Discovery Read online

  “Only the deposit,” Smedley confirmed.

  “Sonofabitch!” Christina exclaimed.

  “Smedley, issue a reminder on that invoice and include the penalties for non-payment. Let’s see if we have a treaty that needs to be signed.”

  The holoscreen over the captain’s conference table shimmered to life, and the Magnate’s secretary’s face appeared.

  “You!” Christina blurted.

  “The Magnate cannot take your call right now, but I’m sure I can help you with whatever you need.”

  Terry motioned for calm. “No problem. Failure for the contract principal to reply activates our fifty percent kicker. You just earned us an extra quarter of a mil. Thank you.” Smedley cut the line while the aide sputtered.

  “He does that a lot,” Christina clarified.

  “Next order of business?” Terry asked. People were surprised by Terry and Char’s immediate submersion back into managing the affairs of the Bad Company’s Direct Action Branch.

  “Call Bethany Anne?” Char suggested.

  Terry was hesitant to call her without going through General Reynolds first, but he wanted answers, too.

  “Smedley, connect us with High Tortuga, please. We’d like to talk with the Queen.”

  The system churned, and Smedley produced sound effects that represented old-style telephone calls with clicks and buzzes because it made Terry more comfortable. Ted was appalled by the failure to completely embrace new technology, but Smedley humored the boss.

  Bethany Anne’s eyes opened in a slight surprise. “TH! And there’s Charumati and Christina! I haven’t seen you in a while. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “We wanted to thank you for saving our lives.”

  This time her eyebrows narrowed. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but I’m assuming I did something impressive. What did I do?”

  Terry and Char looked at each other, surprised by BA’s reply.

  “We were trapped beneath the ruins on Okkoto in a place called Band Rayal Seven. They used Etheric energy to keep their shelter alive. You appeared while we were down there and fought some robots with us, and then you made it possible for the elevator to return us to the surface at the cost of your own life.”

  “The fuck?” BA’s face went into full-on confusion. Looking down, she pinched her arm. “Pretty sure I didn’t do anything lately that cost my life. Well, mostly lately.” She looked to her right. “Michael?” she called to her husband off-screen before turning back to look into the monitor. “Nope. He confirms it. I’m still alive.”

  “But, you were there.”

  “As you wish.” She shrugged. “Did you two perhaps get your heads smacked while you were out there?”

  “I don’t think so,” Terry replied. “We’ll have to go back to show you! There was an elevator.”

  “There was nothing in the ruins,” Smedley answered.

  “But...” Terry stopped speaking. Char looked at the table, searching her mind for a clue to support her reality. Terry looked equally out of touch.

  There was some commotion off-screen that sounded like kids talking. “Gotta run. The twins are acting up.” She winked at the screen. “Keep doing great things!”

  The image faded.

  Terry looked at the faces watching him. He wondered what they were thinking.

  Micky stood. “I need to get back to the bridge.” He clapped a hand on Terry’s back. “Good to have you home, my friend.”

  “I need a beer,” Terry said.

  “Just so happens that Venus felt so bad about you paying for a room you didn’t use, you were comped a rather significant amount of booze,” Kimber explained.

  “They felt bad because they abandoned us, but I may be okay with that. Depends on the definition of ‘significant.’” Terry cocked an eyebrow.

  “We’re going to have one hell of a party.”

  Char turned to Terry and shrugged. “It’s what BA would want.” She smiled.

  “If she was here.”

  The End

  Of Discovery, Book 6 of The Bad Company

  If you like this book, please leave a review. Reviews buoy my spirits and stoke the fires of creativity.

  Don’t stop now! Keep turning the pages as Craig & Michael talk about their thoughts on this book and the overall project called the Age of Expansion (and if you haven’t read the eleven-book prequel, the Terry Henry Walton Chronicles, now is a great time to take a look).

  Terry, Char, and the rest of the Bad Company’s Direct Action Branch will return.

  Welcome to the Age of Expansion

  You Have Been Judged

  If you liked this book, you might also enjoy You Have Been Judged, by Craig Martelle and Michael Anderle.

  Available Now at Amazon

  Author Notes - Craig Martelle

  Written March 26th, 2019

  I can’t thank you enough for continuing to read this series. Terry Henry Walton and the fine characters who surround him have become a part of my world. I hope they’ve become a part of yours as well. Honor. Courage. Commitment. Something we can all live for and be proud of.

  I went to the well once again, the Kurtherian Fans, and found Zayn Tova, offered by Lois Alston. That resonated for an Erthos character, so I went with it.

  And our long-time USPS rural carrier found a new job, so that’s Tonie. I told him I’d put him in a book so he would be memorialized forever, so here you have it—Tonie, digitally captured for as long as this book is in print.

  I had to go to the foul-o-matic insult generator for some of the choice bits. One would think a Marine could be more creative, but alas, I needed a tactical assist from the computer, of all things.

  And then I had to double-down and bring in the experts, the insider team of Jim Caplan, Micky Cocker, Kelly O’Donnell, and John Ashmore to further review and refine Bethany Anne’s voice. Finally, I turned it over to Michael, who only changed most of BA’s dialogue along with clearing up movement and places. He improved the flow, and here we are. Bob’s your uncle.

