Journey To Mars: To Fight The Evil

By Tim Conley

Jason and his crew sit on the sidelines – having been marooned on Mars which has been put on permanent quarantine. Two vamps from a previous migration meet with Benjamin Rustin, an American detective assigned to work with the police department in Paris. They make an unlikely alliance but must work together if they are going to catch and cage Marsella before she releases total chaos on Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Conley
• Release date: Apr 6, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452414966

Tim Conley

Hi, my name is Tim Conley. I live in Philadelphia, MS with my beautiful wife, Carmela. My son,James (JD) is in the Air Force and has a son Joshua who is 21/2 with another boy on the way. Carmela's son - Enrik just graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Teaching.I have been writing for over twenty years and have published 67 books so far - two recently with Amazon/Kindle. I'm currently working on a fantasy anthology of 28 books called The Rhumgold Sagas.I have always been interested in publishing via eBook format but just haven't found the venue until now. I'm really looking forward to participating in the eBook experience. There are 22 e-books available now and 16 more that are being prepared for release in 2020. Read, explore and enjoy!

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JOURNEY TO MARS: TO FIGHT THE EVIL

by

Timothy J. Conley

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Timothy J. Conley on Smashwords

Journey to Mars: To Fight the Evil

Copyright © 2006 by Timothy J. Conley

ISBN: 978-1-4524-1496-6

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tinytim2

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to my son, James David (JD) who provided the spark for the creation of the Journey to Mars series as we spoke over a McDonald’s Happy Meal one summer day way back in 2003. JD’s keen mind had figured out that we already have the technology to get us to Mars. He just wondered when we were going to get there. Thanks, Son!

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Chapter 1

Love in Paris

The view from the balcony was impressive, that was the reason that he agreed to the outrageous amount that was monthly paid for the penthouse suite. From where he stood he could look out over Paris, its lights shining brighter than the stars above. He knew that stars still shown above, though it had been too long since the last time that he had seen them.

Perhaps it was time to move again; perhaps it was time to get back to the country, the fresh air, the quiet, and the stars shining in the night. Behind him the front door opened, and without turning to look, he knew who had arrived, and all his thoughts of moving to the country vanished in the evening wind.

Jasmine loved the city, loved the accessibility of city life: art, theater, clubs; all the frivolous entertainments to be had. She would also argue necessity of the anonymity of the crowded city. Anonymity was something that their lives depended on, and he would do nothing that would ever put his wife’s life in danger. She was his sanity, his reason, his redemption.

She was resplendent in her fashionable dress; the red silk suited her Arabic lineage, setting off the olive complexion perfectly. She smiled as she approached him, moving into his welcoming embrace. They kissed. It was the picture of ideal couple; they had beauty, wealth, and love.

Xavier, I found it. She smiled again as she pulled away from him. She went back to the briefcase that she laid on the table with her keys. He followed her into the room, her excitement rubbing off on him.

There is a recessive gene that alters the DNA sequence when exposed to the bacteria from a vampire’s bite. It is rare, less than one in a thousand has the gene, and it requires repeated exposure, before it begins the modification. She handed him the papers that she had retrieved from the case.

He scanned the research in front of him, looking up from the information he met her dark eyes, his gray ones smiling. Can the change be reversed? Her features darkened, and he had his answer before her reply. She shook her head, no.

No reversal of the alteration of DNA change, this was permanent. He looked back to the report, finished his reading, and handed the papers back to his wife. They had their answers, at least some of them. With a sigh he gathered her into his arms.

Jasmine, I am proud of your discovery. You have worked very hard to find this much. We have lived with this life for a very long time, you for almost one hundred ten years, and I for over two hundred, it is what we are.

He brushed her hair back behind her ear, bending to kiss her. So we shall continue as we have, perhaps there will be another answer someday.

She gave in as much to his praise as the light touch of his lips dragging across the smooth satin of her exposed throat. Her ruby lips parted and her own fangs extended. For a moment it appeared that she would indulge her lusts by sinking her fangs into his bared chest, but they both knew the futility of that action.

She would not obtain sustenance from the undead. However, the heat of her passion blossomed between her legs as Xavier pushed her back onto the bed and lowered himself on top of her. The split in the red silk skirt rode up her satin encased thighs.

Her fangs retracted as his cock sank to its hilt inside her welcoming body. For the next half hour passion was all they knew. Gone was any disappointment over the failure of their research to fulfill a cure for their condition. There was no cure for true love and in the city of love, passion was expected.

Morning found them too soon. Jasmine opened her eyes and squinted at the sunshine pouring in through the open window. Traffic noise, hawkers and cooing doves all vied to draw her attention away from the one person who meant more to her than life itself.

His face was always so calm and composed after a night of high passion. She almost thought he could live off their love making, but the cold, hard truth stared her in the face as his eyes opened and she knew they would have to find someone to feed on. His cat’s eyes showed the hunger of his body. She shivered and drew the sheet around her.

Xavier, what have we become? I still find it hard to justify what we have to do.

Xavier’s eyes changed back to their normal gray and he tried to smile at his beautiful wife. We’ve been over this too many times, wife of mine, he began. Reaching out, he caressed her face with the palm of his hand.

We will find some hoodlum that deserves to die and rid the world of another scumbag. Humans make their choices and we do too. He looked deeply into his wife’s eyes. You didn’t used to be this squeamish. What’s happened?

