SCREEN SH T screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 1 2/25/09 12:57:44 PM screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 2 2/25/09 12:57:44 PM SCREEN SH T A N O V E L J O H N D A R R I N CLEARWATER | FL | USA screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 3 2/25/09 12:57:45 PM S C R E E N S H O T Copyright © 2009 by John Darrin. All Rights Reserved. Published and printed in the United States of America by Kunati Inc. (USA) and simultaneously printed and published in Canada by Kunati Inc. (Canada) No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or used in any form or manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews and critical articles. For information, contact Kunati Inc., Book Publishers in Canada. USA: 13575 58th Street North, Suite 200, Clearwater, FL 33760-3721 USA Canada: 75 First Street, Suite 128, Orangeville, ON L9W 5B6 CANADA. E-mail: [email protected]. F I R S T E D I T I O N Designed by Kam Wai Yu Persona Corp. | www.personaco.com ISBN 978-1-60164-168-7 EAN 9781601641687 Fiction Published by Kunati Inc. (USA) and Kunati Inc. (Canada). Provocative. Bold. Controversial.™ http://www.kunati.com TM—Kunati and Kunati Trailer are trademarks owned by Kunati Inc. Persona is a trademark owned by Persona Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All events described herein are imaginary, including settings and characters. Any similarity to real persons, entities, or companies is purely coincidental and not intended to represent real places or living persons. Real brand names, company names, names of public personalities or real people may be employed for credibility because they are part of our culture and everyday lives. Regardless of context, their use is meant neither as endorsement nor criticism: such names are used fictitiously without intent to describe their actual conduct or value. All other names, products or brands are inventions of the author’s imagination. Kunati Inc. and its directors, employees, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and assigns disclaims any liability or responsibility for the author’s statements, words, ideas, criticisms or observations. Kunati assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Darrin, John. Screenshot : a novel / John Darrin. -- 1st ed. p. cm. Summary: “A techno-thriller that poses provocative questions about justice, revenge and the influence of Internet culture on modern ethics and morality”--Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-60164-168-7 (alk. paper) 1. Internet--Moral and ethical aspects--Fiction. 2. Executions and executioners--Fiction. I. Title. PS3604.A765S37 2009 813’.6--dc22 2008056140 screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 4 2/25/09 12:57:45 PM D E D I C A T I O N For Anne, of course. t t t A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S My son, Josh Darrin, for his plot ideas and technical expertise. My agent, Jacques de Spoelberch, for recognizing the possibilities and guiding the creation. The Deadly Prose Critique group for their contribution to my literary education, and especially Biman Nath and BJ Ryan for their detailed and helpful critiques. My publisher, Derek Armstrong and editor, James McKinnon, for their support of my work and their effots to improve it. t t t screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 5 2/25/09 12:57:45 PM 6 n JOHN DARRIN screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 6 2/25/09 12:57:45 PM Chapter One The First E-mail To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Extravagant retribution Message: At approximately 7 pm GMT today, Screenshot will present the first-ever, live Web execution. Click on the link below to view. Pay attention. The broadcast time is approximate. The image will appear just moments before the event. We’re having some fun now. http://kills.torchsense.com/imageclick/ CID=00000b7c79a99a5070cfg0 Seth Mathias The gunshot startled him. He hadn’t been expecting that. But an appropriate start to a live execution, he realized. The sound came from his computer speakers while he stared at the blank screen, expecting a visual alert before the show began. The noise was round and deep and over so fast he thought he might have imagined it. With almost no knowledge of guns, Seth guessed it was something big. It sounded like an impressive bullet. His screen brightened from the center out, like one of those SCREENSHOT n 7 screenShot-inside-8-printer.indd 7 2/25/09 12:57:45 PM