“With great power comes great responsibility,” Dourado said.
“Exactly. That’s the legacy of Hercules that we’re supposed to be preserving. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thinking of quitting the Herculean Society or changing what we do. But we’ve got the resources to do a lot more than just running around hiding the evidence. I mean, look at what we accomplished. We took down a Nazi war criminal who everyone thought was dead, and we dismantled a criminal empire. I think we’re off to a pretty good start.
“But there’s more to it than that. There are threats out there that no one is equipped to deal with. Things that we might know about because Alexander knew, but kept secret. We can use that knowledge to deal with those threats before they reach critical mass.”
Gallo cocked her head to the side. “How exactly would that work?”
Pierce took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. He reached into his jacket and took an envelope out of his inner pocket. “These are just mock-ups,” he said as he removed the contents and began distributing them. “Subject to change. Nothing is carved in stone.”
Surprisingly, Lazarus was the first to comment. “The Cerberus Group. Director of Operations, Erik Lazarus.” He held up a business card which, in addition to what he had just read, featured the same image that Dourado had found on the anonymous website of Tyndareus’s organization.
“I’m the Chief Scientific Advisor,” Carter said, showing her card.
“Like I said, subject to change. If you don’t like your title, we can come up with something better.”
“Cerberus Group.” Fiona wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like the name of a scary multinational corporation.”
“And we’ll keep all of Cerberus’s current underworld connections,” Pierce said. “If someone is looking for something dangerous, we’ll be able to hear about it. They might even come to us to find it for them.”
“I like it,” Gallo said. “Cerberus was the gatekeeper of the Underworld. I think that’s what George has in mind for us. We’ll be the watchdogs, guarding humanity from scary things in the night.”
“Something like that,” Pierce said with a shrug. “You can sleep on it if you want.”
“No need,” Gallo said. “Count me in.”
Fiona and Dourado voiced their support as well. Carter appeared enthusiastic as well, but instead of casting a vote, she nodded to Lazarus. “I’m with Erik. If he stays, I stay.”
Pierce turned to the big man. “Well?”
Lazarus gazed back, the furrow of his brow the only indication that something might be amiss. He held up the card again. “It says Lazarus.”
Fiona seemed to understand what he was driving at. “Erik, Uncle George explained it to me. I won’t tell my dad or the others. I promise.”
Lazarus frowned. “It’s wrong for me to put you in that position. You shouldn’t have to lie to protect me.”
“Then tell them,” she replied. “They aren’t going to be mad at you, you know.”
Pierce knew it was not quite that simple. Lazarus was caught between two worlds. He had found love and happiness with Carter, but the ties that bound him to his former life were stronger than the bonds of blood or brotherhood. If he revealed himself to Jack Sigler and the rest of his former team, the gravity of his old life would draw him back. It was probably inevitable. Yet, the fact that he was torn by the decision meant that part of him did not want to give up his new life in exchange for the old one.
“You can tell them when you’re ready,” Pierce said. “But you know what? Right now, I think we need to focus on new beginnings. The past isn’t as important as the future. Tabula rasa. A clean slate and a fresh start. What do you say?”
Lazarus looked at Carter and then at Pierce, and nodded. “I’m in.”
A NOTE FROM JEREMY ROBINSON
Dear Reader,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading HERCULEAN. I hope you have enjoyed this new adventure. If you did enjoy the book, please show your support by posting a review at your online retailer. E-book websites work on algorithms, meaning the more people review my books, the more the e-book retailers will recommend them to other readers. And the more people buy my books, the more I get to write them, which is a good thing for both of us (assuming you enjoyed the book). If we can get HERCULEAN moving off the virtual shelves, there will be more Cerberus Group adventures to come.
Thank you!
— Jeremy Robinson
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Jeremy Robinson is the international bestselling author of fifty novels and novellas including MirrorWorld, Uprising, Island 731, SecondWorld, the Jack Sigler thriller series, and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author.
Robinson is also known as the bestselling horror writer, Jeremy Bishop, author of The Sentinel and the controversial novel, Torment. In 2015, he launched yet another pseudonym, Jeremiah Knight, for two post-apocalyptic Science Fiction series of novels. Robinson’s works have been translated into thirteen languages.
His series of Jack Sigler / Chess Team thrillers, starting with Pulse, is in development as a film series, helmed by Jabbar Raisani, who earned an Emmy Award for his design work on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Robinson’s original kaiju character, Nemesis, is also being adapted into a comic book through publisher Famous Monsters of Filmland, with artwork and covers by renowned Godzilla artists Matt Frank and Bob Eggleton.
Born in Beverly, MA, Robinson now lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children.
Visit Jeremy Robinson online at
www.bewareofmonsters.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Sean Ellis is the international bestselling author Magic Mirror and several thriller and adventure novels. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, and he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Policy from Oregon State University. Sean is also a member of the International Thriller Writers organization. He currently resides in Arizona, where he divides his time between writing, adventure sports and trying to figure out how to save the world.
Visit him on the web at:
seanellisthrillers.webs.com.