Suspense/Thriller
Date
Published: 8/17/2020
Publisher: Entangled Publushing,
LLC
Set in an uncomfortably familiar future…
We built a wall to keep the dangers of the world out...but was
it actually
meant to keep us in?
Your every word is monitored. Your every movement
watched.
If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to
fear.
And if you stay within the wall, the Loyalist Party will protect
you.
Gideon
Frome knows that safety is an illusion. Ten years ago, his perfect
life was shattered, and he left Washington
DC in disgrace, sentenced to
serve on The Wall. He may be back, lauded
as a hero, but he knows he’s
only traded one prison for another,
assigned a position to the infamous
Secret Service.
Kate Buchanan uses her illegal predictive engine to monitor the
“chatter,” flagging perceived threats to
America. When the
program suggests that nuclear war is
imminent, and people around her start
to die, Kate can no longer hide. She needs
help, and it comes from the most
unlikely place—Gideon Frome, a ghost from
her past.
The American people thought they were safe, but it’s becoming
shockingly clear that the price of safety
is too high. And somehow,
together, Kate and Gideon must tear down
the walls that keep their country a
prisoner.
Excerpt
Gideon shifted the weight from his left foot. His
leg was beginning to ache, and he rubbed at his thigh. He’d taken a piece of
shrapnel there five years ago, at the same time he’d gotten the scar on his
face, and it still gave him problems.
How long until he could leave? Too long, at a
guess.
Christ, had he
actually enjoyed these events in the past? It seemed inconceivable. However, if
he wanted his life back, he was going to have to suck it up and look like he
belonged. Act like he belonged. And maybe if he did it long enough, he might
actually feel like he belonged.
The problem was, he couldn’t bring himself to
care.
The room was
crowded. Anyone and everyone had clamored for an invitation to the party of the
year. Plus, there were a large number of security agents. More than he
remembered from the past. Men in the black uniforms of the president’s personal
bodyguards—selected from the elite of the Secret Service—stood at the doors,
while others mingled with the crowd. There was even a sniper on the
second-floor interior balcony, covering the room.
Either Harry was paranoid, or there was an elevated
threat level. If so, no one had told Gideon about it. That was hardly
surprising; he suspected that no one, with maybe the exception of Harry
himself, actually wanted him there.
But he wanted answers, and this was where he would
find them.
Once he had
those answers, then…
Who knew? Though revenge wasn’t the
solution.
Most of the
time he believed that.
Harry
was making the rounds, shaking hands and smiling as he headed this way. Gideon
wasn’t sure whether he would be acknowledged, but the president halted in front
of him. He was flanked by two Secret Service officers, dressed in their black
uniforms. Harry’s army, as they were known within the
service.
He took the
proffered hand. Harry’s grip was firm, and his smile was sparkling. Good dental
work.
“Happy birthday,
sir,” he said.
“Thank
you. I’m glad you could make it.”
“I was grateful for the invitation, Mr.
President.”
“We must
all practice forgiveness.”
He could feel his muscles tightening. He’d done
nothing that needed fucking forgiving. Neither had his father. For a second, he
felt an echo of the dark anger that had been his companion for the first few
years after his father’s death. He pushed it down and forced a smile. “Thank
you, sir. I appreciated the chance to come home.”
“You’re a hero now, Gideon. You saved America from
invasion. The people love you. We need heroes at a time like
this.”
At a time like
what? He’d seen the polls. There was a good chance that Harry would keep his
position when—or maybe if—it came to an election. “Your approval ratings are
higher than ever, sir.”
“Maybe,” the man mused. “But I’ve been feeling
lately that they don’t appreciate me. That needs to
change.”
“Yes,
sir.”
“I must go now,
but we’ll talk again.” Harry smiled and patted Gideon on the shoulder, and his
guards stiffened at the contact. Christ, they were
jumpy.
Gideon watched
as the group walked away. Harry had always needed constant approval. It came
from growing up in his father’s shadow; Harry Senior had been larger than life
and an impossible act to follow. Charismatic. People loved him and would follow
him anywhere. No doubt his son had always believed he was second-best.
Trouble was, he was right.
About the Author
After a number of years wandering the world in search of
adventure, N.J.
Croft finally settled on a farm in the
mountains and now lives off-grid,
growing almonds, drinking cold beer, taking
in stray dogs, and writing
stories where the stakes are huge and
absolutely anything can happen.
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the excerpt sounded great, thanks for sharing
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