The Returned
Page 31
“I hope those protections are better than the ones you had around your old base of operations.”
One fought back the desire to strangle the man. “As I stated in the debriefing, sir, that location had been set up under the assumption it was only temporary. The wards were sound but hadn’t been updated since the Order started increasing the magical ability of kids. The Pentagon and White House are always the first to get protections when we find new and better ones.”
SecDef knew all this; so did the president. What the man was actually saying was, “You screwed up, but I’m going to cover for you. And you’ll owe me one for it.” One hated politics more than he hated politicians. Sometimes he longed for the days of being a lieutenant.
“Sir, your next appointment is here,” said a feminine voice through the speakerphone.
“Thank you, Donna,” SecDef said. “Send her in.”
“Sir,” One said and got to his feet. He saluted, then turned to leave.
“Hold up, Colonel.”
One turned as the door opened and a woman in her late forties stepped into the office.
She wore a modest skirt and blazer over a white blouse with creases so sharp and perfect they would’ve impressed a drill instructor.
“I want you to meet Alex Dunne,” SecDef said, gesturing to the woman. “She’s the CEO of Sylex Industries.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Colonel,” she said and smiled, offering her hand.
One shook it and nodded politely. “Ma’am.” He’d done some terrible things in his life, but what he saw in this woman’s eyes chilled his soul.
“Alex is in charge of our domestic endeavors,” SecDef said. “We’re calling it Aegis.”
One knew damn well that Aegis had been up and running for several months already. So why was SecDef trying to make it sound like a new project?
“I’ve read up on you, Colonel,” she said. “Impressive career. Let me first thank you for your long years of service. I’m looking forward to working with a real national hero.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” One said. So you’re the one who decided to start experimenting on children, he added silently and, not for the first time, thought of all the kids he’d been unable to save. And I’m the one who failed to act.
No more, he swore silently. No more.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, thanks to you, the readers and fans of the American Faerie Tale series. There are truly no words to express my gratitude. As always, my deepest appreciation to the Knights and Loughreys of Powhatan for your continued support, friendship, and encouragement: Kenda, Mike, Dustin, Kristin, Casey, Geoff, AND, of course, little G! Thanks to Angela and Aubrey (The Doubleclicks) for making music so cool it even made Wraith a fan. Much thanks to Rebecca, my editor, for always watching my blind spots and making sure these books are the best they can be. My sincere thanks to Karen Lone Hill of the Oglala Lakota Tribal College for her help with Ciye/Iktomi. And last but not least, my continued thanks to my Harper Voyager Impulse colleagues. We all might be crazy, but at least we’re crazy in interesting ways.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BISHOP O’CONNELL is the author of the American Faerie Tale series, a consultant, writer, blogger, and lover of kilts and beer, as well as a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Born in Naples, Italy, while his father was stationed in Sardinia, Bishop grew up in San Diego, California, where he fell in love with the ocean and fish tacos. After wandering the country for work and school (absolutely not because he was in hiding from mind-controlling bunnies), he settled in Richmond, Virginia, where he writes, collects swords, revels in his immortality as a critically acclaimed “visionary” of the urban fantasy genre, and is regularly chastised for making up things for his bio. He can also be found online at A Quiet Pint (aquietpint.com), where he muses philosophical on life, the universe, and everything, as well as various aspects of writing and the road to getting published.
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BY BISHOP O’CONNELL
The American Faerie Tale Series
The Stolen
The Forgotten
Three Promises
The Returned
COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Lyrics for “Godzilla” appear courtesy of The Doubleclicks.
THE RETURNED. Copyright © 2016 by Bishop O’Connell. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
EPub Edition JULY 2016 ISBN: 9780062449863
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062449870
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