Back Cover Blurb for The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation (The second book of the trilogy is now available)
Frank is at a loss. What more is expected of him and how can one man possibly matter?
And to make things more complicated, two determined women have entered the picture. Willow, who’s already shown she’s not what she had said she was, is set on his salvation. The other, Rajeena who has assumed the reins from the Committee, is set on his destruction.
The pressure is mounting and time is running out. He’s not sure where it’ll all lead but everyone wants what they believe is rightfully theirs, including Zachariah and there’s only so much to go around.
Excerpt #1 from The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation
Frank pops his head outside the tent to make sure there are no Tsiatko watching over him, not that he’d be absolutely sure with their constant disappearing acts. There’s nothing. He plops down and reads Mr. H’s note one more time. He’s not sure what to think. He tears the envelope and note into small pieces and slowly eats each piece, washing them down with shots from his water bottle, shaking his head in disbelief with every swallow.
Frank is beginning to think he’s fucked.
Zach scans around listening to the sound of the steam as mist clouds of vapor shoot out from the small fumaroles in the cave floor. He watches the lights dancing across the ceiling and walls of the immense circular cavern, originating from the blue glow of the Orb in the center of it. Its light is further reflected from the quartz boulder it’s nested on. He may have considered all of this a beautiful image except for the sight and disgusting smell of the gigantic Tsiatko scattered around him. They’re still staring at him like they’re ready to rip him apart. Brother’s recent comments have done nothing to help matters.
Zach sits dejected on his rock stool staring at the Orb. So close yet so far. He’s still bewildered why Frank saved him from the Tsiatko’s wrath and more perplexed as to what Frank is really up to. Zach did have his own game plan for the Orb but Frank’s actions have left him hanging…alive but hanging. He had a Plan A and B but no Plan C.
Zach is beginning to think he’s fucked.
Excerpt #2 from The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation
A few minutes later Reggie enters. Reggie is an attractive woman in her mid-forties. She’s Irish with a tall, slender, long limbed physique, flowing red hair and piercing green-blue eyes upon a lightly freckled face of pale skin. She has a Masters in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences and was an analyst and profiler for the FBI before she was recruited by the Committee. She has a reputation for being extremely thorough and efficient. Reggie is her nickname, short for Rajeena, Rajeena Byrnes. As she told it, her dad wanted a boy and since she was the last of five girls, he gave her the nickname. She grew up to be a confident strong woman but being embedded in fields erroneously classified as a working man’s world she elected to keep using it. Many a male counterpart is more than a bit surprised when they meet her in person.
“Mr. Belette, is everything alright? You look a bit tense. Bertram told me what happened. This isn’t your normal behavior?”
“Quit it Reggie. I’m not in the mood.”
“Why aren’t you?”
Felix gives her an exasperated look. “Seriously, not now.”
“Of course Mr. Belette.” She says.
Reggie has a reputation for constantly analyzing people. The way they talk, look, body language, actions, it never stops with her and she has gotten under his skin so many times with it. That’s why he likes her so much.
“You know Allmass? Zachariah Allmass?”
“I do.”
“He’s dropped off the radar. I know he’s up to no good. I want you to go back through everything he’s been involved with in the last six months. Anything and everything. What transactions he’s approved, personnel, travel, contacts, I don’t want any stone unturned. Especially his time in Washington State.”
“What are you hoping to find?”
“I’m not telling you. I want to see what you find but look for it like you’re looking for dirt. Understand me?”
“Of course. And when do you need this?”
“Yesterday. Nothing, I repeat nothing is more important to you than this. Am I clear on that?”
“Yes sir, you know me and my work.”
“I do, sorry.”
Excerpt #3 from The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation
Frank and Zach land hard on the warehouse floor. The corridors in the warehouse are lit up like Christmas trees. The windows have been blacked out. They’re at the end of a tee intersection just fifty from the primary one. As they stand, an armed man walks by and spots them. He yells out. There’s no time to think, only react. Gaylord reaches him in two monstrous strides, crushing him against a wall, breaking through it and landing twenty feet into the next room. Frank and Zach follow. They hear shouting coming from farther down the main passageway.
“Find them!” Frank yells to Gaylord pointing to the general direction of the sounds. “I’ll take care of anyone coming down the hallway!” As he grabs the automatic from the guards belt along with extra clips.
Gaylord takes the “shortcut” through any of the impeding walls and barriers to do as he was instructed, searching for his assigned targets.
