The Chamber Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
Alexandria, Virginia
ZANE WATSON OPENED his eyes to complete darkness. The room was silent save for the gentle whistle of air-conditioning blowing through a nearby vent. He moved his fingers a few times to confirm he was truly awake. His dream had been so vivid he thought he might still be in it.
Lifting his head, he looked at the digital clock next to his bed. It was three o’clock in the morning. The witching hour.
Why had he awakened at such a precise time? Why had he awakened at all?
He picked up his phone and read the lock screen. There were no calls, no texts, and no recent notifications. Nothing on the device would have awakened him.
Groaning in frustration, he moved to the edge of the bed and placed his feet on the floor. His throat was dry, so maybe thirst had wakened him. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened.
In fact, as he thought back on the last twenty-four hours, dehydration seemed a likely culprit. His girlfriend, Katiya Mills, had been in town for one of her regular visits, and she had departed for New York on the previous afternoon. After dropping her off at the airport, Zane had decided to grab some Indian takeout on the way home. He ate the meal while watching a movie on Amazon Prime, washing it down with two glasses of sauvignon blanc. He was so engrossed in the film that he forgot to drink his customary two glasses of water after dinner. That omission, coupled with the spicy dinner, had turned his throat into a parched desert.
Zane stood and stretched. Before heading to the kitchen, he stepped over to the window and opened the blinds. Even though he was convinced thirst had pulled him out of his dream, it wouldn’t hurt to see if anything was going on outside.
Leaning closer, he looked out through the slats. His condominium was on the top floor of a high-rise building in Alexandria, Virginia. It was one of three towers that formed a triangle around a small park. Looking down, Zane focused on the common area below. Even though the area was decidedly upscale, loud revelers occasionally found it necessary to shout well into the wee hours of the morning.
The park was deserted, so Zane lifted his gaze to the other two towers. A dozen or so lights glowed against the dark façade. Surprisingly, several people were still up and moving about. Either they were insomniacs, or they worked odd hours, he thought. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he let his eyes run past the towers to the twinkling lights of Old Town Alexandria. It looked peaceful, the calm before the storm. In just a few hours, the place would be buzzing with rush hour activity.
Even though his primary residence was in Raleigh, North Carolina, Zane had purchased the condominium in order to be closer to his work at the Delphi Group. A private organization that contracted with US government agencies, Delphi typically operated in the dark and mysterious corners of intelligence. Their investigations encompassed such topics as futuristic technology, secret scientific discoveries, and the suspicious deaths of Americans overseas. Delphi had even investigated extraterrestrial incursions and artificial intelligence. Nothing was too bizarre for their portfolio.
But the world of intelligence was going through a metamorphosis, and that meant Delphi had to change along with it. The CIA and other intelligence agencies were facing greater and greater scrutiny, from both Congress and a skeptical press. Because of that scrutiny, those same agencies were asking Delphi to do more than simply investigate the bizarre—Delphi’s operatives were being asked to take on routine espionage operations as well.
That increased workload meant Zane was spending most of his time at Delphi headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. In light of the challenging schedule, he had thought of selling his home in Raleigh and moving to northern Virginia. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to break his Carolina connections completely. He had enough money to maintain homes in both locations, and the occasional trips back to Raleigh grounded him in the simpler life he craved. Nothing about living in DC was simple.
Before closing the blinds, Zane stared at his reflection in the glass. Despite the increased time in the office, his physique was as chiseled as it had ever been. His condominium came with a well-equipped gym as well as a running track on the roof. As it turned out, those amenities were all he needed to stay in shape. He had even managed to lose some weight, which was often difficult for someone north of forty.
Falling well past his shoulders, Zane’s brown hair was even longer than usual. Katiya had encouraged him to get it cut short since she’d never seen him without the long locks. She’d even shown him a picture of the style she thought would complement his looks: shaved very short on the sides with a hard part and a small mop of hair on top. It was the modern style common among young male professionals. But Zane didn’t see himself changing his look unless Katiya insisted. After all, he wasn’t someone who followed trends.
Remembering his parched throat, Zane left the bedroom and made his way down the dark hallway. He would drink two glasses of water, visit the bathroom, then go back to sleep. Having woken up at an odd hour, he might need to turn on his white noise machine. The sound of crashing waves never failed to put him under.
After entering the living room, Zane reached for the light switch then stopped when a soft thump reached his ears. It sounded close and distant at the same time. He looked around the space, which included an open kitchen. As best he could tell, the sound hadn’t come from inside. But if it hadn’t come from inside, then where was the source? His condominium was on the top floor of the building, so he knew it hadn’t come from above.
Another thump sounded, this one slightly louder than the first. Zane’s heart beat a little faster. His gaze moved to the floor-to-ceiling glass that ran along the far wall. The sound seemed to come from that direction. Thin curtains made it difficult to see the balcony beyond, so he took a couple more steps in that direction.
A shadow shifted on the balcony outside. Then another.
Was he dreaming?
His senses on alert, Zane took another step forward. As the blurry shapes came into focus, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
Two men were crouched on the balcony.
He’s Done It Again! I’m looking forward to read the new book….
Thank you Troy! I appreciate you taking the time to reach out.
Good grabber right out of the box!
Thanks for stopping in, Rip. I’ll let you know when it goes live.
You sure got my attention right off the get go I’m going hmmmmm and we’re off.
Glad you like the opening, Connie. Some surprises and twists are on the way.
Can’t wait for the rest!
Thanks Randy. I hope to have it out very soon!
Dang it! Now I want to know who and why. You have given us the proverbial cliff hangee and the book is barely started. 🤞that Zane doesn’t cut his hair.
The answers are coming Lisa! And Zane’s long hair isn’t due to a lockdown. :-)