The Clark's of Northshire Bend

The Clarks of Northshire Bend A Prelude: Elite Alliance By Stephanie Nicole Norris Contents Copyright Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Sneak Peek Chapter 1 Other Books by Stephanie Nicole Norris About the Author Get VIP Access Note from the Publisher: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead or references to locations, persons, events, or locations is purely coincidental. The characters, circumstances, and events are imaginative and not intended to reflect real events. The Clarks of Northshire Bend Prelude Copyright 2022 Stephanie Nicole Norris Love is a Drug, Ink. All Rights Reserved and Proprietary. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or format without written permission from Author. Send all requests via email to [email protected]. To the lover in you. I hope you enjoy this introduction to The Clarks of Northshire Bend. One Malik Central Intelligence Agency - Virginia Blades from the Bell 212 helicopter whipped the air as the aircraft touched down at the CIA Headquarters heliport. Slipping out of the helicopter, Malik Anthony Clark adjusted his tie, slipped his hands inside his pockets, and strolled off the tarmac. It was a brutal scorching day in Virginia, but the heat from the sun's rays was the last thing on Malik’s mind. The double doors opened as he entered the CIA and was instantly hit with a blast of cool air. It didn’t take Malik long to be noticed once he’d swiped his badge and made it past initial security. One by one, eyes as far across the room as possible turned to stare, and while most of those were colleagues who looked up to Malik, some merely adored the presence of him. “Good morning, Mr. Clark. It’s nice to have you back.” Malik’s focus was interrupted as he glanced at Sharia Vine—a CIA operative who had had her eyes on him since the day she’d been hired four years ago. “Good morning, Ms. Vine.” “You can call me Sharia.” Her off-the-shoulder black hair jiggled when she’d turned to speak to him—her eyelashes batting, and her mouth curved into a smile. Malik’s lips spread into a courteous grin. He nodded in greeting, but didn’t interrupt his stroll as he headed to his office. A few feet away from his door, a throat cleared, and footsteps could be heard drawing closer to him. “Mr. Clark, you know it’s rude to slide past Sharia like that. After all, she has a thing for you.” Malik paused and glanced at Terry Matthews, one of his buddies who couldn’t take anything seriously. Malik had always wondered how Terry made it through his agent training. His opinion changed after seeing him in the field—he witnessed Terry’s demeanor shift drastically into a no-nonsense attitude. It was like night and day. Malik opened his mouth to respond, then glanced around him, noticing the curious eyes that pretended to be working, but were surely eavesdropping. Instead of responding, he pivoted and continued walking until he reached his office's tall brass and mahogany door. Malik swiped his badge, and the door unlocked, a breeze of cooled air slipping past him as he entered with Terry in tow. The door closed with a click, and immediately Terry started up again. “How did the mission go?” Terry swept his gaze over Malik. “You look….” Malik’s brow arched, his gaze scrutinizing Terry as he waited for him to finish that train of thought. Terry shrugged. “Rough.” “What gave it away?” Malik’s deep voice drummed. Terry shrugged again. “I don’t know…maybe it’s the unshaved beard and the afro.” Terry peered at his friend. “You didn’t have either of those when you left.” Malik chuckled, removed his suit jacket, and tossed it across the ergonomic black office chair. “You been here for two years now, Terry. This is not the first time you’ve seen me return from a mission.” “No. But you don’t usually look so unkempt.” Malik’s lips spread into another smile, and a light guffaw dropped from his mouth. He turned to open the blinds, letting in the sun, then slipped his hands in his pockets. Keeping his back to Terry, Malik responded. “It’s different in Mangier.” His voice lowered. “Trust me, nothing about it resembles the US.” “Yeah, but you’ve been in Afghanistan before, so—” “This isn’t Afghanistan, and while both countries reside in Asia, Mangier is…deadlier. There isn’t much time for shaving. Even when you think you’re alone, there could be eyes around. One would do well to remain focused.” A chill ran down Terry’s spine. “Deadlier?” “Yes.” Suddenly, Terry wondered what Malik had witnessed during his time in Mangier, Asia. His demeanor was different, a bit more intense than usual. “I’m sorry you had to go through that mission.” Malik turned to look at Terry, peering at him. “Why are you sorry?” “Because I’ve always believed in doing this job to protect the innocent people of our country. The ones who become casualties of war, whether that was physically or mentally. I consider you one of those people. Evil always wants something—to take over, have their demands met, and sacrifice lives in the name of some fictitious deity.” “Just because you think their deity is fictitious doesn’t mean they do. And sometimes their plans have nothing to do with a deity at all.” “That doesn’t make what they do any better.” “No…it doesn’t.” “So, I’m sorry because you should be having the time of your life, going out on the town, meeting a woman of your dreams, having babies, getting married, perhaps,” Terry grunted. “Not in that order, of course.” Malik chuckled, returning his gaze to the window. The truth was, there was a woman, someone he’d watched from the dark corners of her favorite lounge. It was a place she frequented—to practice, to have fun with her vocals. He found himself enamored with the variations of her voice every time she