As mysteriously as they’d emerged from the mud, therefore, they disappeared. They left all the equipment up and running, taking nothing with them. Nikolas enjoyed picturing the face of the priest of the local Catholic church when he woke up to find fifty million pesos in his desk drawer. He hoped the man would take it as a gift from God.
They caught a first class flight back to Singapore. Unlike last time in their immaculate suits and with expensive travel luggage, now they travelled like hobos in torn jeans and T-shirts and with old army duffels they’d scrounged from the camp. They’d been away almost two months. They were unshaven, hair long and scraggly, but those were only the surface differences.
Nikolas no longer felt like a man tied down and trapped by sickness, inactivity, boredom, and frustration, a wild creature escaped into a narrower world. He didn’t even think about alcohol or smoking or want his drugs to ease the frustration of being trapped in the life of someone so constrained. He’d blossomed and emerged into something he’d never considered himself to be. Everything he’d done in the camp, he’d done with single-minded purpose but without any self-aggrandisement or ulterior motive. His whole life up to this point had been one of deception and hidden agendas. He felt freed from the burden of having to be something he was not, and filled with the possibility of finding out what he yet could be. He had the germ of an idea, too early in its inception to tell Ben, but burning deep within him.
As they covered the miles, he doodled, drawing a man falling from the sky, and the more he drew it, the more it resembled an angel, wings burning, plummeting to earth. He pictured this flawed angel with blond hair and a scar.
Nikolas knew Ben had also undergone a transformation. He was immediately recognised when they arrived at Changi. As they were waiting in the first class boarding lounge, he came onto the television when an old news report was being repeated and updated. He had to sign an autograph for the air steward. He was recognised at Heathrow as well, and they walked through the arrival halls like rock stars with people standing back, whispering and smiling at them. They’d have stood out without Ben’s new fame, but it was a novel experience for both of them.
London was in late spring. It was cool and bright and lovely after what they’d left. The intensity of the tropical paradise of the first two weeks of their stay had been irrevocably tainted by what had come after—the realisation such beauty was only transitory; it was an illusion, and a dangerous one at that. It was better to be prepared, to be ready. God didn’t bless his favoured children with too many escapes like the one they’d been given. They didn’t intend to waste it.
Nikolas had missed his required return to the doctor one month after his initial visit. He hadn’t attended his MRI scan either. But at Ben’s insistence, he made an appointment the day after they returned. Andrea Gillian appeared utterly taken aback by the deeply tanned, forceful man who came into her office in jeans and sat relaxed and smiling at her. She came out from behind her desk and examined his now invisible wound. His hair had grown back to highlighted stubble and seemed promising to continue to grow. He didn’t stiffen or flinch at her touch. Any touch from the living was good now. She sat back down and asked him similar questions as she had before, was he eating, sleeping, exercising, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes? To each of these he gave entirely honest answers, good answers. He did, however, lie about one thing. He probably told the biggest lie of a life that had been entirely constructed of falsehoods. When she asked him if he’d stayed away from stress, he looked her frankly in the eyes and told her he’d been on holiday in the sun for two months.
What could possibly be stressful about that?
To Be Continued in The Bridge of Silver Wings
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John spent twenty-two years in the military, perfecting the art of looking busy whilst secretly writing. He left as a senior officer when his tunnel was ready for use. He is now living in New Zealand until he can raise enough money to leave. Although he has no plans to return to the army, he can occasionally be caught polishing his medals.
TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Dinner by Heston Blumethal: Tapestry Management Limited
Tate Modern: Tate Group
Abercrombie and Fitch: Abercrombie and Fitch Company
Ducati: Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Mercedes Benz: Daimler AG
Range Rover: Jaguar Land Rover, Limited.
Lada: AvtoVAZ
Hobnobs: United Biscuits
Claridge’s: Maybourne Hotel Group
Haynes Manual: Haynes Publishing Group
The Descent: Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation
Midnight Express
Red Cross: International Committee of the Red Cross
BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation
MLR PRESS AUTHORS
Featuring a roll call of some of the best writers of gay erotica and mysteries today!
