Doubt
Among Us Trilogy
~Book 1~
a Truth Seekers paranormal apocalypse thriller
Anne-Rae Vasquez
~~~
Among Us Trilogy. Copyright © 2012 by AR Publishing
Published: November 13, 2013
ISBN: 9781301707553
www.amongus.ca www.anne-raevasquez.com
This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described here are purely fictional and in no way represent or resemble real life events, places or people.
Developmental Editor: Josefina Rosado
Editor: Candace Sinclair, WordsRU
Copy Editor: B. Miller
Cover graphic design by AR Publishing
Illustration of Mist by Emma Rosado
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.
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The right of Anne-Rae Vasquez to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.
Find out more about the author and upcoming books online at www.anne-rae.vasquez.com or @write2film.
“… As a big fan of the show Fringe, this book appealed to me tremendously. The writing was well done, and the way the “supernatural” forces were introduced was great. The characters, primarily Harry and Cristal, were developed and built up very well, and had enough detail about their lives for us readers to understand them as people, not just characters. Genuinely looking forward to read the rest of the series when it comes out!”- Melissa Greenberg, review
“It starts with a game designer and shining star programmer, Harry Doubt. ‘How was he going to convince online gamers to leave the privacy of their virtual world to work with others in the real world?’ is the question that ends chapter three. As someone who is married to an online gamer, that strikes me as a really good question...It was an excellent story that I’m sure both adult and teen urban fantasy fans will enjoy. You don’t have to be a gamer or know one to identify with the characters. They’re very well developed and definitely feel like people. I would definitely recommend it to a friend and I’m really looking forward to the second book.” – Ginger Lego, review
“Doubt, Among Us Trilogy, by Anne-Rae Vasquez, was a good and refreshing read for me. I am not too into books about the supernatural, but the idea of gamers on assignments was intriguing…The author uses this story to show that we are spiritual in nature, either for good or for bad. Cristal and all of her associates often obey orders without question until good eventually overcomes and the reader is left with a lot to think about. I would recommend this book to a friend. I will read book two and three because of the interesting way the subject of angels and demons is approached. A good, clean read for any age.” – S. Coleman, review
“I like books that go straight to the point without a flood of unnecessary introductory words. And this one grabbed me from the beginning with the idea of time travel… I was also impressed by the fact that there were “pictures” of all main characters, including their avatars. I love being able to imagine exactly how they look like. The author’s style is light and pleasant to read and I read it very quickly. And when thing got more complicated I couldn’t stop reading.” – R. Chelebieva, review
Note from the publisher
We’ve provided you with a List of Characters at the end of the book.
Click here to get a free copy of Imminent, an end of the world conspiracy thriller.
For Joseph whose vision and support inspired me to write this book. For my kids who inspired me to learn about the hidden talents of online gamers. For Kathleen who pushed the boundaries of my imagination. And for Josefina who helped me bring Harry, Kerim and Cristal to life. Finally, to you the Truth Seekers who dared to believe.
In loving memory of Manny and Dee who are with us in spirit.
Dear Truth Seeker,
I believe in capturing history and this is my attempt to leave our story for the future generation of Truth Seekers like you.
I have asked all my Truth Seekers to keep a journal. I encourage each one to write their thoughts, events and ideas so as to preserve the story as close to the real events, thoughts and feelings as possible. I want history to remember us not just from my words but also from the words of my closest and dearest friends—even friends who have ended being my worst enemies.
Your mission is to share these events with other Truth Seekers. Keep the faith that ‘Good’ will prevail. We must stay united in mind and in actions. We must maintain our perseverance to save humanity and the world.
Harry Doubt
Truthseekers unite!
Table of Contents
PART ONE Seeking the Truth
Note from the publisher
1 New York, 2008
2 Bina Schwartz, Harry’s mother
3 Global Nation 2012
4 Serena (alias Lioness)
5 Cristal (alias Mist)
6 Joanna Chan (alias Onyx)
7 Before All Hell Breaks Loose - Cristal
8 Questions That Need Answers
9 Who to Trust
10 Earthquake or Not?
11 Want Some Answers
12 What Is This All About?
13 Kismet
PART TWO Nothing is What It Seems
14 Land of Milk and Honey
15 In My Head
16 Calm before the Storm
17 Joanna Makes Plans
18 Agent Is Watching
19 What Next?
20 Safe Zone
21 This Is Not Right
PART THREE If You Only Knew
22 In The Flesh
23 Akko
24 ‘48
25 Mind Games
26 The Wall
27 Not So Lucky
28 Beginning of the End
Sneak peek excerpt from RESIST, book 2 of the Among Us Trilogy
RESIST: Chapter 1 - Between life and death
Before you go...
