The agenda, p.29
The Agenda, page 29
“She is.”
His father squeezed his shoulder. “So, how’d you two meet? Through your insurance business?”
Kane stared at his father, the smile on his face revealing something was going on. “Umm, just what do you think you know?”
His father placed his hands on Kane’s shoulders and stared him in the eyes. “Son, your cover is blown.” His smile broadened. “And I couldn’t be more proud of you.” He pulled him in for a hug and Kane returned it, a wave of emotions overwhelming him as years of hostility washed away, his family whole once again.
He gently pushed away and wiped a tear from his eye. “You know that I’m going to have to kill you now, right?”
Leroux hugged Sherrie, hard, Morrison ordering him to leave Langley and see his parents and significant other. He had eagerly agreed, leaving Tong in charge of the search for Number One. He had faith in her abilities, and those of his entire team.
They were the best.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
Sherrie grinned. “Me too. I hear you helped save the world once again.”
He blushed, his eyes redirecting to the floor. “No, not me. Dylan was the one who did it, really.”
She patted his cheek. “And he couldn’t have done it without you, I’m sure.” She gently pushed him toward the door and he stepped inside, his parents sitting in what appeared to be rather uncomfortable chairs. They both leaped to their feet.
“My baby!” His mother grabbed him by the cheeks and shook his head before giving him a big hug, his father waiting patiently for his turn.
He nodded toward Sherrie. “That’s quite the lady you’ve got there.”
Leroux smiled at her, and she batted the air with an “aw shucks” expression. “Yes, she is.” He stared at his father then his mother. “And you can never talk about what she does.”
His father held up his hands, palms out. “I know, I know. Mum’s the word.”
“I’ll leave you guys alone,” said Sherrie, heading for the door. “I’m going to check in on Fang.”
His father held up a finger. “Are Rick and Jenn with her?”
“I think so.”
“Then may we join you?”
Sherrie shrugged with a smile. “Don’t see why not.” She led them to Fang’s room, already crowded with the Kane clan. Hugs were exchanged between the parents, Kane and Leroux receiving hugs as well.
Rick Kane beamed at the boys with pride. “These are quite the boys we’ve got here.”
Mark agreed. “And quite the future daughter in laws too, I think!”
Leroux’s jaw dropped. “Dad!”
Grins spread around the room and he looked at Sherrie, a huge smile on her face, a smile that told him that she wanted him to ask the question, and what the answer would be. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it.
But he was terrified.
It was a huge step, and what if she said no? What if he screwed it up? Things seemed perfect the way they were. Asking her might make her feel rushed, make her feel pressured, and send her running.
Girls like her didn’t marry guys like him.
Her eyes glistened, the smile still in place, and all his fears were swept away. He stepped forward, beginning to lower to one knee, when Sherrie held up a finger, bringing him to a precarious halt.
“Ahh, no. This is definitely not the time or place. I want the whole nine yards. Dinner, dancing, flowers, chocolates, and a romantic speech. Antiseptic spray and heart monitors will not cut it.”
Leroux wavered in place, not sure what to do, when Kane grabbed him by the arm and hauled him to a fully standing position, then slapped him on the back, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. “Burn Ward is just down the hall. I think you need it.”
Leroux flushed, and the women in the room scowled at Kane.
“What?” he asked innocently as Leroux’s phone vibrated.
Saved by the bell.
He took the call. “Hello?”
“Sir, it’s Sonya. We’ve found him!”
Leroux’s embarrassment was forgotten as he spun toward Kane, excitement spreading across his face. “Where?”
“He’s in Canada. Outside Halifax, Nova Scotia.”
The location made perfect sense. There was almost no chance of being affected by the aftermath of what the Assembly had planned for mankind, nuclear or political. The question was, now that their plans had failed, how long would he be there. “Have you notified the Director?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Send the exact location to my phone.”
“Yes, sir.”
He ended the call and his phone vibrated with the intel’s arrival. He handed it to Kane. “Number One’s location, should that be of any interest to you.”
Kane tapped the display a few times then returned it. “No, none at all.”
94
Outside Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Number One sat in his chair, his frustration, anger, and disappointment, threatening to overwhelm him. Years of planning had been for naught, the news reports spreading of celebrations in the streets, of once distrusting neighborhoods, embracing one another despite their cities still being in chaos.
