Kainnan: The Switch: The Kainnan series, #3

By Belinda Stott

BOOK 3 OF 9 IN THE KAINNAN SERIES. An epic Christian urban fantasy series, set between two worlds.

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Back on Earth after nearly losing their lives on the alternate world of Kainnan, Noah, Katerina, Summer and Ryder are desperate to catch and eliminate the tyrant Wilhelm once and for all.  

Yet just when they finally have a breakthrough, Wilhelm hunts them down. Within hours, one of them is kidnapped, one is poisoned and one set up for assassination. Even if they succeed in saving each other, Wilhelm is about to unleash a new and deadly weapon which threatens to decimate the people of both Kainnan and Earth. 

With two worlds in jeopardy, dangerous plans are set in motion to save the three and stop Wilhelm. But it is Summer who will face the greatest challenge - confronting the pain in her past in an attempt to win freedom for them all.

Fast-paced yet deeply moving, The Switch weaves together dangerous exploits and nail-biting suspense with introspective, honest and tender moments.

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Praise for the Kainnan series…

"Like Narnia with guns! And more romance…A parallel world controlled by cruel rulers, and in their defeat, you learn life-changing truths to help you cope in the real world too." Junita.

"Full of unexpected twists and deeper meanings, Kainnan will take you on a wild adventure while communicating incredibly valuable lessons about mental health and emotional wellbeing. The plots are truly unique; unlike any series I have ever come across." Olivia.

"So hard to put down! The Kainnan series changed my life, it almost felt like it pulled a veil further back for me to see a little clearer." Amy.

"Each book provides new twists, new heroes to love and new heart-wrenching battles. Thrilling writing and excellent character development, you find yourself cheering them on." Jenn.

"Like an action movie captured in print – fast-paced, exciting, full of twists, unpredictable – but with fantastic character development, romance and fantasy too. If you liked Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games, or Ted Dekker's novels, this will be right up your alley." Natasha.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Belinda Stott
• Release date: Jan 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393463023

Belinda Stott

Belinda Stott is a novelist, counselor and international speaker. With her husband Matt, she runs a course called Soul Tour which combines psychology, philosophy and theology to help young adults better understand their own mind, emotions and behavior.  A prolific traveler (81 countries and counting), Belinda reads obsessively, loves fairs, Jacuzzis, castles and feisty heroines, and watches movies which inspire her to create high-stakes stories that visit other worlds and kingdoms. She is particularly passionate about sagas that bypass the mundane to explore what God and life are really all about, describing her style as a blend of spy stories like 24, Alias and the Bourne novels, with a sprinkle of Narnia and the intensity of a Ted Dekker novel. Belinda lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with Matt and their two creative, adventurous kids, Jasper and Scarlett, (who cameo in Kainnan: The Uncovering).  Find out more about Kainnan and Belinda's upcoming, cult-based trilogy at Belindastott.com.

Book preview

Publisher: B.S & M.J. Stott, Christchurch, New Zealand

Website: www.belindastott.com

Copyright © Belinda S. Stott, 2014

The moral right of the author has been asserted

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All statements, stunts, activities, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated as they may result in injury.

All rights reserved. Except for the purpose of fair review, no part may be stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or storage in any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. No reproduction may be made, whether by photocopying or by any other means, unless a licence has been obtained from the publisher.

Map created by: Joseph Norris

Reader warning

Please be advised, this novel contains content

around sexual assault.

Acknowledgements

A MASSIVE THANKS TO my husband Matt for investing in my first two novels with me. Your belief in my ability has certainly paid off and I love that I get to keep writing.

My children, as always, have graciously handled their Mummy needing to take time out from playing Uno and Snap to write instead!

Patricia Grant, once more you have been an incredible support in editing and cleaning up Kainnan: The Switch. Thanks for always challenging me to look at both the details and the big picture! It’s so valuable having someone to brainstorm it all with.

As always, thanks Suzanne Grimwood for your invaluable and extremely efficient help with the layout and design.