Derek Adams
Kyle Adams
Vicktor Alexander
Z. Allora
Simone Anderson
Victor J. Banis
Laura Baumbach
Ally Blue
J.P. Bowie
Barry Brennessel
Jade Buchanan
James Buchanan
TA Chase
Charlie Cochrane
Karenna Colcroft
Jamie Craig
Ethan Day
Diana DeRicci
Vivien Dean
Taylor V. Donovan
S.J. Frost
Kimberly Gardner
Kaje Harper
Stephani Hecht
Alex Ironrod
Jambrea Jo Jones
DC Juris
AC Katt
Thomas Kearnes
Kiernan Kelly
K-lee Klein
Geoffrey Knight
Christopher Koehler
Matthew Lang
J.L. Langley
Vincent Lardo
Cameron Lawton
Anna Lee
Elizabeth Lister
William Maltese
Z.A. Maxfield
Timothy McGivney
Kendall McKenna
AKM Miles
Robert Moore
Reiko Morgan
Jet Mykles
Jackie Nacht
N.J. Nielsen
Cherie Noel
Gregory L. Norris
Willa Okati
Erica Pike
Neil S. Plakcy
Rick R. Reed
A.M. Riley
AJ Rose
Rob Rosen
George Seaton
Riley Shane
Jardonn Smith
DH Starr
Richard Stevenson
Christopher Stone
Liz Strange
Marshall Thornton
Lex Valentine
Haley Walsh
Mia Watts
Lynley Wayne
Missy Welsh
Ryal Woods
Stevie Woods
Sara York
Lance Zarimba
Mark Zubro
Check out titles, both available and forthcoming, at
www.mlrpress.com
GLBT RESOURCES
RAINBOW ROMANCE WRITERS
Raising the Bar for LGBT Romance
RRW offers support and advocacy to career-focused authors, expanding the horizons of romance. Changing minds, one heart at a time. www.rainbowromancewriters.com
THE TREVOR PROJECT
The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves lives though its free and confidential helpline, its website and its educational services. If you or a friend ar
e feeling lost, alone, confused or in crisis, please call The Trevor Helpline. You’ll be able to speak confidentially with a trained counselor 24/7.
The Trevor Helpline: 866-488-7386
On the Web: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
THE GAY MEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROJECT
Founded in 1994, The Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project is a grassroots, non-profit organization founded by a gay male survivor of domestic violence and developed through the strength, contributions and participation of the community. The Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project supports victims and survivors through education, advocacy and direct services. Understanding that the serious public health issue of domestic violence is not gender specific, we serve men in relationships with men, regardless of how they identify, and stand ready to assist them in navigating through abusive relationships.
GMDVP Helpline: 800.832.1901
On the Web: http://gmdvp.org/
THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION/GLAAD EN ESPAÑOL
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
On the Web: http://www.glaad.org/
GLAAD en español: http://www.glaad.org/espanol/bienvenido.php
SERVICEMEMBERS LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).The SLDN provides free, confidential legal services to all those impacted by DADT and related discrimination. Since 1993, its inhouse legal team has responded to more than 9,000 requests for assistance. In Congress, it leads the fight to repeal DADT and replace it with a law that ensures equal treatment for every servicemember, regardless of sexual orientation. In the courts, it works to challenge the constitutionality of DADT.
SLDN Call: 800-538-7418
PO Box 65301 or (202) 328-FAIR
Washington DC 20035-5301 e-mail: [email protected]
On the Web: http://sldn.org/
THE GLBT NATIONAL HELP CENTER
The GLBT National Help Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and those questioning their sexual orientation and gender identity. It is an outgrowth of the Gay & Lesbian National Hotline, which began in 1996 and now is a primary program of The GLBT National Help Center. It offers several different programs including two national hotlines that help members of the GLBT community talk about the important issues that they are facing in their lives. It helps end the isolation that many people feel, by providing a safe environment on the phone or via the internet to discuss issues that people can’t talk about anywhere else. The GLBT National Help Center also helps other organizations build the infrastructure they need to provide strong support to our community at the local level.