It was over.
They had failed, and he stood alone on the Assembly Council. He tore his eyes away from the news report and returned his attention to his computer, skimming through the files on the final three candidates he had chosen for his new Number Two. They were all good choices, though there was no guarantee any or all of them would accept the offer to join, for it was a lifelong commitment, with no way to change one’s mind.
He remembered when he was Number Twelve, so many decades ago. It had been exciting and terrifying, but as the years progressed, and he slowly worked his way toward his current position, the excitement had worn off, the fear had disappeared, and the overwhelming responsibility had taken over.
The future of mankind rested on his shoulders.
An awesome responsibility. A responsibility he couldn’t bear alone.
The door opened behind him and he motioned to the end of his desk without looking. “Just put it there, Margaret.” He continued to read the file when he finally noticed his coffee hadn’t been delivered.
He glanced over his shoulder and suppressed a gasp, though he feared his eyes betrayed his true feelings. “Nadja Katz.”
She bowed slightly. “Number One.”
He squared himself in his chair, gripping the arms, his knuckles turning white. “I assume you’re here to kill me.”
Katz nodded slightly. “You assume correctly.”
He sighed. He had always believed he would have been killed by one of his predecessors, but when he had made it to his current position, he had lived under the assumption he would survive until his body finally gave out, never again worrying about assassination.
Anonymity had its advantages, though as he had discovered when he finally became Number One and had been fully briefed, the truth wasn’t completely what he had believed.
“May I implore you to change your mind?”
“No.”
“But in killing me, you risk an organization that has been around for longer than you can imagine, bettering mankind.”
Katz stared at him, unmoved. “You should know me enough to know that I don’t care about mankind, or its betterment.”
Number One’s head slowly bobbed. “No, I suppose you don’t.” His shoulders slumped. “Then I suppose this is the end.”
“Yes.”
He raised a finger as the thunder of choppers sounded in the distance. “Ahh, I assume that is the team sent to arrest me. I wonder how they will react when they find me dead, rather than brought to justice.”
She stepped closer. “They told me where to find you. And how could I have possibly got here before them?”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “Interesting. Then I was always to die.”
She raised her weapon. “The Assembly is finished.”
He smiled at her. “No, my dear, the Assembly is eternal.”
She put three in his chest then two in his head as the computer beeped, a silhouetted image appearing.
“Number One, I must speak with you.”
THE END
Acknowledgements
First, let me say that yes, liberties were necessarily taken in the missile launch scenes. With the myriad of different systems deployed, many in the middle of upgrades, I felt artistically, it was best to go with the concept most of us have in our heads of a two man crew (women are now allowed), with keys that had to be turned simultaneously. Depending on what source you read, this can be two, four, or even five people, spread over multiple locations. It is always, however, more than one, to comply with the “two-man rule.” Understandably, the United States military isn’t exactly forthcoming in providing all the details, so as I said, liberties were taken for dramatic purposes.
That being said, the hard lines used provide for no possibility of an outside entity gaining access. Even the cables are pressurized so that any splicing or tampering is immediately detectable. If a signal is received over these hard lines, the crews inside the Launch Control Facilities will absolutely believe they are legitimate. By having our villains actually tap into the source of those lines, they were able to circumvent the entire authentication process beyond the actual biscuit with authentication codes the crews need to validate with their own.
And a corrupt Vice President took care of that.
In the real world, one would hope our government wouldn’t resort to kneejerk reactions that would allow a scenario as described in this novel to occur. I rest easy at night knowing that governments around the world never do anything stupid.
As usual, there are people to thank. My father for all the research, Brent Richards for some weapons info, Ian Kennedy for some explosives info, Fred Newton for some nautical info, Susan “Miss Boss” Turnbull for another last minute grammatical save, those who entered the Character Naming Contests on Facebook, my proofing team, and of course, my wife, daughter, mother, family, and friends.
Finally, I’d like to give a special thanks to my good friends Rick Messina and Chris Holder, for an awesome brainstorming session where we came up with ways to mess with the Internet of Things. Everyone should be grateful we’re on your side, because if we devoted ourselves to a life of crime…
To those who have not already done so, please visit my website at www.jrobertkennedy.com then sign up for the Insider’s Club to be notified of new book releases. Your email address will never be shared or sold, and you’ll only receive the occasional email from me, as I don’t have time to spam you!
