Extraction: The GAME, #3

By Tuff Gartin

Arke searches for an ancient cure to extract the dark magic from Stone and Zeke. The Mountaineers attempt to extract Stone's brother from LONE with the help of an insider. Zeke attempts to extract two of his Mountaineer friends from the Execution Chambers at The GAME Headquarters in a
mission that goes awry.

Dark magic is now prevalent in the two young men Arke and his father were counting on to overturn the current oppressive regime of The GAME. The enemy has two other Mountaineers who might hold valuable information. Arke risks his life to find the Soul of the Dragon in search of hope as the Mountaineer cause becomes desperate.

One man willingly pays the ultimate sacrifice for his family and the Mountaineer cause. What will be the final toll on the Mountaineers?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tuff Gartin
• Release date: Nov 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781947903043

Tuff Gartin

Tuff Gartin lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He has a wonderful and supporting family that encourages him always, despite what they may be thinking about crazy authorpreneurs. Tuff enjoys spending time with his family and, otherwise, writing for his Tuff Readers and watching sports. As long as there are Tuff Readers out there, Tuff will stay committed to giving his readers the best reading experiences he and his Muse can create. Are you a Tuff Reader? Visit www.tuffgartin.com/myreaders.html to find out. If you are, please sign up for Tuff’s email list to get the latest info on Tuff and his books. Author website: www.tuffgartin.com

Book preview

Extraction

The GAME Episode 3

TUFF GARTIN

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my lovely wife, Jeanne. Her encouragement and feedback throughout the entire writing process makes me a better writer, and this a better story. Thank you so much, honey.

Published by Tuff Gartin

Cover design: Tuff Gartin

Copyright © 2019 by Tuff Gartin

ISBN: 978-1-947903-04-3

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Tuff Gartin

P.O. Box 218294

Nashville, TN 37221

PUBLISHER'S NOTICE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Arke - Day 90 - 8pm

Zeke - Day 91 - 2am

Arke - Day 91 - 6am

Alpha 50 - Day 91 - 6am

Lita - Day 91 - 7am

Arke - Day 91 - 8am

Lita - Day 91 - 10am

Alpha 50 - Day 93 - 7am

Zeke - Day 93 - 5pm

Lita - Day 93 - 6pm

Arke - Day 93 - 7pm

Zeke - Day 93 - 8pm

Arke - Day 94 - 3am

Stone - Day 94 - 6am

Arke - Day 94 - 9am

Excerpt Episode 4

Afterword

About the Author

Arke - DAY 90 - 8PM

Arke and his father, Alpha 48, reached the infirmary door. During their walk, Arke's father had enlightened him on some knowledge he had placed in the back of his mind at the time he'd heard it, thinking it non-sensical. But the way things were playing out, maybe it was true after all.

Look, I don't know if it's true or not. Like I told you, I thought it was nonsense when I first heard it. But what if it is true? It could be a huge asset for us.

Arke asked, And you don't recall who told you or any details about the conversation regarding this prophecy?

Alpha 48 shook his head. I'm sorry, Arke. I don't recall any details. Maybe it's old age. I don't know. But I am certain that I was told this and laughed it off. I'm very vague on the details though. I think it was during a meeting with my Betas and we occasionally had some wine during those meetings. I simply don't recall.

Arke knew his father wasn't revealing something, but he also trusted him well enough to know he must have his reasons for this. Okay, Dad. I'll see what I can find out. You're right. If it is true, it could be important. If in the wrong hands, it could work against us. I'll come up with a way to discover if my brother knows about a prophecy already. You're sure it wasn't my brother who told you about the prophecy in the first place?

No. It definitely was not him. I'm sure of that. I would have taken the news very seriously.

I appreciate this knowledge and am happy it popped into that little pea brain of yours. Arke laughed and gave his father a friendly smack on his arm.

Alpha 48 returned the laugh and said, I'm not dead yet son. But don't hit me like that again. The prophecy might say I'll die from a blow to the arm from my son.

More laughter. They embraced and Alpha 48 left to talk to his spy at LONE.

Arke entered the infirmary and sat beside Stone, whose powerful dark magic was currently hibernating. Based upon the frequent updates he had received from his staff, he knew things could change in a heartbeat. He needed as much intel as possible about LONE while Good Stone was in control. Once Dark Stone returned, there was no talking to him — not rationally anyway. All Dark Stone thought about was killing Zeke, who, ironically, was Good Stone's best friend. This was the first opportunity for Arke to talk to Stone since the fight five days ago. In that fight, Alpha 50, the current chancellor of The GAME, had made an appearance in the battle. Arke, who was chancellor before his brother's regime overthrew him and banished him, had followed Zeke to LONE to retrieve Stone who had been sent there by Alpha 50's son, Stryker. Arke arrived just in time to rescue Stone and Zeke. Arke, with the help of powerful gems stored in the Dark Rooms, was able to subdue his brother and escape with the boys in a temporary portal back to the Banished Mountains. His final act had been rebounding a curse issued at him by Stryker. Arke's final vision before being swept back through the portal was Stryker receiving the rebounded curse and crumpling to the ground.

Good evening Stone! How are you feeling? Arke asked.

Stone, whose eyes were darting everywhere trying to figure out where he was, did not respond.

My name is Arke. You are currently in an infirmary in a place known as the Banished Mountains. Have you heard of it?

Stone remained silent but was obviously curious.

I was the chancellor prior to Alpha 50. In fact, he is my brother. And I do not say that proudly. When his band of followers grew so powerful that I could no longer keep control of The GAME, he created a new society, the Banished Mountains, and exiled me and my father. We begged him to allow us to take some of our own loyal followers with us. We already knew, of course, that his plans were to exile all of us to a land where we would suffer in cold, mountainous terrain. He, in fact, intended for us to die in the Banished Mountains. But my father, who was the chancellor before me, and one of the most powerful wizards of his day, was able to create a secret society of his own. Later, my father Cohabitated a computer technician at The GAME Headquarters and changed the coordinates of a portal to send us to our new society instead of the one Alpha 50 had meant for us. Once we all landed here safely, I destroyed the portal and made our current society unable to be found by The GAME. Out of mockery, we decided to keep the same name for this paradise on which we currently live.

Stone had hung on every word Arke said, which was Arke's intention — to give Stone enough information to gain his trust, as well as to let him know he was no longer at LONE.

But, enough about me. We will have plenty of time to get to know each other better later. Currently there are pressing matters that you can help us with.

For a brief moment, Stone appeared apprehensive again.

Please do not worry Stone. We are on the same side. I know you were recently in LONE. Do you recall the battle a few days ago?

Stone furrowed his brows, obviously recalling the terrible events of that night.

Do you recall not being able to move a muscle?

Stone shook his head.

I did that to protect you, said Arke, intentionally not mentioning Zeke in case that prompted Dark Stone to return. Alpha 50 and his son, Stryker, had come to ensure your capture.

They want to experiment more on my dark magic, don't they?

I suspect they do. Do you understand why they are so intrigued by your dark magic?

I overheard some of the doctors talking about me. They said that I was unique. That I had a strange combination of dark magic and good magic, and that each was growing at an alarming rate. Stone paused, swallowed deeply, then asked, Do they want to use my magic for their army of the dead?

"I do believe that is