Free Broken Lives: A Tale of Survival in a Powerless World (Broken Lines Book 4) by James Hunt Page B

his hands run across the fine lace of the tablecloth.
     
    But everything else failed in comparison to the view that the apartment granted. The entire south wall was a window giving a panoramic picture of the city and the Ohio River.
     
    “It’s nice to see civility again, isn’t it?” Bram asked.
     
    “The pat downs on the way up suggested security over civility.”
     
    “Well, one has to be careful these days as I’m sure you’re aware.”
     
    “I’m aware.”
     
    Bram gestured to the couch.
     
    “Please, have a seat,” Bram said. “How has your family adjusted to their new home?”
     
    “We’re fine.”
     
    “I hear your daughter has an aptitude for the military.”
     
    “Who are you?”
     
    Two crystal-stemmed glasses sat on the small table between them. Bram picked one of them up, pinching the thin stem between his fingers. The rays of sunlight coming through the windows filtered through the crystal’s glass, separating the sunlight into different colors on the floor.
     
    “Prisms are remarkable,” Bram said. “If you take white light and point it through a crystal prism, the light will separate into all its natural components. Now the degree of separation depends on the angle in which the light enters the prism. It takes a precise measurement to disperse all of the white light.”
     
    “That doesn’t answer my question.”
     
    “Who I am and what I do is much like this prism. I help breakdown matter into its purest nature.”
     
    Two waiters entered the living room and filled the crystal glasses with water, which they served along with a plate of pierogies.
     
    “I’m told they’re a Pittsburgh staple,” Bram said.
     
    Bram picked up one of the Polish dumplings and popped it into his mouth.
     
    “Delicious,” Bram said.
     
    “You obviously brought me here for something. Now, it’s either because you think I’m a threat, or you think I can help you. So which is it?” Mike asked.
     
    Bram grabbed the napkin on the table in front of him and wiped his fingers harshly.
     
    “Should I be worried about you, Mr. Grant? From what I hear about your group you’ve been through quite a bit, seen a lot of violence. Are you planning on continuing that trend here with us?” Bram asked.
     
    “Not if I don’t have to.”
     
    “Good.”
     
    Bram pulled a phone out of his pocket and placed it to his ear.
     
    “Bring it in,” he said.
     
    A few moments later Colonel Cadogan returned with Sergeant Blake. Cadogan carried a briefcase and the two men joined Mike and Bram.
     
    Cadogan opened the briefcase and pulled out a laptop. When he turned the laptop around for everyone to view, there was a picture of Dr. Wyatt on the screen.
     
    “Do you know this man?” Cadogan asked.
     
    “No, I’ve never seen him before,” Mike replied.
     
    “This is Dr. Quinn Wyatt. He worked for the EPA before the blackout. About seven months ago he was in front of a Senate hearing involving his research on the vulnerability of our country’s utilities,” Blake said.
     
    “The Senate hearing never finished and Wyatt was branded a lunatic,” Cadogan continued.
     
    “Before the blackout I was CEO and president of a microprocessor manufacturer. I read Dr. Wyatt’s research and he mentioned that one area where the country was susceptible to attack was an EMP. Due to my business interests his report caught my attention,” Bram said.
     
    “What happened?” Mike asked.
     
    “I brought him on as a consultant in hopes of developing a new processor that could withstand a high-powered EMP attack like the one described,” Bram said.
     
    “What was in it for you?” Mike asked.
     
    “If we could prove the danger of an EMP attack and successfully patent an EMP-resistant microprocessor, it would be worth billions,” Bram answered.
     
    “So, what went wrong?” Mike asked.
     
    “Dr. Wyatt was still hell bent on making Congress pay for branding him a lunatic. Instead of developing a