Targeting the Telomeres, A Thriller Read online

  Targeting the Telomeres

  A Thriller

  R. N. Shapiro

  ADVANCE READER COPY-NOT FOR SALE

  SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL EDITING

  * * *

  Copyright © 2018 by R. N. Shapiro

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. If any element or character in this novel resembles any place or person, it is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  This stand alone novel is book two in

  The Telomere Series and

  follows the author’s gold award winning and # 1 best selling suspense thriller Taming the Telomeres

  Reviews

  Five Stars

  Targeting the Telomeres is the sequel to the author's debut novel in the same series, the acclaimed Taming the Telomeres. In the latest installment, Amanda Michaels is thrust into a dangerous web of intrigue, political artifice, and corporate expropriation when her family is unable to shake the pitfalls of her father's telomere discovery….The dialogue feels authentic and Amanda is a fabulous heroine, working with and against a whole cast of supporting characters that enhance and drive an already great plot…. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an awesome series that doesn't hold back as a thriller, fueled by an intelligent and articulate plot that feels like it could have been written to play out on the big screen.

  —-Reviewed By Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

  * * *

  Five Stars

  Richard Shapiro provides a wonderful entertainment for fans of action-packed, cunningly plotted thrillers with great settings. Amanda Michaels didn’t think her summer vacation would be eventful, but then with her family being targeted by powerful enemies bent on stealing her father’s work, she is pulled into a whirlwind of action….I just became a fan of Richard Shapiro’s writing, thanks to the masterful handling of plot and characters in this novel….The prose is crisp and it has descriptions of scenes, characters, and places that leave vivid images in the minds of readers and dialogues that help to build plot. The author is a master at creating surprising turns and exciting moments throughout the narrative. Targeting the Telomeres: A Thriller is engaging, a novel with a huge conflict and strong elements of sci-fi. One of those stories I read straight through the night.

  —Reviewed By Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite

  * * *

  Five Stars

  The plot is fast moving and the conflict kept me totally engaged. There are no dull moments… the tension is superb, especially when Amanda and her ally enter China. I literally have no fingernails left. The ending was explosive and definitely not what I was expecting. The author is a true master of weaving elements of a suspense novel together and has provided a truly unforgettable story. I hope there is a sequel!

  ---Lesley Jones, Readers’ Favorite Editorial Review

  Tel·o·mere: [Pronunciation: “tee-low-meer” or “tell-uh-meer”]

  Noun; A compound structure at the end of a chromosome. Controls cell life. And death.

  Three American scientists share the Nobel Prize for solving a puzzle involving cell biology, discovering the enzyme that influences cell telomeres, the protective tip of chromosomes that get shorter each time a cell divides, controlling cell life and death.

  Hackers aligned with China hack BBS servers, where secret US biological telomere researcher Ron Michaels has proved longer telomeres may extend human cell life.

  A Hemispheres Airways commuter jet mysteriously crashes, killing all aboard including researcher Ron Michaels & his wife, leaving one survivor: his 18 year old daughter Amanda Michaels.

  Major US news media leak claims the US gov’t paid $200 Million to Hemispheres Airways to thwart investigation of the Hemispheres jet crash.

  For Terri, Rachel, and Dillon.

