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.”
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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.
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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
