Böcker av George Dell

Tuesday Morning: Watertown Project BluechipMajor Richard WestonHe read the report twice and then carefully set it back on his desk. Johns or Kohlson: One of the two had stolen samples of SS-V2765. It was not a question. No one else had the access, no one else the proximity or knowledge of where it was stored. Two of the virus, one each of the REX agents were missing. Enough to infect several million people, and that was just the initial infection. From there the infected would go on to infect even more, where it stopped was anyone's guess.Knowing it was one of the two did not solve the problem of how for him though: There should have been no way to get it out. Every area of the facility was under surveillance. There had to be more than just one of the two involved. From Complex C they were stripped down, showered: Out of the showers naked and into a locker room where they could retrieve their own personal clothing they had stripped out of that morning: Dressed, frisked, metal wanded and then allowed into the elevators that would take them six stories to the surface. This theft was not something either of them could have committed alone."Alice." He picked up the report from his desk. "I have a problem... A problem that requires your... Expertise. Two fold... First, all the guard and camera operators for C Complex are to be relieved of duty. You will personally interrogate them and find out which of them took a payoff to look the other way... Our boys, Johns and Kohlson... Both or one, smuggled out the virus." He paused... "It hardly matters in the scheme of things, it changes nothing, but it is the principle of the thing." He tossed her the report. "Read it... Quartermasters office... Handle that too?" Alice nodded before she bent and looked over the thick report. "Second thing is the virus agent and the REX agent are out there somewhere." Alice raised her head from the report. "Find it and bring it back?" Alice nodded once more before her head dipped low again. Eyes devouring the report. Weston leaned back in his chair, the cigar that was a near permanent fixture in his mouth, rolling from side to side as he closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. "It goes without saying... They're all expendable," he added as an afterthought."Sir," Alice said before she returned to reading...Watertown is a mixed tale. It tells the story leading up to the Apocalypse. That tale includes the story of Billy Jingo, Alice Tetto, Major Weston's private secretary. Ben Neo and Jimmy West, hired Killers, and a drug deal designed to hide the transfer of a top secret drug stolen from the Underground Bluechip facility, that goes very wrong...

The next morning they were on the road early. The going was still slow, but by noon they were on the outskirts of Alton, a small town about forty miles from Rochester. They were only thirty or so miles from Webster where they would turn off 104, and take route 250 into the small village of Fairport.A run-down general store, with two old gas pumps sitting on a chipped concrete island, was all that marked the small town. The low speeds and constant use of the four wheel drive, had taken a toll on the fuel tanks of all three vehicles, so when Frank had spotted the small store as they passed a sign for the township limits; they had pulled off into the dirt parking area. The other two Jeeps followed him in and lined up by the pumps.When Annie and Mike, along with Connie, had first picked up the jeeps, they had filled the tanks by siphoning gas from the dealership's underground tanks. It had been a fairly easy process as Mike had worked at a gas station before, and had been responsible for, among other things, checking the levels of the tanks and comparing them on a daily basis to the numbers on the pumps to make sure they matched up. He had known where to look for them. The tanks were fairly simple to access. A long piece of hose slipped down into the tank had been adequate to siphon the gas into cans and then fill the Jeeps.Mike had found a hand operated pump, mainly used to pump kerosene from cans into small heaters, at the department store back in Oswego, and, along with Dave, had adapted the crank operated pump to use it to pump gasoline. The adaptation had been simple. A long section of heavy hose had been slipped over the pumps short tube, and held in place with a small hose clamp.One by one the Jeeps were pulled over next to the underground tanks, and quickly filled. Annie had been impressed with the idea. It was a lot better than the mouthfuls of gas they had swallowed filling the Jeeps back in Glennville.After the Jeeps were gassed up they decided to take a short break and eat lunch. They were all getting sick of the canned meat, so they foraged through the small general store to see what was available. Once each had found what they wanted, they had carried it out onto the wide front deck to eat.Frank sipped at a cold beer while he sat in an old wooden chair eating a large bag of chips. Gary and John were talking quietly beside him."Where do you think the best place to go is?" Gary asked of John. They had been discussing several different places where people may have gathered. They were all hoping to find other people once they arrived in Rochester, but until now they had not discussed where to go once they arrived.John answered. "Well, the compass is open...

