The Pact - Episode 4 E-Book

Christian Marshall

• Herausgeber: Bastei Lübbe
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 109

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

EPISODE 4 OF 8: In an effort to bring down Rolf Voigt, a transportation tycoon accused of drug trafficking, NBS agent Nicholas Clark travels from Cape Town to Algiers. Before a video of the Algerian prime minister's kidnapping turns up, Voigt is found innocent and his ships freed to leave. Nick's fellow Cape Town officer, Detective Jordan Stone, insists the two South African officers drop their investigation into Voigt. Suspicious of Stone's motives, and determined to stop The Syndicate from smuggling the prime minister out of Africa, Nick heads for Port 1206, the last port of call for one of Voigt's ships. There he discovers fellow NBS agent Paul Leclerc has been kidnapped as well. Can Nick rescue Paul, keeping the pact he made with his NBS recruits to save one another? Or will The Syndicate be the end of him first? Meanwhile Agent Felicity Wilson has managed to infiltrate The Syndicate. But her first assignment with the international crime organization puts her in a bind: recruiting fellow NBS agent, and computer programming genius, Leah Carlsson to join her for a top-secret project. Desperate to uncover the connection she's made between her birth father, and her NBS recruiter, Felicity enlists Leah's help in finding the answers she needs. But can she stay quiet about her secret mission long enough to stay out of harm's way? -- ABOUT THE SERIES: NBS agents are trained for one purpose: bringing down The Syndicate, an international crime organization aimed at profiteering by keeping countries at war with one another. When an NBS agent is murdered shortly before her first assignment, five new recruits quickly realize the agency they're working for may not be as trustworthy as it seems, forcing them to make a pact in order to survive. Can the new agents stay alive long enough to uncover the truth behind their fellow recruit's death? Or is finding answers hidden deep within both organizations tempting enough to make one of them break the pact? -- For fans of Robert Ludlum, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, John le Carré, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, Daniel Silva, THE UNLIKELY SPY and HOMELAND. Christian Liberty Marshall is an Austrian-based writer, and musician with degrees from Vanderbilt University, and University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. When not performing as a violist, he can be found teaching at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, writing educational material for children, or translating German literature. His first serial novel, The Pact, is available in summer 2015.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

The Pact — About the Series

About the Book

List of Main Characters

About the Author

Title

Copyright

Episode 4: Persuade

Next Episode

The Pact — About the Series

NBS agents are trained for one purpose: bringing down The Syndicate, an international crime organization aimed at profiteering by keeping countries at war with one another.

When an NBS agent is murdered shortly before her first assignment, five new recruits quickly realize the agency they’re working for may not be as trustworthy as it seems, forcing them to make a pact in order to survive.

Can the new agents stay alive long enough to uncover the truth behind their fellow recruit’s death? Or is finding answers hidden deep within both organizations tempting enough to make one of them break the pact?

About the Book

Episode 4 of 8 — Persuade

In an effort to bring down Rolf Voigt, a transportation tycoon accused of drug trafficking, NBS agent Nicholas Clark travels from Cape Town to Algiers. Before a video of the Algerian prime minister’s kidnapping turns up, Voigt is found innocent and his ships freed to leave.

Nick’s fellow Cape Town officer, Detective Jordan Stone, insists the two South African officers drop their investigation into Voigt. Suspicious of Stone’s motives, and determined to stop The Syndicate from smuggling the prime minister out of Africa, Nick heads for Port 1206, the last port of call for one of Voigt’s ships. There he discovers fellow NBS agent Paul Leclerc has been kidnapped as well. Can Nick rescue Paul, keeping the pact he made with his NBS recruits to save one another? Or will The Syndicate be the end of him first?

Meanwhile Agent Felicity Wilson has managed to infiltrate The Syndicate. But her first assignment with the international crime organization puts her in a bind: recruiting fellow NBS agent, and computer programming genius, Leah Carlsson to join her for a top-secret project.

Desperate to uncover the connection she’s made between her birth father, and her NBS recruiter, Felicity enlists Leah’s help in finding the answers she needs. But can she stay quiet about her secret mission long enough to stay out of harm’s way?

List of Main Characters

Paul Leclerc loves life aboard a ship. But he also loves Scotch. That’s why he chose to leave his life at sea and open up a bar in his hometown, Marseilles. Yet he’s rarely in one place for long, always travelling the globe looking for new spirits to bring back to the port city. But is there another reason this Frenchman pulls his disappearing acts?

