Cybercrime, terrorism, and personal vulnerability collide in Deadly Odds 9.0 by Allen Wyler. This latest installment follows Arnold Gold as a quiet evening quickly unravels into a dangerous fight for survival, where every decision carries consequences and those closest to him become targets.

Synopsis

What begins as Arnold Gold’s first real date with trusted ally Kara Winston quickly shifts when his instincts warn him that something is wrong. Unknown to them, a patient and calculating terrorist named Rashidi has identified Kara as Arnold’s greatest weakness. As surveillance turns into direct threats, Arnold realizes the danger extends far beyond himself when someone attempts to poison his beloved dog, Chance.

At the same time, the foundation of Gold, Patel, and Associates begins to crack under growing internal tensions, leaving trusted relationships under strain just as outside threats intensify. While Arnold relies on SAM, his advanced AI network, to uncover those hunting him, he must also confront increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, hidden enemies, and the difficult balance between protecting the people he loves and stopping those determined to destroy them.

Amazon

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1—Seattle

Prickly spider tarsi skittered up Arnold Gold’s spine, causing his shoulders to scrunch together as the hair on the back of his neck became erect. Stopping in mid-sentence, he glanced over his left shoulder—as if he intuitively knew that was the only possible reason for such a strong sensation—but he only saw other diners and the familiar maître’d. Suddenly his eyes locked onto a darker skinned male hurrying toward the front door, the image triggering a sense of foreboding familiarity.

I know him.

Arnold stared at the space the man vacated as the visceral sense of danger subsided. Why did the fleeting image vise-grip his attention with a déjà vu familiarity and instinctive animal fear?

Did he know that person?

Naw, not possible.

Really?

Perhaps, but there needed to be a reason for such sphincterspasming sensations playing hide-and-seek with him these past few days?

“What’s wrong?” Kara asked, obviously alarmed.

Slowly he returned his attention to her. Overshadowed by the familiar restaurant clatter, the spine-scintillations faded like echoes in a canyon. Not just a passing glance—serious scrutiny. But like other episodes of the past few days, he’d seen nothing out of the ordinary when he looked.

He wasn’t just imagining them. They were as real as his right hand. Yet they continued to skitter in and out of consciousness, waxing and waning. His Spidey senses didn’t cry wolf often—they were damned canny.

“Arnold?”

After a quick headshake, he spoke.

“Naw, it’s nothing.” He instantly realized how insincere that sounded. “Really,” he added, and knew immediately he’d only made things worse.

Kara went through an exaggerated show of sniffing the air, then flashed a blatantly insincere smile before saying, “Smell that?”

Furrowing his brow, Arnold sniffed the air. “No. What are you talking about?”

“No? Really? Because I swear I smell bullshit.”

Poof. Just like that, the glow of his first honest-to-god date with Kara Winston evaporated.

As the background restaurant din settled heavily over their table, Arnold scrambled for words to salvage the evening, realizing that the longer he stayed mute, the deeper the hole got—and the harder it was to figure out what to say.

She gave a resigned sigh, then said, “Nothing? Seriously? You’re really a terrible liar, dude.”

Guilty as charged. It was precisely why he never played poker face to face—only online, where opponents could only see his cards.

Now what?

Tell her? Yeah, and sound totally whacko paranoid? Naw, that idea was a non-starter. And, as just proven, trying to bullshit wouldn’t fly. So, where did that leave him?

About the Author

Allen Wyler is a retired neurosurgeon who lives in Seattle.

Website