Frank checks that he has a round in the chamber as he scrambles back to the hallway. “Stay behind me!” he yells to Zach.
Frank hits the corridor running, firing a continual volley of rounds. He fires, reloads, fires, never slowing down, never missing a beat, dropping each assailant with head shots until they arrive at the entrance of the intended storage room. He suspects some of his targets were attacking, others just trying to escape Gaylord’s wrath. Frank stops, signaling Zach to do the same as he quickly peeks inside before entering. Zach follows to see Gaylord, chest arched out, his arms spread letting out a loud triumphant roar that rattles the windows in the room. There are bloody patterns against the walls and racking where Gaylord must have tossed his opponents, only to have their bodies crushed against the unyielding materials. Others on the ground look that they have been stomped by the massive Tsiatko or pummeled by his wrecking ball-like fists. There’s carnage everywhere.
Excerpt #4 from The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation
Its three a.m. and the streets are empty of traffic. Oin is giving it all it’s worth. They hit the I-90 and Oin floors it. Frank opens one of the bags and sees Zach has loaded plenty of fire power. He finds a handgun with a full clip and shoves it in his belt. As this stage he doesn’t care who gets in their way, the Committee, the cops, he’s prepared to take out whoever he needs to. Fortunately, nothing does and forty-five minutes later Oin busts through the chain hung across the parking lot entrance where their adventure began. Oin screeches to a stop near where they were first parked. He isn’t worried about concealment. He jumps out and opens the back door. Frank gets out first and grabs Oin.
“Forget the van just get the hell out of here, now!” Frank demands and as those words leave his mouth, a black Lexus SUV tears into the lot. Frank draws his weapon and is about to fire at the on-coming vehicle when Oin jumps in front.
“No!” Oin screams.
It approaches and skids to a stop ten feet away, Stogie Man is behind the wheel. A woman jumps out from the passenger side and opens the back passenger door. “Oin, get in!” She yells.
“Willow!” Oin calls as he turns.
Frank has to look twice. This isn’t the Silent Willow he knows. This one is a knockout. Oin climbs in the back of the Lexus and Willow gets back in without saying another word, calmly watching Frank as the SUV reverses hard into a bootleg and then takes off. Frank turns back to the van. Gaylord already has an ammo box in each hand and two duffle bags slung over his shoulders.
“Don’t wait for us, just go.” Franks instructs him.
Zach already has the two rifle cases and waits as Frank grabs the last duffle bag. “Who was that?”Zach asks.
Frank looks back one final time. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He replies before heading towards the cave, Zach is right beside him.
Excerpt #5 from The Xeno Manifesto – Reclamation
Before Zach can say more, a drone is hovering in the entranceway. He fires a few bursts and puts it down. “They’re coming! We don’t have much time!” He yells.
Frank leans against the cave entrance wall and can see team members starting to advance a half mile away. He braces the rifle against the granite and rock material and randomly fires, peppering the ground around his targets and watches them scatter. Another drone enters the cave. Zach lets it advance a few yards before firing, sending it crashing to the floor. Frank back pedals, reloads another clip and continues firing, aiming at nothing. He grabs the duffle bag and starts to sprint into the cave. Zach grabs the other case as he holds the Mag-gun with one arm, watching for more drones, letting each one advance a little farther in before firing. Frank stops, lets Zach pass and he fires some more. Zach spots another and Zach shoots, there’s no escaping the EMP pulse and it spirals to the ground…four down, maybe two to go. They’re about three hundred yards in when they hear the blast of grenades echoing through the cave. They turn and run as fast as they can, not encountering a single Tsiatko as they proceed. As they turn a bend, Brother is waiting.
“Wait by the Orb.” He orders as they pass. They slow to a trot, trusting Brother has their back.
“Montgomery,” Ramsey calls out through his head set. What do you see?” He and his teams are just outside the cave and have just lobbed in the concussion grenades.
“Allmass has been taking out the drones as he retreats. It’s just him and one other in there. No sign of any Tsiatko.” Montgomery replies.
“Go, go, go,” Ramsey yells.
The teams advance, activating their night vision goggles as they enter. They form lines on either side of the pathway with each member leaving six feet between them, their weapons at the ready as they advance. As the last of the eighty enter, they’re completing a trail of soldiers two hundred and forty feet with those entering last facing backwards to protect the rear. They haven’t encountered any resistance yet and the only sounds are of their boots on the wet and rocky cavern floor. What they’re not aware of is that they’re entering a gauntlet. One that none has ever experienced before.
