Get ready for a pulse-pounding journey through the darkest corridors of power in the Otis Thorne thriller series ➱ Black Dust by Arla Jones Book Tour & Giveaway
Get ready for a pulse-pounding journey through the darkest corridors of power in the Otis Thorne thriller series!
In the second Otis Thorne thriller, a malevolent alliance triggers a global pandemic, forcing Thorne and Noah into a race against time. Can they unravel the sinister plot?
Black Dust
The Otis Thorne Thriller Series Book 2
by Arla Jones
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
An action-packed thriller for fans
of Clancy, Thor, and Flynn, Great for readers of political
conspiracies and CIA counterterrorism missions.
In the
gripping second installment of the Otis Thorne thriller series, the
world is thrust into chaos as a malevolent alliance between Russia
and North Korea unleashes a deadly biological weapon upon the United
States. The insidious plan triggers a devastating global pandemic,
pushing Otis Thorne and his trusted ally, Noah, into a perilous race
against time. As they unravel the sinister plot, they find out who is
behind the deadly biological attack against their country. With lives
hanging in the balance and the fate of nations at stake, Thorne and
Noah must navigate a treacherous web of deception, danger, and
intrigue to uncover the truth and stop the relentless march of the
pandemic.
This second book will leave you breathless and
wanting more.
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Fathers and Sons
The Otis Thorne Thriller Series Book 1
A High-Stake Conspiracy with
Historical Roots. A Sci-Fi Political Thriller. Moral Dilemmas.
Infiltration of Trusted Institutions. International Espionage.
Blackmail and Personal Stakes. Race Against Time.
In
'Fathers and Sons,' a riveting thriller unfolds as a clandestine
organization threatens to plunge the United States into chaos by
undermining both its political stability and the integrity of
President Andrew Burr.
Otis Thorne, a former CIA
operative, becomes President Burr's last hope as he unearths a
sinister infiltration of the White House, leaving trust in short
supply. With the United Nations General Assembly looming, Thorne
races against time to expose the conspiracy, exacerbated by the
coercive demand that President Burr deliver a specific pro-Russian
speech. The stakes intensify as the blackmailers hold the life of the
President's son in the balance, with a series of demands that trace
their origins back to the darkest days of WWII, Nazi Germany, and the
Soviet Union.
Will Thorne untangle the web of deceit in
time to save not only the President's family but the entire nation
from an insidious plot decades in the making?
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Black Dust
1 The Biting Dust
An underground research facility, North Korea,
2027
The
underground facility was perfect for secret tests, including nuclear and
chemical experiments that they did not want any of their enemies or neighboring
countries to see on the satellite. The facility was dug deep underground into a
volcanic mountain that hadn’t experienced any volcanic activity for years. Only
the high-ranking members of the Worker’s Party knew about this facility.
The
secret nuclear weapon and chemical weapon research in this facility created an
environmental change in the bugs that had come in contact with the research
area. The tiny insects that survived the chemical environmental change moved in
the air like a cloud of black dust, looking for a living animal or person, and then
attaching to the skin. The scientists called these bugs:
무는
먼지 muneun meonji
which meant the biting dust.
It
was a new form of life, not exactly anything that had existed before, but they
were tough and resilient, like cockroaches, and could survive almost anything.
The only difference was that these bugs were microscopic and moved together,
never individually.
The
scientists were both surprised and horrified by what they had created. They
knew that, for example, grasshoppers could change their behavior because of
crowding, which is called density-dependent phenotypic plasticity and refers to
the bugs changing behavior due to environmental factors. The North Korean
scientists suspected that something similar had happened to these bugs that had
survived the chemical and nuclear research area, and thus, this new form of
black bugs appeared on Earth.
When
the sun set and it became dark, these bugs searched for their next target, any
warm-blooded living thing would do, and they started biting. For some reason,
the bugs never moved or bit during the daytime.
The
scientists first thought was that the reports of the biting bugs were just
imagination or hallucination, but when they got a sample of the black dust
under the microscope, the bug looked more like a blackish-green crystal than a
normal bug except this crystallized bug was alive. It was a new form of life
created by chemical weapons.
The
researchers observed that these insects exhibited movement to locate their
target specifically during cooler temperatures, typically after sunset. They
hypothesized that each minuscule bug functioned like a vampire, extracting
blood from the host, resulting in a sensation of biting and itching. This
experience often gave the impression of something crawling on the skin,
followed by a subsequent sting, with the intensity increasing based on the
number of bugs present on the skin. The scientists studied the bugs some more
and realized that and realized they could reproduce themselves.
