Free The Defiant: An Unbeaten Path by John W. Vance Page A

Wellsville.
    “Good,” Nicholas said as he went for his watch but couldn’t find it. He turned to Becky and asked, “Where’s my watch?”
    She held up the shimmering gold piece and replied, “Right here.” She walked over and handed it to him. “It was one of the first things I checked on after I saw you yesterday.”
    Nicholas took the timepiece in his hand and stared at it. This watch meant a lot to him. It very well could be the last item he’d have from his brother, Michael. His mind raced to where he might be and if he was okay; then he remembered it was Michael McNeil he was worried about and that he shouldn’t be. From his earliest recollections, Michael was a tough and able person. He had been a great older brother and always looked out for him when he was a child. He had been hard on Nicholas but had good reason. Nicholas respected and loved his brother and wished he could be there with him as they went through this struggle. Unsure of where he was or if he’d see him again, this watch represented Michael and their brotherly love. It was one of the few prized possessions he had.
    “I forgot to mention, the mayor wants to see you too, so it wasn’t too hard to get this meeting,” Colin informed Nicholas.
    “Good, let’s not keep the mayor waiting,” Nicholas said, putting his attention back on where he was. He pocketed the watch and climbed into the Suburban.

    Undisclosed Bunker Facility, Superstition Mountains, East of Apache Junction, Arizona

    Michael looked around the room. It was just like his hospital room and the seemingly endless hallways, stark white with no windows. He longed to see the sun and to breathe fresh air.
    Anatoly didn’t share anything significant along their way to this new room. He did tell Michael he was in a bunker in the Arizona Mountains and that he had never been there before but knew about its existence. He opened up that they were not CIA but that Michael definitely was and had joined their cause against Viktor. However, what he didn’t discuss was what the end game was. And finally, what were the coordinates for?
    “Take a seat, Michael,” Anatoly instructed.
    Michael did as he asked. It felt good to sit, but he couldn’t relax.
    Karina walked in then and closed the door.
    Michael took note along his walk that he didn’t see anyone else. The only people he had seen since being at the bunker was Anatoly, Karina and the nurse. The bunker felt large, but it seemed empty.
    Karina took a seat next to Michael and placed a large file in front of him. “This might help jog your memory.”
    Michael went to open up the file but stopped when Anatoly spoke. “Before you do that, let’s get to the heart of the matter. I have to admit that I thought you were lying about your memory loss, but it appears you have truly suffered from your injuries. Our doctors tell us that your memory will come back. The issue we have is limited time, and if we fail, the world will be lost.”
    Michael cracked a smile and joked, “I think the world is already lost.”
    Anatoly ignored him and continued, “Viktor is part of a group that is bent on world domination, and the only way he believes he can do that is by being in possession of what you’ll see in that folder.”
    Michael again went to open it but was stopped once more.
    “Before you open it, I want to impress upon you that with your memory loss, what you’re about to see and hear will confuse you. You might even think we’re crazy, but I can assure you that the Michael we knew before was fully committed to our task.”
    “Anatoly, I wish I could remember what this is all about,” Michael replied. He turned to Karina and said, “And I wish I could remember us, I do vaguely and I know we had something, but it’s the strangest thing to have bits of memory but also feel I’m looking at a stranger.” Michael looked back at Anatoly and continued, “Whatever you’re about to share with me, I will listen and I pray it will bring