The Killers Amongst Us
Declan Conner
Chimera Dawn Chronicles: Book 1
Scorpion eBooks
Thrillers with a sting in the tale
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, images and incidents, either, are products of the author’s imagination, or they are used fictitiously. Any reference to actual locales, government agencies, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. However, quotations used in the front matter are a matter of public record, as is the existence of the CONOP 888 plan, and the fact relating the Chimera medical condition in the human population.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, to include, but not exclusive to audio or visual recordings of any description without permission from the copyright owner.
The Killers Amongst Us
Chimera Dawn Chronicles – Volume One
Copyright © 2016 Declan Conner
US English edition.
For information on subsidiary rights, email in the first instance.
[email protected]
Contents
Copyright
Quotations
CIA Report
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Epilogue
Quotations
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
TRANSLATION:
NEW ORDER OF THE AGES
President Ronald Reagan
Addressing the UN General Assembly – Sept 21st 1987
“And yet I ask you. Is there not an alien race already among us?”
Fr. José Gabriel Funes - The Director of the Vatican's Observatory.
In an interview on May 13th, 2008 with the Vatican Daily, L'Osservatore Romano. He said that, “Believing in the possible existence of extraterrestrial life is not opposed to Catholic doctrine.”
Paul Theodore Hellyer, former Canadian Liberal defense minister, from 1963 to 1967 under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
“There are different species of extra-terrestrials. Some look just like us and they could walk down the street and you wouldn’t know if you walked past one,” he told a Russian TV program in 2014. He has further stated that “…at least four species have been visiting earth for thousands of years…” “…they have different agendas…” “At least two of them are working with the United States Government.”
CIA Report
Chimeras: Fact sheet summary.
Chimeras
Classification: 2
Threat level: None
Contrary to common belief of a person’s biological individuality, there are documented cases of humans and creatures living today with two completely different sets of DNA which forms their existence within one body.
A swab taken from inside the cheek can produce a different coded sequence, say to that of the person’s reproductive system, with any offspring produced seemingly not connected to the mother from standard DNA profiling.
Statistics introduced to criminal courts, now take account of a percentage of the population with this biological trait, but there is no screening of the population, other than consideration given to the two actual, chance-recorded occurrences in the American population. Those with the two sets of DNA, living with phenomenon are termed Chimeras (Chimaeras), living normal lives in society.
Chimeras
Classification: 1
Threat level: ''''''''' '''''''''
These Chimeras ''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''' '''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''' ''''''' '''''''' '''''''''' '''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''
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'''' '''''''''''''''' ''''' '''''''' '''''''''''''''' ''''''''' ''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''' '''''' ''''''''''''' ''''''''''''' ''''' ''''''''''' '''''''''' '''''''''''''' ''''' ''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''' '''' '''''''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''' ''''''''''' '''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''' '''''''''' '''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''' ''''''' '''''''''''' '''''' '''''''''''' '''' ''''''''''''''''''' '''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''' ''''''' ''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''' ''''''''' '''''''''''''''' ''''''''''' ''''''''''' ''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''' ''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''' '''' ''''' '''''' '''''''''''''' ''''''''' '''''' ''''''''''''''
'''''' ''''''''''''''''' '''''''' '''''''''''''' ''''''' contingency plan, CONOP 8888 has been devised as training for all government agencies.
For a more detailed background, the current director of '''''''' ''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''' will provide a full verbal briefing.
It is recommended that the read starts from the quotation page, followed by the CIA report.
Prologue
1335 B.C. Amarna, the capital of Egypt. Pharaoh Akhenaten’s bedchamber.
AKHENATEN paced ungainly around his bedchamber, listening to his high priest relay news of the rebel armies. His spindly form gave him an awkwardness of gait, but his mind was as sharp as ever. He glanced outside and looked down at his reinforcements marching toward the outer limits of the city. Clouds of dust thrown up by their sandals danced in the spears of sunlight entering the chamber. Akhenaten coughed and spluttered. He picked up a chalice, then took a long slug of the warm wine, taking away the taste of the battle that would surely follow.
“Amun approaches as we speak, your most holiness,” said his high priest. “The southern cities are lost.”
Akhenaten placed his empty chalice on
his bedside table, then faced him. The priest averted his gaze, dropped to his knees, and kissed the floor at Akhenaten's feet. Outwardly, Akhenaten held his composure, but inside he fumed, the beast within seeking to emerge.