The
bugs displayed no distinction between males and females. The researchers
observed that the life cycle of adult-sized insects spanned approximately five
days, following a developmental period of one week to reach this stage.
At
the end of the adult-sized bugs' life cycle, the insect emitted a cloud of
black dust, smaller than its original size and measuring approximately
one-fifth of a millimeter. These entities, referred to by scientists as eggs,
cracked open resembling a butterfly's cocoon, revealing larvae inside. These
juvenile bugs exhibited rapid growth, reaching the size of an adult, around
half a millimeter, within a week. The most troubling discovery was that the
scientists could not find any method to kill these bugs or their eggs. They
tried all kinds of pesticides to no avail. They even tried to burn a building
infested with these bugs, but the bugs survived.
They
conceded that there was no established method for exterminating these
nightcrawlers. However, the scientists soon recognized that they possessed an
unparalleled weapon, unique in the world. It was now imperative to devise a
strategy for employing these insects to their advantage against their
adversaries.
***
The
next phase was to experiment with the labor camp prisoners. They chose a
distant location in Hoeryong, where the notorious concentration camp was
reportedly closed in 2012. However, in reality, it was still running
state-supported secret experiments on the remaining political prisoners.
This
infamous camp was in North Hamgyong province in northeast North Korea, close to
China’s border and about 700 miles away from the Sea of Japan. Regardless of
how close the camp was to the Chinese border, not many prisoners escaped.
It
was heavily guarded, and the experiments and malnutrition made the prisoners
weak and sick. Most of them were brought there in the back of a truck in the
middle of the night, so they never saw the outside of the camp and where it was
located. They had poor-quality shoes that were not made to walk long distances
along the valleys and hills on uneven ground. If they escaped, their prison
outfit would not keep them warm during the freezing nights when the temperature
dropped below twenty Fahrenheit.
It
was the perfect place for the new secret weapon experiment.
The
prisoners were never told what the new experiment would be. They were just
exposed to it. This time it was the bugs!
Fathers And Sons
On a cold, crisp night in
the waning winter days of 2026, a lonely doorman stood in front of a dimly lit
restaurant waiting for someone. It was past midnight. Most restaurants in the
King Street area of Arlington, Virginia, closed at midnight or earlier. With
the constant swarm of customers earlier that same evening, the bright lights
and sounds of chatter and music gave way to soothing darkness. The night
softened the sharp edges of the buildings and toned down the harsh bright
colors of the restaurant signs.
If there had been an observer, he would have
noticed a line of limousines arriving. In each one of the limousines was a
single passenger. After the passengers got out of their luxurious limousines
and walked up the few marble steps to the heavy iron door, the limousines drove
quietly away. Each passenger showed his right wrist to the burly-looking
doorman, who then opened the door and let the passenger inside after checking
it.
An exclusive group of rich and powerful men had
gathered for a clandestine meeting. This was their first gathering in person.
The men had talked several times on the phone and held video conferences, but
they had never met in person. Only Hydra, their leader, had met the
participants individually on a few selected occasions. But those meetings had
been kept discreet and in remote locations, like his well-guarded dacha, his
luxury holiday country home by the Black Sea.
These men wanted to shape the global economy and
international politics for the benefit of their homeland and themselves.
Operation Pobeda had brought them together. Pobeda means a victory or a coup in
the Russian language. The operation had started over seventy years ago and had
required lots of money and time to prepare. But the most important thing was
that they needed one man on their side who could fulfill their demands and get
them what they wanted, namely the president of the United States.
The group called themselves Septem, the Seven. The
name, Septem, referred to the number of participants in the group—seven—even
though not all of them participated in person in the meetings. The Septem
needed one day to start a successful execution of all the activities in
Operation Pobeda that would change the world and threaten the stability of the
world order.
The ages of the Septem ranged from mid-forties to
seventies. Each man had a different tattoo on their right wrist: Phoenix,
Hydra, Werewolf, Hippogriff, Cyborg, Nachtkrapp, and Basilisk. Each tattoo
represented a mythical or a sci-fi creature. They used their tattoos both as an
identity check as well as code names because they did not want to be heard
communicating with each other by their real names and talking about their
secret operation. Their faces and businesses were too familiar to everyone
following the news. If their collaboration had been known, someone might have
started asking questions. These men were too clever and too careful to let any
outsiders know about Operation Pobeda. They knew that knowledge was both
leverage and power. The stakes were high.
When the Septem group members entered the
restaurant, they glanced around to ensure it was as private and secure as their
leader, Hydra, had promised. The place was empty except for these men who had
arrived.
