Prime, p.14
Prime, page 14
part #13 of Nathan K Series
“Larkin’s permanently dead, and the Cardinal has left for at least a century.” Stretching his arms overhead before lacing his fingers behind his neck, Nathan squinted into the sunlight. “We won. We’re free. No need to complicate it.”
“Which brings up the other thing I wanted to talk about.”
Nathan jolted up. “You’re leaving?”
“No.” She chuckled. “Glad you care, though.”
“Don’t do that to me. We’re supposed to be relaxing.”
“That’s crap. This isn’t relaxing. It’s hiding out in plain sight. Besides, I can see it in you. You’re itching to do something just like me.”
“I don’t know. It’s kind of nice not having anybody shooting at us.”
“Yeah, but I can only take so much of nothing, y’know?”
“Better than you’ll ever understand.” He thought about the Darkness. It had not returned. He couldn’t feel its frozen presence. Worse, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to or not.
She leaned over toward Nathan and dropped a tablet onto his lap. “School’s in session.”
“Huh?”
“Since we’ve got to wait here for a few more days, and since we’re not actively trying to find trouble, I figured it’s about time you start learning how to do all that I do.”
“We’ve done a little of that already.”
“A little. Barely the basics. Time to get into it for real. I plan to live a long, long life, but I won’t outlive you. And who knows? Maybe I’ll lose my mind well before I die. So, enough stalling. I’m going to teach you all I know, get you on the road to being hacker literate. And we’ll continue your lessons even after I’ve scrubbed you from the internet.”
Swiping the tablet on, Nathan said, “Okay, okay, but if you happen to notice some criminals that need to be taken care of, I’m happy to jump into that at any moment.”
“We’ll have plenty of time for that. For now, we need to set up Anton and his family for life. So, let me teach you the tools for manipulating bank accounts.”
Nathan swiped her drink and took a long sip. “I guess there are worse things than sitting here with you, drinking under the sun, and learning how to be a hacker. I’d rather have a nice nap, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
Robin laughed — a sound Nathan would cherish forever.
CHECK OUT MORE GREAT READS
FROM STUART JAFFE
If you liked Nathan’s mix of the real world with magic, The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries is for you.
Start with Southern Bound
When Max Porter discovers his office is haunted by the ghost of a 1940s detective,
he does the only thing he can -
he starts a detective agency!
Real Southern history meets the paranormal in this exciting mystery series.
Get Southern Bound today!
If you prefer Nathan’s action side with your magic, check out The Malja Chronciles.
Start with The Way of the Black Beast
Magic caused the apocalypse.
The world is overrun with mutated beast, guitar-playing assassins, crazed magicians, and more.
One woman fights for a future for all.
One woman who will have to face those that created her.
One woman willing to destroy what little remains in order to build a new tomorrow.
"With a unique and compelling protagonist, a world of darkness and wonders, and a narrative that is both swiftly-paced and unpredictable, THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST is sure to entertain." -- David B. Coe, award-winning author
Get The Way of the Black Beast today!
About the Author
Stuart Jaffe is the madman behind the Nathan K thrillers, The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries, The Ridnight Mysteries, the Parallel Society novels, The Malja Chronicles, The Bluesman, Founders, Real Magic, and much more. He trained in martial arts for over a decade until a knee injury ended that practice. Now, he plays lead guitar in a local blues band, The Bootleggers, and enjoys life on a small farm in rural North Carolina. For those who have kept count in the past, I’m no longer listing the animals. As we’ve gotten older, we don’t keep the zoo we once did, and it seems silly to list a more normal grouping of pets. So, yeah, we got dogs and cats and chickens (and a couple other things). Still, the chickens will not be permitted in the house.
Copyright Information
Prime is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
PRIME
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2023 by Stuart Jaffe
Cover art by Deranged Doctor Design
First Edition: July, 2023
Stuart Jaffe, Prime
