“If Chronos is right about this invasion, then she’s our only source of intelligence,” said Thorne. “She stays alive for now. Let’s all get some rest. We’ve had a long day.”
The team all moved from the monitor room and into the corridor that led to the main area of the base. Zenith stayed behind with Thorne and circled around the table to where he sat.
“Something doesn’t seem right.”
“What do you mean?” asked Thorne.
Zenith waved a hand and the monitors activated. Thorne turned to look at them and he saw surveillance footage of the maximum security level. Thorne’s lips tightened.
“I thought Chronos interfered with the cameras?”
“He did. This is from Gunsmith’s eyepiece,” said Zenith.
Thorne looked at the robot. “You can record what he sees with his armor?”
Zenith nodded. “It was…a failsafe included in the armor from when I first designed it. I’ve not used it until now because I did not want to breach his trust.”
“But now?”
“His experience with Bradshaw’s drug raised concerns, so I felt it best to be on the safe side,” said Zenith. “Especially given these vital signs recorded by his armor at the time of the battle with Chronos.”
Those readings appeared on the screen over the footage. Gunsmith had an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure. The sensors reported an increase in adrenaline.
“Now watch.” Zenith enlarged the image of Chronos raising his staff, preparing to kill J’Karra. “He remains in this position until Sentinel is able to activate the tachyon disruptor. It is a period that lasts far longer than it should. Not only did Gunsmith have ample opportunity to take the shot and stop Chronos, but Chronos as well had the chance to kill J’Karra and complete his mission.”
“We know about Jim. He was on the fence about keeping J’Karra alive in the first place.” Thorne rubbed his chin. “But why did Chronos hesitate? After everything he’d been through, what possible reason would he have for not delivering the killing blow?”
“I have a theory.”
Thorne glanced at Zenith. “I’m all ears.”
“Howard told me afterwards that Anita left his office in quite a hurry. She was also the first of us to join the trio on the maximum security level. Just seconds after Chronos vanished.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Look at the footage again.”
Zenith played back the video, this time keeping it zoomed on Chronos. He raised his arms and was about to bring the staff down. But he didn’t. And then Thorne saw what Zenith meant.
Chronos’ arms twitched. As if he were trying to move them but couldn’t.
“There was no hesitation,” said Zenith. “Anita stopped him.”
To be continued…
CONTINUE THE ADVENTURE!
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ALSO BY PERCIVAL CONSTANTINE
THE MYTH HUNTER
All the legends of the world have some element of truth to them. And to track down those legends, there are the myth hunters. Some, like Elisa Hill, are explorers, trying to learn more about the world. And some are soldiers of fortune, whose only goal is pro t and exploitation, no matter the risk.
INFERNUM
A shadowy, globe-spanning network of operatives run by the mysterious power broker known as Dante. They hold allegiance to no one, existing as rogues on the fringes of society. No matter the job, Infernum has an operative to execute it—provided you have the means to pay for it!
VANGUARD
The world has changed. A mysterious event altered the genetic structure of humanity, granting a small percentage of the population superhuman powers. A small team of these specials has been formed to deal with potential threats. Paragon—telekinetic powerhouse; Zenith—hyper-intelligent automaton; Shift—shape-changing teenager; Wraith—teleporting shadow warrior; Sharkskin—human/shark hybrid. Led by the armored Gunsmith, they are Vanguard!
LUTHER CROSS
Luther Cross has been through Hell—literally. Born of a mother he watched die, conceived as part of a demonic ritual, and raised by monks after being saved by a mysterious, murderous individual, Cross now makes a living through confidence schemes...and the death of demons.
Visit PercivalConstantine.com/books/ for an up-to-date list of all titles!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Percival Constantine grew up on a fairly consistent diet of superhero comics, action movies, video games, and TV shows. At the age of ten, he first began writing and has never really stopped.
Percival has been working in publishing since 2005 in various capacities—author, editor, formatter, letterer—and has written books, short stories, comics, and more. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Mass Media from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master of Arts in English and Screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. Currently, Percival lives in Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture, where he works as a literature and writing instructor at the Minami Academy.
If you’d like to know more about Percival, you can find links to his social media accounts, his blog, and other works at his website, PercivalConstantine.com.
COPYRIGHT
VANGUARD #13: THE TOMORROW MAN
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Percival Constantine
Published by Percival Constantine
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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