The color scheme inside was of cool grays and
blues, with metallic touches on the walls. The tiny lights on the ceiling
bathed the room in a soft glow. The thick blue curtains were drawn over the
windows so no one would see inside the restaurant. One wooden table was placed
in the center of the room. A few flower arrangements of white Callas and purple
anemones in tall vases on the pedestals were arranged around the dining room.
The table was set for seven men with as many
tablet computers on it. In the middle of the table, a set of glasses and
bottles of sparkling water, house wine, brandy, and vodka bottles were ready.
However, none of the participants considered this visit a social one.
One seat was empty, but there was a tablet
computer because this participant joined the meeting via video call. He had
covered his face with a black bird mask called il dottore. The mask had glass
openings in the eyes and a long, curved black beak. The bird mask was fitting
because his tattoo represented a mythological bird—a Nachtkrapp, a scary night
raven, inked inside his right wrist. Just like all the other participants, he
showed his wrist to the others for identification purposes. He used voice-altering
software that gave his voice a deep metallic sound to make sure that nobody
recognized him.
They could have had all the meetings online via
video conference call, but none wanted to do that because someone could still
be listening, monitoring, and might discover their plans. The man with the
Hippogriff tattoo on his wrist owned the restaurant, and no outsider could have
planted listening devices there without him knowing it. He also provided
limousines for the participants. The most important thing was to keep Operation
Pobeda secret. The other reason was that if they had to make difficult decisions,
it was always better to do it face-to-face, for example, if they had to
sacrifice a member of this group to ensure the operation's success.
“Is
everyone in order?” Hydra, the spokesman, asked with a thick Russian accent. He
glanced at the computer screen in front of him. They were all there. The
operation was ready to launch.
Hydra was in his early seventies. He was a tall,
slender, white-haired man with eyes as friendly as a shark’s. The many-headed
serpentine monster, Hydra, was tattooed on the inside of his right wrist. He
was one of the oligarchs that had emerged in Russia after its transition from
socialism to capitalism, and he was well-connected to the Russian mob and the
government. He knew how and who to bribe to get things done in the new Russia.
His billions had come from owning media companies in Russia and transferring
his investments to Swiss bank accounts before the economic sanctions sank the
ruble.
“Yes, Hydra, Operation Pobeda will be set in
motion today as agreed,” an elderly man with salt and pepper hair replied. “The
doppelganger is ready to play his part.” He had a Basilisk tattoo, a legendary
reptile that can kill with a single glance.
“Any new developments?” Hydra asked. His icy gaze
went around the table. Some of the participants faced his stare with blank,
brave looks, and some turned their eyes toward the tablets in front of them.
Everyone feared Hydra, their government ally, their strategist, not just
because of his fortune but because of his influence and his high-level allies
in Russia.
“Everything is going as planned. No delays, no
changes. My men are in place and ready to go to the airport,” a man wearing a
black leather vest and pants replied. He had a huge, fiery-looking Werewolf
with flaming eyes tattooed on his right wrist. He looked like a member of a
motorcycle gang. He was in his mid-forties and had earned his fortune in drugs,
sex, collecting debts, and later setting up legal shell companies to hide his
more illicit businesses.
“Thank you for the update, Werewolf,” Hydra
replied and asked the one person participating via video conference, “Do you
have anything else to share with the rest of us, Nachtkrapp?”
“The President won’t have a clue what hit him,”
Nachtkrapp replied with a metallic voice, but you could still hear a slight
Bostonian accent.
“Everything seems to be in order. “If there is
nothing else, then we will meet again after the first phase of Operation Pobeda
is over,” Hydra said, ending the clandestine meeting.
It had started raining, and the raindrops glinted
in the streetlights like silver silk. The doorman held a large umbrella for
each man until they got into their limousines. Then he went back for the next
one. Hydra was the first to leave, and Werewolf was the last. Each man left the
same way they came, alone and in a dark limousine with tinted windows. The
doorman closed the restaurant doors and turned off the lights.
Enthusiastic about crafting high-octane thrillers packed with action and unexpected plot twists, Arla Jones, blends her personal experiences to create tales that will set your heart pounding. With each keystroke, she conjures compelling characters, some you'll root for, and others you'll love to despise. Beyond the keyboard, the author finds solace in gardening and draws inspiration from the vibrant world around her. Immerse yourself in her stories, where danger and desire collide, and be prepared for an unforgettable, exhilarating journey. Brace yourself, dear reader, as Arla Jones is poised to take you on a thrilling ride you won't easily forget.
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