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Risen To The Top CHAPTER ONE
Alex tapped on the screen of his phone, as he gently massaged his temples with the tip of his fingers,he could feel the stress weighing down on him heavily, he and his team had been working non-stop all week trying to finish off their project for the company.The screen of the phone came to life at his touch,he heaved a sigh of relief, even though his team was short of a member they had managed to come this far in such quick notice,it was already late at night but he didn't care, he would have to take the long late night walk back home, even though he lived only a few blocks from the company, he had a lot to do, he hadn't heard from sarah for a week now,he barely saw her at work,he wondered if it was all because he was always busy and he never had time for the relationship.The office door flew open, startling him as Jim ,his co-worker, ran inside excitedly."It's happening!" Jim screamed excitedly,he held his phone to his face as he screamed at the screen excitedly."What's happening
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 2
Sarah looked beautiful.Alex could see her from where he stood, concealed by the well trimmed bushes, she was moving slowly, with a particular beautiful rhythm, even from where he stood he could still make out her eyes, they looked dreamy, she had always been beautiful, he couldn't deny that, that was one of the things that always blew his mind about her, she always looked beautiful and innocent.He moved closer to the building trying to avoid the security guards, who had been patrolling round the entrance to the pool building.He looked through the small crowd of people in the hall again trying to locate her.There she was, dancing in his arms. They looked like they had known each other forever.Alex felt his chest tighten, he was finding it harder to breathe, his face was hot and steamy from the stream of hot tears.Nothing ever made him cry but he couldn't control himself now.She looked at him with a different kind of passion burning in her eyes and he did the same.Alex's heart s
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 3
Alex struggled to his feet blindly as he tried to see where the voice came from, everyone around the scene had immediately become quiet, he struggled to his feet and turned around.It was Bruce.Alex clenched his fist and gritted his teeth angrily. Bruce stood there, staring at him with a wry smile spread across his face, he looked like he was mocking him. Alex wondered if Bruce knew about him and Sarah all along.On one hand he was holding a phone, Alex could see that Bruce was truly filming a live video on Dukduk, everything was true. Sarah was truly leaving himHe was holding Sarah with his other hand, holding her romantically against his shoulders.She was wearing the dress he got for her,the new expensive dress she had cried to him about and he had gone ahead to spend his two months salary on the dress just to make her happy. He had gone by months without buying anything for himself all because she had said she wanted it and now here she was, this was the first time she was weari
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 4
Alex came back to consciousness with a thudding headache, eyes closed against the dull pain.The back of his skull throbbed causing him unexplainable pain; he bit out a curse and moved his hand to inspect the damage , except that it didn't move, he couldn't move his arms, Something was restraining his arms. His legs too were immobilized, they had been tied tightly, he had noticed just now as he tried to get upA steady dripping echoed all around him, but it seemed to come from a single source.A runny tap, or a leak in the roof.How long had he been out cold? He felt bruised all over his body. His lips were parched and hunger growls in his stomach. He cracked open his eyes to see better and perceive how deep in shit he was.The blackness continued to engulf him. A tremor of panic vibrated in his core.He could hear a loud sound coming from outside, it was the sound of other vehicles.Everything was coming back to him, the dark events of the last two weeks. He could remember everythin
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 5
Alex was shoved from behind as he staggered to the huge gate. The officers who had brought him here immediately handed him over to the men at the huge gate and walked back to the huge black van.After going through the fingerprinting, photographing and strip searching procedures, he was finally led to his cell.Alex couldn't help but notice the stares he was getting from the other inmates. He was going to be an easy target for everyone, he was thin and frail looking with little experience in fighting. He had once played baseball back in highschool,he was very good at it, that was where he met Sarah.Why did everything remind him of her? The memory of her in court testifying against him had been plastered in his head, he was seeing it every time he closed his eyes.He looked around, horrified at what he saw, he couldn't survive twenty years in here, he had no one to turn to, no connections to even help him out of here.All through the night he kept on thinking about how his life had ta
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 6