A special thanks to my friends Di, Helen, Fran, Catherine and Kirstin – your feedback as you have read my first two novels has meant a lot. Thanks to Kim, Julie, Steve and Amy for always asking how my writing is going and being so proud of me.

Finally, as always, the one most deserving of acknowledgement is God. I love that when my characters talk to You, You give me ideas as to what You would actually say to them. I certainly couldn’t tackle such a painful and difficult topic as recovery from a sexual assault without the compassion and wisdom and love You show for anyone in those circumstances. 

The Kainnan series

Book 1 - The Prize

Book 2 - The Uncovering

Book 3 - The Switch

Book 4 - Redemption

Book 5 - The Challenge

The Kainnan Wager series

Set 25 years after the conclusion of The Kainnan series.

Featuring the children of the main characters from The Kainnan series.

Book 1 - Brave

Book 2 - True

Book 3 - Pure

Book 4 - Free

Character list

INHABITANTS OF KAINNAN

Magnus - King of Kainnan

Sybilla - Engaged to Magnus

Wilhelm - Estranged ruler of Kainnan

Aaron South - Priest, working for Magnus

Eva - Aaron’s wife

Lucan - Wilhelm’s second in command

Morgana - Magnus’s twin, working with Wilhelm

Karim, Jaegar, Veronica, Zionn - Working with Aaron

INHABITANTS OF EARTH

Summer

Ryder

Katerina

Noah

Ravyn

Zavier

Justyn and Carissa - The President and First Lady

Sarah and James - Katerina’s parents

Liam - Wilhelm’s man, imprisoned at the White House

A close up of a map Description automatically generated

In Kainnan: The Uncovering...

After her fiancé was shot and killed in an airport, Summer Raines had spent months tracking down Katerina and Noah, the two people who might know why Simon had been killed. The couple’s reception proved frosty however, for they were in hiding following their own life-threatening experiences on the alternate world of Kainnan, the place where Simon had been heading for before his death. 

Indeed, Noah and Katerina’s caution was well warranted, for back on Kainnan the tyrant Wilhelm was still alive and plotting multiple takeovers. Despite hunting him for months, King Magnus, his fiancée Sybilla, Aaron the priest and Aaron’s wife Eva were no closer to uncovering his plans. Consequently, Aaron had been forced to seek assistance on Earth to stop Wilhelm.

Having discovered that Summer possessed a special gift enabling her to read peoples’ emotions, Aaron recruited her, with Katerina and Noah, to travel to Kainnan and help expose Wilhelm. Along for the ride, possessing the same gift as Summer and also wanting answers for a recent tragedy he had experienced, was Ryder Anderson.

Through Summer and Ryder’s gifts, and the use of a special ring which enabled Katerina to distinguish truth from lies, the four were able to thwart Wilhelm’s schemes. Yet just when they were finally ready to celebrate a happy ending, Katerina uncovered a disturbing truth — the dead man they had believed to be Wilhelm was actually a clone. The real Wilhelm was still on the loose, still dangerous, still determined to remove all opposition.

Now, the group’s only real chance is to find him before he finds them...

1.  Summer’s new boyfriend

(EARTH)

IT WAS MORE THAN A year since Summer had last been kissed. That was back on the world of Kainnan, after Ryder had awoken her from the coma she was in. Not only had he kissed her then to awaken her but he had later kissed her passionately as a declaration of his love for her.

Now as Avery put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her in closer she couldn’t help but compare the two men.

Avery had become a friend of sorts over the last two months. They were studying acting together at the Halsberg School of Performing Arts. He had transferred there from Chicago in time to start the new semester with her. Like Ryder he was lean, blond and handsome but he was much more clean-cut than the rougher Ryder. They had got on well from the beginning for he was charming, fun and attentive to her. Until now, as he leaned in for a kiss, things had been purely platonic.

