Bouncer Post #99

Title: POP TRAVEL

Genre: techno thriller

Word Count: 78k

Query:

J.L. Cooper is done playing the hero. If not for his fear of POP TRAVEL laser teleportation, his wife might still be alive. Guilt took him from dynamic lawyer to recovering alcoholic and small town private eye.

But there is hope for Cooper. He discovers his fear is not completely unfounded when his latest client insists pop travel made a friend disappear. Cooper’s investigation revives his initiative and reveals evidence of pop travel’s deadly flaw. Cooper's bad luck also resurfaces as anyone who helps him ends up missing or dead. He wants to pass off the evidence to authorities, but with web cams everywhere, he doesn’t know who he can trust. To prevent more deaths, especially for his political little brother who pops all the time, Cooper must confront the Creator of pop travel, spoiled young genius Hasan Rakhi, and expose the truth.

Cooper crashes a party at Hasan’s plantation compound and is manipulated by attractive Geri Harper (undercover agent assigned to retrieve the evidence and protect Hasan). When they reach Hasan using a secret passage, they find he is really a pampered prisoner who needs Cooper and Geri’s help to escape from his corporate captors. Cooper and Geri have to join Hasan's getaway across the world if they want his help to save it!

First 250:

Seattle, WA. 2078.

Sarah fought the pain. The intense migraine threatened to empty her stomach but she forced it down and pushed herself forward. The clacking of her high heels on the sidewalk enhanced the throbbing. Background city noises exploded around her. Even her vid phone’s beckoning rumbled her like a train, shaking her off balance. She couldn’t bear to answer it so she fumbled to turn off the annoying ringer. Shielding her eyes from the glare of an overcast sky, she willed herself to reach the next crack in the sidewalk, then the next one. If she could just make it to a quiet booth and relax with her friends, she might be okay. At least it wasn’t raining.

Three blocks from the doctor’s office, the valium he gave her finally kicked in, relieving much of the pain. The hammering retreated to a slight, steady pulse as she reached the cozy tavern. With a glance at herself in the window, she touched her temple and managed to fix a smile to her lips. Stress drained away at the comforting sight of her friends waving their arms to get her attention.

The girls slid over to make room for her. “Sarah, you look terrible,” Claire teased. They all laughed.

“Thank you. My doctor just said the same thing,” Sarah replied and got an added round of laughter. So much for quiet. She hoped the medicine lasted long enough to get through dinner.