The Milestone Protocol by Ernest Dempsey (best books to read in your 20s txt) 📕

nuclear war, except this attack wouldn’t be nearly as overt. It would be subtle and would devastate the world’s population, sending it back to numbers more like those seen thousands of years ago. Moreover, it would be viewed by the survivors as some kind of anomalous event. They would never suspect it was carried out deliberately with the intent of diminishing the global population.

“So, we have to find the control center and shut it down,” Sean said. It was an oversimplification, to be sure, but his assessment was correct.

“Yes,” Niki agreed. “Although each of these keys is unique. If we destroy it,” he looked down at the glowing red gem, “the Fellowship will be unable to replace it, and their mission will be lost.”

Tommy took a bold step forward. He stopped close to the island countertop and stared at the diamond. “Then let’s take it on a boat out to sea and toss it into the deepest trench in the world.”

“Now, that would be a terrible waste,” a familiar voice said from somewhere in the house.

Everyone nearly jumped out of their shoes. Sean instinctively drew his pistol. Adriana, Tommy, and Tabitha all did the same, fanning out to cover the exit and whoever might be hiding around the corner in the living room.

“There’s no need to raise your weapons, Sean,” the voice said in a Swedish accent. “The entire house is surrounded. So please, put down your guns. There’s no reason we can’t come to a peaceful agreement here.”

Sean’s first scathing glare shot toward Niki, but the young Greek shook his head silently, indicating it wasn’t him who’d laid the trap. Sean searched Niki’s eyes for the truth. There were no lies in them. The boy Adriana had saved was innocent, at least in this instance.

The man who’d been speaking stepped out slowly from around the corner with his hands raised. “I am sorry, Sean. I truly am.”

“Magnus?” Sean blurted.

“Those who follow me call me Odin, Sean. Although I’m sure you put that together.”

He looked curiously at Adriana, scanning her up and down before looking at Tommy, then back to Sean, almost completely ignoring Tabitha.

“You’re the one in charge of the shadow caste, the Cult of Thoth?” Tommy said the words almost unconsciously. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Neither could Sean.

“Cult carries such a negative connotation, doesn’t it?” Magnus said. “But yes. I am the current leader of the order. It is my burden to bear, to maintain the Fellowship, as well as the balance of things throughout the world. It is our holy duty. Someday, when I die, it will pass on to a new leader. You can’t possibly understand how difficult it is to decide the fates of so many people.”

“Bit egotistical to call yourself the All Father, isn’t it?” Tommy quipped.

“Yeah,” Sean agreed. “Pardon us if we don’t feel sympathetic.”

“If you think I believe myself a god, you’re sorely mistaken. All of our leaders are given titles after the names of deities from the ancient world, and across several cultures. I am merely the shepherd tending his flock. When my time is done, a new shepherd will rise from our ranks to continue this most sacred of duties.”

“Killing innocent people?” Tabitha said.

Before Magnus could respond, Sean spoke up again. “Why, Magnus? I don’t understand. You were a mentor to both me and Tommy. You gave me a head start in life. I worked for you at one of your estates when I was in college.” The disbelief swirled in Sean’s voice, and if he were a person with less constitution, he might have been dizzied by the sudden revelation.

“Yes,” Magnus admitted as he stepped toward the counter where the red diamond flickered from the candlelight within. He plucked it off the stand, inspected it briefly, and then stuffed it in his pocket. “Been looking for this little bauble for a long time.”

He went back to where he was standing before and then rounded on the group. “Was I not a kind benefactor for you both? Tommy, when you believed your parents dead at sea, was it not I who encouraged you to push forward with your passion in archaeology? And Sean, didn’t you ever wonder who paid for your college tuition when your parents couldn’t? You never had to take out a student loan.”

Sean gritted his teeth. It was true. The Swede had been a generous mentor and benefactor. Magnus had come to Tennessee to examine the six-thousand-year-old rock art that had been discovered by some local hikers. At least that was the story Magnus had given Sean.

The truth was that Magnus had been in the area to visit Oak Ridge just outside of Knoxville. The Department of Energy still conducted research in the location famous for the Manhattan Project, and it was for this research Magnus dedicated an overseas journey to investigate. Of course, Sean didn’t know that. To him, the man was a historian and a philanthropist. It was the latter that led Magnus to some of the local high schools and universities as a guest speaker, which is how the two met.

“What do you want, Magnus?” Sean sneered. “You want me to say thank you?”

“A thank you would be nice,” the Swede said. “But no, I don’t require your gratitude. You have found what I have searched for most of my life, and what my predecessors failed to discover for centuries. What I want,” he clarified, “is for you to join us.”

“You can’t be serious,” Adriana spat.

“Ah, the lost child of the Shinobi,” Magnus groused. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about your pitiful little band? They’ve been around as long as we have—well, nearly as long. Yes, I know everything about your father and your Shinobi master, Miyamoto. You hide your emotions well, though not well enough. I can tell from your reaction that you believed your father and Miyamoto’s secret to be safely kept. I assure you it is not. At this very