CONTENTS
Dedication
Legal
Social Links
Series List
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Authors Note
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
To Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
To Live The Life We Are
Called.
To David Down Under I appreciate your
editing help and story suggestions.
Any of the mistakes are mine,
but there would be so
many more without your support!
This book is a work of fiction, All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright (c) 2015 Michael T. Anderle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Cover art by Michael T. Anderle
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Michael Anderle - Dec 15, 2015.
Series Titles Include:
Death Becomes Her
The Kurtherian Gambit 01
Queen Bitch
The Kurtherian Gambit 02
Love Lost
The Kurtherian Gambit 03
Bite This
The Kurtherian Gambit 04
Never Forsaken
The Kurtherian Gambit 05
(Early Jan 2016)
Under My Heel
The Kurtherian Gambit 06
(Late Jan / Early Feb 2016)
Kneel Or Die
The Kurtherian Gambit 07
(Late Feb 2016)
CHAPTER ONE
TQB Enterprises G550 En Route To Romania from the Caribbean
John Grimes was resting, contemplating the many changes which had happened in the last three months. Presently, he and Eric were with Bethany Anne on the corporate jet heading to Romania. Meanwhile back in the US, Darryl and Scott were tasked with protecting the new COO of TQB Enterprises, Lance Reynolds. The seats on the jet were very comfortable as they were all first class seats in a beautiful black leather complemented by the new grey carpet.
The plane had a bar presently fully stocked with snacks. They had brought sandwiches on board for everyone to eat on the flight over. Lt. Cmdr Paul Jameson was up in the cockpit piloting the plane. Bethany Anne had her eyes closed in front of him, laid back in her own chair. Across the aisle Eric and Gabrielle were stretched out. All of the windows on the plane were closed to make sure no sun would sneak in. Fortunately, Gabrielle had some natural protection from the sun, so it wasn’t immediately painful for her should she be hit with a stray sunbeam during the flight.
Nathan and Pete had flown commercial up to New York City to work with Gerry. That left Ecaterina, Dan and Frank on the Polarus as it headed over to a meeting point 150 miles east of the Bahamas. The SEA AXE had been called back to meet them at the same location.
Fortunately, Captain Thomas had asked the question as to ‘why’ they were having the SEA AXE meet them in Italy to pick up the space craft while they managed the two-week travel time, splitting up the crafts etc. Instead, why didn’t they just fly the craft to meet them in the Bermuda Triangle? People wouldn’t question something funny happening out there and further, they wouldn’t have to explain why her boat had traveled so far without a viable reason, either.
It was a good plan, they implemented his suggestions.
They had a few hours before they landed at Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. They expected to meet Stephen and Ivan and go to his house for a day before moving towards the craft. Fortunately, TOM mostly knew how to get back to the craft. It helped that Bethany Anne’s first experience of finding the spacecraft with Michael had been an annoying effort of traipsing around the snow covered mountain for almost a week before finally finding the cave.
Unfortunately, while Bethany Anne had made some markers to help her find the cave again, she expected some of her markers to be buried under snow. By the time they got to the area in a few days, it would be late December. Ecaterina had found a helicopter service that focused on helping tourists go skiing in the mountains. For the four of them to do a late afternoon run to a specific location was going to run a little over fifteen thousand US dollars.
This helicopter trip was easily triple the normal rate the company charged, but the requirements Bethany Anne requested were specific and running so close to nighttime added a difficulty surcharge. The Helicopter company specified they could cancel or move the trip depending on weather. As the helicopter pilots all had at least twenty years of experience, that worked for Bethany Anne. While the cold didn’t affect her nearly as much at it would John and Eric, she didn’t want to wander around the mountains any more than she had to. Plus, Gabrielle really needed to be inside a cave by the time the sun came up. They would carry a sun-proof body bag on the off chance they were caught out in the open.
While John looked like he was sleeping, it didn’t fool Bethany Anne as she got busy moving her seat to sit up.
“So, John, any regrets?”
John opened one eye to peek over at Bethany Anne. She was wearing fashionable black jeans with black zip-up leather boots that went up her calves. They had gold tabs which sparkled in the dim lighting. She had a pretty red sweater that hugged her features and her smile was mischievous. While she was arguably the most beautiful woman he knew, he had no romantic interest in his principle and boss. He would die for her, he just didn’t want to die in bed from her.