Jian Zhang doesn’t remember much about life in China’s Guangzhou. That’s why he decided to stay in New York City, to run his family’s dumpling dynasty after his parents returned home. There’s also his wife, Agnieszka, and their hopes of starting a family. Will their love for the arts—and each other—be Jian’s moral compass? Or will shocking discoveries force him to act against his nature?

An introverted coder, Swedish-born Dr. Leah Carlsson hates getting close to anyone—be it as a member of a team or on the receiving end of a handshake. Her years of hard work have earned her a full professorship at the University of Stockholm. Upon learning her work has been compromised, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her reputation to step out from behind the walls she’s built—both around herself and in her field.

Originally from New York City, Nicholas Clark is a detective now in Cape Town, South Africa. After his fiancé’s tragic death, Nick loses himself in his police work. But ousting crooked cops and putting criminals behind bars can only numb the pain for so long. Will the opportunity to play a part in a secret agency give him the new purpose he’s been looking for?

Felicity Wilson may call Los Angeles home, but her roots are solidly in the Midwest. Fresh out of graduate school, she’s convinced all her friends and family into believing she’s ambitiously pursuing a career in politics. But what she’s secretly looking for is the answer to a question haunting her since childhood. The startling revelations she’s about to uncover will lead her to risk her life for the truth.

Eliska Novak worked as a high-class escort in Manhattan, affording her pleasures she’d only dreamt of as a child on the streets of Prague. On her first assignment as an NBS agent she met with an untimely death.

About the Author

Christian Liberty Marshall is an Austrian-based writer, and musician with degrees from Vanderbilt University, and University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. When not performing as a violist, he can be found teaching at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, writing educational material for children, or translating German literature. His first serial novel, The Pact, is available in summer 2015.

Christian Liberty Marshall

Episode 4: Persuade

BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT

Digital original edition

Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG

Copyright © 2015 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany

Written by Christian Liberty Marshall

Edited by Gail Werner

Project management: Lori Herber, Julia Hubschmid, Kathrin Kummer

Cover illustration and design: Travis Harvey

E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf

ISBN 978-3-7325-0839-6

www.bastei-entertainment.com

Episode 4: Persuade

“How did your interview with Mr. Lennox go?” Agent Hall asked Felicity, unable to hide the concern in his normally optimistic voice. He’d counted on Felicity coming back to the NBS facilities after her interview — walking up and down the halls of the intelligence floor since she’d left, hoping to find her behind one of the closed doors. Glad his boyish persistence had paid off, he entered the room Felicity now sat in and set his empty coffee mug on the table.

“It wasn’t much of an interview. He clearly already knew enough about me,” Felicity said flatly, glancing up from the computer screen with a warning glance that told him not to step closer.

“That’s no surprise. Your stepfather must have given him your résumé.” He paused mid-step, having gotten the hint.

Felicity shook her head. “No, it was different. I have the feeling he’s had his eyes on me before.”

“Have you told Agent Sullivan?”

“No, not yet. I’m waiting to find out more about what I’ll be working on for The Syndicate.” She tried slowing the words as they left her mouth, wishing she could take them back as she said them. She’d just lied to Agent Hall.

His forehead wrinkled in obvious dissatisfaction with her answer; it went against standard protocol. Agent Hall had been raised to do his chores thoroughly and in the order expected. His rigid upbringing had carried over into his role as an NBS agent. While being a do-gooder would gain him favor with a future mother-in-law, to his fellow agents, it was downright annoying.

“Does this mean you’ll be staying in New York a bit longer?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

“I’ll find out next week. Lennox’s secretary is putting together a folder for me. I’ll be working on an international project, but I don’t know exact details yet.” Another lie Felicity knew Agent Hall could swallow given it was coated partially in truth.

“It would be great if what he’s making you do leads to discovering some other international Syndicate heads.”

“I doubt the man’s going to reveal all his cards at once. They’ll certainly test me out on something small first. If I perform well, they’ll let me handle something bigger. Let’s just hope it goes better than TriMark.” Felicity’s first assignment as an NBS agent had been to enter a medical lab and retrieve smallpox samples before The Syndicate broke in to steal them. Unfortunately, she failed the assignment and it was still a sore spot of hers.

Agent Hall smiled in sympathy. “It will, don’t worry.”