National Hotline: 1-888-THE-GLNH (1-888-843-4564)
National Youth Talkline 1-800-246-PRIDE (1-800-246-7743)
On the Web: http://www.glnh.org/
e-mail: [email protected]
If you’re a GLBT and questioning student heading off to university, you should know that there are resources on campus for you. Here’s just a sample:
GLBT SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/tell-us-about-an-lgbt-scholarship
Syracuse University
http://lgbt.syr.edu/
Texas A&M
http://glbt.tamu.edu/
Tulane University
http://tulane.edu/studentaffairs/oma/lgbt/index.cfm
University of Alaska http://www.uaf.edu/woodcenter/leadership/organizations/active/index.xml?id=61
University of California, Davis
http://lgbtrc.ucdavis.edu/
University of California, San Francisco
http://lgbt.ucsf.edu/
University of Colorado
http://www.colorado.edu/GLBTQRC/
University of Florida
http://www.multicultural.ufl.edu/lgbt/
University of Hawaii, Mānoa
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/lgbt/
University of Utah
http://www.sa.utah.edu/lgbt/
University of Virginia
http://www.virginia.edu/deanofstudents/lgbt/
Vanderbilt University
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lgbtqi/
GLBT RESOURCES
RAINBOW ROMANCE WRITERS
Raising the Bar for LGBT Romance
RRW offers support and advocacy to career-focused authors, expanding the horizons of romance. Changing minds, one heart at a time. www.rainbowromancewriters.com
THE TREVOR PROJECT
The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves lives though its free and confidential helpline, its website and its educational services. If you or a friend are feeling lost, alone, confused or in crisis, please call The Trevor Helpline. You’ll be able to speak confidentially with a trained counselor 24/7.
The Trevor Helpline: 866-488-7386
On the Web: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
THE GAY MEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROJECT
Founded in 1994, The Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project is a grassroots, non-profit organization founded by a gay male survivor of domestic violence and developed through the strength, contributions and participation of the community. The Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project supports victims and survivors through education, advocacy and direct services. Understanding that the serious public health issue of domestic violence is not gender specific, we serve men in relationships with men, regardless of how they identify, and stand ready to assist them in navigating through abusive relationships.
GMDVP Helpline: 800.832.1901
On the Web: http://gmdvp.org/
THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION/GLAAD EN ESPAÑOL
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
On the Web: http://www.glaad.org/
GLAAD en español: http://www.glaad.org/espanol/bienvenido.php
SERVICEMEMBERS LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).The SLDN provides free, confidential legal services to all those impacted by DADT and related discrimination. Since 1993, its inhouse legal team has responded to more than 9,000 requests for assistance. In Congress, it leads the fight to repeal DADT and replace it with a law that ensures equal treatment for every servicemember, regardless of sexual orientation. In the courts, it works to challenge the constitutionality of DADT.
SLDN Call: 800-538-7418
PO Box 65301 or (202) 328-FAIR
Washington DC 20035-5301 e-mail: [email protected]
On the Web: http://sldn.org/
THE GLBT NATIONAL HELP CENTER
The GLBT National Help Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and those questioning their sexual orientation and gender identity. It is an outgrowth of the Gay & Lesbian National Hotline, which began in 1996 and now is a primary program of The GLBT National Help Center. It offers several different programs including two national hotlines that help members of the GLBT community talk about the important issues that they are facing
in their lives. It helps end the isolation that many people feel, by providing a safe environment on the phone or via the internet to discuss issues that people can’t talk about anywhere else. The GLBT National Help Center also helps other organizations build the infrastructure they need to provide strong support to our community at the local level.
Conscious Decisions of the Heart Page 31
