Imprint Legacy

By Dorian Keys

In this short story Science Fiction drama,

Detective Robert Miers is in trouble. His partner is missing, he’s suspended from work, and he’s got a gap in his memory that he can’t explain. Uncovering the truth means plunging into a bizarre new reality far beyond his comfort zone, an inescapable reality where memories can transfer from body to body, secret factions fight for control, and human life extends far beyond Earth. Is taking sides worth the risk-to his job, to his family, and to himself?
And does he even get to choose anymore?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorian Keys
• Release date: Jan 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463694237

Dorian Keys

Dorian Keys, born in Tirana, AL, displayed an aptitude for writing from an early age. Though due to the local geopolitical situation at the time, this potential was not overly encouraged. At the age of seven, he wrote two short stories, one of which currently hangs above his father’s work desk.Eventually, after receiving his formal education in Biology from Queens College, NY, Keys found his long-lost calling. Writing.His debut novella, a hybrid publication, IMPRINT LEGACY (2019), was very well received in the US and abroad. While his second book, MORNING STAR, received a five-star review from Literary Titan, and Booklife remarked:“...the author has a knack for action-packed adventures that employ heroic achievers.” BookLife (Publishers Weekly) (2020)Keys currently lives with his family in New York and writes every chance he gets.

Book preview

Imprint Legacy

By Dorian Keys

First Edition.

Contributing editor: Lauria Cath [e-mail]

Blurb by: Lauria Cath [e-mail]

© Dorian Keys 2019. All rights reserved

IMPRINT LEGACY

Detective Robert Miers is in trouble. His partner is missing, he’s suspended from work, and he’s got a gap in his memory that he can’t explain. Uncovering the truth means plunging into a bizarre new reality far beyond his comfort zone, an inescapable reality where memories can transfer from body to body, secret factions fight for control, and human life extends far beyond Earth. Is taking sides worth the risk-to his job, to his family, and to himself?

And does he even get to choose anymore?

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

One

What’s the house number? I asked Steven, driving past the street corner labeled Evergreen Lane.

Seven, I think. These houses are so far apart that it might as well be on the next block, Steven replied, checking the GPS screen then looking up at the dark street. I have no idea how anyone is supposed to find anything at night out here.

The silver sedan drove along the dark street, slowing down in front of every house as the two detectives tried to peek at the numbers as they passed by them.

I think I see it, on the left, Steven said, slapping his neck and looking at his hand.

Which one? These houses are all the same at night. I turned my head toward at him. What’s wrong?

Nothing, just a mosquito, Steven replied wiping his hand with a tissue he found in the car door’s pocket. It’s the one with the car parked on the driveway. We might be onto something here. He pointed at the street on our left. Look at this thing, it’s huge, he said, showing me the squashed insect stain on the napkin.

You think so? I replied, staring at the lit road in front of us, I think we’re chasing shadows. I think the feds know this is a dead end, that’s why they sent us here in the middle of nowhere.

Is that so? Hey, did you see the guy at the last gas station? Did he remind you of someone?

The perp on the big mama case, I replied, smiling as we approached the house Steven spotted. I still think we should’ve waited till morning to do this.

Yeah, the big mama case. Steven chuckled before he got serious again. Well, listen man, we can turn around if you don’t feel good about it. We can tell the feds that we got to the hotel way later.

Darkness enveloped the rear of the car as the front was illuminated by the dim yellow light coming from two lamps by the front door of the house.

Nah, the sheriff said he has the emergency services on standby, let’s get this over with. I told my wife I was going to get back home by tomorrow. It’s likely another dead-end anyway.

The car came to a stop in front of the poorly-lit house as the figures of two men wearing black suits and fedora hats emerged from the front door, casting shadows on the dirt the front yard was covered with. The garage door was wide open, but no lights came from it. Steven got out of the passenger’s side door and stepped behind the engine block of the car. I turned the car off and pulled my pistol out of the holster before getting out, then opened the door and exited the vehicle.

Who are these guys?

Feds maybe?

I doubt it, Klebond told the Chief that they wanted us to follow up on this lead.

Gentlemen, I shouted to the two standing in front of the house, My name is Robert Miers, and my partner’s name is Steven Enry. We are detectives working on a kidnapping case, can we have a word with you?

They froze for a moment as if to process the question posed by me. A third man, tall, heavyset, wearing khaki pants and construction boots, walked out from the dark garage wiping his hands with a towel. This one seemed oddly out of place, since he wasn’t wearing a suit or a fedora hat like the other two.

Of course you can, he said loudly in a thick German accent. We were expecting you, please come in.

Expecting us? Steven pulled out his weapon. So far, this case had nothing but dead leads, and suddenly these men were ready to have a chat with us?

I think this is it, I heard Steven say from behind the car. Go ahead, I’ll cover you.

Slowly advancing, I tucked my gun into the belt behind my back.

Do you gentlemen live here?

For the moment we do, the man replied. What do you need to know?

We’re looking for an abducted man and our investigation brought us here. Can we come inside to take a look? It’ll only be a couple of minutes.

Of course, one of the two men in fedora hats said. Come in.

This whole interview was going too smoothly not to expect something to go wrong. Maybe we should’ve brought more men.

Walking toward the house’s entrance I took a quick look around. A black SUV was parked on my right side in a driveway behind some bushes. On my left, the garage door was wide open but no cars were there, only the figure of the heavy-set man standing in front of it looking at us. Just ahead of me were the two men in suits and fedora hats. Seriously, who wears fedoras anymore? The first one entered the room and moved to the left of the white doorframe, the second one followed him just in front of me then moved slightly to the right. I walked behind him, minding where his hands were.

As soon as I passed the door’s threshold, I saw a man laid on the couch facing the front door. He was wearing a hospital gown and appeared to be naked underneath, and looked like…me? Strange. Something was very wrong. Reaching for my gun, I took a step back toward the door, intending to exit. The two men in black suits moved to block me as I heard Steven yell, Hey, stop, put that down! Police, don’t move! Gunfire erupted outside.

Startled, I pushed one of the fedora-wearing men away from me as both pulled devices from their waistbands. In the split second they both extended their hands to point their devices at me, I fired point-blank at the one on my left. He fell, dropping his device on the ground, but before I had time to acquire the next target, he rushed me. I grabbed the hand