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.
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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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