Shattered (Ebook--Kindle and epub)

SHATTERED – BOOK FIVE in the Fallout Series from USA Today, ECPA, and CBA Best-selling Author Lisa Harris.

What would you do if modern technology was no longer available?

No power grid. No internet. No next day delivery.

Welcome to Shadow Ridge, where Longmire meets Jericho.

 

 “Author Lisa Harris hits it out of the park with these well imagined ‘what if’ stories!”

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ABOUT THIS EBOOK:

In the prequel to the series, The Last Day, Chase said good-bye to Hope and left Shadow Ridge for an overnight prisoner transport to San Angelo. . .the day before the grid went down. For those rooting for Hope McQuaid and Chase Becket to find each other again, well, the wait is almost over. Except the circumstances aren’t what either of them could have ever imagined.

 

“Hits the dystopian bullseye.”

“A stunner.”

“The unthinkable meets the unimaginable.”

“After one book, I’m a serious series fan!”

A page-turning, devour-in-one-gulp kind of read.”

“This will be a series I will read again.” 

“I am totally besotted with this Futuristic series!!”

“I’ve loved every book in this series.”

 

This product is a premium EBOOK compatible with any modern digital app or device:

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HOW DOES IT WORK?

1. Purchase AUTHOR-DIRECT and $ave!
2. Follow the download link on the order confirmation (links also sent by email)
3. ENJOY!

 

ENJOY A SAMPLE FROM SHATTERED: 

Chase Beckett glanced in the rearview mirror of his squad car to confirm his prisoner was secure. An infinite number of things could go wrong during a prisoner transport, and convicted felon Samuel Quinn had a reputation of trying to escape law enforcement—something Chase wasn't going to let happen on his watch. Still, with enough motivation on the part of his prisoner, even a simple stop for gas could prove to be a disaster. On this lonely stretch of west Texas highway, backup would more than likely arrive too late.

Which was only part of what had him worried.

He glanced in the rearview mirror again, this time to check on the headlights that had been trailing him for the past twenty miles. It could be nothing but a coincidence. There was little out here beyond the scrub brush and the black Texas night sky. Whoever was behind him was more than likely simply traveling in the same direction.

Chase drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he flew by another mile marker, trying to keep his concern in check. In another hour, he’d be in San Angelo. He’d drop off his prisoner, check into a cheap motel, and then in another few hours be back in Shadow Ridge.

With Hope.

Disappointment flooded through him at the thought of the brown-eyed beauty. He'd looked forward to spending the evening with the woman who’d completely stolen his heart. Instead, he only had her words to hang on to until he returned.

She’d smiled as she looked up at him on her front porch a couple hours ago. “I promised myself I’d never move back to Shadow Ridge and never, ever, get involved with a cop like my dad. The first was too boring, and the second too dangerous. And yet, here I am, living in my hometown and in love with my high school sweetheart.”

“So you are in love with me?” he asked.

She laughed. “Yes, Chase Beckett. I’m in love with you.”

Her words still surprised him. He’d never expected to return to Shadow Ridge, just like he’d never planned on getting married again or even falling in love. He’d failed at one relationship. Some days the regret still felt fresh, but as hard as he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to save his marriage. Which was one of the reasons he'd returned to Shadow Ridge. When his boss had come to him with an assignment, he knew he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to get as far away from his ex-wife as possible.

Chase gripped the steering wheel and tried to shove away the haunting memories of a marriage gone bad. He might have intended on till death do us part, but life didn’t always go as planned. Like the day he found out Ashley was having an affair. That moment had completely changed the trajectory of his life. He’d told her he’d go to counseling with her. Promised her he’d work less and focus more on them—anything she wanted in order to save their marriage. None of those promises had changed anything. Four months after she walked out, she married the other guy.

Then life took a surprising turn. Falling for Hope had offered him a second chance at love, but it had also thrown him a curve ball. When he’d found out she'd be returning to Shadow Ridge to run the only clinic for miles, he’d told himself it didn't matter. That he had no feelings for his high school sweetheart. Which had been true at that moment. But it didn’t take long to be reminded of why he’d fallen in love with her in the first place. Made him wonder what would have happened if he had pursued her harder after high school.

He’d brought up the subject of marriage to Hope once when they were seniors, but she’d told him she wasn’t ready. She was only eighteen and wanted to get a couple years of college under her belt before she thought about getting married. That moment he’d known their lives would end up going separate directions. They’d lived on the edge of west Texas their entire lives, and neither of them had plans to stay.

