Lucidity

By Wayne Smallman

On the verge of a major breakthrough in sleep therapy, Barbara Ostermann, an expert in disruptive sleep disorders, uncovers a remarkable conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of her work and that of her colleagues, Martin — her occasional lover — and Anna — the gregarious though disillusioned young technical prodigy — who team up to help avert an international crisis.

Enlisting the help of her brother, Karl, Barbara seeks to disentangle this plot to assassinate the elusive and mercurial DeShaun Gates, a strident campaigner for racial equality, on a collision course with the authorities.

Tireless in his efforts, Karl finds himself in New York, where events are not as they appear and his dream of averting disaster skims along the abyss of a monumental nightmare.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wayne Smallman
• Release date: May 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9780957320710

Wayne Smallman

When you're young, you think you know everything and life is indistinguishable from a game. It's only when you get older — when you begin to doubt the authenticity of the event and question the rules — that experience begins to count for something. And to quote the inimitable Forbes Bingley, a recurring character of several novels: "Life makes you stronger, at a price." In a sense, life has been preparation — practice, perhaps — for this wild stab at being an author. After all, how hard can it be, putting one word after another? Of course, like anything else in life, you only get out what you put in. At times, writing is both cathartic and semi autobiographical, where I catch myself looking backwards whimsically, lustily, with regret, a wry smile, a despondent glower or growing doubt. But writing is also a journey, one with no intentional destination, just waypoints I may navigate towards from time to time, at leisure. Though I must admit, it's a journey I would prefer not to make alone.

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Lucidity is an Octane book

Smashwords Edition

Octane is a trading name of Octane Interactive Limited

www.octane.uk.net

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2012 by Wayne Smallman

Cover illustration copyright © 2012 by Wayne Smallman

Cover design copyright © 2012 by Wayne Smallman

www.waynesmallman.co.uk

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

Wayne Smallman has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

CHAPTER 1

Barbara washes down a sachet of ProPlus with a gulp of Red Bull and shivers at the bitter, sickly sweet taste, contemplating a day or more without sleep, rest, or the sound of familiar voices. As she glances out through the rain spattered window of her hotel room and into a leaden grey sky, she remembers the last time she didn’t feel so tired, afraid and alone.

Having concluded the affairs of their meeting on time, Barbara and her colleagues gradually drifted into alternative topics of conversation, domestic and foreign politics proving popular.

I can’t imagine this having a satisfactory conclusion, not for either party. After all, this DeShaun Gates strikes me as a very earnest man, Martin, the laboratory technician, speculated.

Isn’t he a polygamist? Katrin enquired, though she should have known better than to just guess and, quite inevitably, the conservative sensibilities of several team members were piqued. Accusations of prudishness were followed quickly by strident denials.

Anyway, the man’s a bully, Sonja decided with a certain finality, as if speaking for everyone. Change takes time, everyone knows that. He’s just like some impatient little boy who can’t get his own way.

Although it was not customary for meetings to be a prelude to such expansive debate, the overlapping schedules of the varying teams meant this was an opportunity for them to share their ideas.

Sonja, the Civil Rights Movement began decades ago. How long do you expect people to go on being persecuted for their colour, or their ethnicity? Martin retorted with a