Sunday, May 13, 2018

Rose Gold (Gaia Trilogy, Book 2) by David Barker

Release date: 10th May 2018
Subgenre: Dystopian fiction, Near future science fiction 

About Rose Gold:


Rose Gold is the thrilling sequel to the bestselling Blue Gold

In the aftermath of a world war for water, geopolitical tensions remain high and terrorism is a daily fact of life in the 2030s. But a mining base on the moon offers a rare example of international co-operation and a possible solution to the world's energy problems. Yet not everyone on Earth is keen for this endeavour to succeed...

Sim Atkins and his wife are desperate to start a family. But a shocking message from the moon base tells Sim that he is already a father and that his son’s life is in danger. The mining station is full of suspects and, worse, the woman who fathered his child. Can Sim rescue his son and save his marriage?

Gopal and Rabten - the Gurkha and monk who helped Sim on his last assignment - are on the trail of terrorists and a giant airship. What the agents discover in the cargo hold makes Sim’s mission even more vital. When they get trapped, Freda Brightwell - Sim’s old partner in Overseas Division - is called out of retirement for one more mission.

Once again, corporate greed threatens the lives of millions. Overseas Division’s finest are back at the sharp end. And this time, the stakes are far more personal.

Excerpt:

 

Mattias turned and saw a drone hovering just outside. A camera lens slung underneath the tiny aircraft was pointing straight at him. He reached inside his jacket, pulled out a black cylinder and ran towards the window.
“Quick,” he said to the guard, “throw your net at it. Don’t let it get away.”
The guard pulled out a black cylinder and pressed the button on top, while holding it against the window. The drone wobbled in mid-air, skitting from side to side like a drunken hummingbird.
Mattias passed his cylinder to the guard. “Hold this too, and stay there until I tell you.” He turned to the Chairman. “Don’t worry, we’re jamming the communication link to its operator.”
“But what if it’s already transmitted its video?”
Mattias nodded. “It’s possible there was a live feed. I need to trace the person controlling it to be sure. They’ll be nearby, wondering right now why their drone isn’t responding to their commands. We’ve trained for this, it’ll be fine. I will report back in an hour.” He jogged out of the room and closed the doors behind him. “Don’t let anybody in or out of that room, you understand?” he shouted at the sentries. He ran for the stairs and sprinted up to the rooftop. He pulled out a small pair of binoculars and scanned the roof of Tower One opposite. Nobody.
Mattias spoke into a tiny mic. “Precious? We have a drone pilot that we need to find, and fast.”
“Roger that. We’ll start a radar scan from the top of the podium.”
“And keep the atrium under surveillance too. Anybody leaves in a hurry, collar them.”
“Of course. Chill, Matt, we’ve got this.”
Mattias spent the next ten minutes on the rooftop, continuing to scan the tower opposite, using his binoculars to see if he could spot anybody at the window of one of the rooms facing Tower Two. He caught sight of two different people standing at the window naked and one couple making love with the curtains open. Funny how people always assume they can’t be seen that high up in a hotel. For once, Mattias was beginning to worry. It was taking too long to find whoever was spying on them. His company’s perfect track record was at stake, and this was possibly his biggest project ever.
“Mattias? This is Precious. We’ve located them, on the forty-second floor of Tower One, either room four-two-six or four-two-eight.”
Mattias breathed deeply and stowed his binoculars. “Get the grab squad together and meet me at the ground floor of Tower One in three minutes.”

Four goons accompanied Precious and Mattias up to the forty-second floor. The heavy, bulky clothing that concealed small fire-arms, riot sticks, gas canisters and various other weaponry looked ridiculous during summer in one of the hottest countries in the world. But this was no time to worry about outward appearances. Containment first, excuses later.
“Suicide?” asked Precious.
Mattias shook his head. “Too obvious. I think an accident. A thrill ride gone wrong should cover things up nicely.” The lift pinged for the correct floor. “Right boys, remember, we hit both rooms at once. Nice clean snatch, but keep them alive. We need answers.”
They walked to the rooms marked 426 and 428, waited to make sure the corridor was clear and then invited themselves in.

Amazon.com | Amazon UK

 

About David Barker:

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire with his wife and daughter. He spent 26 years in the City as an economist, trying to predict the future. He has written two novels, both published by Urbane Publications, Blue Gold and Rose Gold. The final part of the Gaia trilogy is planned for release in May 2019. David has also contributed to an anthology of climate-change short stories, called Nothing Is As It Was, published by Retreat West Books.

David appears on Radio Berkshire’s monthly show, Radio Reads, discussing books with host Bill Buckley and fellow author Claire Dyer. David loves reading, especially adventure stories, sci-fi and military history. Outside of family life his other interests include tennis, golf, surfing and board games.






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