Uh oh, he thought, what was he getting into now? He opened both eyes and started his seat moving up as well. He hoped his brain was up to the task.
“Any regrets in what area?” He smiled back at Bethany Anne. They had been verbally sparring for a couple of months since she had dogged him so well with Ms. Joshwood. The guys still would’t let him forget that incident.
She sounded like Agent Smith in The Matrix, “Why so careful, Mr. Grimes?” She raised one eyebrow and the corner of her lips turned up.
“Well, it could be that I just woke up and couldn’t follow a chain of thought you have yet to share with me. Or, it could be I don’t want to answer the wrong question and regret it.” He finished getting his seat in the sitting position and faced Bethany Anne, ready for the verbal chess match. He loved working
for this woman. Ever since she came on the scene, his life had become one long and exciting dance with danger. She had saved him back in the Everglades and while she healed him of a knife wound, her blood had also changed his body for the better.
A couple of days ago, Frank Kurns had taken him aside during the trip out of Costa Rica and asked John about his physical changes. Once John confirmed with Bethany Anne it was ok to share, He explained to Frank how his knife wound was completely healed, his broken arm given him by the same Nosferatu, was healed and even old wounds had been fixed. Further, over the next couple of weeks he continued to get stronger and faster.
“What, like the $6 million dollar man?” Frank’s eyes had held a humorous glint within them.
“Who?” John acted ignorant.
Frank just rolled his eyes, “You young punks don’t know about the TV show ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’? Steve Austin was a NASA astronaut who crashed testing a space plane. They had to fix him with bionic implants and he worked for a shady government organization at the time. Seeing how I was a shady government organization I found it pretty humorous.” Frank acted like he had something nasty in his mouth. “You know, having to explain my question takes all of the joy out of it.”
“I imagine it can.” John hid his amusement, giving Frank no indication that he knew all about Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman and Dr. Rudy Wells.
Bethany Anne clarified her question for John, “Any regrets taking my blood?” Her face had lost the mischievous quality of a moment ago. John would guess that this wasn’t the original question she was going to ask, but rather one she had been wanting to know for a while.
He dropped all pretense of playing, “Boss, I don’t know how I can express these last three months have been the most gratifying professional experience I have ever had. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Your gift, both healing me and bringing this group together has surpassed anything I could have hoped for.”
“Even Pete?”
John smiled at that question. Pete had a strong personality for a young man and had been with them for just a little less than three months. Pete’s first experience with John was when he slugged Pete and knocked him to the ground right in front of his father. John didn’t allow Pete to mouth off to Bethany Anne. Sometimes, pain is an excellent training method for recalcitrant, spoiled young men. “Even Pete. He has turned out to be a good guy. He just needed the right encouragement.” He noticed Bethany Anne’s smile at that comment. John had treated Pete like a new recruit in the military and his first few weeks had been a living hell. “I’ve got to tell you, when he stood up and grabbed one of the security guys on the Polarus, he manned up right in front of my eyes. I’ll never forget that. He pretty much sealed his position on the team when he joined the trial and judgment. He won't back down and he'll never go back to the way he was before.”
Bethany Anne looked over John’s shoulder and seemed to lose focus as she remembered that early morning experience. “I would have to agree. You have done an amazing job with Pete. What’s your secret?”
“Lots of beatings and early morning physical training.” John smiled back at Bethany Anne, “Pretty much what you do to us all of the time.”
“You bitches need to stay in shape! If Nathan and Pete can come back with the starting members for team Were, you will have to go up against those guys to prove your abilities.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, the guys and I have discussed it. We figure that we will all get involved in training them when they first join and soundly beat the crap out of them. By the time we get them through training, we should have them respecting our rank and won’t need to lay a hand on them anymore.”
She looked thoughtful, “So, they get respect for your abilities right away so by the time they truly know how to fight they won’t challenge you again?”
“Pretty much.” He grinned at her.
“That’s smart. So, how’s your love life going?”
John was sucker punched. What the hell? His voice went up an octave, “Excuse me?” Bethany Anne noticed the color climbing up his neck.
She laughed to disarm the question. “What, you think I don’t know I have four strong men hanging with me all of the time? If you guys don’t consider how to get your ashes hauled, I’m going to start wondering about you four.”