Ryder, in contrast, had always been intense and challenging to deal with. Getting to know him when his fiancée Louisa, the president’s daughter, had just taken her own life hadn’t helped. He had swung from angry and sorrowful to charming and desirable from day to day. She had never really known where she stood with him, yet she had been irresistibly drawn to him.

But that was over now and she needed to stop thinking about him.

As Avery tentatively started to kiss her, she let herself respond, molding her body to his and kissing him back. They stayed like that for a long time until his hands started to move down her back and she pulled out of his arms. He released her immediately, asking, I’m sorry...I thought you wanted this?

It’s a surprise, she admitted. But I do really like you. I’ve loved getting to know you. But the thing is — there’s something you don’t know about me. She paused, considering how to word it. There was a man in my past, a fiancée actually; Simon. I loved him...I was going to marry him — but he died two years ago. It’s alright, she said quickly as he reached for her again, I’ve done a lot of grieving and I’m mostly alright now — but I guess I would need to take this — us — slowly...Is that okay?

Of course, whatever you need. This time he took both her hands in his, confessing, "The thing is, I really like you Summer. Honestly, from the moment I first saw you in class I was fascinated by you. You’re so beautiful and so strong and yet sometimes there is this vulnerability that shows through when you think no one’s watching. It’s good to understand why. He paused to study her. It must have been so awful to lose him. How did he die?"

He was the victim of random violence, killed in an airport. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s still a bit hard to talk about. It was a lie, because Simon had actually been murdered to prevent him from going to Kainnan, but Avery didn't need to know that.

Do you want to be alone now? Would you like me to leave? Or I could stay on the couch? We could breakfast together...

They were at her house. They had been working on a scene together and had just called it quits when he decided to kiss her. I’d like that, you staying on the couch, Summer smiled, relieved he was being so understanding. Would you mind terribly if I had a shower now? Alone, she added as he smiled wickedly.

Of course...although you'd better lock the door. I can’t promise I won’t get curious and come looking, he flirted.

She took some time gathering things together for the shower. Once she was in the bathroom, he listened for the click of the door lock and the shower turning on. As soon as he heard both, he crossed immediately to her bag and searched it quickly for her cell phone. When he had it, he unlocked it with the code he had seen her put in a few days prior and started scrolling rapidly through first her phone calls, then her texts. Then he called a number from his own phone.

Lucan answered immediately, Yes?

I think she’s clean, Avery said. I’ve been watching her for two months now and she’s had no contact with any of them. No calls, meetings or texts. And tonight I tried romancing her and she kissed me back — so she’s not pining for Ryder.

Are you sure you’re not a substitute?

No, she wanted me, Avery said confidently.

Could she be playing you?

She’s not that good an actress. There was a long pause on the other end. Eventually he asked, Do you want me on something else now?

That’s up to Wilhelm, Lucan said. But for now, stay on her. If Ryder is going to talk to anyone he’ll talk to her.

In the bathroom, Summer shuddered at the reference to Wilhelm; the dangerous former ruler of Kainnan who had sought to kill her and her friends and take control of Kainnan a year ago. She was standing nude in front of the mirror with the shower running hot behind her, listening to the conversation. She needed to get wet before she emerged from the bathroom but first she had waited, listening in to the phone she had cloned with Avery’s, to see if he would call anyone.

Avery was protesting, Sir — I’m sure I could be more useful helping with the bomb...

"Nothing is more important than containing Ryder until we can take him out, Lucan snapped. I need to go but remember — make sure Ryder’s man photographs you leaving. It’ll help keep Ryder at a distance. If he thinks she’s moved on from him he’ll definitely stay away from her."

Alright, Avery sounded reluctant. I’m staying tonight so I’ll get some romancing in before I leave.

Summer listened to the click as the call ended and immediately dialed Noah’s number.

When Noah and Katerina had approached her four months prior and asked her if she would put herself in harm’s way to keep Ryder safe she hadn’t hesitated. One of the main reasons for her immediate response was that she was sick of doing nothing. They had returned to Earth from Kainnan nearly a year ago, and although Ryder had stayed in close phone contact with her for the first two months, that had quickly ended as he began to suspect how dangerous the path they had chosen was.