Thank you once again for reading.
DYLAN KANE IS BACK!
Dylan Kane returns in Retribution, available everywhere August 28, 2017! Pre-order your copy today!
A CRIPPLING CYBERATTACK.
A HEART-WRENCHING LOSS.
WILL ONE MAN’S THIRST FOR REVENGE LEAD TO WAR?
Two years ago, cyber security specialist Clayton Hummel unknowingly betrayed his country for love, and today, billionaire Franklin Temple pays the price. Blinded by grief and rage, and dissatisfied with his government’s response, Temple uses his considerable wealth to take matters into his own hands, and bring justice to those responsible for the greatest cyberattack in history.
And his thirst for revenge may just lead us to war.
Join CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane and his team, as they race a grieving father to find those responsible for a ransomware attack that crippled millions of computers around the world, including those in one town, in one hospital, where one young, innocent patient died as a result.
From USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy comes another torn from the headlines thriller, Retribution, where he once again takes current events and twists them to his own end, delivering a taut action-packed page-turner certain to leave you wondering who to cheer for. Packed with heartache and pain, hope and romance, and enough thrilling action and laughter to satisfy any fan of the genre, Retribution delivers like only Kennedy can.
To pre-order, please visit Kobo, or click here for additional purchase options.
DISCOVER WHERE THE ACTION BEGINS...
It all began with the first James Acton Thriller. Start from the beginning with James Acton #1: The Protocol!
Please click here for links to your favorite store.
Follow the Delta Force's Bravo Team in their own series! Get started with Delta Force Unleashed #1: Payback!
Please click here for links to your favorite store.
Want a little more espionage with your action? Then you need James Acton's flawed former student, CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane, in your life. Start with Dylan Kane #1: Rogue Operator!
Please click here for links to your favorite store.
Looking for great psychological thrillers with a detective who's got issues? Then check out Detective Shakespeare #1: Depraved Difference!
Please click here for links to your favorite store.
Don't Miss Out!
(And Get 5 Free eBooks!)
To be notified of new releases and get the J. Robert Kennedy Starter Library, click here now to be taken to my website, or visit www.jrobertkennedy.com and sign-up for The Insider's Club now!
Follow me on Facebook, BookBub, GoodReads and Twitter.
Thank You!
Thank you for choosing and reading this book. If you enjoyed it, I would be grateful if you could write a short review (just a few words are needed) and post it on Amazon or your favorite book site.
Most eBook websites use algorithms to determine what books are recommended to readers. Sales and categories are of course factors, but so are the number of reviews a book gets. By taking a few seconds to leave a review, you not only help out your favorite authors, you help new readers find them as well, which benefits everybody.
About the Author
With over 800,000 books sold and over 3000 five-star reviews, USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over thirty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers. He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.
Visit Robert's website at www.jrobertkennedy.com and sign-up for the Insider's Club to be notified of new book releases.
Books by J. Robert Kennedy
Clicking any of these links will take you to the Kobo store where you can sample or purchase the book!
The James Acton Thrillers
The Protocol
Brass Monkey
Broken Dove
The Templar's Relic
Flags of Sin
The Arab Fall
The Circle of Eight
The Venice Code
Pompeii's Ghosts
Amazon Burning
The Riddle
Blood Relics
Sins of the Titanic
Saint Peter's Soldiers
The Thirteenth Legion
Raging Sun
Wages of Sin
Wrath of the Gods
The Templar's Revenge
The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers
Payback
Infidels
The Lazarus Moment
Kill Chain
Forgotten
The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers
Rogue Operator
Containment Failure
Cold Warriors
Death to America
Black Widow
The Agenda
Retribution
The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries
Depraved Difference
Tick Tock
The Redeemer
Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series
The Turned
Published Internationally by J. Robert Kennedy, Ottawa, ON Canada
Copyright © 2017 J. Robert Kennedy
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher, J. Robert Kennedy, is an infringement of copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
V1.3
J. Robert Kennedy, The Agenda
_preview.jpg)
_preview.jpg)
_preview.jpg)