List of Characters
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Part One
Seeking the Truth
One step at a time
The water feels fine
Think I’ll wade in some more
AR Vasquez
Chapter 1
New York, 2008
COINCIDENCE? HARRY’S MOTHER always told him that there were no such things as coincidences. Only fools believed in that garbage.
This may explain her erratic behavior when his father, Aaron Doub, a respected quantum physicist, collapsed in front of them. A simple, impromptu, after-work dinner party, which his mother Bina was hosting at their home, had turned into an unf
orgettable nightmare.
His father’s last words were, “We have the theoretical and experimental capabilities to build a time machine to the future. We have also discovered a scientifically feasible way to go back into the past...”
He remembered how his father’s marble brown eyes bulged out of their sockets; his mouth opened as if to finish the sentence. Then, in slow motion, Aaron fell forward, his face landing into the pile of whipped mashed potatoes on his plate in front of him. The glaring bald spot, which Aaron meticulously polished and combed over every morning, was all that Harry could see from his end of the table.
What would Dad do if he had built his time machine earlier? Would he be here right now?
Harry glanced over his shoulder wondering if there was the slightest possibility that an ‘Aaron Doub from the past’ was standing in the shadows, observing the circus freak show unfolding at this particular point in time.
His father’s colleague, Dr. Saeed Nariman, also a quantum physicist, lifted his father’s head from the plate while another guest helped wipe the mashed potatoes from his father’s face. They both lifted his father and placed him on the floor. In a daze, Harry stood up and walked towards his father’s inert body.
His mother was on the other side, waving her arms in the air, and wailing at the top of her lungs, “They killed him! They killed him!” she cried. Who killed him? Harry thought.
Thankfully, a wife of one of his father’s colleagues came and guided his mother away. Harry stood motionless, watching in awe as Dr. Saeed placed his mouth on his father’s lips. Aaron’s chest rose up and down with every breath Dr. Saeed blew into his mouth.
Dr. Saeed glanced up at Harry and glared at him, saying, “Don’t just stand there, Harry! Call 9-1-1!”
***
His father was pronounced dead an hour after they arrived at the hospital. Harry was walking back from the vending machine. The ER doctor came out of surgery and found his mother and Dr. Saeed in the waiting room. Harry could read from the grim expression on the doctor’s face that the news was going to break his mother’s heart.
“We found a small clot lodged in your husband’s brain,” the doctor said to his mother. “It caused hemorrhagic damage to the surrounding tissue. I’m sorry, Ms. Schwartz…we did all we could.”
His mother, Bina, pushed the doctor away, screaming, “No! It’s not true!”
The doctor waved to a nearby nurse who went to get help. His mother stepped forward and grabbed the doctor’s scrubs with both hands.
“He’s not dead! What did you do to my Aaron?”
When he didn’t respond, she turned wildly towards the other people in the waiting room, and pleaded, “They took my husband! Please help me!”
Harry wasn’t surprised with her reaction. She was an Israeli wife and mother who tended to be over dramatic when she expressed her emotions. But something in her eyes made him wonder if she was right.
Three nurses came rushing back, grabbing hold of his mother’s arms. “Let me go! Let me go!” she wailed, as one of the nurses stabbed a needle into her arm.
“You need to relax, Bina,” Dr. Saeed said in a soothing tone. He helped guide Harry’s mother down into a chair. “Everything will be just fine,” he told her.
“Saeed, you need to find Aaron,” his mother said, before passing out.
Harry had observed everything from a distance; not fully comprehending what was happening. Funny how a tiny blood clot could bring a man as brilliant as Aaron Doub to his demise.
***
Harry was only seventeen when his father died; a university senior writing his thesis, Mind-Reading Computers: Intelligent Assumptions of Complex Thought Processes.
Besides the fact that his father was an atheist and that his mother pretended to be one too, growing up in Harry’s home had been anything but normal. The rare times Aaron was home, Harry might as well have been invisible. When Aaron did acknowledge that Harry was alive, he would rattle on and on about his theories, asking Harry what his opinion was on the matter. If Harry even tried to respond, eight times out of ten, his father would spin around and say, “Where is Saeed? You’re not Saeed!”
When Aaron did not confuse him with Dr. Saeed, Harry could actually have a profound conversation with his father. But those moments were so infrequent that Harry had to mentally accept the fact that he didn’t really have a father.
Now that Aaron was dead, Harry didn’t have to pretend anymore. A year later, Harry legally changed his last name to “Doubt.”