They had fought about it the first and only time she had seen him since their return. He had told her she needed to take a step back and get on with her life now.

Go back to school, see your friends, return to normality... He had been staring intently at her as he said it. She couldn’t work out if he was attempting to convince her to do what he wanted or preparing himself to say goodbye.

And find myself a nice boyfriend? she had asked, sarcastically.

He wasn’t quick enough to hide the pain that crossed his face at her question.

It’s too dangerous for you to continue with this, he’d continued. Wilhelm’s man still isn’t talking, but there is a guard who’s been helping him. We’ve been following him, listening to all his calls, and it’s starting to appear bigger and worse than we thought...

We?

Justyn, myself, Jaegar... Ryder still had first name privileges with the president, Justyn Williams, despite Louisa’s death. Jaegar was Ryder’s contact from Kainnan: his glorified babysitter, bodyguard and investigator.

You have no right to make the decision that I should stop helping, she had argued. I'm just as capable of investigating — of helping — as you...

You don’t understand, he’d interrupted. "I know you’re more than capable. But I need you to be safe. I thought I’d lost you twice on Kainnan and that was all I could think about. I could barely concentrate on anything else. There was frustration in his voice and something else. She focused intently as she waited and for a moment his face transformed before her eyes. His cheeks pinched in, his eyes got huge, his mouth opened wide and he started gasping for air. It took her a few moments to understand that her gift to see how people were really feeling was showing her that he could barely breathe when he was worried about her. He was still talking and she had to ignore the vision to concentrate on his words. It’s important for me to have a clear head now, so I need to know you are okay."

Stunned by his admission, Summer lost all the fight in her. It had been a subdued farewell between them after that. Since then she’d tried to do what he had asked — return to normality and stay safe. But after the intensity and action on Kainnan she was bored by regular life. Not knowing what was happening in the hunt for Wilhelm was driving her crazy, which was why she had agreed to Noah’s request. Yet the second and bigger reason she had agreed to be bait, was to keep Ryder safe.

Noah and Katerina had figured they were all being watched. But Ryder was well protected by both Jaegar and the resources of the president and it seemed less likely that they would be approached directly as they were so often together. They also suspected Summer would be an obvious target as a way to access Ryder.

When you are approached we need you to draw them in, Noah had explained. "They need to relax around you and think you’re harmless so they’ll let their guard down. They’ll probably try to check your computer and your phone for contact with us or Ryder, so we’ll give you a second phone to use. And Summer, I’m sorry but you do need to stop all contact with Ryder."

That won’t be hard, she had muttered, remembering their last parting.

I’ll teach you how to clone the cell of whoever contacts you with your second phone. That way if they make any calls we’ll be able to hear them. How well has your gift been operating lately?

He was referring to her gift of being able to visually see the emotions of those around her as she had in that last meeting with Ryder. Not so well, she had admitted. Aaron was going to tell me how to turn it off but I appear to have worked it out by myself. Most of the time if I stay totally objective about what’s happening around me, I seem able to stay oblivious.

You might want to consider developing it again, he had suggested. It might be the best way to catch whoever they send.

All of which had led her to where she was now — naked, pretending to be in the shower and listening in while her new suitor searched her things and talked to a stranger about how he was manipulating her sexually. They hadn’t been sure who Wilhelm would send as his spy or in what context. But when Avery showed up out of the blue and started raining attention on her, she was fairly certain it was him. Noah hadn’t been so sure because Avery’s cover story checked out and, as Noah’s fiancée, Katerina, pointed out, Summer was a desirable woman. To Summer however, even though her gift hadn’t kicked in with Avery, something hadn’t felt quite right about the attention he was giving her.

It was Noah who answered her call. Did you get it? she whispered.

Not a good actress eh? 

