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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

“I’m not the enemy, Nazir. You’ve got to lighten up.”

Nazir grabbed the burner phone from Taliq’s twitchy hand.

Taliq tried to wrench it back but Nazir pulled out a switchblade and flicked it open.

“Whoa, whoa. Take it easy. You need to lighten up. It’s a fucking phone. Give it back.”

Taliq grabbed for the phone but Nazir swiped the blade across Taliq’s knuckles.

“Whoa. Jesus. What the fuck. You crazy?”

Nazir flipped open the lid of the burner and read the text.

Taliq leaned forward and reached his hand around to his back.

“This isn’t from Sarif.”

“You’re too fucking paranoid. Sarif’s not the only game in town. You don’t know all the players.”

“Who are the players? Tell me.”

“Put the knife away, okay? We’re civilized men.”

Taliq pulled out the Glock from the back of his belt.

Nazir made a split-second decision.

A flash of metal.

Taliq’s eyes widened with the realization his throat had been cut. All the years of preparation to infiltrate the cell. The estrangement from all he’d known, ending. He thought the road out would be torturous. Prolonged interrogation if caught. He’d always feared he’d give up secrets when the pain became unbearable. He gasped for what air he could. But it didn’t help. He slumped down in the passenger seat. His head hit the window with a thud. He was dead.

None but a few at the FBI knew Taliq was undercover and they would never let that information out. Taliq was collateral damage.

Nazir panicked. He turned on the ignition, peeled out, and just as quick jammed his brakes when he saw Dominique crossing the road, looking at him.

The car slid sideways on the slick road and stopped right in front of her.

Nazir stared at Dominique.

She stood, defiant, daring him to move.

The last time they were this close was when they’d almost died in the desert.

The rain pounded.

The car idled as he waited to see what she would do.

She approached the driver’s side door and looked at him through the closed window.

She saw the inert body in the passenger seat.

“This is either a strange coincidence, or you’ve been following me,” she said to him through the glass. “And from the looks of it, your friend is dead, and you’re in a predicament you’re not sure how to get out of.”

“He’s not my friend,” Nazir said through the glass.

“Then, I imagine you could use some help.”

54

54

A group has a nervous system. It has a heart and a soul that experiences the same love and fear. Dominique was at the center of this force. What the Ancient Greeks called, Pneuma. That which is breathed.