Sea of Salt (Salt of the Earth Book 2)

Consequence, and the Price of Discovery

The Arlo’s mission changed everything. What began as a desperate bid for survival has made Salt Industries one of the most powerful forces on Earth—and one of the most hunted. Governments maneuver for control, criminal empires close in, and the Yamaguchi yakuza enters a conflict that is rapidly escalating beyond human limits.

At the center lies naomium, a resource capable of reshaping civilization or destroying it entirely. As alliances fracture and loyalties are tested, Blake finds himself increasingly alone, questioning where he stands in a world driven by power and profit. Meanwhile, Marshall and Justin are pulled in different directions, each forced to confront what this new reality demands of them.

But the greatest threat may not come from Earth.

Beneath the frozen ocean of Enceladus, an alien civilization—the Lantians—has been watching humanity’s rise. As naomium pushes the world toward the brink, their presence raises a chilling question: are they observers, protectors, or something far more dangerous?

The sea is no longer silent, and what lies beneath may decide the fate of humanity.

Discover what happens when ambition collides with the unknown—start reading Sea of Salt today.

Excerpt from the book

The rectangular modular building seemed out of place near the back of a box canyon looking out on hundreds of square miles of nothing but sand sagebrush that was interrupted by a random sprinkling of stubby juniper trees common to the region. The building had white vinyl siding on the exterior walls with bright green trim around the two multi-paned windows that framed the single doorway into the building. The roof was covered in gray shingles. The white vinyl reinforced skirting confirmed that it was some sort of mobile home. White vinyl was not the best choice of color. Although the building was obviously new, the vinyl was coated with the red dust of the nearby sandstone bluffs. The single dirt road that was crisscrossed with ATV tracks was blowing up a cloud of dust as a vehicle was racing up the single lane that was pitted with chuckholes and treacherous rock outcroppings.

If anyone was in the building, they did not seem to notice the vehicle approaching. The quad cab, short-bed truck scattered gravel and dirt as it arrived at the circular dirt drive that fronted the building. The color of the truck was lost in the encrusting dust that covered the body and most of the windshield.

The doors of the truck flew open, and a short thirty-something man jumped out of the driver side. He had black hair and a dark complexion of indeterminate race. The woman who dropped nimbly from the passenger side was about the same height, with long black hair, and definite Asian features. She yelled across the hood of the truck, “That is the last time I let you drive me anywhere. Give me the keys.”

“We’re in a hurry,” Marshall grumbled as he pocketed the keys.

“In a hurry to die?” Naomi growled. She moved around the truck and reached as if to take Marshall’s hand.

Marshall reached out, then exclaimed in pain, “Ouch!”

Naomi twisted Marshall’s index finger, repeating quietly, “Keys, please.”

The door stained with red sandstone dust cracked open briefly as someone peered out, then threw open the door. “Hey, what are you two doing here?” Dr. Blake Hilst was about the same height as Marshall Salt, but slight of build. He had blond hair and blue eyes that were dancing in amusement.

“We’re here to recover a best man,” Naomi let go of Marshall’s finger and put her hands on her hips. “What are you still doing here? The wedding is in the morning.”

“I’m busy,” Blake blushed. “I’ve almost got this worked out and can’t really walk away from an experiment.”

“You can walk away from a physics experiment. You can turn it on and off like a light switch,” Marshall challenged, then smiled slyly, “Unless it is a biology experiment you’re working on. Who’s in there with you?”

“Nobody,” Blake frowned. “No one at all.” He turned and walked back into the building.

Marshall and Naomi looked at each other knowingly and followed Blake inside. The floor creaked as they walked across it. The lab was off the grid, but the hum of equipment made it clear that it had plenty of power. “So how is it coming? Blown up any mountains today?” Marshall mused as he looked at the lab equipment set up.