Gary Starta's Blog - Posts tagged "mulder"

Caitlin Diggs
An FBI Agent's Journal
'Blood Web'

I am brazen. I make decisions with my gut. I also happen to own the best conviction rate in the FBI. You wouldn't think I would be torn between grief and rage. Well I am. You see my partner and lover, Geoffrey McAllister, was killed in a sting operation a few months back and now I am desperate to find those responsible. But first I have to stop a serial killer supposedly empowered by a mysterious arrowhead shaped crystal - and that's becoming a problem - because I'm distracted. I'm seeing Geoffrey's death in my dreams - or should I say - nightmares. I see how he was killed - the vivid imagery haunts my waking hours - yet I cannot see the faces of the men responsible. I experience his pain, his anguish and most of all - his anger. I believe the FBI director knew Geoffrey would die in the sting. Somehow I feel Geoffrey realized this as well in his dying moments.

So now I try to pick up the pieces. Get on with my life. Take a new partner. But I already foresee conflict. Deondra Rivers is a rookie and her area of expertise is biochemistry. Under different circumstances her talents might be very useful in capturing our 'paranormal' killer. But here's the thing: Deondra Rivers doesn't believe in the paranormal - or keeping an open mind for that matter. I even suspect she thinks I am unstable. I have to admit my recent behavior does lend credibility to this 'theory.' Nevertheless, we're a team now. I have to forget about Geoffrey - for the moment. Forget about my haunting dreams and the killer's faces who remain masked in shadows - because right now a teen drifter is killing people, possibly even feeding on them to sustain his parasite - a crystal arrowhead he found in his travels.

A Cheyenne man tells me the crystal helped to save lives during the Sand Creek Massacre in the 19 th century. But now its ambition is twisted. It only seeks death because the world we live in is corrupt, polluted and diseased. I can only hope to return the crystal back to its hiding place - to put it back in its dormant state. Yet forensic reports tell me this will be quite difficult. The crystal seems to latch onto its hosts using them to create a biological Internet to track its victims. Still, I must take possession of it. Even it means my life. This is my job and despite losing Geoffrey - it always will be.

Read the whole story in Blood Web...

The adventure continues in Extreme Liquidation, June 2009...

http://www.garystarta.net

See my newest novel, Extreme Liquidation at http://www.lyricalpress.com

New novel Extreme Liquidation out now
http://www.lyricalpress.com

Sci fi fans, please check out my newest novel, Extreme Liquidation, available at:

http://www.lyricalpress.com


A novel packed with conspiracy, paranormal happenings and misuse of fringe science. Extreme Liquidation continues the adventures of FBI Special Agent Caitlin Diggs who now possesses psychic abilities. But will it empower her to stop the evil occultist Aleister Crowley who has reincarnated himself as the FBI Director?

See more at Fictionwise.com and Lyrical Press...

Psychotropic drugs, conspiracy, paranormal happenings...

Extreme Liquidation, a new sci fi novel is now available at lyricalpress.com

Extreme Liquidation by Gary Starta
Copyright 2009 Lyrical Press, Inc.


Rivers confirmed she had access to the ledge. Diggs advised her to steer clear of the window until instructed. Gingerly stepping toward the open aperture, Diggs began to speak.

"Gregory Salinger, this is FBI Special Agent Caitlin Diggs. I'm a friend of Assistant Director Dudek. He sent me here to talk to you. Please try to relax."

A tense moment passed before Salinger answered. "My life has been taken away from me, Agent Diggs. I'm sorry we had to meet under such trying circumstances. I consider a friend of Andrew...a friend of mine, but you and I know there isn�t any other way out of this."

"Why do you feel this way?" Diggs fired back the question simply to maintain communication, believing Salinger would elaborate about how he let America down as Homeland Security chief.

His response surprised her. All he could talk about was his wife, Carrie.

"Maybe she could forgive an affair, but Carrie would never condone murder. I can't go back because of what my wife will think of me. I could live with the wrath of the public, do a jail term, maybe even become a dead man walking on death row, but I can't live another moment knowing I foolishly betrayed my Carrie."

Although Diggs could barely see him, she had heard the desperation in his voice. The despicable act he had committed made Salinger realize his marriage meant more than any job. Diggs recalled the powerful emotions she had experienced upon losing McAllister. Theorizing love might send Salinger off the ledge at any moment, she whispered her orders into the phone, instructing Agent Rivers to crawl out on the ledge.

"Director Salinger, I want you to stand very still. Another friend of A.D. Dudek's is coming out to see you. Don't be alarmed. She's here to talk to you."

Rivers cleared the window and froze, unable to rise off her haunches. The throng of people below suddenly reminded her of a collective waterfall, waiting to swallow her and Salinger whole. Her mind raced. Agent Diggs never suggested what she should say. She searched her soul, praying gut instinct might actually give her the right words. Rising from her crouch position, she slowly put a hand on the building's fa�ade to maintain her balance. Salinger stood no more than two meters away from her now. Instinct told her she must act now. She blurted out the first words she could think of.

"I think I know Carrie from how dearly you speak of her, Mr. Salinger. She sounds like quite a woman. You should consider Carrie's feelings. I think she would want to see you again despite your actions. I also believe further investigation might conclude you were coerced into behaving the way you did. People forgive, Mr. Salinger. Women can forgive. Trust my woman's intuition. I think you�ll see living is the best course to take." Rivers bit her lip, forcing her eyes away from the crowd below. Her right palm dug against concrete. She knew with all her soul she would never jump to her death, no matter how bad things got. At the same time, she hoped her impromptu speech hadn�t come off like some lines in a movie -- or worse, the stale rhetoric of psychiatry.

