Particle Z (Book 1) Read Free

Instead, he was inundated with more news from Europe and reports of violence in a Portland suburb.
    What the fuck’s going on now? He was really starting to think the media and government were covering up some real ugly shit. He didn’t buy into conspiracies under normal circumstances, but that didn’t mean he thought the government always told the truth either.
    Mike decided to fill his truck up before going into work. He hated stopping on the way home. For once, gas prices were dropping; in fact, he hadn’t seen gas this cheap in years. The truck was running just above half, which was his signal to top off. Like his dad, he never liked it to fall below half at any given time. Mike loved his truck and wouldn’t trade it for the world. It had a ton of power, was a real head-turner, and there wasn't much his truck couldn’t do when pushed. The only downside to owning a truck was the frequency at which he had to fuel up.
    Mike mashed the gas as soon as the light finally turned, heading to the nearest gas station. Minutes later he was pulling into a Kwik Mart just inside the city limit. He circled the pumps a couple times looking for a spot to fill up and ended up parking next to a pretty young blonde, who was filling the tank of a sharp red convertible. Exiting his truck, Mike quipped, “Hot out today,” to the blonde. She ignored Mike altogether.
    Still got game, Mike, he inwardly laughed to himself. Truth be told, he was actually in good shape for a man who had put forty-five summers behind him. He stood just over six foot, with a lean, muscular build from a decade of service in the Army and a lifetime of exercise and hard work. He had been told he was easy on the eyes by many over the years.
    With the truck topped off and with a lighter wallet, Mike continued his traffic-snarled commute. It wasn’t long before he pulled into the parking lot of one of many non-descript office buildings that dominated the downtown skyline. The building he worked in was city-owned and full of municipal workers. Contrary to common belief, most government workers were hardworking, honest people. His co-workers were the primary reason Mike continued to show up every Monday morning, even with a successful entrepreneurial business making him very comfortable financially. A professional engineer by trade, Mike was in charge of keeping the city’s infrastructure in peak condition. This was enough to keep things interesting for him, and he enjoyed working alongside his co-workers and employees. He wasn’t ready to leave them yet and dedicate himself full-time to his business.
    Mike worked closely with a handful of good people he’d met over the years. Eric was Mike’s best friend, Army buddy, and a silent partner in their business venture. Eric was the guy everyone knew and liked. His outgoing personality made him the perfect fit as the marketing guru for Mike’s side business, and their fledgling success was in no small part due to Eric’s boundless energy, network of contacts and work ethic. 
    Reid was a short, powerfully built man thanks in part to his dedication to a healthy lifestyle and a gym regiment he never deviated from. His tanned skin contrasted with the shock of jet black hair he kept neatly combed back off his face. Mike had first met Reid when he started with the city, and even though the two men seemed like opposites at first brush, they complemented each other well and had quickly become good friends. Reid was a GIS analyst for the city; he wasn’t involved with Mike’s side business in any sort of way, but his love of physical fitness made him the perfect test subject for any new products or equipment they wanted to market.  
    Ashley was another one that he had met after his employment with the city began. She was a planner by trade, and the most detail-oriented person he had ever met. They all had some degree of military training. Ashley had been an Army communications specialist and Reid had done a stint as an Air