Tobias cupped his chin in his hand. “A lot of people would have gotten a surprise when they arrived at work.”
Work? That’s it. That’s what didn’t fit. “CeeBees, show me where the people in the program are right now.”
Across the United States, red, blue and green dots blossomed inside the crosshairs.
Fear wiped the moisture from my mouth. Oh snap, it was happening. Now. “What are those locations?”
Yellow balloons appeared next to the crosshairs. Florence SuperMax Prison and Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, US Mint in California, Area 51 in Nevada, Granite Bunker in Salt Lake City, Fort Knox in Kentucky and The Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Another pink dot mushroom near Washington DC. Seconds later I read the balloon. Air Force One.
“They’re not just going to get the Big Brother’s attention.” I inhaled a shaky breath. “They’re going to make him crap his pants.”
Dropping my glass of soda, Tobias sprang forward. Starting with the east coast, he tapped each target and threw them at the monitors striping the room. “New York you have a go. Washington, you have a go.”
His fingers walked over America while Kuma shunted the targets abroad to other screen and green lighted missions.
Blue dots sprouted on the map near each of the cross hairs.
“That’s convenient.” With my one free hand, I grabbed a fistful of chips out of the bag. “Did you know this was going to happen?”
“No.” Tobias tapped on the monitors of each of the targets. The map reduced from state, to country, to city then blocks then streets while the blue dots in the area multiplied, from one to three then six. “We monitor where your government keeps its secrets. Fortunately, we’ve already been in most of these locations—recovering our tech and replacing it with yours.”
Hence the Smartphones, MP4 players and key chains that weren’t what they appear. Maybe Big Brother didn’t lie about everything. Maybe it had been duped by a smarter Big Brother. It wasn’t a warm and fuzzy thought. I tried to step forward but my glued hand kept me in place. “So what do we do now?”
“Wait. Watch. Pray to the Creator, if you’ve a mind.” Shrugging, Tobias crossed his arms and watched as the monitor focused in on Air Force One. In a blink, the image changed from graphics to satellite imagery. Military personnel streamed around the plane.
Even from space I could see their rifles. Not good, not good at all. “Where are your people? Shouldn’t I see them?”
“They’re in camouflage.” Tobias ran his finger down his cell and the blue dots appeared to float on air. Unnoticed, they strolled right by the soldiers standing guard.
“Holy Toledo! That’s some camouflage.” Something knocked against the back of my knees. My legs buckled from the impact. Inhaling, I waited for the hard landing. Instead, my bottom stopped on a soft cushion and one hand became free of the server.
“Sorry,” Minor whispered handing me another glass of ice. “Guess I should have warned you.”
I wedged the cup between my thighs and stared up at the man. Tobias had one traitor on his team, maybe there were two. “How come the dots didn’t come up for you?”
Minor twirled the long moustache hair by the corner of his lips. “You asked for people, I just locked onto their signal.” He pulled the electronic tablet from his waistband and squatted next to me. “Can you tell me how you managed to do that? To zero in on the individuals, I mean?”
“The CeeBees must have done it.” Because I didn’t have a clue. I lifted the two liter bottle of soda off the floor and filled my glass.
“Remarkable.” Minor flashed me his screen. It was a copy of the one with all the protectees safely at home. “Even now all I can call up are their signals. I’ve never heard of the CeeBees doing anything like it before.”
I went from hero to freak in less than a minute. That must be some kind of record. “Maybe none of the other stewards had cause to ask their CeeBees to do it.”
“Maybe.” Minor scratched the peach fuzz on his chin. “You know, every race across the galaxy has legends about blue beings that appeared to certain individuals at nexus points in their civilization’s development. With the help of these celestials, the cultures achieved accomplishments undreamt of in only a short time. Many believe this is the true purpose of the CeeBees.”
Like him. Using my toes, I pushed my chair away from him. I had a feeling if he had his way, I’d be pinned down to some lab bench with electrodes running out parts of my body. “You don’t say?”
“I do.” Minor crept closer. Fanaticism gleamed in his brown eyes. “At the heart of all these appearances, are males and females with extraordinary recuperative powers and abilities, never seen in their societies before or since.”
I scooted back into the server. Great, no more retreating. Setting my hand on his shoulder, I pushed him away. “If I get the urge to don a cape and tights, I promise you’ll be the first person I call.”
Furrows appeared in Minor’s forehead. “I—”
“Minor,” Tobias snapped. “Get to your station. I need that list of traitors.”
The technician set his jaw but rose to his feet and stalked toward the desk across the room.
I sagged in my chair before sipping my soda. Praise Buddha! Another minute and God only knew what Minor would have done.
After watching the subordinate take his seat, Tobias joined me. All the East Coast protectees have been recovered. The rest will be in our custody within five minutes.”
Setting my glass on the server, I grabbed another handful of chips. “So no one was discovered.”
Tobias cleared his throat. “The witness in the US Mint in California will be the last rescued. The UED is running that operation, not Spec Forces.”