Thin rays of the Moonlight streaked into the tiny cell ,showing a visible part of the aged cracked face infront of Alex.The face looked ancient under the light of the moon, even though the cell was dark,Alex could still make out the image of the rest of the body.He slowly walked to the corner of the cell, opposite the man.The floor was moist from the lack of fresh air and sunlight, Alex held in a sigh of relief as he sat down on the floor.He could make out the man's face, turning to stare at him.The man looked at him with a crooked expression."I've not had a cellmate in two years." The man croaked, his voice was hoarse and weak."Why are you here?" The man continued.Alex was too stunned to speak, the man's voice didn't fit the face.He looked like he was around seventy years old but he sounded younger and like someone that had once lived sophisticatedly." Marshall." The man continued.Alex knew marshall, he was one of the nicest wardens if not the nicest."He usually has a lit
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 7
The loud clanging of the gates made him sit up immediately, he had a swift dream, he could barely remember the details, it was something about a cliff, he could remember seeing sarah.oh yes! he could remember seeing sarah hanging off a cliff, he had attempted to save her and she had taken him down with her instead.The loud clanging on the prison cell made him open his eyes again, he looked at the opposite cell of the room, the old man sat there, bent over like he was a scribbling something on a piece of paper.Marshall stood at the gate, looking at them suspiciously."suspension time is up! we're returning you back to your cell.""hope you learn to be on your best behaviors boy!" Marshall grunted loudly as he watched Alex drag himself off the ground.The old man stood up and walked over to the gate, he whispered in Marshall's ears and handed the paper to him.Alex walked to the gate as he watched the old man scruffle back to his corner."Take care of yourself chap, good luck." The
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 8
Alex looked at the darkened roof as it vibrated dangerously, debris pouring into his eyes, the building was falling apart.The smoke was too thick and it stung his eyes. He looked at the old man again, the flames were not near him yet, it would take a while for it to get near him, meaning he still had time to get a wet blanket or something to beat the flames and smoke with.Alex turned around, he had to run back through where he came from in search of a wet blanket, time wasn't on his side.He heard a loud rumble, a louder one following the first.The ceiling was collapsing already!He was halfway down the hall already, Alex rushed down the hallway back to the old man, the ground behind him giving way as the ceiling collapsed chasing him and he ran.He grabbed the old man's arm and pulled him into what appeared to be a hallway closet“Al—?” he couldn’t get another word out, as Alex's big hand clamped over his mouth. His muscular arms held him tight and the look in his eyes told him h
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- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 181
Evelyn came awake slowly. Painfully. A sharp ache pulsed inside her head and made her wince as she tried to open her eyes. What? She was facedown over an animal, no saddle. The animal’s spine dug into her hips and stomach.Her hands were bound. The lack of blood flow and frigid temps meant they were like ice blocks on the ends of her arms. Dammit, what if she had frostbite and was too far gone to even know it? She wriggled her fingers, and the returning blood made her gasp. She kept moving, tried to wriggle her legs but they were also bound. The struggle shifted her center of gravity until she was in danger of toppling upside-down beneath the animal and being trampled. Hell. Who’d done this to her? What did they want?The smell of musty fur was overpowering, making her throat heave as her stomach rebelled.“I’m going to be sick.” The contents of her stomach splashed against the gray talus that the horse was working hard to cross. D
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 180
They’d followed the spoor for two hours but ground sign was disappearing as dust swirled in the wind. Duke was torn. Did he keep following the unknown originator of these tracks or go back to base camp and regroup. Base camp was calling his name but he wasn’t sure whether that was because Evelyn had destroyed his objectivity or because it was the smartest thing to do.Hell, right now he was going in circles.“Let’s mark this GPS position and head back,” he said to Sri luc quietly. The sound of horses hooves drumming against solid earth made him glance in the direction of the biologists’ camp. The student—Ivan—came flying into view, coat open and flapping in time to the rhythm of the horse.“What the feck?” They’d all rendezvoused at the snare where the tracks had been spotted, but he’d sent Ivan and the local man back to camp on horseback an hour ago. He hadn’t liked the idea of Evelyn being alone, although she’d managed without hi
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 179
He split them into three groups.“Can’t I go with the doc?” Lucas moaned. He might have the reputation of being the ladies’ man of the Mountain Troop, but after what Duke had been thinking five minutes earlier while trying not to kiss Evelyn Cox’s lips, legs, and everything in between, maybe he was a frickin’ ladies’ man too.He wanted her and he’d let his eyes tell her exactly how much he wanted her.What was he thinking? There was a time and a place for that sort of thing and this wasn’t it.“No.” He kept his voice light. None of them were here to get laid. “You’re with Sri luc. Jordan you go with the Great Dane. I’m with the doc.” He gave them a firm smile that told them this wasn’t up for debate. “We’ll get the biologists to give us a demo how to tranq and release the Polar bears before we head out. I want hourly radio checks.” He nodded to the men. “It might be a couple of days until the other guys get here. I’m
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 178