“Amun! Wasn't it enough that I spared his life when I sent him to exile that he should seek to destroy me? I should have had him cut into pieces and set his spirit in bitumen for all eternity as I did with the rest of the gods. Is there news of terms?”
“No, your most holiness. We have word from our spies that Amun is incensed that you have had his earthly consort Mut assassinated, desecrated his temples, and erased his name and image from history. He is displeased that you are a god ruling as a man, instead of providing guidance to the royal lineage. Now he seeks only revenge.”
Akhenaten scoffed at Amun’s displeasure with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Mut was nothing more than a chimerical vulture, undeserving of her status. What of my forward army?”
“They are in disarray, fleeing in all directions. Only your temple guards remain loyal, but they are small in numbers by comparison. We can’t guarantee their continued loyalty.”
Akhenaten crossed his arms, gripping at the flesh at his waist. He looked down at the priest and his eyes narrowed. The sun’s rays penetrating the bedchamber cast his shadow over the stone floor, exaggerating his sinewy limbs and extended cranial.
“How long do I have?”
“You must make good your escape north to the waiting ship without delay, for passage to the Isle of the Sicel’s.”
“And what of my traitor queen, Nefertiti?”
“She is rumored to be in hiding with your son Tutankhaten in the south, protected by Amun's priests. She has already decreed his name be changed to dishonor your holiness, and to favor the god Amun. Henceforth he is to be known as Tutankhamun.”
“Tutankhamun! No doubt she seeks the favor of Amun so that Tutankhaten will take my place as Pharaoh. I swear by Aten, his reign will be short. Do we have a child ready for me to take my spirit for if I am ambushed, and this deformity of mine is destroyed?” he said, then glanced down his body. His spindly fingers stroked his chest.
“No, your holiness. The woman escaped. Our guards caught up with her in time to see her cut out your child from her womb, then she discarded the fetus in the Nile.”
“What of an adult conduit?”
“There are none. You were lucky to have taken over the body of the Pharaoh Amenhotep, but your change in name and appearance in doing so has angered many. Destroying his images throughout the land and replacing them with your own had left many questioning, and they now align themselves with the old gods and refuse to pay tribute.”
The chamber doors burst open. A palace guard dropped bodily to the floor.
“Your most holiness, Amun’s army is destroying the outskirts of the city as they advance. We can't hold them.”
“Gather my protection guards and have them meet me in the temple yard by the fountain. Then instruct the guardians of my crypt to have my burial chamber sealed, and to start rumors of my death.”
The guard rose to his feet, avoiding eye contact. He turned and hurried out of the chamber.
“What of me, your most holiness?” the high priest asked.
For once, the priest dared to gaze directly into Akhenaten’s eyes. He looked at the pitiful human whose loyalty he could not trust.
“Please stand. Come here and let me bless you.”
The high priest stepped over to him. Akhenaten embraced him with one arm, then thrust his knife into his body. He held him close, the blade embedded below the priest's rib cage. Akhenaten waited for the last gasp of life’s spirit to escape the priest's lips, then hauled his body onto the bed. He covered the corpse with a bed cover, turning his head to the sound of a commotion outside his chamber. He sniffed the air, then stepped behind the drapes hanging at the entrance to his balcony which overlooked the temple. The chamber doors burst open. Through a gap in the curtain, Akhenaten watched his enemies enter and gather around his bed, striking at the bed cloth with their scimitar blades.
A large black dog skirted the shadowed walls of the chamber toward the door. The dog turned his head, looking over at the robes of Akhenaten poking out from under the hem of the curtain. The dismemberment frenzy continued, Akhenaten’s assassins paying no attention to the animal as it skulked through the doorway, then turned in the direction of the temple.
With Akhenaten making good his escape in the shadows of the courtyard, his mind was consumed with thoughts of retribution.
In the name of Aten, I will have my vengeance and rid this earth of mankind.
Chapter 1
Friday, 6:45 a.m. July 11, 2008. Beverly Hills.
THE girl could have been excused for not noticing she was being watched; today was her eighteenth birthday. Her thoughts drifted, immersed in the plans she had made for her party later that evening. Jogging through the park gates on her daily route, she turned up the volume on her iPod. Her head filled with the sounds of the Pussycat Dolls.
Life was candy. School still out. Her head swayed. The sun bobbed on the horizon, dancing between the trees. A smile developed from within at the group singing her favorite song, “When I Grow Up.”
