Pale Horse (A Project Eden Thriller) Read Online Free PDF

TIME
     
    T HE DECADES IT had taken Project Eden to move from an idea for a better world to the actual Implementation Day had been wisely spent in preparation. With a goal as large as theirs, it was vitally important that every detail was well thought out.
    One of the priorities on the list was the creation of storage facilities to ensure that those chosen to restart humanity would have the supplies they needed to guarantee their survival through the transition. The depots were spread across the world, and were designed to serve the dual purpose of storing the supplies, and acting as a shelter for Project members during the unfortunate but necessary step of killing off over ninety-nine percent of mankind.
    It wasn’t that the members needed the facility to avoid contracting the KV-27a virus—all had been vaccinated—but after the release of the disease, there would likely be a period of chaos until the pandemic burned itself out. It was believed this would not last for more than a month, meaning those taking refuge in the depots would barely make a dent in the storage supply.
    Depot NB219 was located just north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. By all appearances, it was just another farm along the Rio Grande. If the local population had been given a tour of the facility, they would have been shocked to find out how much of the place was actually underground.
    Due to its remote location, on Implementation Day NB219 was one of the least populated facilities, with only forty-three Project members using the living quarters. One of those present was the Project’s primary fixer, a man named Perez. His status as the Project Eden directors’ golden boy made him not only the highest-ranking member at the depot, but the second highest of all members not currently at Bluebird. So while he didn’t immediately insist on taking over for NB219’s facility director, he did make sure he was involved in every decision.
    When the hour of implementation approached, he joined Director Kane and his assistant Claudia Lindgren in the main conference room to monitor the events.
    There were some tense moments when the hour came and went without any reports that activation had occurred. Then, nearly five minutes late, a message appeared on the television screen:
     
    ACTIVATION COMPLETE
     
    Soon after that, news started to trickle in from spotters scattered around the globe that the IDMs were going live.
    Kane smiled broadly. “I think we should break out the champagne.”
    Claudia rose from her chair and pulled a bottle of Dom Perignon out of the small refrigerator along the wall. She grabbed three glasses from a nearby cabinet, and returned to the table.
    As she popped the cork and started to pour, Perez said, “None for me.”
    Kane’s smile slipped a little. “Are you sure? It’s a special occasion.”
    “I’m sure.”
    The director looked like he didn’t know what to do.
    “I’ll have one with you,” Claudia said. She held a glass out to the director.
    With a weak smile in Perez’s direction, Kane raised it in the air. “To the new beginning.”
    “The new beginning,” Claudia repeated.
    They both took a drink.
    Perez’s refusal to join them had not been any kind of anti-alcohol stand, nor was it based on the fact it was still morning. As someone who had routinely killed people for the Project, he clearly understood the sacrifice the rest of the world was about to make. To him, celebrating that was beyond inappropriate. But he said nothing.
    As it approached ten thirty, he watched the monitor for the expected follow-up message from Bluebird. When it didn’t come on time, he thought perhaps it would be delayed the same amount of time as the activation message.
    But five minutes passed with nothing. Then six. Then seven.
    “Are we still online?” he asked.
    Kane, red-cheeked from the two glasses of champagne he’d already downed, leaned toward the monitor. “I, uh, think so. Yes, I believe we are. Is something wrong?”
    If