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“How long have you tracked me?” Hannah asked.

“Since the accident when you were six.”

“Why?”

“You were betrayed at a fundamental level. But you didn’t turn against that which betrayed you. That was key.”

“Like you were in some way?”

“Like I was, indeed.”

“Jenkins. He profiled me for you. All those years and all those sessions, he never really helped me. He was just filing a report to you.”

“Yes.”

“I should be pissed.”

“But you aren’t,” Nero said. “You’re intrigued.”

There was a prolonged silence, and then Hannah answered. “Yes.”

“Good.”

“Except you’re saying a woman in the prime of her life is the equal of an old blind man,” Hannah said.

A cackling noise was immediately followed by Nero coughing for almost half a minute before he regained his composure. “A most interesting observation. However, I know you aren’t quite ready yet to step into my shoes, so to speak. We’ll have time to work together. For you to learn what you will need. And I fervently hope you will be better than me.”

“And if I say no?” Hannah asked.

Nero shrugged. “I cannot force you.”

“No, you can only manipulate my entire life to this end. How many people like me have you followed and manipulated?”

It was Nero’s turn to pause. “I did very little manipulation,” he finally said. “Mostly observation.”

“How many?” Hannah was insistent.

“Twenty-seven.”

“How many failed?”

“Twenty-four. Two have not been, shall we say, activated by circumstances as you were.”

“I’m lucky twenty-five? You’re running out of possibilities.”

Nero didn’t respond.

Hannah glanced at Neeley. “What do you think?”

“It was all a set up?” Neeley was still trying to comprehend.

Hannah nodded. “There was no need for all those loose ends over ten years ago to be allowed to last so long.”

“Most true,” Nero said.

"What about Collins?" Hannah asked.

"Senator Collins has become like Racine: a liability. He will be Sanctioned."

Hannah leaned back in the deep leather seat. She glanced through the dark glass. She could see Jesse guiding Bobbie to her car. The young man’s face was confused, the drug Racine had given him still affecting him. Jesse leaned close and whispered something his ear and his face split in a wide grin.

Hannah turned back to Nero. “What exactly is your job?”

“The Cellar is the country’s bodyguard.”

“A bodyguard that uses psychos like Racine and lies and deceit?”

“Whatever means necessary for the greater good. A bodyguard of lies, so to speak.”

Hannah opened the door. “We’ll let you know.”

“The world is changing,” Nero said. “It is your time now.”

“We’ll let you know,” Hannah repeated as she exited the car, Neeley following.

THE END

About the Author

NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer has had over 50 books published. He has sold over four million books, and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing, and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept, which he translated into Write It Forward: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors. He is also the Co-Creator of Cool Gus Publishing, which does both eBooks and Print On Demand, so he has experience in both traditional and non-traditional publishing.

His books have hit the NY Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and numerous other bestseller lists. His book The Jefferson Allegiance, was released independently and reached #2 overall in sales on Nook.

Bob Mayer grew up in the Bronx. After high school, he entered West Point where he learned about the history of our military and our country. During his four years at the Academy and later in the Infantry, Mayer questioned the idea of “mission over men.” When he volunteered and passed selection for the Special Forces as a Green Beret, he felt more at ease where the men were more important than the mission.

Mayer’s obsession with mythology and his vast knowledge of the military and Special Forces, mixed with his strong desire to learn from history, is the foundation for his science fiction series Atlantis, Area 51 and Psychic Warrior. Mayer is a master at blending elements of truth into all of his thrillers, leaving the reader questioning what is real and what isn’t.

He took this same passion and created thrillers based in fact and riddled with possibilities. His unique background in the Special Forces gives the reader a sense of authenticity and creates a reality that makes the reader wonder where fact ends and fiction begins.

In his historical fiction novels, Mayer blends actual events with fictional characters. He doesn’t change history, but instead changes how history came into being.

Mayer’s military background, coupled with his deep desire to understand the past and how it affects our future, gives his writing a rich flavor not to be missed.

Bob has presented for over a thousand organizations both in the United States and internationally, including keynote presentations, all day workshops, and multi-day seminars. He has taught organizations ranging from Maui Writers, to Whidbey Island Writers, to San Diego State University, to the University of Georgia, to the Romance Writers of America National Convention, to Boston SWAT, the CIA, Fortune-500, the Royal Danish Navy Frogman Corps, Microsoft, Rotary, IT Teams in Silicon Valley and many others. He has also served as a Visiting Writer for NILA MFA program in Creative Writing. He has done interviews for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, PBS, NPR, the Discovery Channel, the SyFy channel and local cable shows. For more information see www.bobmayer.org.