by J C Ryan
“Thank you for that report, Cindy,” the news anchor said. “We now have an update on the Vice-President’s condition. As we reported yesterday, the Vice-President collapsed while attending a meeting at the Whitehouse. It appears that he suffered an incapacitating stroke and is currently in intensive care at a secure and unknown location. His condition is serious, and although he has improved slightly over the past 24 hours, his spokesperson has said his campaign for the Presidency has been suspended.”
“Well, Scott, it looks like we won’t have a ‘President Robertson’ coming out of the next election.”
“No, Cindy, we sure won’t. But, we do wish him a speedy recovery and …”
Carter turned the volume down as he sat up. “It looks like we’re going to see some justice done in the world.”
* * *
The Devereux’s spent the next week in Boston with the Anderson’s. As much as Carter wanted to scoop his family up and take them to the safety of Freydis, he knew it was important for Mackenzie to re-connect with her family, and they with her. Liam, ecstatic to be back at home with his father and grandparents, didn’t seem to be any the worse for his experience. Mackenzie was physically and emotionally exhausted, and it took her time to recover from the ordeal she had been through. Frequently at night she broke down in tears; Carter held and soothed her, reassuring her that she and the children were safe and that they were all back together again. Carter had insisted that she take a nap in the afternoons with Beth, and by the end of the week, she was feeling more herself again.
The newspapers, radio, and television stations were flooded with reports from Saudi Arabia about the investigation into the conspiracy against the House of Saud.
Also, in the news was the investigation of Competitive Response Solutions. Given the numerous records and the international nature of their business, the completion of the investigation was expected to take at least a year if not longer. After that, the trials would begin, but it wasn’t looking good for Dwayne Miller, Nate Gordon, and the other directors. There was no mention of the Vice-President.
* * *
In a chair in the office of Executive Advantage, he twiddled a pen in his fingers as he thought. I took an oath to defend this country against enemies foreign and domestic. He picked up the medical report on the Vice President and reviewed it again. His wrist and shoulder were healing nicely, but the man’s mental state was completely another matter. According to the report, his behavior was like that of a caged lion and his communication skills had deteriorated to the profane and the absurd.
Returning the report to the desk, he stood and paced the office. I took an oath to defend this country – Robertson is a traitor, a domestic enemy. He carefully reviewed his strategy again. “I will honor my oath,” he whispered, and he picked up the secure phone.
“Good evening, Sir,” the young Secret Serviceman said recognizing the number on the secured phone.
“How is he this evening?” the caller asked.
“Profane, Sir. He doesn’t appreciate the accommodations at all. He’s still pacing like a caged lion.”
“Let’s see if we can make him a little more comfortable. Make arrangements for him to have a TV so he can keep up with what’s in the news – he must want to know what is happening in the world.”
Epilogue
It was late afternoon when Carter’s plane approached Freydis for landing. Ahote, Bly, and Jeha were at the airstrip waiting for them. In the distance, hidden amongst the trees, Loki and Keeva with their four pups were also waiting. Long before Ahote, Bly or Jeha could hear or see it, the wolves’ ears pitched when they heard the sound of the approaching plane, and they let out soft yipping sounds. They watched everyone get out of the plane and raised their noses to test the air, accounting for everyone, before they turned around and headed back to their cave.
With Liam and Jeha, it was hard to tell who was happier to see who; one ran around barking and jumping, the other ran around yelling and jumping. Mackenzie and Bly cried and hugged and cried some more. Carter and Ahote slapped one another on the back and laughed, then finally hugged one another.
Bly had prepared a lovely dinner for them all to celebrate the homecoming, and they sat down to enjoy the meal and have a long overdue visit.
Dawn was just lighting the sky over Freydis the next morning when Mackenzie placed the sleeping Beth back in her crib after feeding her.
After taking a long look at Carter who was, at last, looking rested and peaceful in his sleep, she peered into Liam’s room; he too was fast asleep, smiling. Jeha was under the blankets with him, only her fluffy ears and face were showing. She pulled a coat over her nightdress, put wool-lined boots on her feet, and stepped out into the crisp spring air.
