As he spoke, he pressed the ‘folio into Tremayne’s hand. Inside was a hard copy of her new orders. She tucked the leather ‘folio under her left arm and braced to attention once more. With a smile, Harper motioned for her to step back.
Then he turned his attention to Ashlyn Shaw who looked back at him in undisguised suspicion.
“As for you, Ash, you’ve done everything was asked and more,” the President continued. “Despite the way the previous Administration turned its back on you and your people, you put duty ahead of vengeance. You have lived up to everything a Marine, much less a Devil Dog, should be.” He stopped and grinned, enjoying himself. “You even proved that a Marine is more than capable of commanding a ship larger than an attack shuttle in battle. I hope you realize there are some in FleetCom considering changing things to allow permanent assignment of Marines as ship XOs and COs. I do believe there’s been some discussion of using you as the test subject.”
She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to when her expression said it all. He laughed for a moment before deciding to let her off the hook.
“Don’t worry. Not only have I told them I wouldn’t allow them to take you away from the Devil Dogs but General Okafor said she would turn the Devil Dogs lose on anyone who tried to take you from them.
“As much as I wanted to promote you to full bird colonel, General Okafor convinced me that you aren’t ready to accept another promotion. All that means is you are at the top of the promotions list for the next round of reviews So I’ll have to settle with pinning another medal on you and in telling you that you have the thanks of everyone in the System for your actions onboard the Nagato.
“Now,” he continued seriously. “For the moment, the Devil Dogs will be assigned to the Home System. This is a temporary assignment until your LAC elements are back up to full strength and your people have had a chance to heal up from their injuries. Once they have, you have one assignment. Take the battle to the enemy and don’t stop until the war is won and won decisively. Destroy the Callusions, Ashlyn, and then we will deal with the Midlothians.”
“Aye, Sir.” She crisply saluted, her expression serious but her eyes gleaming with the hunt.
“Now, in less than an hour, I will be addressing Congress. I will inform them of the evidence against Midlothian and asking them vote to negate all treaties we have with them. I will then close all transit routes to Midlothian traffic unless the vessel has been boarded and inspected by our people. Secretary Klingsbury will issue a full briefing packet come morning.”
Harper paused, looking each of his guests in the eye. Almost two years ago to the day, he had agreed to run for office. He had pledged then to defeat the Callusians. Little had he known it would turn into a war with Midlothian.
“I want each of you to be with me as I address Congress. Let the members of both Houses, as well as the public, see we mean business,” he continued and they each nodded in understanding and agreement. “We had best be on our way.”
With that, he led them out of the library. No one seeing the small procession could doubt their determination. But would it be enough to rally their allies the coming weeks, months, perhaps even years, as this new battle played out against Midlothian and their Callusian allies?
Dear God, please give us the strength to see this through, Harper prayed as they stepped into the lift that would carry them to the basement garage and the aircar waiting to whisk them to the Capital and a destiny none of them had ever wanted.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
When I started Vengeance from Ashes, the first book in the Honor and Duty series, I had envisioned the series consisting of three books. By the time I got to the second book, Duty from Ashes, I realized Ashlyn Shaw’s story arc could not be finished in just three books. Well, it could but the last book would turn out to be close to 200,000 words. That doesn’t seem like much in an e-book but in print it could be used as part of your weight training.
Honor from Ashes is the next to the last book in the series. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more stories in the Honor and Duty universe. There will be. I have at least two novellas planned, one of which will deal with the events leading up to Vengeance from Ashes. At least one novel focusing on Lucinda Ortega and Joss Donnelly is also planned. But those will come after Victory from Ashes.
Victory from Ashes should be published the first quarter of 2017.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m older than twenty and younger than death and that’s all you’ll get from me about my age. After all, it’s not polite to ask a woman how old she is. I’m a mother, a daughter and was a wife. I’ve spent most of my life in the South and love to travel. The only problem with that is my dog always thinks I’ve abandoned him when I do and it takes weeks to reassure the poor thing and my cat resents the fact I came back before he could figure out a way to kill the dog and hide the body. My house is haunted – it is, really. I swear it. What else explains the table that plays music and the light that comes on by itself? – but it’s mine and I love it. Okay, I’m a little strange. But that makes life interesting.
OTHER TITLES BY THE AUTHOR
If you enjoyed Nocturnal Challenge, please check out these titles.
