Chapter 1: Execution Protocol

A cold autumn wind rattled the chain-link fence surrounding the execution yard. Twenty-six men in orange jumpsuits knelt in the dirt behind Cedar Hills Funeral Home, their breath turning to mist in the dawn light. State troopers stood like statues with rifles at the ready, their breath visible in the cool air.

Jason Mitchell's knees ached against the frozen ground. Three months ago, he'd been an accountant for Blackwood Energy Corp. until he'd found the secret bank accounts. Now his ex-girlfriend Sarah was sitting in the front row of the courtroom, holding hands with his old boss, Mr. Blackwood, as they sent him to his death.

He thought of his mother's dialysis appointments and his sister's two children. Better to take the blame than put them in danger. The cold barrel of the gun pressed against the back of his head shook slightly - even the executioner's hands weren't steady.

"Fire on my mark!" The commander's cry made Jason jump. Twenty-six rifle bolts clicked like breaking bones.

In his last second, Jason remembered the old street vendor who'd sold him a jade pendant last Christmas. "Recite these words when darkness comes," the man had said, taking Jason's last twenty dollars. The strange symbols on the pendant suddenly glowed in his mind - "Om mani padme hum.

Aftermath

Workers in hazmat suits moved through the execution yard. "Missed three bullets again," a guard complained, kicking gravel. "Who cares? Let's get some breakfast."

Under a flat rock, a deformed bullet glowed faintly. Inside it, Jason's mind raced. He could see the ghosts of other prisoners, fading in the sunlight like ice cubes on hot pavement. His orb prison kept him safe - for now.

The six magic words burned on the orb's surface like tiny flashes of lightning. Jason realized that the old man's chant had trapped his soul here. The morning sun crept closer to his hiding place. If the sunlight hit the orb, it would disappear forever.

"Think!" he told himself. The orb had come from Blackwood Energy's private prison factory. If he could reach their headquarters...

Suddenly, the bullet rolled sideways. A stray dog sniffed at the rock, pawing at the ground. Jason gathered all his willpower.

"Good boy," he thought to the dog. "Take me to town."

The mutt took the ball in its teeth and trotted toward the highway, tail wagging. Somewhere in the city, Mr. Blackwood's computer screen flickered.