  * * *

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Part I

  1. Gag Reflex

  2. Separate Teams

  3. Houseguest

  4. Newseum

  5. Videoconference

  6. FBI Visit

  7. Embassy

  8. Anonymous

  9. Becca’s

  10. Meeting Stein

  11. The Note

  12. Franklin’s Pitch

  13. Internship

  14. Lucent’s View

  15. Falling Man

  16. Liza

  17. Dirty Dozen

  18. Inbox

  19. Jonathan

  20. Presentations

  21. Distortion

  22. Crossroads Trot

  23. A Weakness

  24. The Spokes

  25. A Request

  26. RICO

  27. Bandaged

  28. Vwd

  29. Laptop

  Part II

  30. Randi’s Help

  31. Presser

  32. Shock Value

  33. Going Viral

  34. Jogger Down

  35. Junior crush

  36. Walston

  37. Diversity

  38. Loco Liaison

  39. Zukoff Plans

  40. For Charity

  41. Blame Game

  42. Dex

  43. LuLiXi

  44. Conflict Check

  45. Birdie

  46. Angie Decides

  47. Parade Route

  48. The Axing

  49. Terrible Thud

  Part III

  50. Mobilization

  51. Done?

  52. Flash Drives

  53. TeloGurl 13

  54. The Hunt

  55. Lab List

  56. Accosted

  57. Bad Blood

  58. Chinese worm

  59. Homicide

  60. Farmer Vance

  61. Pale Moon

  62. Uncle Phil

  63. Convincing

  64. Ocean City

  65. French Side

  66. Hopeless Place

  67. Survey

  68. Cross-train

  69. Pure Genius

  70. Tracking Ryan

  71. Dropped

  72. South Beach

  73. Logistix

  74. Doppelganger

  75. Just Dance

  76. Sit Tight

  77. Exiting

  78. Manassas Regional

  79. Sherwood

  80. Cheating

  81. Ferry

  82. Backtracking

  83. Hard Way

  84. Fly List

  85. Sleeper

  86. Harbor Rat

  87. Checkers

  88. Vested

  89. Iridescent

  90. Intercept

  91. Familiar Voice

  92. An Ling

  93. Lifeline

  94. Joyless Ride

  95. Casing

  96. Reunion

  97. Balcony

  98. Fire & Rescue

  99. Nabbed

  100. Plus One

  101. Next Move

  102. Summit Interruptus

  103. Back Channels

  104. Cyberspace

  105. Bargaining Chips

  106. Birdman

  107. Urgent Meeting

  108. Holding Pattern

  109. Single Digits

  110. Higher Authorities

  111. Results

  112. Somalia Sunset

  113. Side Project

  114. Ramshackle

  115. Nature Park

  116. Exfiltration
>
  About the Author

  Also by R. N. Shapiro

  Acknowledgments

  The author thanks the NSA, CIA, and the FBI for background information, John and Chris for tactical information, Dillon for neuroscience and situation ideas, Mary for her editing, Claudia Sperl of Labelschmiede.com for cover art, and for those of you that offered suggestions.

  * * *

  Present Tense Note:

  This novel utilizes literary present tense rather than historical simple past tense, and this is done, or was done, depending on your perspective, knowingly.

  Prologue

  Sleeper

  Lying on the cramped, lower bunk of the sleeper car, she feels with her fingertips along the thin foam-rubber pad masquerading as a mattress. There it is. She tugs on the lower portion of her backpack hiding the loaded pistol with the customized silencer, nestling what constitutes all her belongings in the crook of her right arm.

  She thinks, all I wanted was to get some of my memory back from before the crash. Not this.

  The bullet train hurtling northbound towards Beijing at 180 miles per hour suddenly lurches, causing a metallic screech that soon fades.

  Amanda thinks for a moment about a family photo. Of her dad, her, and her mom, sitting on the front porch of the house they lived in before the crash. The one she hopes to recall, that her Uncle Andy showed her. She mentally photoshops her baby brother Justin in too. Nothing can stop fantasies no one else can see.

  If my plan fails, I won’t have to worry anymore, Amanda decides. Because I’ll be dead.

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  Gag Reflex

  Part I

  * * *

  Washington, D.C.

  Monday morning

  * * *

  The TV in the background startles FBI counter-intelligence agent Steven Solarez during his early morning ritual of checking the weather on his tablet, sending a swig of burning hot French roast coffee everywhere.

  Holy crap, he thinks, listening to the reporter on CNT.

  "According to the Washington Observer, over 200 million dollars was transferred from the U.S. government to a Hemispheres Airlines bank account, effectively funding most of the death claims for the victims of Flight 310, which left D.C. for New York City and crashed in Quarryville, Pennsylvania about two years ago. Official sources with the Department of Justice are strenuously denying this claim."

  Solarez feels his cell phone vibrating on his waist, slides it off its holster, and reads the incoming text message.

  Emergency meeting @ 8:30 AM with Director. Confirm.

  Once the proverbial cat is out of the bag, can you ever shove it back in? This is bad, for sure. But he didn't hear any details of why the money was paid to the airline, so maybe whoever leaked it doesn't have the whole story. Maybe.

  He texts his confirmation to his assistant, Dean, then decides to add more.

