HarbingerNova Online #3 Alex Knight Editor: Brook Aspden-Li Copyeditor: Laura Hughes Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Epilogue Afterword More LitRPG from Portal Books Acknowledgments About the Author Join the Group Chapter One “So, let’s talk.” Thorne spoke the words but Kaiden still didn’t believe they weren’t some sort of trick. How could they not be when they came from the very woman who’d hounded them all this time? The Party agent who’d hunted them in Nova and in the real world. Who’d gone after their families. Who’d nearly caught them in that fateful raid on the resistance bunker. She’d been their greatest enemy from day one. A direct manifestation of everything that was wrong with the Party. Kaiden looked over to Zelda. She was frowning, still angry, but something else too. Confusion, maybe? Or suspicion? Titus’ feelings were clear. Fists balled and eyes wide, he looked like he was about to step into a boxing ring, about to fight for his life. Which, considering the circumstances, he probably was. They all were, seeing as they were trapped in a van with Captain Ava Thorne herself. This is a trick. It has to be. “You expect us to believe you’re here to switch sides? Just like that?” He shook his head. “No way.” Thorne sighed. “This looks crazy to you. Believe me, I know. But if I weren't genuine, why haven't I arrested you already? Why play games?” She nodded to the database behind Zelda. “The Party’s willing to kill for that. Do you really think you’d still be holding it if I'd come with them?” “She... has a point?” Kaiden said, none too happy to admit it. “I don’t care if she has a point. She’s with the Party,” Titus growled. “There’s nothing complicated about this. Either she has police waiting outside to take us in or she’s bluffing to buy time until they get here.” “Time. Right,” Thorne said as if she’d just remembered something. “This van is barely shielded. My handheld console picked up your signature as soon as I was within a mile. The police have much better equipment. We need to turn off those VR headsets, disconnect from the internet, and get moving. We need to get somewhere safe and somewhere rural.” ‘We’? What ‘we’? “There’s no ‘we’ about this,” Kaiden said. “There’s us and there’s you.” “We don’t have time for this.” A hint of anger crept into Thorne’s voice. “A friend tipped me off that you were here but information like that doesn’t stay quiet for long. The police are likely already on their way. It’d be best not to be here when they arrive.” Kaiden peered out one of the front windows, but saw nothing out of place. This doesn’t make any sense. “What are you playing at?” Thorne let out an exasperated groan, then started talking rapidly. “While hunting you three, I’ve seen a side of the Party that I didn’t know existed – wouldn’t have believed existed had I not seen it for myself. Commander Moran, Agent Werner, and I don’t know how many others, are running things behind the scenes. A shadow government, a secret oligarchy – call it what you will, but they’re in control and I’m worried there’s no line they won’t cross to keep things that way. We already saw what they’re capable of when they took your parents,” she said with a quick nod toward Zelda. “And that’s hardly the worst of it. That’s why we have to move. You three can’t get caught. That database can’t fall into Party hands. There’s so much more at stake than I ever realized.” “My parents?” Zelda said, speaking up for the first time. Her expression was pained, suspicious. “They’re dead,” Titus growled. “Because of the Party.” “No,” Thorne cut him off. “They were taken into custody just before the bombing. They’re in prison, but I don’t know which one.” Hold up – what? Kaiden recoiled at the news. Zelda visibly balked. “Playing games with my emotions isn’t helping your case,” she said, her words dripping with venom. “You don’t trust me. I get it, and I don’t blame you. But we do not have time for this.” Thorne reached for her pistol. This was a trick! She’s attacking! Kaiden made to lunge forward, but the weapon was already drawn. Except she wasn’t pointing it at him, nor at Titus or Zelda. Instead, it was pointed down at the floor. As Kaiden watched in disbelief, she reversed her hold on it, then held it out toward him, grip first. Titus lunged forward and snatched it up. He flicked the safety off and the pistol came to life with a high-pitched whine as he turned it on Thorne. She held up her now-empty hands. “You have the database. Now you have my weapon too. I have no leverage over you anymore. I won’t ask that you trust me right now, but I will ask that you listen. For your sake as well as mine, we need to move.” A knock on the van’s back door made Kaiden near jump out of his skin. “Police! Open up!” Titus cursed and jerked the gun toward the door. “That’ll be her backup.” “No, no!” Thorne whispered, then waved for everyone to stay quiet. “I got this.” “I’ll get us out of here,” Kaiden said, then crept toward the driver’s seat. How many police were outside? How long could Titus hold them off? Could he hold them off? And what about the database? They had to hide it before— The groan of the rear door opening echoed through the van. Light flooded in, but only a crack as Thorne kept the door mostly closed. She pressed her face to the gap. “Metro police, ma’am. I need to search this