"Since I cannot trust you to speak on your own behalf, shall I call forward the Defender?"The creature's green eyes flew open wide, as it violently tossed its misshapen head from side to side."But you have left me no choice, my old enemy," the older man said softly, "you have in fact never been able to speak without obscenities fouling your lips, have you?"The man-creature did not reply. It simply stood, and glared at the older man standing before it."Bring forth the Defender, and the Protector," the older man called out, in a strong loud voice, as he gazed out into the desert.Ira heard the sound of hooves approaching from the darkness, as the still desert night parted, and two splendid riders appeared atop their rearing and prancing mounts. They brought the two steeds under control, and both riders waited, just beyond the three men, until they were summoned forward."Who would defend this foul beast?" the older man asked of the two riders."I would, and I would that I may also speak freely for him, my Lord," one rider replied, as his mount pranced into the midst of the three. The ebony steed snorted fire and steam from its flaring nostrils, as the black armored rider spoke."So be it," the older man proclaimed softly into the stillness of the desert night."And I will grant the right to speak freely to you, but not this filth," he continued, as he pointed at the man-creature, that still stood glaring, in the cold moonlight that fell upon the strange assemblage."Who would stand for the chosen, and protect their eyes from this blaspheme?" the older man called out."I would," the other rider said, as his magnificent pale steed moved into the forming circle. His beauty filled face shone with an inner light. Long blond curls framed the rugged face, and shining jewels seemingly embedded in his armor shone in the cold light.He withdrew a long golden sword from a sheath at his side, and plunged it into the sands between himself and the dark rider, who now stood with the foul smelling man-creature, to one side."I would draw the line that none shall pass," he exclaimed as the sword quivered in the sand."So be it, Michael," the older man said, in a soft voice, "so it shall be."The older man turned to the man-creature, "Of what do you wish to speak?" he asked."He would only, that you would abide by what had been agreed upon, in the before time," the dark rider replied. "He would simply that, and nothing more." The rider bowed toward the older man as he finished speaking."Michael?" the older man questioned, turning towards the blonde hared young man atop the magnificent pale steed."We are ready, my Lord," the powerfully muscled young man replied.The older man took his chin into his hand, and stroked it as he narrowed his eyes and looked back at the dark rider with the man standing beside him."So it shall be," he said softly, "you may begin...""...But, remember thou this, I will abide it, but for a short time, and I will take my own unto me.""Only those that choose," the dark rider said, in a softly mocking voice."Yes, but harbor no false illusions," the older man replied, "Many will choose."He paused and then continued."Three score shall it be then," he said through a small smile. "No more... No less. None shall be allowed to enter in, nor pass the line within the sand, except those who would invite everlasting death." ...

Earth's Survivors Apocalypse follows survivors of a worldwide catastrophe. A meteorite that was supposed to miss the earth completely, hits and becomes the cap to a series of events that destroy the world as we know it. Police, fire, politicians, military, governments: All gone. Hopes, dreams, tomorrows: All buried in a desperate struggle to survive. From L.A. To Manhattan the cities, governments have toppled and lawlessness is the rule. The dead lay in the streets while gangs fight for control of what is left. Small groups band together for safety and begin to leave the ravaged cities behind in search of a future that can once again hold promise......It was the most tired I had ever been. I laid my head down and I was gone for a little while...The sun is down all the way here. I went back upstairs. Nothing on the horizon. That time of evening when the sun is down and the moon has yet to rise. Very dark. Can't see anything in any direction. Thought they must be all sleeping in the barn, but I heard some movements out near where I... Never mind what I did there, I'll get to that soon enough, I guess. I only heard it once, but I know damn well it's one of them... Some of them...I don't believe the whiskey is going to make it to daylight, but I have a feeling I'm not going to make it to daylight either... Feeling funny now, not myself... I'll try to get this done... It was the 15th when I came awake in that truck. Hot, but desert heat...September 15thIt was late afternoon when Johnny awoke. Somewhere in the day Lana had wound up beside him. He lay still, unwilling to let her go, his hand was curled protectively around her. Lana moved and he felt the sleep leave her body. One moment soft and willing, the next a live wire."You didn't cop a feel did you?" Lana asked in a mumbled half sleepy voice."Lana, can't you ever just say something like, good morning?"She twisted her head around and smiled. The secret smile she rarely ever gave out. "Good late afternoon," she said and the smile slipped away. There was still something there, but it wasn't that secret, vulnerable glimpse into her heart that it was usually. She stretched, yawned, and her feet came up against the door. "Next vehicle we get is an SUV so we have some place to sleep too.""I don't know, I kind of liked this," Johnny said before he could shut his mouth down.Lana laughed and it was the unguarded Lana once more. "As long as you know what the deal is." She twisted her head once more, and then her entire body so she was looking directly into his eyes."I... I know the deal," Johnny said. The press of her body was maddening."We really don't need to talk it out?"Johnny shook his head and looked away. "I'm a little too old for you, Lana. I know."Her eyes became sad. "Let me just say these few things." She took a deep breath and then began to speak. "I am attracted to you. I considered sleeping with you before you became my friend, before I knew it couldn't work between us. I even considered it after... Maybe ten minutes ago too, but it would cost me a friend because it wouldn't mean to me what it would mean to you. It has nothing to do with age or anything else." She held his eyes as if willing him to understand."It's like you see me as this fragile little princess, and I am so far from that, Johnny. So far. I can't see why you try to see me that way." She laughed. "It's a thing men do. Like... Like that is love, you see? Instead of love just being about all the other stuff... The things I admire about you, you about me. The things in common, the things that we share, the parts of you and me that are real that end up in the mix... But no, I'm a princess, unattainable beauty, something to worship, and it has nothing to do with what I really am at all. I have lived that way, tried to live up to that. It's not possible... The man I need is out there, I hope. Just someone that looks at me as me." She watched his eyes...