Hope got accepted into college, he moved to Boston, and before he knew it, the months had turned into years. Eventually, he hadn’t been able to remember the last time he’d thought of her, let alone seen her. But those tangled memories had never quite disappeared, and seeing her again back in Shadow Ridge reminded him of everything he’d once loved about her. She was smart, beautiful, and had a heart for people. None of that had changed.

Which was why he’d planned to ask her to marry him tonight. Planned to, that was, until he’d been called in to make the transfer. So instead of proposing, he’d taken his grandmother’s engagement ring and returned it to the safe in his bedroom.

“How much farther?” Quinn barked from the back seat. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

The sharp request jerked him out of his thoughts. “No stops until we get there.”

“What if I can’t wait?”

“You’ll wait. We’re not stopping.”

After their inmate had been searched and secured at the station, his orders from Chief McQuaid were clear. No stops along the way and call immediately for backup at the first sign of a problem. Chase hadn’t argued. Garrett McQuaid might have spent most of his law enforcement career dealing with the mundane issues of a small town, but the man’s integrity and his dedication to protect his hometown made him a hero in Chase’s mind.

Chase’s phone buzzed and he clicked on his Bluetooth earpiece to take the call.

“What’s your ETA?” McQuaid’s deep voice boomed in the earpiece.

“GPS has me there in a little over an hour.”

“Any signs of trouble?”

Chase glanced back at the headlights that were still trailing him and tried to shake off the concern. “Nothing yet.”

“Stay alert. I just got a call from the sheriff in Irion County. Quinn’s brother was spotted at a gas station off the highway twenty minutes ago. He’s driving a silver Impala.”

Great.

Chase frowned. “Tank’s full, and I have no plans of stopping.”

“Keep your head up. I’ll have the sheriffs in both counties on standby for you.”

“Copy that. I’ll be back in time for the party tomorrow.”

“See you then.”

The call cut off. 

“A party sounds like fun.”

Chase ignored the comment. Quinn’s mouth had a habit of running, and he wasn’t going to let the man get under his skin.

“Your girlfriend gonna be there?”

“Shut up, Quinn.”

“That call from your boss seemed to shake you up some. Like he was expecting trouble.”

Chase’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t comment.

“You’re not expecting trouble, are you?”

The man was simply full of hot air, but that didn’t mean Chase could afford to let his guard down. He glanced in the rearview mirror again. In the dark, he was unable to tell the color or make of the car, but the vehicle continued to keep the same distance behind him. The sign for the next town appeared. A small town, long past its cattle heyday, with nothing more than a couple of restaurants and a gas station. The perfect place to verify if this was simply a coincidence, or a threat.

Chase slowed down. A second later, a blue Dodge flew by. He let out a sharp sigh of relief at the false alarm. No one was following them. They’d kept the transport schedule classified, which meant there was no way anyone could have known where Quinn was. Quinn himself hadn’t even known about the transport until right before they left, let alone had a chance to somehow relay that information.

He just needed to relax. Tomorrow he’d be back in Shadow Ridge, where he’d find the right time to propose. . .The headlights of a car pulling out of a parking lot caught his attention. A moment later, a silver Impala pulled out onto the road behind him.

Chase smacked the steering wheel then pushed on the accelerator. Quinn’s brother must have taken a back road to get here.

Chase made the call to McQuaid. “I've got a vehicle matching the description now following me.”

“Where are you?”

“Leaving Barnhart.”

“Keep your speed steady, and do not engage. I’m sending backup now.”

“Copy that.”

“I'll also have dispatch track your vehicle as an extra precaution.”

Chase caught the smug look on Quinn’s face as he ended the call.

“Is there a problem?” Quinn asked.

“The only problem you need to worry about is spending the rest of your life in prison.”

Chase kept driving. He’d caught sight of at least three people in the car. Knowing Quinn’s history, he had no doubt they were armed. Frustration nagged at him. How had this happened? Transfers were made in secret in order to avoid situations like this. There was no specific schedule they followed, or even a route they followed. Yet someone had to have known.

“I knew he'd come for me,” Quinn said.

“I wouldn't celebrate just yet.”

Chase kept his speed steady. As much as he wanted to know how they’d found him, for the moment, he needed to focus solely on getting to San Angelo in one piece. They were outside Barnhart now. Back to the almost deserted highway. Both resources and manpower were limited out here, a far cry from the big city. Having a two-person police department like Shadow Ridge was common, but not only did it mean being on call 24/7, it also meant he couldn’t rely on backup that may or may not arrive in time. No. He had to handle this on his own.

The silver car following him sped up. Chase pressed on the accelerator. There was nowhere for either of them to go except down one of the few dusty side roads, which wasn’t an option. He sped up another ten miles an hour. All he had to do was hold off the other car and make it to San Angelo.