Felicity knew he was trying to atone for Agent Sullivan’s mistakes. The rookie recruits’ first assignment, trying to steal the vials of smallpox, had come weeks — if not months — too soon. No one at NBS imagined Sullivan would send such an inexperienced team out on such a major assignment. As a result, no way was Agent Hall going to criticize her for failing her first test.

Felicity knew she and the others had been recruited by Agent Sullivan for their unique abilities, which he had total confidence in. While she’d done everything according to Agent Sullivan’s plan, someone else had also managed to enter the laboratory at the same time, stealing the smallpox virus samples out of Felicity’s hand after knocking her unconscious.

She looked down at Agent Hall’s empty coffee cup. Asking him for favors had worked well for her so far, but she really needed to come up with a better way to get him to leave the room. At least this time she wouldn’t be lying if she told him she really wanted coffee.

“Don’t let me stop you from getting more coffee,” she demurred. “I’ve got a couple more things to take care of anyway.”

“Don’t worry. I should probably stop drinking so much.”

Felicity squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I haven’t even had mine yet,” she said with a sigh.

“Oh, I can get you some,” Agent Hall offered.

“Awww, Agent Hall,” Felicity said, drawing out the word. “You’re the best.”

Hearing his name come out of Felicity Wilson’s mouth made Agent Hall feel light-headed. He gave her an excited smile and hurried out of the room.

Felicity turned her attention back to the computer screen. The revelation that Agent Sullivan knew her biological father had pushed her to want to return to NBS facilities in New York. The interview with Mr. Lennox had provided her with the perfect opportunity. She knew it would be difficult finding whatever information she was looking for, but she hadn’t expected all of the files she wanted to access to be restricted.

Her attempts to open them proved useless — even with Leah’s tips, and Agent Hall’s clearance. What good was all their help if she couldn’t get past a bit of basic information, and a few unclassified reports? Now she sat at the workstation, using the computer’s software to search marriage and birth records; desperate to find any clue that would send her in the right direction.

She heard a knock on the door and looked up. It opened to reveal the only other agent in the building she would recognize, Brick. She widened her eyes in surprise as a satisfied smile crossed his lips. As he entered the room, he closed the door behind him.

“Hope I didn’t scare you,” he said in a voice smoother than she remembered it.

“No, I was … just expecting someone else,” she said, flustered. Felicity had met Brick briefly before her checkup then almost completely forgotten about him. As far as looks were concerned, she had no problems with the two of them being in the same room together.

“I know,” said Brick, “I saw him carrying two coffee mugs. He doesn’t do that for everyone, you know.” Brick’s words were accompanied by a soft laugh. Felicity noticed his teasing had the same tone as Paul’s ribbing — since Brick was now the second man to point out Agent Hall’s teenage-like infatuation with her.

Felicity glared at Brick. What he said may be true, hearing it implied by others only made her uncomfortable. She was about to criticize him for the way he was treating another grown man when the door opened behind him.

Agent Hall stepped into the room, carefully holding two very full mugs of coffee. Felicity could tell he was trying to ignore Brick’s presence, but it was too late. She watched his eyes cut back and forth between the two agents, trying to assess the emotional threat Brick posed.

She immediately tried to soften the blow. “Thank you so much, Arthur,” she said to him, standing from behind the desk and reaching for the coffee.

“Be careful,” he said, “it’s hot.” The mugs shook in his hands as he stepped forward, handing one to Felicity.

“What are you doing here, Lucas?” Agent Hall had turned back to face Brick, a bitter look evident in his eyes. Felicity let loose an inner eye roll. Men, she thought. He was looking at Brick like he’d just taken the last piece of candy right out of Agent Hall’s hands.

“I could ask you the same thing, Arthur, but I think it’s pretty obvious.” Brick spoke to Agent Hall but didn’t take his eyes off of Felicity.

Agent Hall stood taller. “I saw Agent Wilson here earlier and asked about her interview with Mr. Lennox,” he said defensively.

“Over a cup of coffee. How nice.” Brick kept his eyes narrowed while the corners of his mouth rose in the hint of a smile.

“There’s more down the hall. Help yourself,” Agent Hall said in a friendly tone. It was clear he was trying to get Brick to leave the room, but the agent ignored his comment.

“Mr. Lennox? Really?” Brick asked. Felicity noticed the genuine surprise in his voice. She opened her mouth to answer but Agent Hall cut in.

“Surprised you’ve been left out of the loop again, Lucas?”

“It occasionally happens when you’re out on assignment,” Brick shot back.

Uh-oh