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Olympus Mons: Six months later
The passenger shuttle entered the landing bay of Olympus Mons. Steven Matthews stood near the landing pad with two guards and a medic. After the shuttle engines shut off, the door opened.
Guards rushed inside with CAM-Ls and commanded the new prisoners to exit the shuttle. Grayson was the last prisoner through the door. He was a massive man compared to the others. Matthews smiled as Grayson walked toward him.
Matthews stared into Grayson’s absent eyes and shook his head. “Welcome to Mars, Boyd. So, my friend, the tables have finally turned, haven’t they? I imagine the last place you’d ever expected to find yourself was on Mars, as a mining prisoner nonetheless.” He chuckled. “Fate can be such a nasty bitch sometimes. Those who sentenced you to come here are probably quite tickled to entertain their thoughts of your demise as you waste away in the very pits where you had sent others to slave until they died. However, how they view your fate is much different than my own.”
Matthews nodded to the medic. The medic placed the chip deactivator against Grayson’s implanted Sleeper Chip. Several minutes later Grayson shook his head and blinked. His eyes darted back and forth as he was trying to comprehend where he was. Finally, it dawned on him and Matthews smiled. “I shall repeat it. Welcome to Mars, Boyd.”
Grayson stood with an incredulous stare. He frowned.
“You look surprised, Grayson,” Matthews said.
“It’s because I am. You released me from the chip?”
Matthews nodded. “I did.”
“Why? I don’t understand. You could have allowed me to die in the mines like Senator Johnson had hoped.”
Matthews laughed. “Senator Johnson is no more a threat to our establishment, if I could be so bold to assume we have an equally vested interest in keeping Grayson Enterprises alive and well on Earth?”
“We do.”
“Good. Glad to hear it.”
Grayson rubbed his temples. “Forgive me. My memories are a bit distorted.”
“That tends to be a side effect of those chips, but your memories will resurface shortly.”
“And how can we be certain that Johnson won’t cause further problems?”
Matthews leaned slightly forward with a sly grin and whispered into Grayson’s ear. “The senator had run into some misfortune and has been permanently retired.”
Grayson’s eyebrows rose. “You mean that he’s dead?”
“Very.”
“Who killed him?”
“You don’t remember?” Matthews asked.
“No.”
“Viktor and Parks. You requested their assistance immediately after Johnson had you taken into custody and ordered you to be implanted with a chip. Viktor and Parks were more than happy to oblige. And the senator’s son is back in the mines. You see, I have honored my contract with you.”
“Above and beyond,” Grayson replied.
“I’d have it no other way, Boyd. I recognized the power we each held prior to our first meeting, but I have also recognized how much more powerful we are as a team. The governments on Earth will soon shudder when the enlightenment of our union seizes them.”
Grayson extended his hand to Matthews. “I’m indebted to you. I don’t know how to repay you.”
Matthews grinned and vigorously shook Grayson’s hand. “Half of everything has a nice ring to it.”
“Half?”
Matthews shrugged. “Equal partners. Besides we both have far more wealth than either of us could ever spend in dozens of lifetimes. And, I think Grayson and Matthews’ Enterprises is rather catchy. Don’t you?”
Grayson grinned. “I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s livable.”
“Great! Now, let us find a suitable way to return you to the US, so you can continue to be the pressing thorn in the side of those who hate you most.”
“I always thought that was you.”
“Once upon a time, my good man, but no longer. Let bygones be bygones.” Matthews reached into his suit pocket. “Cigar?”
Grayson accepted it. “Who is currently overseeing Grayson Enterprises on Earth?”
“Jonas. Apparently you had also informed Henry to have Jonas take the reins for a while, but that’s another reason I cannot afford for you to be a miner here. Jonas and I . . . well, we’ll never see eye to eye on things. He’s too ethical in ways that you and I are not.”
Grayson nodded. “I agree, but he’s the only person on Earth I’d have trusted until I can return.”
“I totally agree, but your team of attorneys are quite busy fighting off all the attempted fines and seizures of properties on Earth, and I expect that they’ll do one damn good job in preventing the government from prying anything out of our grasp.”
“That’s why they make the big money.”
“Indeed,” Matthews said, striking a match off the wall.
Grayson lit his cigar off the rising flame. “Thanks.”
Matthews grinned. “Now, since this is your first time to visit, let me show you around. I’m sure in a few months you’ll be more than ready to return to your throne on Earth. I may, in fact, accompany you. Mars has a cold way of settling on you, and as I’m certain you’ll agree, ‘there’s no place like home.’ And that’s on Earth, not Mars. Besides, with the bizarre bloodthirsty insects locked inside the mineshaft—”
“Insects?” Grayson frowned.
Matthews nodded and explained the insects in detail. “I ordered a large supply of flamethrowers and napalm since extreme heat seems to be the only thing capable of killing them. These weapons should arrive any day, but I’d rather not be around when they reopen that mineshaft.”
“I agree,” Grayson said.
“Ah, to Earth it is, eh, ol’ chum?” Matthews asked.
Grayson nodded and followed Matthews through the corridors to see what his Martian facilities actually looked like. Enemies can become the best of friends whenever their end goals are the same.
The End
Forthcoming in the Darkness Series:
Lydia: The Final Phase [Book Six]
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Other Books by Leonard D. Hilley II
The Predators of Darkness Series:
Predators of Darkness: Aftermath [Book One]
Beyond the Darkness [Book Two]
The Game of Pawns [Book Three]
Death’s Valley [Book Four]
The Chronicles of Aetheaon
Shawndirea [Book One]
Lady Squire: Dawn’s Ascension [Book Two]
The Elves of Woodnog: The Plague-bringer
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Forrest Wollinsky: Vampire Hunter [Volume One]
Forrest Wollinsky: Blood Mists of London [Volume Two]
Forrest Wollinsky: Predestined Crossroads [Volume Three] July 2016
Forrest Wollinsky: Blood Pact [Volume Four] Forthcoming
Succubus: Shadows of the Beast