When she woke she was staring straight into the startling cobalt eyes of Officer Robert Duke. He looked like he’d wait all day for her to wake up.“I must be dreaming,” she croaked.He held out a mug of black tea.“Definitely dreaming.” She sat up, took it, and sipped. The warm liquid eased her dry throat. “Thanks. What time is it?”“0600.” His voice rolled over her. She blinked groggily. There was enough of a burr in his accent to make his voice very sexy and she figured he was laying on the charm this morning.His face was scrubbed and clean-shaven. She found herself studying his features. The vivid eyes shaded by thick brows, the cheeks scraped smooth, the jaw firm and obstinate, his nose too flat to be conventionally handsome. Yet the combination stirred up her insides like hot coals. She fought the urge run her fingers through his short blond hair. He was tall and lean and he looked really, really g
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 177
Evelyn shoved back the yurt flap. Mikado flung up his hands in surprise and gave a nervous laugh. “You’re back. You scared me.”“There’s a lot of that going around.”He smiled at her, brown eyes twinkling. “Ivan was worried when the horse came back without you, but I told him you be okay.”Mikado had more faith in her than she did. He returned to whatever he was doing with the cubs.She strode to the computer and opened her email and read the message. Christ, the Trust really had forbidden her to release the animals. She inhaled deeply and tried to calm the rage that continued to burn inside. They thought she was overreacting and had no proof, and in the next sentence they told her it was too dangerous for her and Ivan to go after a guy with a gun. Ivan came slowly into the tent. She didn’t know if he was scared or angry. He had a right to be both.“Did you reply to this email?” She was vibrating with em
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 176
For fuck’s sake. He spat in the dirt. Great. He’d spent his whole life fighting against scumbag terrorists and what happened? He ended up accused of being exactly the same sort of nutcase by someone he was trying to help. It stung. He wasn’t about to let her know that.“That’s right, love. That’s why they pay me the big bucks, so let’s move it.” He maneuvered her in front of him. “Step where the trooper steps if you want to keep your legs.” He let her walk a few paces ahead and spoke into his comms. “Jordan and Lucas, keep a low profile as we head back to the RV. See if this bastard’s hiding somewhere and decides to follow us.”They both acknowledged with radio clicks and he followed Evelyn through the bush and along the rocky path. The old guy must be damn good or damn lucky to have spotted them near that other collar. He must have night vision equipment to move so swiftly at night too. Or he had insider information.Duke moved cl
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 175
The midday sun beat harshly on this patch of barren rock, melting the inch of snow that had fallen during the morning. The woman beside him had finally stopped wriggling and fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. His team was in position and they’d been on stag duty while he caught a quick nap. Now he was wide awake and refreshed, but so far, nothing yet.What had made Vladimir jores turn his back on his former homeland? What made him defect to fight on the side of people who got their kicks out of brutalizing innocent civilians?Duke understood terrorists better than anyone this side of a suicide vest. He’d grown up with them, would probably have become one himself if not for the tragic death of his sister. That was the family business, right alongside farming. Being immersed in that indoctrinated shit from a young age meant he understood how people born into it found it hard to break free. It was so ingrained, so fecking normal. Talk about brainwashing. H
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 174
How many years had it been since she’d held hands with a guy? A soldier? A shiver brushed over her skin like a ghost from the past.It felt strange. As if she’d been transported back in time. And yet, here she was, relying on the strength of those long, strong, foreign fingers to guide her safely through the night. Adjusting her footing in response to subtle pressure changes, tuning her body to match his. Trusting a man she’d just met. Relying on a man, period.It wasn’t something she did.It wasn’t who she was.She believed in saving things, in using data to make her point, not violence. But data wasn’t going to save her Polar bears from their current predicament. Her fingers tightened involuntarily and he slowed to match her pace. The guy was fit, not even breathing heavily, despite everything they’d been through and how many miles they’d walked. She was fit too, she ran and worked out, but exhaustion was making her
- Risen To The Top
CHAPTER 173
As Evelyn lay down, her mind kept wavering back to years ago when she was still a child.When her grandfather was still the minister of ammunition, their family had been good friends with the Connery family so they always stood by each other.Her grandfather had hated L.j corporation because they and Connery corporation were rivals.They each made weapons for governments and L.j corporation were beginning to outsell Connery corporation.She remembered the old Mr Connery coming to visit her grandfather and the two of them talking in hushtones about the issues.During that period, a heated rivalry had begun and it all came to its peak one cold night, years ago.she remembered it clearly.Her mind went back through the years, reliving the moment.“Come away from there, Evelyn. Quickly now.”Evelyn knew better than to argue with her mother, but sh