NOCTURNAL ORIGINS
Nocturnal Lives, Book 1
Some things can never be forgotten, no matter how hard you try.
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Santos knows that bitter lesson all too well. The day she died changed her life and her perception of the world forever. It doesn’t matter that everyone, even her doctors, believe a miracle occurred when she awoke in the hospital morgue. Mac knows better. It hadn't been a miracle, at least not a holy one. As far as she’s concerned, that's the day the dogs of Hell came for her.
Investigating one of the most horrendous murders in recent Dallas history, Mac also has to break in a new partner and deal with nosy reporters who follow her every move and who publish confidential details of the investigation without a qualm.
Complicating matters even more, Mac learns the truth about her family and herself, a truth that forces her to deal with the monster within, as well as those on the outside. But none of this matters as much as discovering the identity of the murderer before he can kill again.
NOCTURNAL SERENADE
Nocturnal Lives, Book 2
Lt. Mackenzie Santos of the Dallas Police Department learns there are worst things than finding out you come from a long line of shapeshifters. At least that’s what she keeps telling herself. It’s not that she resents suddenly discovering she can turn into a jaguar. Nor is it really the fact that no one warned her what might happen to her one day. Although, come to think of it, her mother does have a lot of explaining to do when – and if – Mac ever talks to her again. No, the real problem is how to keep the existence of shapeshifters hidden from the normals, especially when just one piece of forensic evidence in the hands of the wrong technician could lead to their discovery.
Add in blackmail, a long overdue talk with her grandmother about their heritage and an attack on her mother and Mac’s life is about to get a lot more complicated. What she wouldn’t give for a run-of-the-mill murder to investigate. THAT would be a nice change of pace.
NOCTURNAL INTERLUDE
Nocturnal Lives, Book 3
Lt. Mackenzie Santos swears she will never take another vacation again as long as she lives. The moment she returns home, two federal agents are there to take her into custody. Then she finds out her partner, Sgt. Patricia Collins, as well as several others are missing. Several of the missing have connections to law enforcement. All are connected to Mac through one important and very secret fact -- they are all shapechangers. Has someone finally discovered that the myths and bad Hollywood movies are actually based on fact or is there something else, something more insidious at work?
Mac finds herself in a race against time not only to save her partner and the others but to discover who was behind their disappearances. As she does, she finds herself dealing with Internal Affairs,
dirty cops, the Feds and a possible conspiracy within the shapeshifter community that could not only bring their existence to light but cause a civil war between shifters.
NOCTURNAL CHALLENGE
Nocturnal Lives, Book 4
The one thing Lt. Mackenzie Santos had always been able to count on was the law. But that was before she started turning furry. Now she finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy to keep the truth from the public-at-large. She knows they aren't ready to learn that monsters are real and they might be living next door.
If that isn't enough, trouble is brewing among the shapeshifters. The power struggle has already resulted in the kidnapping and near fatal injury of several of Mac's closest friends. She is now in the middle of what could quickly turn into a civil war, one that would be disastrous for all of them.
What she wouldn't give to have a simple murder case to investigate and a life that didn't include people who wanted nothing more than to add her death to the many they were already responsible for.
NOCTURNAL HAUNTS (novella)
(Part of the Nocturnal Lives series)
Mackenzie Santos has seen just about everything in more than ten years as a cop. The last few months have certainly shown her more than she'd ever expected. When she's called out to a crime scene and has to face the possibility that there are even more monsters walking the Earth than she knew, she finds herself longing for the days before she started turning furry with the full moon.
SWORD OF ARELION
Sword of the Gods, Book 1
War is coming. The peace and security of the Ardean Imperium is threatened from within and without. The members of the Order of Arelion are sworn to protect the Imperium and enforce the Codes. But the enemy operates in the shadows, corrupting where it can and killing when that fails.
Fallon Mevarel, knight of the Order of Arelion, carried information vital to prevent civil war from breaking out. Cait was nothing, or so she had been told. She was property, to be used and abused until her owner tired of her. What neither Cait nor Fallon knew was that the gods had plans for her, plans that required Fallon to delay his mission.
Plans within plans, plots put in motion long ago, all converge on Cait. She may be destined for greatness, but only if she can stay alive long enough.
