Title Virtually Timeless
Author Casi McLean
Genre High-Tech Crime, Women Sleuth, Crime Thriller, Medical Thriller
Publisher Casi McLean, Inc
Book Blurb:
From USA Today bestselling author, Casi McLean, Virtually Timeless is a gripping techno-thriller, in a world where getting away with murder can be not only plausible, but easy…if you just know how. Part of a multi-author series tied together by an interlocking cast of characters, these stories will lure you into the fantastic world of high technology and the endless possibilities for crime technology offers.
When Atlanta-based twins, Sydney and Noah Monaco, mysteriously inherit property eight-hundred miles away, their curiosity prompts them to investigate the bequest.
Noah flies to Connecticut to check out the estate and stumbles upon a confused woman wandering through the forest. His medical instincts kick-in but helping her spirals him into the crosshairs of dangerous criminals out for revenge.
When he fails to connect at the specified time, Sydney’s private-eye impulse slides into gear. She finds her brother, but the search exposes a hidden chamber, an ancient artifact, and a decade-old crime, thrusting them down a rabbit-hole of mayhem, medical mystery, and murder.
To solve the case, characters from other volumes of this high-tech series come in to lend a hand. In order to get answers before the villains catch up to them, the twins use cutting-edge technology to unravel the mystery of both cases and how they are connected.
Excerpt:
Shifting to the side, Sydney thrust an arm around BW and drew her close. “Look at me.”
BW turned toward Syd, a panicked stare twisting her features.
Syd’s right forefinger jerked to her lips. “Shhh.” Used to seeing weapons drawn, Sydney’s intuition snapped into gear. But she knew BW had no such experience and with what the girl had already been through, she needed reassurance. Syd placed her hands on the girl’s cheeks. “You trust me, right?”
BW nodded.
“Good. So, listen closely. I saw at least two armed figures slinking around the house. They’re in the back yard, so we have a chance to sneak out the front door to the cars. Now.” Briefly raising her gaze toward Noah, she intensified her stare, begging him to listen to her plan as well.
He replied with a quick nod.
Her gaze returned to BW. “We have no way of knowing who, how many, or where they’re positioned around the house, but the figures I saw had drawn firearms, which means danger. Without weapons, we’re at their mercy––unless we escape immediately.” She held up a hand, the rental car keyring encircling her middle finger. “This key goes to the black Camry on the left. Noah will slip out first.” She cast a glance toward her brother. “Keep low and head for the back seat of my vehicle. At the airport, I noticed the interior lights don’t automatically turn on when I opened the back doors, so the intruders won’t be alerted, unless you make noise.”
Facing BW, she squeezed her shoulder. “You go next. Once you’re inside, pull the doors to a close quietly. Then, both of you crouch down as low as you can. When I open that driver side door, the light will burst through the darkness. I’ll need to hit the ignition and accelerate at once, so grab hold of something secure and hang on.” She scanned the front yard for movement but this time, saw nothing.
“Hopefully, whoever was outside planned their assault through the rear entrance and now they’re waiting for us to fall asleep.”
Noah nudged BW. “We’ve got this, right?”
She nodded. “Let’s go… now, before they make their move.”
Sydney patted her sweatshirt to make sure she secured the amulet in the zipped pouch then tiptoed toward the front entrance. She slowly turned the knob and pulled-open the door just enough to slide through. With a hand, she motioned for Noah to go, then watched as he crouched and shuffled toward the rear of the car. She prayed no one else was watching him. Once she saw him slip inside, she tapped BW’s shoulder, coaxing her to follow Noah. At last, Syd crawled out the door and pulled it slowly to a close, hoping the hinges wouldn’t squeak, and crept to the driver’s side of the car. A chill, totally unrelated to the cool evening breeze, slithered around her.
The full moon cast an eerie glow along the edge of the forest and between the shadows but lit the landscape enough for her to peer into the car and see the dashboard. Drawing in the cold air, she held her breath. Now or never. Tightening her grip on the key, she gazed through the window toward the ignition.
In one fluid motion, she opened the door and lunged into the car, aiming the key straight into the ignition. A quick turn engaged the motor. Pressing the accelerator, she slammed the shifter into gear. Engine roaring, the car jerked as the tires spun, spitting gravel in their wake. Sydney gripped the steering wheel, yanking it hard to the right. The car swirled around then shot down the gravel driveway toward the edge of the forest and the darkness beyond.
Behind them, a gunshot rang out. Then another… and another. In a heartbeat, the trio fell under a bullet barrage cascading from the forest glen, lighting the night like a storm of deadly explosive fireflies. When the rear and back side windows shattered, Syd intuitively covered her head with an arm and cringed. Some things you never get used to. Whoever wanted BW, had hella-gunpower at their fingertips. “Holy Hell.” Syd swerved side-to-side in an evasive maneuver until she hit the woods. Flipping on the headlights, she scudded down the long driveway, scattering gravel from both sides of the vehicle.
The gun spray ceased, but before Syd could breathe a sigh of relief, two lights blinked on in her rearview mirror and mimicked her every move. Pressing the accelerator to the floor, she sped forward to put some distance between her and what appeared to be a black van, tailing them. “Stay down, you two. Someone’s following us. I’m trying to lose ’em but this road twists and turns so much I could spin out if I go any faster. Damn, BW. You must have pissed-off the wrong person.”
When she could see the asphalt highway ahead, Syd yanked the steering wheel to the right. The rear end skidded into the turn. A burnt rubber odor flooded the car. Again, Syd peered into the mirror, this time seeing only a trail of tire treads beneath a cloud of dust. Flooring the pedal, she sped forward until the threat of being tailed ended. “You guys can get up now. I’m pretty sure we lost whoever followed us.”
“Good God, Syd. Where did you learn to drive like that?” Noah struggled to settle into the back seat.
She chuckled. “Evasive training from a good friend. Remind me to thank Wes Watley. He taught me that maneuver.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the girl still cowering on the floor, her arms crossed protecting her head. “You okay, BW?”
“I’m… not… sure.”
Her breathless voice alerted Syd. “Help her up, Noah. Make sure she didn’t catch a stray bullet.”
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Author Biography:
USA Today & Amazon Best Selling Author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense. Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can't put down. Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious, hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires, then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. With suspenseful settings and lovable characters you'll devour, you'll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You'll swear time travel could happen, be mystified by other worldly images, and feel the heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you'll want more.
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