Nicholas Smith - Ghosts

Heart pounding, he staggered inside. Blood sang in his ears, and a wave of vertigo passed over him.

Michael blinked and drew in a long breath as he followed the other divers onto the bridge. A distant thud rang out, and the ship trembled.

“Stand by for launch,” Timothy said. “The air is safe and clear of toxins, by the way. Feel free to take off your helmets and settle into your seats.”

He sat at a station and watched the monitor as the other divers stripped off their gear. The doors above them opened slowly. Lightning zigzagged across the storm clouds over the Hilltop Bastion. The floor rattled, and the bulkheads groaned.

Michael removed his helmet and inhaled his first breath of unfiltered air outside the Hive.

“Engines online,” Timothy said. “Now activating the turbofans. Please fasten your harnesses.”

“Hold on, Timothy,” Rodger said. He looked at Magnolia, his eyes bright with unshed tears. “Weaver gave his life to save mine, so I’m not going to waste any more time.” The ship vibrated as Timothy activated the turbofans, and they rose off the platforms.

Rodger steadied himself and reached into his vest. He pulled out a small wood figurine and handed it to Magnolia.

“I made this for you,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you how I feel, but now… well, if you don’t already know, there’s no point in saying it.”

“It’s an elephant,” she said. “You remembered!”

She held it in her palm and began to sob.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping away the tears with her sleeve. “It’s just, I’ve never had anyone be so nice to me.”

Rodger put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay now. You can trust me. Trust is the only thing that’s going to keep us alive.”

“He’s right,” Michael said. He grabbed Layla’s hand as the ship slowly rose out of the hangar. The frame creaked and groaned like a beast coming out of hibernation.

“Please fasten your harnesses,” Timothy said again. “This could be a bit rough.”

The divers all strapped in to watch the ship rise out of the Hilltop Bastion. On-screen, the ruined city stretched around them, a gray and brown halo of devastation.

As soon as they were hovering over the ITC facility, Timothy turned from the screen to look at Michael. The other divers all looked at him as well. With Weaver gone, Michael now held rank.

“What heading should I set, Commander Everhart?” Timothy asked.

There was no hesitation in Michael’s reply. “To the last known coordinates for Commander Xavier Rodriguez.”

Timothy nodded, and the ship slowly rotated to change course, giving them a view of the ocean to the east, and the red lighthouse they all had seen on the dive.

“Guess I won’t be dipping my feet in the ocean anytime soon,” Magnolia said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Timothy said. “It appears the last known location of Commander Rodriguez is in southern Florida.”

“Florida,” Layla said. “I think I’ve heard of that place in the archives. There was a magical kingdom there once, according to the old stories.”

Michael felt a smile coming on, but he didn’t let it. Instead, he gripped her hand tighter. They had lost Weaver and Pipe, and Jordan had forsaken them, but they were going to find X. If he was still alive, he was their best hope of saving the human race.

Magnolia put the elephant on her lap and waved at Timothy. “Hey, I forgot to ask you something. What’s this ship called?”

“ Deliverance ,” Michael said. “We’re calling her Deliverance. ”

Will the heroic Hell Divers locate the man that can lead them to a new home, or is humanity doomed forever?

While you’re waiting for Hell Divers III: Deliverance , dive into Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s other series, Trackers . Ripped from the headlines, the explosive new saga is a hard-hitting and realistic depiction of what a North Korean EMP attack might look like at a time when the threat has never been more real. Grab your copy today by clicking here!

Don’t forget to sign up for Nicholas’ spam-free monthly newsletter for special offers and info on his latest releases. Click here to sign up.

Join Nicholas on social media: He would love to hear from you!

Facebook: Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Twitter: @GreatWaveInk

Website: www.NicholasSansbury.com

Hell Divers

Hell Divers II: Ghosts

Hell Divers III: Deliverance (Summer 2018—preorder here)

Extinction Horizon

Extinction Edge

Extinction Age

Extinction Evolution

Extinction End

Extinction Aftermath

Extinction Lost (A Team Ghost short story)

Extinction War (November 28, 2017—preorder here)

Trackers

Trackers 2: The Hunted

Trackers 3: The Storm (Fall 2017—preorder here)

Solar Storms (An Orbs Prequel)

White Sands (An Orbs Prequel)

Red Sands (An Orbs Prequel)

Orbs

Orbs II: Stranded

Orbs III: Redemption

Copyright © 2017 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

E-book published in 2017 by Blackstone Publishing

Cover design by Kathryn Galloway English

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Library ebook ISBN: 978-1-5047-2603-0

Trade ebook ISBN: 978-1-5047-2606-1

CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress

Blackstone Publishing

31 Mistletoe Rd.

Ashland, OR 97520

www.BlackstonePublishing.com

Sign up for Nicholas’ spam-free newsletter and receive special offers and info on his latest new releases.