The Trigger Read Online Free PDF Page B

old friend. Emma grew up in ’Frisco.” Randall leaned toward the agent. “Have you asked Mr. Gains if he’s seen Emma? Are you doing your job? Because this, right now, is a waste of time.”
    McCullen stepped toward him, and their faces were only a foot apart. “I will find Emma and bring to justice the bastard who made her disappear.”
    Randall ignored the threat. No one would ever locate his wife. “Good. Go do it.” He walked away.
    Inside his house, he resisted the urge to watch out the window and make sure the agent drove away. He heard the sedan leave and felt his shoulders relax. Moments later he thought about Timothy Gains, and his tension returned. Randall hurried to his computer and googled him. He found several men with that name in SF, but none seemed connected to Emma. He remembered he had her phone and hurried to the safe in their bedroom closet. Along with ten thousand in cash, he kept two gold bars, the deeds to their properties, and now his wife’s cell phone. He was about to turn it on to read her texts and emails but hesitated. The feds would quickly pinpoint the phone’s location and know he had it.
    Why had he kept it? It was better not to think about what he’d done to his wife.
    He closed the safe and forced himself to put Emma out of his mind. He still had too many arrangements to make before they set everything in motion. Another trigger of his own was in development, and he had to connect with his non-local followers to finalize their plans. He hadn’t messaged them recently because he thought the FBI was watching him and monitoring his email and phone. This morning he’d gone into town and bought a prepaid cell phone with cash, so he could make calls without worry. He and his followers needed to be able to communicate instantly when it was time.
    Randall changed into grubby clothes and headed for the locker where they kept the explosives they would use on the bridges. He needed to reassure himself that they were ready. One thought kept playing in his mind.
How long would the collapse take?
That was a question they’d never had a good answer for. Randall didn’t trust Spencer’s financial and power-station cyber assaults to be destructive enough, so he was planning a supplemental
physical
attack on communication centers, such as internet hubs and tech companies in Silicon Valley. Keeping the plan from his brother had been stressful. Spencer was the one person he rarely lied to, and Randall wished he could tell him, but he worried that his brother would freak out and try to stop him. Spencer thought a financial collapse would be enough to cripple the industries that were doing the most environmental damage. But Randall wanted to ensure a global reset, so his followers around the world were on board and waiting for final instructions.
    He glanced out his bedroom window at the fields and storage buildings and wondered if it would be enough. Or would they run out of everything in five years and end up living like squatters and cavemen? Sometimes the alternate future scared him, but the idea of a fresh start always drew him back. He wanted to live in a society where he was a leader, a man sought for his knowledge and guidance. Where his political failures were long forgotten and the future always looked brighter than the present.
    As he left the house, he spotted Grace crossing her backyard. They had no fences, not around their yards or around the community. Openness was a key philosophy. He jogged over and said hello as she entered her workshop crammed with tools and electrical components.
    “Hey, Randall.” Grace turned and their eyes met on the same level. She was bigger and stronger and it bothered him. He had also failed to charm her like he did most other women.
    “Was that the FBI again?” she asked.
    “Yes. They found Emma’s car near the junction. It went off the road, but Emma and Tate weren’t in it.” He managed a sad, concerned look.
    “That means she’s probably