  Find Amanda Michaels now. Tell her not to talk to the reporters. Put an agent on her 24/7.

  He smiles, knowing she stands far from helpless now. It was a prophetic move on his part to give her training at Quantico once school let out, virtually the same program a field agent undergoes. Weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and evasive driving techniques. He had to pull a lot of strings for approval, but given the secret research role her father, Ron Michaels, was undertaking, it made sense.

  Next, he calls Andy Michaels and braces himself for an onslaught from the high-profile trial attorney.

  "I just heard the report on the radio. Do you know what this’ll do to my law practice? My reputation? Do you?" Andy says with a panicky voice as soon as he answers, mentally cataloging every material possession in his Georgetown home and imagining his lucrative Georgetown practice going right down the rat hole.

  "Careful, this isn’t a secure line. Yeah, I get how serious this is."

  "How about my clients who settled their cases? What if someone decides I knew everything..."

  Solarez interrupts him. "Stop! We need to talk in person. You did nothing wrong, so don't start panicking. We’re putting protection on Amanda immediately. No one talks to any reporters until we have a solid response plan, hopefully around noon."

  "What am I supposed to tell my partners and my staff?"

  "Tell them you can't comment now, but you’ll issue a statement soon."

  "Are you kidding? I can't say that."

  "You can't tell them anything until you look into the allegations. Better?"

  Andy contemplates this a few seconds. “No. Completely unconvincing." He tries to come up with a logical explanation, but the more he thinks about it, the more furious and anxious he gets. He was never comfortable with the confidential information the DOJ lawyer had shared with him—that the U.S. did indeed pay the $200 million. His clients trusted him when he recommended they settle their wrongful death claims. Sure, they all were awarded major settlements, but that was before he learned of the secret government payout to the airline. He realized then if anything about sabotage leaked later on, there would be hell to pay.

  "What about the press when they start calling?"

  "Same thing.”

  “Can you call Stein at the Department of Justice to confirm everything is still okay? He assured me all my settlements were legal."

  "I'll talk to him."

  "My head is ready to explode."

  "Tell you what, I have a meeting with the FBI director this morning, but when I’m done I’ll call you.”

  Andy isn't listening. He’s still thinking about the news story. Whoever leaked it must have an agenda. Why would the Chinese leak it and risk exposing their sabotage of the aircraft? Makes no sense. Maybe a disgruntled FBI or CIA employee? It's possible, but who, and what was their motive?

  "We’ll work this out," Solarez promises, but Andy has major doubts. What is it they say about hiding the truth? It usually floats back up to the surface, no matter how hard you try to weigh it down.

  Chapter 2

  Separate Teams

  Langley-CIA HQ

  Monday afternoon

  "Chuck, good to see you."

  Walter Zukoff firmly shakes CIA Director Charles Isaacson's hand. Built on a medium, stocky frame, Zukoff carries at least 15-20 extra pounds that he stopped worrying about long ago. Too much work and much less exercise means his belt buckle now angles downward under the extension of his belly.

  "Always a pleasure, Z," Isaacson replies, using Zukoff's nickname reserved for friends. They both sit down at a small round table deep inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Contrasted with Zukoff, Chuck Isaacson exercises religiously in his fully-equipped home gym to retain his trim frame.

  "The president signed off on the directive." Isaacson continues, tapping a document on the table, then offering it to Zukoff to verify for himself. Sliding his glasses out of his sports jacket pocket, he reads it over and looks up.

  "You weren't expecting otherwise, were you?"

  "Not at all. In an off-the-books meeting I had with him and his national security team, he literally mentioned the ‘Manhattan Project’ in discussing our work. He said something like ‘this does not have the urgency of that project, but in terms of long-term implications, this work could be more important because it would affect not tens of thousands, but potentially millions.’ Not sure I agree with him, but it certainly added some gravity to the assignment."

  Zukoff directs the biological research division of the CIA at a classified facility in a rural area of Maryland, affectionately called Sherwood Forest by those who know it exists. Locals realize it’s some kind of government base, but they have no idea it’s the headquarters for the development of biological weapons. Anthrax, chemical weapons, ricin, radioactive compounds for weaponry, basically anything outside of regular firearms or classic ammunitions.