“No reason why not.”
“Good. Very good. Have Sallie prepare a press conference for tomorrow morning.”
“Consider it done, sir. What will we tell the media when they ask what happened?”
Adam Goulden hadn’t planned that bit yet, but he would come up with a lie that made one of his enemies look bad while he was hailed as a hero.
“I don’t know. We’ll think of something,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Do we have a report on the devilpox in Manchester yet? How many were killed?”
“None, sir.”
He must have misheard. “None?”
“I don’t know what happened, but not one single case of the disease has been reported. It just… vanished.”
“But I dropped it. I unleashed it all.” Goulden would have punched something if he had the energy to do so. “Those damn kids. They must have stopped it.”
Charlie couldn’t help but look impressed. “They’re getting good, aren’t they? I remember when they were so careless, making mistakes and getting captured by you all the time.”
Goulden narrowed his eyes and Charlie gulped.
“They’re not as good as your Super Soldiers though. Excellent bunch, your team. The very best. We can get them to take those other teenagers out soon; I have no doubt about that.”
“I will have my revenge for this, mark my words.” Goulden paused for a second. “So, tell me about the Super Soldiers. Who do we have left?”
“The strong one, Andrew, and the ninja, Toshiko, are still with us along with their former team mate, Ethan. We also have Hayden, Mallory and Jason Ryder.”
Goulden raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes, Scarlett freed Isabella and Aaron, but Jason stayed with us.”
Goulden was furious “That Miss Shortt. I despise her. With Aaron gone and the others dead, we don’t have many long-range powers on the team now. We need someone else.”
“Shall I speak to the lab, sir?”
“No, there’s no need to create a new soldier. I have the perfect person in mind and we’re going to take her.”
“Take sir?”
“Yes. We’re taking Miss Shortt; I want her to work for me.”
Goulden smiled as a plan formed in his head. Scarlett Shortt was growing far too powerful. Yesterday, he’d been so infuriated with her that he felt like killing her, but now he could see that forcing her to work for him would be a much sweeter revenge. She had a new talent too because yesterday, she had boosted Dylan Nicolson’s powers. That skill and her telekinesis would make her the perfect addition to his team; she would be a devastating weapon.
“Now, tell me what else has been happening.”
The Prime Minister rested his head while Charlie filled him in on the rest of the day’s developments. British troops had arrived in Italy, where they would be based throughout the war with Mendia, and the first airstrikes were due to take place at 4am this morning, which was in around two hours’ time.
Meanwhile, the construction of The Shield over part of Manchester had been a success. Tests showed that the air and climate inside the dome were perfect and had the devilpox hit, everyone would have survived.
His scientists were already creating new germ warfare and the team at the Arndale Workhouse were analysing what went wrong with the robots so they could create stronger, more resilient models. The androids the teenagers had faced were mere prototypes and the finished products would be more advanced and indestructible. Goulden planned to use the machines in the war against Mendia and he still had a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
Everything was coming together. Not perfectly or as planned, but it was coming together nonetheless and he was confident that, while he had lost this battle, he would win the war. The war against Mendia, the war against any other countries who challenged him and, more importantly for his ego, the war against those damned superhero teenagers.
“Thank you, Charlie,” he said once he’d caught up with all the news. “Keep me updated on the situation in Mendia throughout the night, and don’t forget to add acquiring Miss Shortt to your To Do List. The sooner the better; I’m sick of her spoiling my plans.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get our best men on it. I warn you that it will be difficult though; after all, we’ve tried to take her before.”
“I know, I know, but I trust you can do this for me. Now get me the President of Italy, Mario Malcosa, on the phone. I have some very important business to discuss with him.”
“About our troops being stationed in his country sir?”
“Much more than that, Charlie. Let’s just say he’s going to be a very useful new ally.”
To be continued…
Also available by the same author
Out Of Time #1 by Donna Marie Oldfield
A superhero novel
Scarlett Shortt is just an average 18 year old until she wakes up in a dark new world. As she tries to make sense of what’s happened to the London she knew, she meets a group of strange teenagers who insist that she’s part of their team of superheroes.
She’s sceptical at first, but after run-ins with weird robots, superpowered villains and corrupt cops, she decides that trusting her new friends is her best option. And so the reluctant hero joins their fight to overthrow the evil Prime Minister Goulden, who is determined to shape the world in his own warped image.
Can Scarlett learn to use her powers of telekinesis in time to overcome their many foes and will she ever find out where she is and how she got there?
This fun, action-packed adventure is the first in a series of superhero books.
Buy it now: In the UK, head to http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M9DZFH4. And in the USA, visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M9DZFH4. The book is also available in many other countries.
Instant Karma by Donna Marie Oldfield
(This book is not part of the Out Of Time series and is generally aimed at an older audience rather than young adults.)
Do you believe in karma? Materialistic, selfish estate agent Siena Robinson doesn’t – until she hits a disastrous run of bad luck that makes her wonder if she has brought it upon herself.
In Instant Karma, Siena moves to the quiet village of Fenville, where the locals are opposing a development that will see a beloved hall and library replaced by new flats and shops. What her neighbours don’t know is that she is one of the developers and stands to make millions from the deal.
But then Siena discovers that her high-school sweetheart, Aiden, is leading the protest and she finds herself acting as a double agent who is torn between her neighbours’ plight and making lots of money.
Will Siena betray her new friends and let greed ruin a second chance with Aiden? And will she ever find out who or what is behind her run of bad karma?
Buy it now: In the UK, go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LZ83W5Q and in the USA, visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZ83W5Q. This book is also available in other countries.
Connect on social media: You can follow the author on Twitter @donnamalena, like the Facebook page for the Out Of Time series, visit my website, and subscribe to my mailing list, so you’re the first to know about new releases, sequels and book news.
Thank you for reading!
Donna
Out Of Time (Book 2): Heroes and Villains Page 21
