3 Days to Live by James Patterson

3 Days to Live by James Patterson

Author:James Patterson [Patterson, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2023-02-14T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER 20

LEAVING GILLEN’S ESTATE was easy. They slipped into his garage, selected a car—the CEO’s electric Aston Martin Rapide E—then roared through the gate.

They rode across the Key Bridge in silence, Avalon’s iridescent tower glowing in the distance.

My castle, thought Miles.

He felt the first stirrings of hope, but then the dragon beside him ground the barrel of the gun into his ribs. Miles wanted to wipe the beads of perspiration forming on his forehead, but he dared not move his hands from ten and two on the steering wheel.

They rolled into Avalon Headquarters unchallenged. It was after hours, and they parked in Miles’s underground spot, then rode his private elevator to the top floor, bypassing lobby security.

Everything was automated. After tonight, he would spend some of his deep work time rethinking basic protocols.

If he lived.

They emerged to an empty suite. Miles was on his own, but found himself actually enjoying the urgency. The present had never been so tantalizing.

Miles knew Weldon was deadly with a gun, but the CEO, in his own way, could be just as deadly with an electronic device. He just had to bide his time.

He led the way to his office suite, and Weldon motioned to the couch off to the side. “Shut up and sit down.”

The couch was isolated, save for the coffee table in front of it. Weldon settled himself behind Miles’s laptop, the seat of his power, his throne.

The CEO tried not to wince.

Miles was too far from any of his own devices. Weldon had already relieved him of his smart watch and phone, which he now removed from a pocket and set down on the desk next to his pistol.

“Password,” said Weldon, fingers hovering over the laptop.

“3xc@1!bur.”

Weldon consulted a slip of paper from another pocket. There appeared to be a string of characters scrawled on it, probably the link the Voice had given him before he smashed his phone.

Weldon hunched over the laptop and began typing. Pecking at it like some animal. Miles began to get angry.

He didn’t wake at 4:30 a.m., maintain a perfect physique, and do deep work for the hell of it. Everything was done in service of his company. And his company was the direct expression of his vision. He ate and drank and breathed Avalon. When he slept, he dreamed about Avalon. Miles wasn’t about to forfeit his life’s work.

He was so angry he almost missed his opening. Weldon’s gun lay on the desk, momentarily forgotten.

Miles slowly pulled his legs closer and planted his feet. He loosened his muscles and took three deep, quiet breaths. He visualized his outcome.

There was no time like the present.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.