Did you hear the bit about them taking Ryder out? She couldn’t keep the fear from her voice.

Yes — and his reference to a bomb...It’s good to know he’s definitely our man and he’s taken the bait, but we need a lot more and fast...

What did the other man mean by saying Avery should be photographed by ‘Ryder’s man’? she continued. There was silence on the other end. Noah?

Ryder has a man watching you. He’s hired and pays him privately. He’s trying to make sure you're safe.

Wow! She said amazed to hear of Ryder’s ongoing interest in her. She had genuinely thought he was washing his hands of her at their last meeting.

But what it meant would have to wait. What now then? she whispered, changing tack.

As I said, we need more, so keep cultivating him. Leave your phone around a few more times and your computer too. Maybe tell him more about Simon so Avery thinks he was more important to you than Ryder is...

He was! 

Noah ignored that. Get him out of there around mid-morning, say ten o’clock, and I’ll follow him and see where he goes.

Okay. I’d better go now. Be careful.

You too, he said and hung up.

After a few moments in the shower she emerged from the bathroom in her pajamas with dripping wet hair. Avery was sitting on her bed waiting. When she walked past he grabbed her round the waist, pulled her down beside him and started kissing her passionately. It took all the acting talent she had to pretend to like it, before disentangling herself from him and sending him to the couch for the night.

It was hard to sleep with him in the same room. It made her skin crawl to know she had been kissing someone who worked for Wilhelm — the man who had arranged her fiancé's death. It made her feel sick knowing Ryder would soon see photos of Avery leaving her house in the morning and draw his own inaccurate conclusions from it. But she needed to carry the charade through to uncover Wilhelm’s plan for dealing with Ryder.

In the morning she pretended to enjoy having breakfast with Avery, even initiating a passionate kiss. Then she kicked him out precisely at ten saying she needed time to prepare for their afternoon classes. Thirty minutes later Noah called her second phone and let her know Avery had gone straight home to his apartment.

{

2.  Demonstrations

Ryder’s man checked in with his boss around the same time Noah was updating Summer. He reported on the overnight presence of Avery Lockwood at Summer’s home dispassionately, adding that he had just emailed through photos of them together. On the other end of the phone Ryder was struggling to maintain his composure. He asked, How are you going with finding out more about Avery?

He’s checked out so far but I have someone digging deeper. I’ll let you know immediately we find anything tangible.

After the man rang off Ryder stared at his computer for several long minutes wondering if he could bring himself to look at the pictures. Eventually he admitted that he needed to know if they were real and reluctantly clicked on the attachment.

The first photo had captured Summer’s face as Avery moved in to kiss her. Her expression was inscrutable but there was a look in her lovely big blue eyes that interested Ryder. He would never forget how she had looked just before he kissed her, first when he had saved her from an attacker then later on after he had awoken her from a coma on Kainnan. That look had been totally different; full of vulnerability and desire. Here there was — wariness...

But they were kissing in the next photo and Summer was fully involved. Her body was pressed to Avery’s, her arms were around him and her lips were joined to his. It made Ryder feel instantly sick. Frustrated he rose and paced while he tried to convince himself it wasn’t any of his business and he no longer cared; that it was safer for Summer if he stayed completely out of her life, especially while he was so involved in the investigation into Wilhelm. But it was an impossible task. Eventually he forced himself to re-focus on the job in hand instead.

After being imprisoned for nearly a year Liam, the man who worked for Wilhelm, finally appeared ready to reveal Wilhelm’s plans. Ryder had been there when Liam started talking, watching through the one-way glass. He had been half-asleep, for the interrogations had been long and dull with their prisoner remaining stubbornly silent throughout. Indeed, the only time Liam spoke was to ask for water.

