The Darwin Protocol: A Thriller (The Last Peak Book 1)

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The Darwin Protocol: A Thriller (The Last Peak Book 1) Page 31

by William Oday


  He squeezed the coin tight and felt a stab of pain in his thumb. He drew it out and watched as a tiny rivulet of blood welled up and traced down into his palm. He clenched his hand into a fist.

  Blood would flow.

  One didn’t change the course of history with endless talk and diluted consensus.

  But he never thought that blood would flow so close to his heart. His daughter. Was she a necessary sacrifice upon the altar of his destiny? Had Genghis Khan done the same?

  Perhaps. Then again, Khan had many children. If he lost one, he had many more to garner his attention. Anton just had one. As stubborn and misguided as she was, she was still his flesh and blood. The only reminder left in the world of her angelic mother. His dear Katerina. Taken too soon. Stolen, was more accurate. Murdered, still more.

  If only his daughter had listened, none of this would’ve happened. She’d be safe with him, not trapped at ground zero of what would soon be the biggest transformation humanity had ever seen.

  Bigger even than the conquests of Khan.

  He could’ve told her that the future she dreamed of would no longer have meaning. Modeling, acting, being famous. Those were empty ideas nearing their expiration.

  But he didn’t. And so she disobeyed and went without telling him. He was too soft on her, because she was the remaining soft part of him.

  Iridia.

  His fatal flaw.

  He wouldn’t let her die, because he couldn’t.

  And that meant getting her out.

  Only, he didn’t have access to the manpower or equipment necessary to effect such an operation. Hence the meeting.

  A knock at the door.

  “Yes?”

  It opened and his bodyguard, Mr. Pike, appeared.

  “Senator Rawlings is here.”

  “Get out of my way!”

  The gray-haired Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee pushed by the much larger, much younger man. His bodyguard raised a brow, an unspoken question if he should toss the intruder out on his ear.

  Anton would have very much liked to do exactly that. He shook his head.

  “Good to see you, Charles.”

  The door closed as Mr. Pike resumed his station outside.

  “Don’t glad hand me, Anton,” the senator said. “I’m the career politician here. You don’t operate on my level.”

  That was true. Though not in the way the senator intended.

  “Why the hell didn’t you just come to my office on the hill?”

  “I don’t come like a dog when called.”

  “Don’t get cute with me!”

  The old man unbuttoned his suit coat and loosened his tie.

  “Have anything to drink?”

  Anton waved him toward the small bar in the corner.

  “By all means, let me get it myself.”

  The senator stalked over to the bar and dug out a glass and a bottle of Jefferson’s 17 Year Old Presidential Select whiskey.

  “At least you have the good stuff.”

  He measured out two fingers and raised the amber glass with an air of appreciation. After a stiff gulp, he turned to Anton.

  “Could you please explain to me just what the fuck is happening in Los Angeles?”

  “Selective depopulation.”

  “People are dying!”

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  The senator adjusted his glasses, as if doing so would change what he saw.

  “The Darwin Protocol was intended to be a selective sterilization. That’s what you guaranteed. We are the United States government, for God’s sake! We don’t murder people for no reason.”

  “Don’t you? Anyway, I did what needed to be done.”

  “And I stuck my neck out for you. You offered an acceptable solution. A solution that would safeguard the future of this great nation without also destroying the values upon which it was built.”

  “Every empire must one day crumble.”

  “Stick your platitudes up your ass!”

  Anton strode over and slapped the older man across the face. The senator’s head snapped to the side and his spectacles tumbled to the wood floor.

  “Don’t speak to me as you do your high-priced whores.”

  The senator held his cheek, stunned to silence.

  “I have asked you here not to talk, but to listen.”

  Anton waited to see if the older man would interrupt. Wisely, he did not.

  “There has been an unforeseen complication.”

  “You don’t have to fucking tell me that.”

  Anton glared and considered dealing out another punishing reprimand. The senator cowered.

  “My daughter, Iridia, is in Los Angeles.”

  The senator’s bushy brows lifted.

  “Now, isn’t that a peach pit of irony?”

  “You will get me the resources required to retrieve her.”

  “And why the hell would I do that?”

  “Because I have the cure.”

  Newsletter

  I’m pounding away on the next story in this series, The Darwin Collapse (The Last Peak, Book 2). If you’d like to find out how Mason and his fellow Los Angelenos fare in a world gone mad, please click the link below.

  Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time. Hope to see you around the bonfire again someday!

  Click Here!

  Sincerely,

  William

  Questions or Comments?

  While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, my greater aim is that you thoroughly enjoy reading it. I’d love to know what you thought about the experience. Please consider supporting an independent author by leaving a review. It really helps to get a sense about how the story worked, and also lets others know what to expect.

  Click here to leave a review.

  Many thanks!

  William

  About the Author

  William Oday grew up in the Midwest, the center of the states. He later meandered out to the West Coast and has remained off-center ever since. He lives there with his lovely wife, two vibrant children, and a dog that has obviously discovered the secret to infinite energy.

  Click here to check out William’s titles at Amazon.

  He can be contacted at [email protected].

  Readers Are Saying

  “It’s up there with Wool [by Hugh Howey]”

  “Wow, just Wow!”

  “Loved it!”

  “Truly excellent. A must-read.”

  “Impeccably paced, it’s a tense thriller.”

  “a friggin’ home run”

  “can’t wait for the next book!”

  “one contentious action packed tale.”

  “explodes off the pages”

  “Hooked me from the first page”

  “Well crafted story, great characters, and action.”

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  Title Page

  William's Newsletter

  What Readers Are Saying

  Freebie for Finding Errors

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

 
; Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Chapter Eighty

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Chapter Eighty-Seven

  Chapter Eighty-Eight

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Chapter Ninety

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  Chapter Ninety-Six

  Chapter Ninety-Seven

  Chapter Ninety-Eight

  Chapter Ninety-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred

  Chapter One Hundred One

  Chapter One Hundred Two

  Chapter One Hundred Three

  Chapter One Hundred Four

  Chapter One Hundred Five

  William's Newsletter

  Questons or Comments

  About the Author

  What Readers Are Saying

 

 

 


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