Hmm. I swallowed my mouthful of food. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He tugged on his ear. “The one in the Federal Reserve Bank was discovered. Our men entered as Federal agents and retrieved him. They managed to slip out the back while the real government agents stood at the front door.”
Son of monkey’s butt. Chips crumbled in my fist. “So they know.”
“Your government has known for quite a while now.” A slight smile teased his lips. “Fortunately we know what they know.”
He made that sound like a good thing. I dropped the crumbs back into the bag and plucked out an intact round. “So what do we do now?”
“Minor and Kuma will start sifting through the data, building a case against the traitors within, while I take you home.” He held out his hand.
I stared at it. Did I really want to go home? For once, I’d really made a difference. For once I’d been part of something, an important part. Could I give that up and return to my normal life? My boring life? Knowing what I did now? “I’m not done here.”
He jerked his chin toward the server. “You’re free.”
To do what? To be what? Another temporary bean counter who no one wanted to befriend because I’d soon be gone? Loss tightened my chest. I leaned closer to Tobias, so solid, so steady. At least, he had cared about me and made me feel part of a team. “What if I don’t want to be free?”
Tobias cupped my cheek and ran his thumb along my lips. “I mean you’ve finished uploading the data.”
“Oh.” Heat licked my cheeks. Could I get any more stupid? “I thought you meant about being a steward.”
“That you need to think about.” He released my cheek and removed the glass from between my thighs. “We had a lucky ending today, but that won’t always be the case. Can you accept that? Remember that to get here, you were not only tortured, but you died.”
I wrapped my arms around my chest. Those things I wouldn’t forget. Ever. Neither could I forget the unseen battle raging in my backyard. Shaking off the fear, I stood. I would protect the poor, tired, and huddle masses yearning to be free and in doing so ensured the liberties of my family and friends remained in tact. “I’m staying on.”
He laced his fingers through mine and tugged m
e toward the door. “Then let’s go meet your first protectees.”
Smiling, I followed him to the lunchroom where the former APres Guarda slaves were being held. My parents would be proud. I’d finally found a cause to devote my life. Scarred and scared faces turned toward me as I opened the door.
Tobias held out my Smartphone and pushed me into the room. “Get to work.”
“Aye, aye, Colonel.”
Thank you for purchasing a copy of Blue Maneuver. If you have time, I’d appreciate a review of what you liked and didn’t like. If you’re interested, I have novels available at
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Linda Andrews lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, three children and a menagerie of domesticated animals. While she started writing a decade ago, she always used her stories to escape the redundancy of her day job as a scientist and never thought to actually combine her love of fiction and science. DOH! After that Homer Simpson moment, she allowed the two halves of her brain to talk to each other. The journeys she’s embarked on since then are dark, twisted and occasionally violent, but never predictable. If you’ve loved one of her most demented creations so far, she’d love to hear from you at lindaandrews at lindaandrews dot net
Here’s a sneak peek
At
The Z Word
by
Bella Street
Apocalypse Babes | Book One
Firefly Press
Nashville, TN
(c) 2011 All Rights Reserved
And the girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy: but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the plain of Nysa, and the lord, the god of the dead, with his immortal horses sprang out upon her—Hades, the Son of Kronos.
Homeric Hymn (abridged)
Chapter One
Why am I here?
Sighing inwardly, Seffy Carter realized the question went both ways. With regards to Verity, it might mean the blond interloper was getting her claws into Gareth after all. Which begged the larger question: what have I done to turn Gareth away?
She tried to focus on the newcomer who’d upset the balance of her carefully proportioned existence. Verity’s white blond hair glowed under the tanning room track lighting. Her dark blue eyes seemed to divine secrets even Seffy wouldn’t admit to herself. The woman was beautiful—thinner, tanner, blonder—and, well, Seffy’s beauty was a sham at best.
“Are you listening to me, Sef? This doesn’t have to be awkward.”
Seffy nodded reluctantly, wishing Verity had found a different tanning salon, a different hair stylist…a different guy. And it wasn’t just Gareth who’d apparently hopped on the Verity train. Seffy’s besties, Lani and Addison, also thought Verity was all that and a damn bag of chips.
What’s she got that I haven’t? Wait, don’t answer that.
Verity shifted her feet, knocking over her can of Diet Rockstar. Seffy watched the liquid travel toward the outlet where the tanning bed was plugged in, trying to make sense of the panic burgeoning within her. There was something about the new girl that wasn’t right—something almost threatening in her manner. Seffy played with the J on the zipper pull of her pink Juicy Couture hoodie, annoyed by her melodramatic thoughts. God, it’s like I’m still in high school. I have got to get a handle on this. Besides, I need to get my head straight if I’m going to nail my audition in the morning. The thought of that appointment made her stomach cramp.
Verity tilted her head, her blue eyes emphatic. “And we can be honest, right?”
Yeah, if I were honest I’d tell her off. “Um, sure.”
“The thing is, Gareth prefers a whole woman.”
Seffy felt her mouth open. What the hell?
