to meet you.” Koda blushed and her heart raced.
Horst smiled down at her. “It is very nice to meet you, too. Did I hear you say there is Coke? I would be honored if you would accompany me to get one.”
“I, oh…” She looked around, searching for an answer, and saw Yuko beside him.
Yuko smiled. “Horst, Koda says she would love to.”
Yuko watched the two as they nervously walked away. “Eve, I think Horst might have found a reason to stay here instead of going to Germany.”
“I think you’re right.”
Epilogue
TQB Base, Tokyo, Japan
“Akio,” Abel called, “I have received information from the drones Eve left at the lab in China that you need to see.”
“I’m on my way back to base now. I’ll come by as soon as I get cleaned up.”
“I’ll have it waiting for you when you arrive.”
When Akio walked into the command center, Abel had a video feed paused on the main screen. It showed the valley where the hangar had been. When the video started, a lone figure was making its way up the side of the mountain. Akio watched as they took several steps and then slid back on the loose rock.
The figure struggled, apparently injured or ill, as it made its way slowly to the ridge above. When it reached the top, the figure collapsed in an exhausted heap.
“Abel, please zoom in.”
The feed switched to another view, this one at the top of the ridge. The focus zoomed in until the screen showed the dirt and blood-covered face of a man. It was after midnight in China on a moonless night, and too dark to make out any of the features.
“Enhance lighting,” Akio instructed.
The picture slowly became lighter. The face was undeniably that of a man, but the angle showed only the blood-covered side. His head turned slightly, bringing the other side into view.
Akio’s legs went weak and he slumped into a chair as he stared at the screen. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. His mouth worked, but no words came out. He finally croaked, “Kenjii?”
THE END
Retaliation
The story continues with book two, Retaliation, coming soon to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Author Notes Charles Tillman
June 19, 2020
Hi, thanks for reading this book and reading these notes. This is the second time I have written author’s notes for a published work. I’m still not comfortable talking about myself, but here goes.
First, I am so honored to write in The Kurtherian Gambit Universe. I found this series back in 2017 when some guy named Michael Anderle put an ad on Facebook that said, “Everything you knew about Vampires and Werewolves was wrong, so very, very wrong.”
I saw that ad several times over a few weeks and didn’t click it. I mean who is this guy to tell me, a person who loves Dracula, Nicholas Knight, and the original Barnabas Freakin Collins, (Yeah, I’m that old) that I didn’t know about vampires?
I’m an avid reader, one of those who before e-books were a thing, would have three or four books lying about the house all the time. I was looking for something to read and happened on that same ad again, challenge accepted. I got Death
Becomes Her and was hooked halfway through.
The premise blew me away, and I couldn’t get enough. Space aliens came here and screwed around with humans to make super soldiers. What a novel concept for, what I thought, at that time, was an urban fantasy.
One day after finishing one of the main series books, I liked it so well that I did something I had never dreamed of before. I reached out to Michael on Facebook and I sent him a quick message telling him how much I liked it. I figured he would never look at it but there was a ding from my computer almost immediately and when I looked he had responded.
OMG an Actual AUTHOR answered me!!!
We chatted briefly from time to time and I got to know him and found that he was really a super guy. I also found that he was a generous guy who helped other writers to learn and develop the skills needed to work in the indie market.
In 2018 I saw a post calling for short stories written by fans in another of Michael’s Universes, Oriceran. I decided to give it a try and see what happened and wrote a story about a magic using bounty hunter from New Orleans.
I submitted the first story I had ever written in November 2018 and to my surprise they accepted it for publication. On top of that I had people messaging me wanting more.
November 2018 was a month of first for me. I submitted my first story and attended my first writers' conference. I finally got to meet Michael in person and talked to him a bit. No surprise what you see is what you get.
While I was there, I had the idea that I would like to do a fans write short story based on one of his characters. The rules for fans write are that you can’t use an existing major character in your story, so I searched Michael out to beg his permission.
Michael being Michael took my little idea up to eleven. I wanted to do a five to eight thousand word short story. He comes back with send me thirty thousand words and let’s see what happens. I went into a panic and am not sure exactly what I said after that, but I exited stage right freakin now. (Michael says it didn’t happen like this, but I have a witness who backs me up.)
I went back home and started working on a couple of projects, but this little voice kept nagging me in my head. As the months went by that voice started getting louder and louder, screaming that he had a story to tell. I gave in and contacted Michael again about writing Akio, only this time I was willing to take on a full-length novel.
That has since morphed into a three book series, the first of which you are holding in your hands. Please hold your sacrifices to the gods of rubber chickens and boiling Pepsi, the next one is written and will be released soon. All will be explained in due time.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.
If you want to reach me, you can find me on:
Facebook
Author Charles Tillman
https://www.facebook.com/CFTillman/
Or on my website
http://cftillman.com/
Join my mailing list if you would like to know what I’m working on and updates on future works.
Again, thank you so very much for reading this and hope to hear from you soon.
Charles
June 19, 2020
Author Notes Michael Anderle
June 22, 2020
Have you ever had a situation where you built (or created) something, and yet you didn’t feel that you were the right person to finish a part of it?
I have, and it’s Akio.
When Charles approached me at 20Booksto50K® Vegas with the request to write Akio I didn’t feel a sense of concern, but rather a sense of relief.
I knew that a lot of fans enjoyed the character I created, but I personally had NO WHERE I thought I could take his story. Not that I don’t like Akio, I do. It’s just that I believe to write the character correctly, you would need to do enough research to support who he was before Bethany Anne.
And Charles was willing to rise to the occasion, but not without a few checks and balances.
He is right that I’m not fond of authors taking control of major characters as they can accidentally get the character wrong. So, enter the Akio Beta Team (ABT). Charles’ folks (he mentions in his author notes) helped steer him in the right direction, while allowing a bit of allowance for both who Akio was in the past, and who he is in the future having gone through the WWDE (World’s Worst Day Ever.)
I’m happy to have Charles’ work to bring Akio’s story to life. I’m honored that he asked and honored that he ‘put up’ with all of the checks and balances (some self-imposed) to get the story down on the pages for the book(s). Not just one book, but three!
“If you’re going to tell Akio’s story, this won’t be a small endeavor, you have to ‘sign up’ for the trilogy.”
Damned if he didn’t.
Thank you, Charles, for enjoying the Kurtherian Gambit, and Akio enough to see if you had a story, or three, inside you.
Thank you to everyone who stepped forward to help make this new series a success, to all of the teams that helped get it published, and (as always) to the fans!
Now, I hope you get fans asking YOU, “Hey Charles, where’s the next book in the series?” That way, you get ALL of the experience.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Connect with The Authors
Charles Tillman Social
Facebook:
(Author Charles Tillman)
https://www.facebook.com/CFTillman/
Website:
http://cftillman.com/
Michael Anderle Social
Website:
http://lmbpn.com
Email List:
http://lmbpn.com/email/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LMBPNPublishing/
Books By Charles Tillman
Akio Revelations
Reprisal (Book 1)
Retaliation (Coming Soon)
Retribution (Coming Soon)
Books By Michael Anderle
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/
All LMBPN Audiobooks are Available at Audible.com and iTunes
To see all LMBPN audiobooks, including those written by Michael Anderle please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/audible
Reprisal Page 25