Diggs reinforced her partner's plea, leaving Salinger no time to argue.

"Listen to Agent Rivers, sir. She has been in contact with Carrie. She wants you to come inside."

Diggs waited desperately for an acknowledgement. She had lied to Salinger, but believed Carrie would have said the same thing, given the chance.

Outside, Rivers panted for air, fighting a severe case of anxiety.

Salinger turned to her in one surreal motion, the way people seem to move in and out of focus in a dream. Deondra became consumed with this living nightmare, fearing the director might call their bluff and ask to see Carrie personally.

Salinger only mumbled catatonically. "Yes, it�s the best course of action. I now see that." His eyes turned clouded and unfocused. Rivers stretched her arm toward him. From the window, Diggs could see the director was fast becoming incoherent. She spied a pole behind his head.

"Mr. Salinger, please grab the flagpole behind you. Agent Rivers will then assist you so you can come inside, so you can see your wife again."

A scene flashed through Salinger�' mind. He saw himself murdering Alyssa. He heard his rant, how he accused his wife during the struggle. He witnessed the anger taking complete control. And when he saw himself holding Alyssa's severed head in his hand, he heard the voices of paranoia buzz about his brain. He realized he would still have to deal with whoever had set him up. Maybe these people would harm Carrie. He began to stammer, ignoring Diggs�s command.

"It�s the best course of action for us all. Come with me, Agent Rivers. You'll be safe from them. Forever."

He pulled Rivers's arm as if it were a rope, sweat pouring off his brow despite the frigid temperature. Rivers lurched forward, screaming. Diggs shouted over the roar of the crowd below.

"Agent Rivers, grab the flagpole!"

Rivers right arm swung haphazardly at the protruding iron rod above her. It was within reach, only a half foot away. Her forearm banged against it. Salinger wrapped his hands about her waist in the same instant. A torrential flood of sweat was spilling off Salinger's arms now. With her free hand, Rivers tried to pry his slippery hands off her. Salinger lost his bear-hug-like hold, but only for an instant.

Diggs screamed again for Rivers to take hold of the pole, realizing Salinger was a lost cause to whatever demonic influence had commanded him to murder. She launched herself onto the adjacent ledge while Rivers and Salinger engaged in a precarious dance with death. They swayed back and forth as if the ledge was a ballroom dance floor.

Salinger continued to plead with Rivers. "Come with me. I really don't want to go alone."

Special Agent Caitlin Diggs believes her boss, the director of the FBI, planned the murder of her partner and lover. What's worse, the director now might be under the control of a dead occultist named Aleister Crowley who is planning to liquidate humanity.

See my new new sci fi novel...Extreme Liquidation at Lyrical Press...

http://www.lyricalpress.com/extreme_liqu...

Gary Starta

My Review of Extreme Liquidation (A Caitlin Diggs Novel: Book Two) by Gary Starta ©2009 (Lyrical Press, Incorporated http://www.lyricalpress.com)

I haven’t read Blood Web, the first installment in the Caitlin Diggs series, but that didn’t keep me from following the plot of Extreme Liquidation with no problem. Although Starta alludes to Book One at times, often to demonstrate more of FBI Agent Caitlin Diggs’ psychic gifts from the past, you won’t be lost, for it’s to embellish the storyline in Book Two. Therefore, it’s easy to catch the gist of what happened before and to understand Book Two more thoroughly. I won’t go into precisely what they are or how items like a crystal and a robe can both aid and mislead federal agent Caitlin Diggs, but suffice it to say, that their roles, as McGuffins of sorts, are well thought out and believable in a willing suspension of disbelief/belief kind of way. The meaning of the title, Extreme Liquidation, is fully revealed on p. 112, but to avoid a spoiler alert, I’ll just say that it refers to the evil plot of Aleister Crowley, reincarnated into another male character, to exterminate all humankind for his own selfish gain. Furthermore, reincarnation also plays a part in one of the female character’s lives, as she was also a former deity in the past; in fact, that revelation caused me to gasp out loud while reading. Yes, it’s that good.
The character development is great. And, I particularly enjoy a novel with a strong female protagonist; in this case, Caitlin Diggs. Plus, another female character is played by a cat named Celeste. She’s no ordinary cat; she actually aids Caitlin and her sister throughout the novel in various ways. In addition, the relationship between Caitlin and her sister, Tara, is well-developed, and the blossoming romantic relationship between Caitlin and Ross Fisher is believable.
There are a lot of cutting edge scientific facts mixed with fiction in this novel of 204 pages, but Starta does a great job of keeping even former English majors like myself, who steered clear of science as much as was possible, up to speed with easy-to-understand explanations. Moreover, his use of cutting-edge scientific facts, blended with his fiction so seamlessly, makes this supernatural/psychological thriller very believable. I could easily see this novel being adapted for a screen of some kind, perhaps in a television format like Fringe. For example, a couple of the topics covered are psychotropic drug development and schizaphysiology. Best of all, there’s a sense of continuity by connecting the past to the present and future through sacred geometry.
In closing, I highly recommend this novel. It’s available as an e-book at www.amazon.com or http://www.lyricalpress.com/gary_starta . Also, be sure to check out his other novels at http://www.garystarta.net and, to contact him by e-mail, write to him at ven123star@yahoo.com

G.L. Giles for Target Audience Magazine
www.TargetAudienceMagazine.com