The interloper opened her blue eyes wide, as if stating the obvious.
Verity is whole? What does that make me?
“I’m sure you knew that already, Sef, so c’mon.” She poked her with a French-manicured finger. “It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
Seffy pulled so hard on the J it snapped in her hand. She stared at the pink crystal encrusted charm, still stunned by the blonde’s words. Not the end of the world? Gareth doesn’t think I’m whole?
Suddenly a flash of white light eclipsed Verity from sight. Before Seffy could react, a tremendous force hurtled her backwards, followed by a terrifying weightlessness which could only end badly. Seffy’s head swam as she sailed through the atmosphere. The velocity of her descent increased and ground whooshed up to meet her. She threw out her hands to break her fall. Crunching her eyes closed, she let out a keening cuss word. The ground came closer still.
WHUMP!
Seffy landed hard, the breath rushing from her lungs. The impact made her eyes water. Coiling herself up in a ball, she gasped for air in between coughing spasms. After several excruciating moments, her lungs began to slowly inflate. What the hell happened? Did the salon explode? The pain ricocheting throughout her huddled frame made coherent thought difficult. With her eyes squeezed shut, she lay on the ground sipping the oxygen in measured amounts. It smelled funny. Like burnt ozone, sharp and metallic…with a hint of almond.
Seffy finally unscrunched her eyes to get her bearings. The first thing she noticed was the sky. Pearly pink light shimmered overhead and the sun was a neon magenta color. Turning her head, she saw what appeared to be a tract of desert, with a bit of smoldering rubble in the distance. Where the hell was West Hollywood?
Okay, I’m just disoriented from whatever happened. I will close my eyes and when I reopen them, everything will be back to normal.
She closed her eyes, focused on a mental picture of Dorothy clicking her ruby slippers, then opened her eyes.
Oh, crap.
Nothing had changed. Seffy bit her lip, struggling to take stock of her situation while her heart pounded out a rhythm of dread. But there had to be a rational explanation. After a moment, things became obvious. She was either dead, drunk, or dreaming. Or at least two out of three. Heaven or hell was probably a bit more interesting than this wasteland, so she was most likely alive. She didn’t remember drinking anything harder than lemon water today, but either way, it still pointed to the dream explanation. That had to be it. Hey, maybe that whole episode with Verity was nothing more than an unpleasant dream.
“Seffy? Oh my God, is that you?”
Seffy jerked at the sound of Gareth’s voice. What was he doing downtown? No wait, this was make believe. She watched his silhouette approach against the pink sky. Her heart thumped like the tail of a hopeful dog. Tall, dark and more gorgeous than Johnny Depp, Gareth was her ideal in every way. Was it any wonder the idea of Verity claiming him made her sick?
He sank to the ground next to her, his breathing jagged as if he’d been running. “I can’t believe I found you! What happened?”
At his nearness, her gut knotted with emotions old and new. Exactly. What happened, Gareth? Why did Verity say what she did? Is it all in her head or are you actually into her?
Am I not whole?
Her gut recoiled at the idea. She let out a groan.
“Sef, are you all right? Look at me!”
His golden brown eyes stared down into hers. She offered him a weak smile. “Hey, babe.”
A puzzled look crossed his face. “Did you hit your head? C’mon, Sef, if you’re hurt, you need to tell me.”
“I’m just…winded.” Her voice came out in a streppy croak. “What are you doing here? Not that I’m complaining.” A bark of laughter escaped her. She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Okay, I’m thinking you hit your head pretty hard. Can you sit up?”
Seffy tried to move and was rewarded
with pain slicing along her ribcage. “I think I’m fine right here for the moment.”
“There was some kind of blast. Are you sure you’re all right?” He scanned her features, then ran his hands down her arms looking for injury.
“I’m okay.” When he started in on her legs, she batted his hands away. “Really.”
Doubt eclipsed the worry in his eyes. “I’m just…concerned. After your last episode, I…”
Her face grew hot, all romantic musings diffused. Well, I guess that answers my question. Would she always be the same head case from sixth grade to him? “That was an anomaly,” she said in a low voice. “I’m fine now, just a little shaken up—and envisioning some chiropractic visits in my near future.”
Gareth’s long look told her he wasn’t impressed with her lame attempt at humor.
Time to change the subject. “I was in the salon with—” No, don’t go there, either. She compressed her lips to avoid finishing the sentence. Suddenly she remembered breaking the zipper pull. Seffy looked over the area where she was sitting. A pink sparkle caught her eye. When she reached for it, her ribs protested, but she managed to grasp it with outstretched fingers.
“What is that?” Gareth asked, frowning.
“The little charm that goes to my suit.” The pink rhinestones winked in the light. This was just part of the dream, right? She looked up at him. “I wonder if you could fix this for me.”
His shocked expression surprised her. “Seffy, look around! Something is wrong! How can you think about your clothes at a time like this?”
Closing her fingers over the rhinestone pull, she followed his gaze and was met with the same view as before.
Blue Maneuver Page 29