Chapter 2
Bina Schwartz, Harry’s mother
FOR YEARS, BINA AND AARON tried to have a baby—honestly, it was she who wanted it more than he did. When Bina couldn’t conceive, she sought help from the best Israeli fertility specialists. When Aaron took the job at Global Nation (GN) University in New York City and uprooted them from their home in Tel Aviv, she hoped the change would help.
Her prayers were answered twelve months later when Harrell Doub was born. He was perfect. From his wavy brown hair, to his ice blue eyes, and his chubby fingers and toes. Unfortunately, Aaron never cared much about the baby. He let Bina do all the parenting.
“Harry, you were born to do something memorable,” she often said to him. “You were meant to do great things.”
* * *
After the death of her husband, the strange dreams began. Many nights, Bina woke from her sleep with the dreams still clinging onto her like the cobwebs that sprawled across the doorway of their garden shed. She started documenting all the details in her journal that she could remember. She kept the private journal locked in her nightstand, safely hidden away.
Now that Aaron was gone, Harry was taking care of the household—buying groceries, preparing and cooking meals, and paying the bills. The inheritance money Aaron left for them was substantial…enough to bring out all her long lost in-laws out of the woodwork. Aaron’s brothers and sisters travelled all the way from Tel Aviv and brought their high profile lawyers to claim their share of the inheritance, which left Bina almost penniless.
***
Four years later, Harry was feeling optimistic about the future. He was in his room at his desk, staring at his laptop, re-reading an email that was open on his screen. He had read it so many times that he knew it by heart.
Dear Harry,
Although you will be receiving the official documents from our legal department, I wanted to write to you personally to say that it was a pleasure meeting you. We at Google Inc. are delighted to acquire the rights to your Truth Seekers online game. The legal documents and bank draft have been sent to your home address.
Please reconsider the job offer as we could use someone like you on our team. Feel free to swing by Google Inc. headquarters the next time you are in California.
Sergey Brin
Co-founder, Google Inc.
Harry smiled as he picked up the courier box from his desk. His mother stuck her head in the doorway of his room.
“Dinner is ready, Harry,” she said. She watched him as he opened the box. “Is that what you’ve been waiting for all day today?”
“Yes, Mom,” he said. “It’s finally here.” He ripped open the box and pulled out a thin binder of documents. He reached in again and pulled out an envelope.
“You never told me how much money you sold the Truth Seekers game for. Like I always say, ‘a mother understands what a child does not say.’ You know you created that game when you were only eight years old. I hope you didn’t just give it away to those Google schmucks,” she said as she walked up to him. She frowned, placing her hands on her hips.
Harry stifled a chuckle. What could he say? She was just being who she was—an overprotective mother. Harry tore open the envelope and pulled out the bank draft; the smile on his face stretched wider.
“Harry, did you hear what I said?” Bina asked, raising an eyebrow; which usually meant that her patience was coming to an end.
He waved the bank draft in her face. Bina squinted her eyes
to read what was on it.
“Is this a joke, Harrell?” She often referred to his legal birth name when she wanted a serious answer from him.
“No joke, Mom,” Harry said. He stood up and gave her a big hug. “We don’t have to worry about money anymore.”
She nodded her head but the frown remained on her face. “But Harry, this Truth Seekers’ game is your baby. How could you sell it for that pitsvinik? It’s not enough!”
Here we go again. “Mom, are you kidding me? That’s a ten-digit figure. What do you mean it’s not enough?”
She took a deep breath and said, “So my brilliant son thinks ten digits is enough. Why not twenty digits? Thirty? Your game is your life. You know this is true!”
Harry put his arms around his mother’s waist, planting kisses on her cheeks. She pretended to push him away, but he knew she enjoyed the attention he was giving her.
“Stop it, Harry. That’s enough.”
He stepped back and shrugged, hiding his smile from her. “Okay, if you say so.”
“Oh? You stop so easy? Harrell, don’t you love your mother?” Her eyes were wide with surprise.
Harry laughed and gave her an enormous bear hug. “Don’t worry, Mom. Google didn’t buy the rights to the Truth Seekers’ name. I already made a better Truth Seekers game and brought it underground. It’s hosted on multiple private servers. I call it the ‘interranet.’”
Bina gave him a warm smile and pinched Harry on the cheek. “Ah, my wonderful boy. Your father would have been so proud.”
Harry raised his eyebrows and said, “Yeah, whatever, Mom.” He bent over and gave her another kiss on the cheek. “Please don’t ruin my mood by bringing up Dad again, okay?”
She pressed her lips together, holding back what she was going to say.
“Mom, I’m starving. Something smells real good in the kitchen.”
Bina raised her hand. “Wait, Harry. I wanted to tell you this at dinner, but it is better if I tell you now.”
“Okay,” he said. “What is it?”