Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
Background
Was suggested by a mentor that breaking this novel into a short story series, it would be easier to promote and sell, so this is where book 1 will end. do you want ne to continue posting book 2
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The valley was silent, the echoes of gunfire and explosions fading into the cold mountain air. Smoke rose in curling tendrils from the shattered relay station, the destruction a grim reminder of how close they'd come to being overrun. But even as the quiet settled around them, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that they were still being watched.
Grayson crouched on the rocky ground, his eyes fixed on the small screen of his GPS tracker. The faint glow reflected off his face, highlighting the sharp lines of tension that had settled there. He didn't speak, his focus unshakable as he scanned the data they'd pulled from the relay.
Alex paced nearby, his rifle slung over his shoulder, his nerves frayed to the breaking point. The fight in the valley had been close, too close. Every step forward seemed to uncover something darker, something more dangerous. And now, as they stood on the edge of a smoldering battlefield, Alex felt the weight of the mission pressing down harder than ever.
"How bad is it?" Alex finally asked, breaking the silence.
Grayson didn't look up. "Worse than we thought."
"Fantastic," Alex muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "Care to elaborate?"
Grayson tapped a few commands into the tracker, then turned the screen toward Alex. It was a map, overlaid with glowing red dots. Dozens of them. Each one marked a location tied to the network a facility, a relay, a stronghold.
"This isn't just one operation," Grayson said, his voice low. "It's global.
They've got sites in every major region, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa. Every one of these is tied to the same system."
Alex stared at the screen, his chest tightening. "How the hell are we supposed to take that down?"
Grayson's smirk was humorless. "One piece at a time."
The Network's Secrets
They moved quickly, climbing higher into the mountains to escape the valley and any remaining patrols. The air grew colder, thinner, biting at their exposed skin as they ascended. Grayson kept his focus on the tracker, his pace relentless despite the wound in his shoulder.
When they finally stopped, it was in a shallow cave carved into the rocky slope. The entrance was narrow, hidden by a cluster of trees, offering a moment of safety. Alex dropped his pack onto the ground, his breath fogging in the cold air as he sat heavily against the wall.
Grayson knelt nearby, pulling a small laptop from his bag. He connected it to the tracker, typing quickly as lines of code filled the screen.
"What are you doing?" Alex asked
"Decoding their files," Grayson replied. "The relay gave us access to their communications hub. If we're lucky, we'll get a location for their command center."
"And if we're not lucky?"
Grayson didn't answer. He kept typing, his eyes flicking between the screen and the data scrolling across it. Minutes passed in tense silence, broken only by the faint sound of the wind howling outside the cave.
Finally, Grayson leaned back, his expression hard. "Got it."
Alex leaned forward. "What is it?"
Grayson turned the screen toward him. It displayed dossier names, coordinates, and operations linked to the network. At the top of the list was a single name:
Vanguard Project Central Command.
Coming in February 2025....Burn It All Down;
Book 2: The Vanguard Project
They thought they could outrun the past.
Instead, they uncovered a nightmare.
Alex Dane has spent years running from his demons, living life on the edge, and keeping his head down. But when a routine assignment leads him deep into an unforgiving wilderness, he's forced to confront horrors he never imagined and secrets that were meant to stay buried.
Pulled into a deadly conspiracy by Grayson, a former operative haunted by his own regrets, Alex must navigate a web of shadowy enemies, bioengineered nightmares, and a truth so dangerous that exposing it could cost them everything.
Survival is no longer the goal. The fight is no longer personal. It's about taking down the system that created this madness before it's too late.
Author Notes
Was suggested by a mentor that breaking this novel into a short story series, it would be easier to promote and sell, so this is where book 1 will end. do you want ne to continue posting book 2
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