Athena lay shivering on the ground, clutching her right shoulder. Cooper knelt at her side, testing her vitals. Gavin restrained a hysterical Jess from leaving. "Not good." Seth surveyed Athena's gray pallor and knelt at her side. "Evan, get me the diodes inside the I-Beam's Trace-47 cell. Wires attached. Hurry!" "NO!" Jess screamed. "I won't … Continue reading PolyMorphic (Off the Grid Part 8)
Intel (Off the Grid Part 7)
Jess shoved aside the broken metal door to the crash room. "Who's alive?" Gavin groaned, rubbing his head. "Me." He sat up and winced. "Pain. I'm in so much pain..." Evan fingered a sore elbow. "Where's your best pilot?" he muttered. Jess rolled her eyes. "Athena would cream you at any race." "She means that," … Continue reading Intel (Off the Grid Part 7)
Spiral Descent (Off the Grid Part 6)
"Faster, Athena!" Seth ordered. "I'm trying!" Athena retorted. "This is all we got in this old girl." Another volley of bullets pelted the cyber shields. Odd, triangular ships zipped by the windows, releasing torrent after torrent of ammunition on the ancient cursor. The I-Beam responded back with fire of its own. Gavin swiveled in the … Continue reading Spiral Descent (Off the Grid Part 6)
Operation: Keylogger (Off the Grid Part 5)
"We can't trust him!" Gavin boomed, slamming his fist on the table in the crew's quarters. "He's worked for the enemy for far too long!" "But that's why we need him!" Jess retorted. "He knows the inner workings of the Board better than anyone. Trace the Keystroke back to the Key, and back to the … Continue reading Operation: Keylogger (Off the Grid Part 5)
Going Viral (Off the Grid Part 4)
Ringing. Shrill, incessant ringing. Evan's vision blurred and smudged as he struggled to pull himself off the pavement. Groaning with pain, he grasped his head, willing his ears to stop ringing. Several people were shouting all around him. Lights swept over the alleyway and the adjacent plaza square. Bullets ricocheted off the walls, and metal … Continue reading Going Viral (Off the Grid Part 4)
Betrayal (Off the Grid Part 3)
Rain pattered down through the side street, soaking Evan to the bone. Shivering in the icy breeze, he glanced up and down the alleyway, searching for a sign of Shift. This was typically the general region he appeared. More like shifted into, Evan thought dourly. Shift is the perfect name for him. He shuffled from … Continue reading Betrayal (Off the Grid Part 3)
A Double Agent (Off the Grid Part 2)
Evan cussed. Never before had there been a rumor intentionally placed in the Dark Web to capture a Keystroke. Yet, in a matter of moments, he was shackled to a table inside the Router, face to face with a buff Firewall. The Firewall tossed the magnetic plasma inducer on the table, clearly a decoy object … Continue reading A Double Agent (Off the Grid Part 2)
Keystroke (Off the Grid Part 1)
"WHO GOES THERE?" boomed the voice of the security guard. Evan smiled in amusement. So far, his scheme was working. Crouching low, he peered around the corner of the stone wall. The guard whirled around in circles, visibly nervous. He hefted a large submachine gun, pointing it dangerously into the darkness. Evan opened his mouth … Continue reading Keystroke (Off the Grid Part 1)
The Door Opens (The Jewel of Laridal Part 19)
A million emotions swirled through Kayla's mind as she glanced back and forth between the unblemished ring on her finger and Ezra's statue body lying on the floor. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Why, Salus?" she asked. "Why did you come back for me?" The ring on her … Continue reading The Door Opens (The Jewel of Laridal Part 19)
The Sacrificial Heart (The Jewel of Laridal Part 18)
Ezra brushed the spiderwebs off his shoulder and peered into the darkness. He struggled to control his breathing. To regain a sense of composure. Six challenges of tortuous pain had passed. Only one remained, the hardest of all. Okay, Ezra thought. What next, Father? I have the unblemished ring and the battle-tested sword. Reveal to … Continue reading The Sacrificial Heart (The Jewel of Laridal Part 18)
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