Read Fury of the Six (The Preston Six Book 5) for Free Online

and squeal on the blacktop. He thought about how much his in-laws hated when he did that down their driveway.
    “At least we know everything is still in motion. The kids are alive,” Rick said.
    “Yes, but we aren’t to the hard part yet. That text just tells us to move to phase three. There’s still a million things that could go wrong,” Minter said.
    “Have a little faith.”
    Minter sped up to around eighty miles per hour on the highway. He leaned against the window and rubbed his chin. He hadn’t seen his grandchild since the day she was born. He often thought about what she looked like now and when he’d get the chance to hold her, make her laugh, and spoil her rotten. “I have faith. It’s the only thing I’ve got.”
    He watched as they passed a busted car on the side of the road. After the Cough, the whole world had changed. Wars raged in Eastern Europe and Southern Asia. Thankfully, the US was able to contain much of the Cough, keeping the fatalities to a minimum; nothing like the poor countries of the world. Those casualties were in the millions.
    All thanks to a man who had plagued Minter for almost twenty years now, Marcus Malliden. A man he had never met had dominated his and his family’s lives, his friend’s lives. He gripped the steering wheel tight.
    “What’s wrong?” Rick asked.
    “Look at what he did to Earth.” Minter pointed to a burnt car as they passed it.
    “As far as everyone else is concerned, he saved the planet. Look at what the man has done in the span of a couple years here,” Rick said.
    Minter shifted in his seat and glanced at Rick. The world might be putting Marcus on a pedestal, but if they knew what he put in them with the cure he brought, they might think differently of the man.
    Marcus hadn’t wasted a moment of time, taking over ZRB, right behind Zach, proclaiming he’d do everything different and humane. The world ate it up. And why wouldn’t they? He brought back, in short order, the world they had once known. All he wanted in return was controlling interests in their companies. He owned or influenced many major companies now and each new announcement, merger, and ribbon ceremony Minter had to watch on TV made him sick. But the man did deliver. ZRB trucks filled the stores with food and medical supplies quicker than anyone thought possible.
    “At every turn, he’s been ahead of them . . . us. We tried over a dozen times to get to him over the last year and none of us even got close. I just hope this plan is different,” Minter said.
    “This is an all or nothing kind of deal. I’m ready to die for this,” Rick said.
    Minter agreed. His life didn’t matter as much as protecting his child and grandchild, but that went without saying. It just felt like, each time anyone had a plan to go against Marcus, it went the exact opposite as planned. How do you prepare for the exact opposite? Harris’s plan did exactly that. Their role would be to do the obvious and hope Marcus did the opposite.
    “How far away are we, you think?” Rick asked.
    “A hundred miles, give or take a few.”
    “We better turn off our phones.”
    “We take the batteries out of them at seventy-five miles away. Julie was pretty specific about it.” Minter handed over his phone to Rick.
    Rick nodded and took the phone. “You think Alice is watching us right now?”
    “No question about it.”
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    HANK WATCHED GLADIUS SLEEPING IN the morning light. She was a late sleeper and he didn’t want to disturb her; besides, he enjoyed watching her.
    She stirred awake and rolled on her back. “You watching me again?”
    “Yes.”
    “So creepy.”
    “You want me to stop?”
    “No, I like creepy.” She reached her hands out for him. “Come here.” Hank snuggled up against her in bed. “Today is the first day this gets hard, isn’t it?” Gladius asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “Our little world-jumping party is over. We had some fun, though, didn’t