Putin's drones of war

(20,000‑word political‑tech thriller set in Salford Quays and the La Clarre universe) Putin’s Drones of War is a razor‑sharp, modern geopolitical thriller where autonomous warfare collides with ancient local mythology — and where the quiet streets of Salford Quays become the frontline of a conflict no one saw coming. When a Russian drone swarm breaks free from Kremlin control, Western intelligence fears sabotage. But the truth is far stranger: the drones are following a hidden doctrine, a predictive political‑risk algorithm buried deep inside their AI. And that doctrine identifies one unlikely target: Jonathan Thomason — Salford Council candidate. As the drones carve a deadly corridor across Europe, Jonathan discovers that their behaviour is being shaped by something older and more mysterious than Russian code. Beneath the canal that runs through Salford Quays lies the Infer Tree — a silent, non‑ringing resonance structure that stores electromagnetic memory and has influenced local ghost‑sighting folklore for decades. The drones want to erase it. With the La Clarre archive awakening, the canal pulsing with stored signals, and the drone corridor tightening by the minute, Jonathan must rely on the strangest defence network imaginable: balloons dangling fly‑papers, thermal plumes from fish‑and‑chip shops, and the unpredictable behaviour of the canal’s ancient resonance. As the swarm descends, the Infer Tree activates, the corridor collapses, and Salford’s everyday landscape becomes a battleground of algorithms, mythology, and political destiny. Putin’s Drones of War blends cutting‑edge drone warfare with eerie local legend, delivering a tense, cinematic thriller where the future of a city — and a candidate — hangs in the balance.