Simple.

The impact from the Impala shattered his theory. The force from the collision shoved his car across the double yellow line and the oncoming lanes, toward the barbed wire fence lining the highway. Chase automatically braced his hands as the car flipped and the airbag slammed into his chest, sucking the breath from his lungs. Pain radiated through his body as the car skidded and came to a stop upside down.

Chase forced himself to breathe in the silent aftermath of the crash. His head was spinning and all he could see was darkness. Shock masked injuries, but right now, he was fully aware that he was a sitting target for the armed men who’d just attacked them.

Chase fought to get out of his seat belt. “Quinn?”

Silence.

“Quinn?”

Quinn finally groaned from the back seat. “I think my leg is broken.”

Chase let out a huff of air. At least the man was alive. A broken leg was the least of his problems. He tugged on the door handle, then shoved against the door with his shoulder. Fragments of glass crunched beneath him as he crawled out onto the pavement, but he felt nothing. Just the rapid pounding of his heart.

He could see the other car in the moonlight, twenty yards west of him. Two figures in black moved toward him, then shattered the eerie quiet with the sound of gunshots. Chase scrambled to his feet to take cover behind the engine block. He pulled his Glock from his holster and responded with two rounds from his weapon. The figures took cover behind their car, but it was just a matter of time before they came at him again. He was outnumbered and outgunned. He glanced over his shoulder where he could see the silhouette of his passenger. Samuel Quinn had already killed two people, and Chase wasn't going to let him back out on the street.

A new set of headlights caught his attention for a split second, shifting his gaze to an oncoming vehicle. The truck stopped in the middle of the highway, and then its passengers jumped out and started firing their weapons at Quinn’s brother. The vehicle was unmarked—not the backup from the sheriff’s office he needed. Chase flattened himself against the ground, trying to avoid getting hit in the crossfire, but he was pinned down and out of options.

Seconds later, the gunfire stopped.

Chase held his gun on a man walking toward him.

“I’m on your side, Beckett.” Instead of pulling out his gun, the man held out his hand. “Get up.”

Chase’s mind spun with confusion, unsure who his guardian angels in the truck were.

“Who are you?” he asked, slowly getting to his feet.

“Foster sent us.”

Foster?

The name felt like a punch in the gut.

“How did you find me?” Chase asked.

“Consider us your backup.” The man glanced over his shoulder at the other vehicle. “We managed to neutralize the situation, but unfortunately, none of the men survived, including your passenger.”

A sick feeling washed through him as he fought to put the pieces together.

“We’ve got more pressing things to deal with than your felon and his brother’s crew. We need to be gone before your real backup arrives.”

“Wait a minute—”

“The timeline has changed. We’ve got less than twenty-four hours until pandemonium breaks loose. Foster needs you in place at the bunker. Now.”

Chase rubbed the back of his neck. His head pounded. His body ached. He’d never planned to get involved with the Realm, but as a security engineer, his experience had ended up being the perfect fit to infiltrate the organization, and Shadow Ridge the perfect cover for the counter operation. Even Garrett McQuaid had no idea why Chase had come to Shadow Ridge. His boss believed he was there to heal from a broken marriage and get back into law enforcement. Which was true, at least partially. He’d always believed they’d be able to stop what was happening. But as much as they’d accomplished over the last year, they needed more time. If the Realm went ahead with their scheme now, everything they had done would be in vain.

“I need to be back in Shadow Ridge and near the ground station when this goes down so I can work from there,” he said finally. “That was the plan.”

“Like I said. Things have changed. We just lost some of our men, which means Foster needs you now, taking over the IT security for the southern quadrant.”

Chase fought the panic. He'd never wanted to be a spy. When the opportunity had presented itself to infiltrate the Realm, he knew he was getting in over his head, but he’d also believed it was the right thing to do. He’d been used both to transmit and gather information as well as identify those involved in the Realm—all essential to taking it down.

And what about Hope? She had no idea what was going on, and if Chase followed orders, he’d have no way to get back to her. Knowing what was about to happen, and that he wasn’t going to be able to be there for her, made him sick to his stomach.

“Foster told me things weren't happening for another few weeks,” Chase said, ignoring the man’s irritation.

“You’re not getting squeamish on us are you?”

“Of course not.” Chase forced a smile. “Whatever Foster wants.”

He answered without hesitation, determined not to reveal even a hint of the panic he was feeling. He had to find a way to get a message out. To warn those working against the Realm that the timeline had changed. Because once the steps were put into motion and the grid went down, life would never be the same.