Masterminds (47 page)
Authors: Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Tags: #Detective and Mystery Fiction, #Science Fiction, #Fiction
“Turns out someone made a clone out of me too.” He leaned his head back against the pillows. He looked exhausted.
“I think that’s enough for today,” Flint said. “Let’s let him rest.”
“I’ve been sleeping since I got here,” Zagrando said, his eyes closed.
“And you’re going to sleep some more,” Flint said. “Talia and I will be back tomorrow.”
Flint tightened his arm around Talia and half pulled her away from the bed. They were almost out of the room when Zagrando said, “Hey, Flint.”
Flint turned. “What?”
Zagrando’s eyes were barely open. “I’m impressed as hell with what you did the last few days.”
“Thank you,” Flint said, a little surprised.
“I figured someone had to say it.” Zagrando closed his eyes, and within seconds, his head slipped slightly. He was already asleep.
“He’s right, Dad,” Talia said. “You did it.”
“No,” Flint said. “It took hundreds of us, maybe thousands if you count everyone in all the domes.”
“Based on information you put together,” Talia said.
“That others provided,” Flint said. “It took a community to save the Moon.”
She wrapped her arm around him and squeezed. “I’m glad it did,” she said. Then she added in a very small voice, “Are we going to be safe now?”
If the circumstances had been different, he would have given her an honest, adult answer, that no one was ever really safe, that life could change in an instant, and it would always surprise.
But she knew that. Her life had changed in an instant, and because of the man on that hospital bed, she had a new life with Flint on the Moon. She understood that.
And it hadn’t been what she was asking. She was asking if this crisis was really over.
“We’re safe, Talia,” Flint said. “I promise.”
“I thought so,” she said, and then let him go. “I just wanted to hear you say it.”
He smiled as he watched her step out the door ahead of him. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he needed to say it out loud.
The crisis was over.
They were safe.
He pulled the door closed, and followed his daughter into their future, relieved that their lives were returning to normal—one step at a time.
Can’t get enough of the Retrieval Artist Universe? Check out the Endeavor Award-winning novel that launched the series,
The Disappeared,
available now from your favorite bookseller.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today
bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the
Asimov’s
Readers Choice award, and the
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
Readers Choice Award.
Publications from
The Chicago Tribune
to
Booklist
have included her Kris Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award.
She writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and futuristic sf as Kris DeLake.
Her popular weekly blog on the changes in publishing has become an industry must-read.
She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series
Fiction River
, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own.
To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.
Look for These Other Titles from
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
THE RETRIEVAL ARTIST SERIES:
The Disappeared
Extremes
Consequences
Buried Deep
Paloma
Recovery Man
The Recovery Man’s Bargain
(Novella)
Duplicate Effort
The Possession of Paavo Deshin
(Novella)
The Anniversary Day Saga:
Anniversary Day
Blowback
A Murder of Clones
Search & Recovery
The Peyti Crisis
Vigilantes
Starbase Human
Masterminds
Other Stories:
The Retrieval Artist
(A Short Novel)
“The Impossibles” (A Retrieval Artist Universe Short Story)
Sign up for the WMG Publishing
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wmgpublishing.com
Copyright Information
Masterminds
Book Eight of the Anniversary Day Saga
Copyright © 2015 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Published by WMG Publishing, Inc.
Cover and Layout copyright © 2015 by WMG Publishing
Cover design by Allyson Longueira/WMG Publishing
Cover art copyright © Skypixel/Dreamstime
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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