A tear rolled out the corner of her eye. We hadn’t made it this close to finding a cure for our kind. Honey, I got my hopes up. Maybe that’s it more than anything else. I want a normal life and we will never have that until we find a way around this curse that old Bethesda laid on us.

She sat up and let the sheet drop back to the bed. Xavier lay there looking at the smooth skin that he had awakened beside for the past century. Jasmine, I want to live another hundred years in your arms.

She looked back at him. Her look made him set up and reach out for her but she stood and moved toward the bathroom. You may have to, was all she said as she disappeared into the lavatory.

Xavier walked in a couple moments later and proceeded to relieve himself. His chuckling above the flow of water made her open the door between them. What can you possibly find so funny? she demanded.

Well, I was just thinking of all the false assumptions the unwashed masses usually make about us. You know the ones like a vampire never needs to go to the bathroom. He continued with more such phrases and she mimicked them as she sat there in full view.

Like we can’t see ourselves in the mirror and we don’t cast a shadow and we can’t go outdoors after the sun comes up or we’ll turn to dust and just blow away! Oh, please, spare me the happy horseshit, will you! Xavier, wash that thing and bring it in here to me.

Xavier looked at his beautiful wife as he shook the thing she referred to. Jasmine, you are such a wanton hussy. She looked up at him as he stood over her. Yeah? Well, get ready stud, cause this hussy is gonna wear your ass out! She slammed the door behind him as the cleaning lady turned the key to enter their room.

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Chapter 2

Bargain Time

I want her. She is to be mine or the entire deal is off! Zackary almost stomped his foot to emphasize his statement. He tried to keep his back straight and stand resolute. Paris was in full bloom outside the trellis encompassed balcony, but he saw none of it.

He dared not look back into the room for fear that his visitor might see how vulnerable he felt about his demands. ‘Is it right to own another person as I want to own Jasmine?’ he had asked many times in the past few weeks.

But it was now time for those questions to be put behind him forever. She was at his fingertips. He could smell the scent of her body’s perfume. He had to have her and didn’t much care that she might object.

Your thoughts give you away, Zackary. You are a worm! Really, I don’t see how you’ve been able to survive all this time as wishy-washy as you are. Where I come from we take what we want.

She stepped up behind him and laid her head on the back of his shoulder. Her red tipped fingers cupped his chin and pulled his head away from the scene his eyes weren’t taking in. He tried to focus on her but instead felt her enter his head.

White noise exploded behind his eyes with attendant excruciating pain. Only her body leaning into his supported his five foot eight inch frame as a vision of exotic beauty coalesced within the space inside his brain. Jasmine’s dark eyes entreated him to take her, but he heard another’s voice.

‘If that is what you want, then you must do my bidding first.’ The voice became more seductive. ‘I’m not asking for something you don’t already know how to do. You only need to kill Xavier. Then you can have her. She will be all yours. And I don’t really care what you do to either of them. They are yours to do with as you wish.’

Her voice trailed off and Jasmine became more seductive in her stance. The loose bodice of her blouse seemed to open as she leaned toward him. Her luscious, full, red lips opened and her tongue moistened her lower lip which she pulled between her teeth.

Zackary could see her carnal fangs distending from her upper lips and felt his manhood stiffen. She was definitely getting to him.

Marsella stepped back and allowed him the collapse to the floor. He looked up at her and stiffened. Where did she go? he brusquely grunted.

If you want your version of a peep show you better get up and get going. Really, Zackary, you are pathetic. I don’t know why I put up with you. Marsella walked back over to the four poster bed and noticed the maid had turned down the covers.

No complimentary piece of chocolate on the pillow, but this was modern day Paris. Belied the romantic attitude everyone tried to get you to swallow about the ancient city. She hadn’t seen much yet to get enthused about. Except maybe the press of eager bodies awaiting her avaricious appetite.

She really hoped Zackary’s maid would come back up as she had intimated she might. Marsella felt the blood begin to rise in her own cheeks as she thought about the full body that lay hidden by the brown and gray uniform. She wouldn’t send such a delicious dish to the scullery.

Meanwhile Zackary tried to pick himself up from the floor and assemble his pride around himself. He shrugged and extended his arms well past his cuffs. His Armani suit had gotten wrinkled, but he would change it when he got Marsella out the door.

Oh, you aren’t going to invite me to stay for a little afternoon snack? And I thought you were a gracious host. Really, Zackary. You do disappoint me.

Marsella laughed at his obvious discomfiture, but she saw the mean streak in his character quickly pass through his posture. He raised his pointed chin to her.

Just keep up the banter, Marsella. You are going to find me to be someone you don’t want to mess with. His bravado went pale as she stepped close and grabbed him by the throat.

He suddenly found his feet were lifting from the floor and her claws were beginning to dig into the sides of his throbbing Adam’s apple. He could feel that white explosion again enveloping his brain.

You mess with me and you won’t live to regret it, she hissed within the darkness she was spreading inside his soul. If I even think you are going to turn on me, I’ll dismember your little girlfriend and then scatter your bones with hers. You got that?

Marsella threw him back against the wall and watched him closely as he grabbed at his throat and tried to come to grips with his assailant. You people sicken me, she said to him. You are weak, pathetic creatures. No wonder you are being exterminated.

We were taking care of ourselves, he protested, but his voice seemed weak even to himself. "We didn’t need you coming down here