John wanted to start sputtering, but Eric across the aisle couldn’t hold in a snicker and gave away that he had been eavesdropping. John took it as an opportunity to try to sidestep Bethany Anne’s question.
“Eric, you little wank junkie, you’ve been listening in.” John, being nearly half a foot over six feet, easily leaned across the aisle and punched Eric in the shoulder.
Eric’s eyes popped open, “Ow! Damnit, that’s my better arm!” He rubbed his left arm where John had punched him.
“For what?” John asked.
“Whatever I need it to be, now it’s broken you…” Eric’s rejoinder suddenly stopped as his brain came online. He was going to call John a little shit, but he knew that would only get him pushups and he doubted that being at 50,000 feet would stop Bethany Anne from requiring him to do them. The tiny aisle might, but he could just imagine her jumping up and down on his back, in boots, to help him hit the floor between the pushups. He continued rubbing his shoulder and started moving his seat to a sitting position.
Gabrielle stirred in front of Eric, “Could you two boys take your fight outside?” She opened her eyes and smiled at the group.
Eric replied, “Well, except for the ten mile first step, you bet princess.”
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and started moving her seat to a sitting position. “God, that’s the last time I admit anything from my past to you!”
“C’mon! I work for a Queen and one of my teammates is, or at least was, a princess. I’m surrounded by royalty so I’m special!”
Bethany Anne shook her head musingly. She knew she had to deal with the whole being on top of the pyramid when it came to the UnknownWorld, but she hated being called a Queen. Stephen, however, would never stop calling her his Queen so she chose not to fight the issue with anyone else.
Gabrielle just kept at it, “Yes, like short-bus special. Maybe the knot on your head will remind you to leave off the princess comments?”
Eric looked at her puzzled, “That is a rude comment and I don’t have a knot … Fucking Ouch!” Gabrielle had unbuckled and moved so quick Eric had little time to try to protect his head before she popped him with her knuckles.
He mumbled from his own lap as he massaged his head, “See? You already require me to bow so I don’t … “ He quickly tried to cover more of his head as his voice got louder, “Oww, Dammit! Fucking quit already!” He was trying to move his arms to protect his head from the female vampire.
“Will you remember?” She looked ready to pounce again. John was smiling at their play.
“Yes! Yes I’ll remember.” He pulled his head back up and continued rubbing where she had popped him good. His mouth said he would remember, but the humorous glint in his eyes said he would neither forgive nor forget.
Bethany Anne cut in, “Children, must I throw all of you off the plane?”
All three pretended to be properly chastised. Even Gabrielle, who was hundreds of years older than Bethany Anne, wouldn’t push her buttons. There was fun, there was dangerous, there was suicidal and then there was messing with Bethany Anne when she was serious.
Paul came over the loudspeaker. “Just a quick update, we will be landing in just under an hour. Bethany Anne, can you come up here for a second?”
Bethany Anne unbuckled and looked at all three for a second to remind them that she was watching, or at least listening.
She wondered what Paul could want.
CHAPTER TWO
TQB Enterprises G550 En Route To Romania from the Caribbean
Bethan Anne slid into the cockpit and grabbed the empty co-pilot seat. “Yes?”
Paul looked over to her and then back at his instr
uments. “Hey, just curious, are we looking to get a co-pilot for this plane or are we always going to fly it short handed and pretty much against the regs? I’ve got no grave concerns and I have no idea how your friend is getting us into and out of the airport being shorthanded, but someone should at least be sitting up here with me to make it look sort of official when we land.”
Bethany Anne thought about that. “You’re right. Plus, for your trip back across the pond you need someone here to spell you.” There was not going to be a need for Paul to stick around since they would be using TOM’s space ship to fly them back, she hoped. “Do you have any ideas?”
Now, Paul was flummoxed. He hadn’t considered getting such a quick confirmation of his concerns. With all of the questions he had raised while flying in the military, he was used to getting the run around, not instant affirmation and a request for suggestions. “Ahhhh…. Maybe?” He didn’t want to seem unprepared to answer her question, even if that was exactly his problem right now. “I don’t want to get just anyone on board and I don’t know how to request jacket information for qualified pilots here in Romania. So, no.”
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