In actuality, Liam had broken his silence once, two months into his imprisonment. He had come down with a virus of some sort after being worn down by eight weeks of interrogations. It had made him somewhat delirious and he had started rambling about Wilhelm’s plans to take over Kainnan again. He had also claimed Wilhelm was going to attack Earth too, although his claim was far from coherent. It had been enough to cause Ryder to alert Aaron, the priest on Kainnan whom they were working with, so he could also inform Magnus, Kainnan's king. Yet in the months since, Liam’s claims had come to nothing, lulling them all into a false sense of security.

But now, on this particular morning, he had suddenly asked, What’s the date today?

After the interrogator told him, he lifted his head and looked directly at the one-way glass. My boss is about to give you four demonstrations of his power, he said loudly. "Many will die here and in my land...If you want to know more — bring me your president."

That was all he had said but despite the threat implied by his statement it was a relief to finally hear him talking at all.

They had been using two different interrogators in back to back shifts. They kept him awake and upright as they grilled him day in, day out, but as they didn’t want him to die they had to allow him some periods of rest. After so many months he was haggard and exhausted yet, unbelievably, he had maintained his silence till now.

Ryder wondered if Liam had started talking because he knew he was about to be handed over to the courts for the murder they were holding him for. Liam had killed Louisa’s personal assistant to stop her from revealing what she knew about Louisa’s death. That the president had subsequently managed to keep Liam hidden deep in the system without a trial of any kind was a miracle. But they were finally on the verge of losing their unfettered access to him. Yet Liam’s interest in the date seemed to suggest he was talking because something was about to happen.

As Ryder had told Summer, they knew a guard was feeding Liam information as they had bugged every guard’s uniform. Not exactly legal but the president had been prepared to take the risk to find out more. To that end, he had turned a blind eye to Jaegar planting the bugs.

Ryder considered Jaegar for a minute. Aaron had given him a file of possible contacts on Earth — people that could help them track down Wilhelm. Of all of them, Jaegar was the most qualified in espionage, bombs, poisons and chemicals, surveillance and much more. He had worked for Aaron on Kainnan and for the CIA on Earth. He was a private contractor now but as soon as Ryder had made contact, Jaegar dropped everything to work with him. It was Jaegar who had worked out which guard was helping Liam and was now having that guard watched continually.

Jaegar was an enigma to Ryder, which concerned him greatly considering how much access the man had to the president. He had shoulder-length wavy dark hair, hard dark-brown eyes and a face you would either notice and admire or want to forget depending on what he desired from you. What bothered Ryder was that even though they were on the same side, he still didn’t know if he could trust the man. Jaegar revealed little and tended to speak only when necessary. He kept Ryder in the loop but acted as if he was doing Ryder a favor in the process.

Then there was Jaegar’s ongoing belief that they should be utilizing Summer rather than shutting her out. They had argued about it twice and the last time Ryder had forced himself to calm down and ask again, If we can do it without involving her, why wouldn’t we? As he had slowed his pace and his breathing, his gift kicked in. To his surprise he had seen regret in Jaegar, an emotion he never would have expected.

After Liam’s revelation, the three of them, Justyn, Jaegar and Ryder, had met and debated what Justyn should do. Ryder believed that for Justyn to meet with Liam was too dangerous but in the end, he was over-ruled by the other two men. So the meeting was set for one o’clock today. Which was what Ryder needed to focus on, not Summer.

Liam was thoroughly searched twice before being brought before Jaegar, Ryder, President Justyn and his security detail. Once in the room with them he was handcuffed to a metal chair which was permanently welded to the floor. As the guards secured him in place he smiled slowly at them. Not for the first time he reminded Ryder of a snake about to strike.

Ryder, we meet again! he exclaimed as if it was a genuine pleasure. He was referring to their interactions back on Kainnan when they had both worked for the same man. You have caused my boss a great deal of trouble — and here you are...

"Who is your boss?" Justyn interrupted.

Surprised Liam looked from one to the other. Ahhh, you haven’t told your president about King Wilhelm, he said to Ryder. Shame on you.

What do you want? Ryder demanded, unable to look at Justyn. At Aaron’s request, he had indeed maintained silence about both Kainnan and Wilhelm.