An image floated through her mind. What would Dad say if he knew she’d seen the car he had bought her and hidden in the garage? It was a dead giveaway, with the hood tied with a pink ribbon, and ‘Happy Birthday Gail’ scribbled in felt tip on the windshield. She’d have to feign surprise for sure. Her mind hovered elsewhere; on her mother’s promise to take her shopping for a party dress on Rodeo Drive. Something low cut and tight fitting would do, to snag Jimmy Reagan at her party. She thought that would make her day akin to dipping a strawberry in the chocolate on the fondue fountain that the party planners had supplied.
Gail stumbled. Her sneaker stubbed on a tree root. She fell headlong to the ground, her face contorted.
“Damn.” She pulled out her earphones, and turned off her iPod. Using the tree trunk for purchase, she dragged herself to her feet. Gail hobbled to a park bench, then sat. She removed her sneaker, and rubbed her toes. “Oh crap. Why today of all days?”
In her peripheral vision, a shadow darted between two cherry trees. She looked around. There were no critter sounds, no birds singing.
“Is someone there?”
She stood, hopping on one foot, fixing a gaze toward the cherry trees. A large dog appeared from behind some low shrub. Its head was huge and out of proportion to its body, with paws as big as a mountain lion. The animal sat on its haunches, staring at her, with its turquoise eyes unblinking. Its black and white coat was bedraggled and matted with dried mud. Her vision transfixed on the animal’s menacing gaze. She tried to figure out its intentions, wondering if it would attack or if it would it lose interest and walk away.
The dog panted, its tongue hanging loose to one side. Its upper lip twitched, then it growled in a low rumble. Saliva drizzled from its mouth. She clutched at her abdomen, knotted with cramps. White patches around the crossbreed’s snout glistened with reddish-brown streaks. The animal’s pointed ears rotated independently, scanning the area, before settling in her direction. She looked over at the area behind the dog for an owner. The landscape was empty, save for trees and shrubs. She looked left and right and then over her shoulder at the lake. When she turned back, the animal had moved onto the path, blocking her return. Her chest tightened. She clasped her crucifix on the gold chain around her neck.
“Good, boy. Nice, doggy.”
The dog snarled in reply. Baring its teeth at one side, the dog shuffled on its backside, with its body quivering as though some force was holding it back.
She breathed rapidly, reaching for her waist pouch, unzipped it and fumbled around. Her fingers trembled as she withdrew a can of Mace spray. Juggling with sneaker and canister, the Mace slipped from her grasp. The can dropped on the bench and tumbled between the wooden slats. Her jaw slackened. She stared, wide eyed,
as the canister rolled down the banking, and into the lake. Goose bumps surged from her neck to her toes.
Gail took a deep breath. She edged her way on to the path, sneaker in hand as her only defense. She glanced at an exit twenty yards away and then back to the animal.
“Please, someone... anyone?”
She sidestepped slowly toward the gate. All the time, she kept her eyes on the crossbreed. Ten yards to go and she froze. The animal rose to all fours, and then prowled to within five yards of her, before sitting and snarling once more. She looked toward the gate. A black van pulled up and parked. She looked back at the animal and then to the exit. A young guy jumped out of the van and lifted the hood to his vehicle as if checking the engine. She snapped her vision back to the animal. It stood, walking stealthily, inching toward her. As she moved along the path, the animal continued to follow her, stopping and sitting whenever she stopped, herding her like a sheep.
She turned to the gate, limping the last two yards.
“Please help,” she shrieked, almost at the gate, her entire being in spasm.
Dropping the hood to his van, the young guy rushed over. He opened and then closed the gate as she passed through. She stood akimbo, then bent over, her chest heaving, gasping for breath. She rose, snickered, looked to the sky, then back into the park.
“Thank you, God, and thank—”
Her heart paused mid-beat. The dog leapt over the gate. Its paws thudded on her chest. She screamed. Her vision exploded with flashes of colors as her head connected with concrete. Hands grabbed her, lifting her. She kicked out at fresh air, squealing. Arms snaked under her arms from behind, with fingers locking on the nape of her neck. The scenery spun as she was bundled toward the van. She planted her foot on the sill at the side entrance to the van. A blow to her calf, and her foot dislodged. Projected forward, her forehead struck the metal frame. Light headed, as if a veil shrouded her eyes, her surroundings faded to black.
The Killers Amongst Us: Chimera Dawn Chronicles Page 1