Written under the pen name Ellie Ferguson:
HUNTED
Hunter’s Moon, Book 1
When Meg Finley’s parents died, the authorities classified it as a double suicide. Alone, hurting and suddenly the object of the clan’s alpha's desire, her life was a nightmare. He didn’t care that she was grieving any more than he cared that she was only fifteen. So she’d run and she’d been running ever since. But now, years later, her luck’s run out. The alpha’s trackers have found her and they’re under orders to bring her back, no matter what. Without warning, Meg finds herself in a game of cat and mouse with the trackers in a downtown Dallas parking garage. She’s learned a lot over the years but, without help, it might not be enough to escape a fate she knows will be worse than death. What she didn’t expect was that help would come from the local clan leader. But would he turn out to be her savior or something else, something much more dangerous?
HUNTER’S DUTY
Hunter’s Moon, Book 2
Maggie Thrasher is looking for a man, not to love but to kill. Duty to her pride and loyalty to her family demands it. Joshua Volk has betrayed pride, pack and clan. All he cares about is destroying the old ways and killing anyone, normal or shape-changer, who gets in his way. Jim Kincade is dedicated to two things: upholding the law and protecting the pride from discovery. When Jim is called to the scene of a possible murder, the last thing he expects is to discover the alleged killer is a tracker from another pride. Now he’s faced with a woman who is most definitely more than she appears. Complicating matters even more, there’s something about her that calls to him and his leopard is determined to claim her for his own. Joshua Volk is looking for revenge. Maggie killed one of his own. His vengeance will bring Maggie’s worst nightmares to life. Is the passion between Maggie and Jim enough to defeat Volk’s plans or will Maggie’s determination to fulfill her duty to her pride be the death of them both?
HUNTER’S HOME
Hunter’s Moon, Book 3
They say you can never go home. That’s something CJ Reamer has long believed. So, when her father suddenly appears on her doorstep, demanding she return home to Montana to “do her duty”, she has other plans. Montana hasn’t been home for a long time, almost as long as Benjamin Franklin Reamer quit being her father. Dallas is now her home and it’s where her heart is. The only problem is her father doesn’t like taking “no” for an answer.
When her lover and mate is shot and she learns those responsible come from her birth pride and clan, CJ has no choice but to return to the home she left so long ago. At least she won’t be going alone. Clan alphas Matt and Finn Kincade aren’t about to take any risks where their friend is concerned. Nor is her mate, Rafe Walkinghorse, going to let her go without him.
Going home means digging up painful memories and family secrets. But will it also mean death – or worse – for CJ and her friends?
WEDDING BELL BLUES
Weddings always bring out the worst in people. Or at least that's the way it seems to Jessica Jones as her younger sister's wedding day approaches. It is bad enough Jessie has to wear a bridesmaid dress that looks like it was designed by a color blind Harlequin. Then there's the best man who is all hands and no manners. Now add in a murder and Jessie's former lover – former because she caught him doing the horizontal tango on their kitchen table with her also-former best friend. It really is almost more than a girl should be expected to handle. . . .
Written as Sam Schall:
VENGEANCE FROM ASHES
Honor and Duty, Book 1
First, they took away her command. Then they took away her freedom. But they couldn't take away her duty and honor. Now they want her back.
Captain Ashlyn Shaw has survived two years in a brutal military prison. Now those who betrayed her are offering the chance for freedom. All she has to do is trust them not to betray her and her people again. If she can do that, and if she can survive the war that looms on the horizon, she can reclaim her life and get the vengeance she's dreamed of for so long.
But only if she can forget the betrayal and do her duty.
DUTY FROM ASHES
Honor and Duty, Book 2
Duty calls. Honor demands action.
Major Ashlyn Shaw has survived false accusations and a brutal military prison. Now free, she finds her homeworld once again at war with an enemy that will stop at nothing to destroy everything she holds dear. Duty has Ashlyn once again answering the call to serve. She has seen what the enemy is capable of and will do everything she can to prevent it from happening to the home she loves and the people she took an oath to protect.
But something has changed. It goes beyond the fact that the enemy has changed tactics they never wavered from during the previous war. It even goes beyond the fact that there is still a nagging doubt in the back of Ashlyn’s mind that those who betrayed her once before might do so again. No, there is more to the resumption of hostilities, something that seems to point at a new player in the game. But who and what are they playing at?
Will Ashlyn be able to unmask the real enemy before it is too late?
Honor from Ashes (Honor and Duty Book 3) Page 26