Liam sat forward at that and his countenance changed from amused to venomous in a moment. "King Wilhelm is about to give you four demonstrations of his power. The first will take place within a few days. You will enjoy the irony of it, he told Ryder. The other demonstrations will follow several days apart. At any point you can stop them by giving King Wilhelm what he wants..."

Which is? Justyn interrupted. 

He wants unmonitored access to DVRD Laboratories. That’s Drake Virus Research and Development Laboratories.

I know what it is and I can tell you that’s not going to happen, Justyn said tightly. I don’t negotiate with terrorists.

Have you heard the story about Moses and Pharaoh, King of Egypt? Liam changed tack abruptly. He spoke now as casually as if they were friends. "I know you do Ryder — I hear you’ve found religion."

What are you talking about?

"Pharaoh was not so keen to give Moses what he asked for either. I guess you could say he wasn’t prepared to negotiate with terrorists either — although we know Moses was actually a freedom fighter trying to emancipate his people. So God gave Pharaoh some demonstrations of his power. Ten plagues weren’t there? Eventually when the Egyptians had had enough and Pharaoh’s own son died, Pharaoh did the right thing. He gave the Israelites the freedom they deserved. He leaned forward to the outer limit of his chains. This time when he spoke his voice was low and threatening. I promise you that you won’t hold out as long as Pharaoh did..."

Are you comparing Wilhelm to Moses? Ryder asked incredulously.

I have one last thing to say, Liam continued as if Ryder hadn’t spoken. "These demonstrations are on your head Justyn. If your daughter hadn’t been so difficult and actually done what we asked her to, we wouldn’t have had to kill her — and we could have resolved this with far less bloodshed."

There was cruelty in his voice and Justyn lost his normal composure completely. With a roar of rage he threw himself at the man, swinging for his face. His security guards went after him to pull him off but they were too late. When Justyn sat down Liam’s nose was crooked and there was blood running down his face. Yet as the guards dragged him from the room, with Jaegar leading the way, there was a kind of triumph in his voice as he called, Let me know when you’re ready to give us what we want. I’ll be waiting...

All was quiet after Liam had gone but for Justyn’s quiet weeping. Ryder sat beside him, uncertain what to do but wait. Eventually Justyn raised his head and asked, How serious is this threat?

Wilhelm is not someone to mess with, Ryder admitted. But I’m not sure how much power he has here.

"Who is this Wilhelm? Why was Liam calling him a king?" Justyn asked. It sounded like he was only just holding himself back from saying more.

Ryder sighed. We’d better get Jaegar back in here so he can help me explain.

It took some time to describe Kainnan; another world connected to Earth by an unknown number of portals with some kind of reciprocal impact on it. Justyn was as skeptical as Ryder had been initially. He asked numerous questions yet was still unconvinced and unsatisfied by the end of their discussion. However, he had appointments he could not defer and so eventually he put his hand up to signal an end to their conversation.

I need to hear more as soon as possible, but right now I’m needed elsewhere. I’ll meet with my advisors this afternoon and raise Liam’s threat with them — see if there’s been any chatter regarding imminent attacks.

How about DVRD Laboratories? Shall we look into that? Ryder asked.

I’ll take care of it. How are you going with the guard? he addressed Jaegar.

I should know more soon. I have something in place now which should help...

I don’t even want to know what it is, Justyn interrupted hastily. Just let me know if you find out anything relevant.

Once he had left, Ryder asked for details on the guard. I’ve tapped his landline and cell phones, Jaegar explained. He’s working this afternoon so I’ve arranged to give him a few moments alone with the prisoner too. We’ll see what that leads to.

"Okay good. Jaegar, what do you think Liam was referring to? With the four demonstrations?"

Wilhelm has money — a lot of it — and contacts. There’s plenty he could pull off.

Where does he get all his money from?

"He’s made millions on the stock market. He seems uncannily able to predict the rise and fall of companies. Not that he handles it directly, he