Replaceable: An Alan Lamb Thriller (20 page)

I nodded. “How’d you know?”

“Just a vibe. I suppose you thought long and hard about it.”

“Hard enough.”

“I’m not gonna try talking you out of it. When it’s time, it’s time. Know what you’re gonna do?”

I shook my head. He didn’t look surprised. Then he handed me a brochure. A
paper
brochure. With everything being digital or holographic, you didn’t see something like that every day. I glanced at the front of it. There was a picture of a rocket blasting off, with the words AN OUT OF THIS WORLD EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOU in big bold letters written across the top.

“What’s this?”

Burnell shrugged. “Your future.
Maybe.
I’m no hero, but I’ve still got pull with a few folks. If you’re interested, I’ll put in the good word for you.”

I did my best to mask my excitement. I folded the brochure in half and stuffed it into my pocket. I offered Burnell my hand and he shook it. I fumbled for words. “It’s been…”

“Save it, kid. I’m no good at goodbyes.”

I never saw Burnell again.

About the Author
J.W. Bouchard is
a horror, crime, science fiction, and children’s fantasy author best known for his novels
Last Summer
and
The Z Club
. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys surveying unexplored parts of Wind Cave in South Dakota, traveling to exotic locales, and teaching his kids bad habits. He lives in Iowa.

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