  I was having a minor issue with the sense of urgency within the plot, and that’s when John Ashmore helped me solidify the idea of the Etheric crush. Thanks, John. That one tidbit helped to pull everything together.

  This book delivers a standalone novel, something you can read if you’ve never read a single word of Terry or Char but are a fan of Bethany Anne. This book should speak to you. If it doesn’t, then I have missed the mark. In any case, it gives you a little taste tempter of Bethany Anne while you’re waiting for the next Endgame. I hope you stayed with us, and if you’re reading this, you did. You read the book and the Author Notes.

  That’s it—break’s over, back to writing the next book. Peace, fellow humans.

  Please join my Newsletter (www.craigmartelle.com – please, please, please sign up!), or you can follow me on Facebook since you’ll get the same opportunity to pick up some of the books at fan pricing (only 99 cents) on that first day they are published.

  If you liked this story, you might like some of my other books. You can join my mailing list by dropping by my website www.craigmartelle.com or if you have any comments, shoot me a note at [email protected]. I am always happy to hear from people who’ve read my work. I try to answer every email I receive.

  If you liked the story, please write a short review for me on Amazon. I greatly appreciate any kind words; even one or two sentences go a long way. The number of reviews an ebook receives greatly improves how well it does on Amazon.

  Amazon – www.amazon.com/author/craigmartelle

  Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorcraigmartelle

  BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/craig-martelle

  My web page – www.craigmartelle.com

  Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey.

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  May 1, 2019

  THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.

  (I t
hink I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)

  BREAK’s OVER, fs!

  So, I always find it odd when another author does Bethany Anne—not because of what they write, necessarily, but what it tells me they see in her.

  For example, either Craig was channeling his inner Marine (which, frankly, is right next to his outer Marine) or BA is a bit of a hardass for hardassness’ sake.

  There were a few times that I realize I probably put these traits out there, but internally, I knew what her emotions were when she said something harsh to one of her people. Inside, she was doing it with care.

  Outside for everyone else to see, she often comes across as a drill sergeant. Perhaps only a few who rarely interacted with BA assumed that her heart inside was warm and caring?

  The caustic words often hide the worry Bethany Anne feels in her heart.

  So, I got a chance to soften the words a bit, round out the effort BA made to get Terry Henry (who she thinks of as a cousin who just won’t get his shit together) and Char.

  Or was that just the BA that Terry Henry sees? Did the technology they were in create a version of BA which is inside Terry Henry and Char’s minds?

  Either way… She got the job done.

  Because that is what Bethany Anne does.

  AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

  One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.

  Cave in the Sky (™) Las Vegas, Nevada USA

  I got told early this morning that I needed to have these author notes completed in twenty-four hours. I suppose I could have waited until tomorrow to write them, but even I think that might be cutting it kinda close.

  It might also be that I am sort of hoping to sleep in late tomorrow since my first meeting is about 11:00 AM or so, and I want not to need to jump up early to get on any conference calls.

  OR…

  It might be that I’m ready to read all night and not stress with a job to do…

  FAN PRICING

  $0.99 Saturdays (new LMBPN stuff) and $0.99 Wednesday (both LMBPN books and friends of LMBPN books.) Get great stuff from us and others at tantalizing prices.

  Go ahead. I bet you can’t read just one.

  Sign up here: http://lmbpn.com/email/.

  HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE

  Review them so others have your thoughts, and tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk to enemies?)… Enough said ;-)

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  Books by Craig Martelle

  Craig Martelle’s other books (listed by series)

  Terry Henry Walton Chronicles (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a post-apocalyptic paranormal adventure

  Gateway to the Universe (co-written with Justin Sloan & Michael Anderle) – this book transitions the characters from the Terry Henry Walton Chronicles to The Bad Company

  The Bad Company (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a military science fiction space opera

  End Times Alaska (also available in audio) – a Permuted Press publication – a post-apocalyptic survivalist adventure

  The Free Trader – a Young Adult Science Fiction Action Adventure

  Cygnus Space Opera – A Young Adult Space Opera (set in the Free Trader universe)

  Darklanding (co-written with Scott Moon) – a Space Western

  Rick Banik – Spy & Terrorism Action Adventure

  Become a Successful Indie Author – a non-fiction work

  Enemy of my Enemy (co-written with Tim Marquitz) – a galactic alien military space opera

  Superdreadnought (co-written with Tim Marquitz) – a military space opera

  Metal Legion (co-written with Caleb Wachter) - a military space opera

  End Days (co-written with E.E. Isherwood) – a post-apocalyptic adventure

  Mystically Engineered (co-written with Valerie Emerson) – dragons in space

  Monster Case Files (co-written with Kathryn Hearst) – a young-adult cozy mystery series

  For a complete list of books from Craig, please see www.craigmartelle.com

  Books By Michael Anderle

  For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:

  www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/

  All LMBPN Audiobooks are Available at Audible.com and iTunes

  To see all LMBPN audiobooks, including those written by Michael Anderle please visit:

  www.lmbpn.com/audible