Off the Grid (A Gerrit O'Rourke Novel) (50 page)
Read Off the Grid (A Gerrit O'Rourke Novel) Online
Authors: Mark Young
Willy took his hand and shook it vigorously. “Mr. B has already had me working on it.”
“Mr. B?”
“You know, Beck Malloy.”
“Ah.” Gerrit nodded. “And what did you and Mr. B find out?”
Beck came between him and Willy. “Just rest now, Gerrit. We need to move you and the others out of here soon. There’s a small lull in this war right now, while the other side regroups. We’ll need to start gearing up for a major operation. I’ll fill you in later. Once you’re on your feet, I have a lot of work for you and Joe and the others. I’m afraid you are going to need to continue to live off the grid, at least until we have a handle on this entire organization.”
“Speaking of Joe, where is he?”
“Over here, son.” The group parted so Gerrit could see his uncle seated across the room.
“What are you doing way over there, Joe?”
Joe wiped his eyes. “Just thanking the man upstairs that He sent you back to me—again.” He slowly raised himself and limped over to Gerrit’s bedside. “I’m okay. Kane and his people worked me over pretty good, so it’s going to take a while for me to recoup. I should be able to give you all kinds of grief by the time they release you from this place.”
“Enough of this chitchat. I’m starving.” Jack’s voice rang out. “Let the boy get some R&R. If the rest of you can stomach cafeteria food, I’m buying.” Before Thompson left, he lingered a moment, letting the others file out ahead of him. He returned to Gerrit’s bedside. “Here, I think you should have this.” The colonel held his hand open.
Inside, Gerrit saw the pocket watch his father had left him.
“Alena said you might want this,” Thompson said. “I sent a team to San Francisco to clean out everything in her shop after it was clear that part of the operation had been blown. I asked them to send this back to me.”
Gritting his teeth, Gerrit palmed the watch, feeling its smooth contours. “Thanks, sir. This watch helps me to hold on to the past when all else seems to have been destroyed. You can’t…” He couldn’t finish.
“I know, son.” Thompson moved toward the door. “Take care of yourself.”
Gerrit watched the small group wander into the hall, leaving him alone. He started to close his eyes but opened them when he heard someone enter the room.
Alena.
He smiled as she came near. “Missed me, huh?”
“Like a bad heartache.”
“You mean headache, right?” he said, pointing to his forehead.
“No, I mean heartache,” she said, patting her chest.
Gerrit smiled, “Come here.” He reached up and drew her closer. Gently and firmly, he kissed her. He closed his eyes and felt her relax in his arms.
Smiling, she pulled back, cupping his face in her hands. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
Gerrit clasped her hands in his. “Did you know married guys who give their wives kisses every morning live five years longer than those jerks who never kiss ’em?”
Alena raised an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of weird proposal?”
Gerrit grinned. “Just a fact to tuck away for future consideration.”
She cocked her head to one side. “Really? Shall we practice?” She leaned over to kiss him.
He pulled back once again. “Did you know—?”
“Shut up and kiss me, Einstein.”
P
ublishing a novel is not a solo endeavor. I want to recognize some of those who have made this novel a reality. First and foremost, my wife Katie, always my inspiration and encourager in this writing journey—proofreading, editing, and formatting print books, just to name a few of the hats she wears. I would be remiss if I did not mention some of my friends and acquaintances who pitched in to make this dream a reality.
My fabulous editor, Julee Schwartzburg, finally succumbed to my pleas for help and took this project under her wing. Thanks, Julee, for helping me to reach that next level. I hope we can partner on many other projects. I want to express a deep appreciation to eBook formatters, Rob and Amy Siders of
http://www.52novels.com/
who continue to provide outstanding professional assistance and support in getting my novels to the readers. They make an awesome team. And, thanks to Peter Ratcliffe at
http://peterratcliffe.com
for coming up with an eye-catching cover design. Great work!
A special thanks to my lovely daughters Ingrid, Julia and Jacqueline, for their love and encouragement from the very beginning. All those hours of emails, phone calls, and conversations ad nauseum about the writing life—thanks for hanging in there.
To my friends who faithfully read my stuff and care enough to correct: Carol Young, Carole Neal, Denise Fehlman, David and Melody Jones and all those who’d rather not be mentioned—thanks for your time and patience. A special thanks to Kevin Pickron, for patiently guiding me through the confusing world of computer technology.
Lastly, I would like to give recognition to authors Grant R. Jeffrey and Bill Salus, whose writings helped me create a long-term concept of what the future might hold
.
First, Dr. Jeffrey’s book,
Shadow Government: How the Secret Global Elite Is Using Surveillance Against You
(Waterbrook Press, © 2009) helped shape some of the ideas already floating around in my head. His book has become a great resource regarding the advances of technology, documenting a growing concern over the erosion of our right to privacy. Secondly, I’d like to recognize author Bill Salus’ book,
Isralestine: The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East
(High Way, © 2008) as he shares a look at current events in the Middle East as they might relate to our future. He put such world events as The Arab Spring and the suspected proliferation of nuclear weapons by Iran into perspective as our world edges toward future confrontations.
Mystery/Suspense
Travis Mays Novels
Blood Quantum
(Coming in 2013)
Tom Kagan Novels
Broken Allegiance
(Coming in 2012)
Shadows
(Coming in 2013)
International Thriller
Gerrit O’Rourke Novels
Off The Grid
The Daemon Files
(Coming in 2012)