For a moment, she stood and gazed around remembering how she came to believe she’d never see her home ever again.
There was mist over the distant valleys and above, the snow-capped peaks of mountains that would not be bare before mid-summer.
As she walked, the sky changed from gray to pink, for her one of those magical colors she couldn’t get enough of, then mauve and small clouds that were tinged with gold.
She headed for her special rock, a place where she would have a distant view of the world around her, a place where she would one day bring Beth to play in the long grass at her feet.
The sun was just hovering over the horizon as she pulled herself up on the large flat rock, sat, and waited.
Within minutes, Loki and Keeva arrived. Each of them moving quickly up the hill below her, their ears flattened as they raced; their tails out straight behind them. As they got closer, she could see their pink tongues lolling in their panting mouths before they finally leaped on the rock, greeting her with an enthusiasm she’d never seen before.
She threw her arms around them both hugging them as she ran her fingers through their thick coats, letting them lick her tears away.
“Oh my darlings, how would I ever have survived without you?”
Suddenly there was movement further down the hill and before she could draw a breath, four young pups arrived willing and eager to meet her.
She turned to Keeva and Loki; “Look how much they’ve grown!” she slid off the rock. Instantly she was bowled over by the enthusiasm of the four young wolves and found herself lying on the grass covered by furry, bounding, young bodies with long wet tongues as the pups rolled over and around her. Their excitement caused her to laugh until her tummy hurt; laugh as she'd not laughed for months. She laughed until she was sure the valleys were echoing her joy.
Finally, she pulled herself back up on the rock where Keeva and Loki joined her. She smiled; she was alone in the open air with the sun shining down on her, and a faint breeze carrying the scents of Freydis to her. She was with her wolves; they who’d kept her company in her dreams for all those months.
Slowly, as the sun rose, she was able to see the beauty of spring on Freydis - an eagle soaring high above on unseen air currents, the lime green of newly growing leaves on the trees, the sound and movement of small birds and animals in the undergrowth, and in front of her, the long grass turning gold as the sun rose and slowly warmed the Earth around her.
~ The End ~
The next book in the Carter Devereux Series is
The Alboran Codex
In the year 106 AD, when the Roman legions marched on their capital at Petra, the Nabateans surrendered their empire to the Romans, without a fight, and according to historians ceased to exist.
But very few knew that the Nabateans didn't cease to exist, they just stayed out of sight for more than 1,900 years, and now they are on the verge of implementing their final plan.
Carter Devereux, with his knowledge of the City of the Giants and their library in the Egyptian desert is the only obstacle in the way to achieve their goals.
Therefore, the order of the Council of the Covenant of Nabatea is clear; “We MUST have that information. All of it. Move in on Carter Devereux… and get it at a
ll costs, up to and including the killing of everyone….”
Also by JC Ryan
The Carter Devereux Mystery Thrillers
myBook.to/CarterDevereux
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“Omg this series is awesome. Full off adventure, action, romance, and suspense. I've you start reading you are hooked. Carter and all characters are awesome, you will fall in love with all of them they become like family. I love the way J C weaves the human and animals together in the story. Try it you will love it.”
“The best! What a joy to read these four books about Carter and Mackenzie Devereux bad their adventures. A very good read. I will look for more of JC Ryan's books.”
“Suspenseful! Fabulous just fabulous! I enjoyed reading these books immensely. I highly recommend these books. Bravo to the author! You won't regret it.”
“What a wonderful and intriguing book. Kept me glued to what was going to happen next. Not a normal read for me. But a very enjoyable series that I would recommend to everyone who likes adventure and thrills.”
The Rossler Foundation Mysteries
http://myBook.to/RosslerFoundation
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“All in all, a brilliant series by a master of the techno thrillers turning old much debated mysteries into overwhelming modern engrossing sagas of adventure, heroism and a sense of awe for the many mysteries still unexplained in our universe. Enjoy!”
“I LOVED this series! It's readily apparent that the author drew from a large body of knowledge in writing this series. It's just believable enough to think it could happen someday, and in fact, aligns quite well with some of the current relationships that exist between present day countries and the USA.”
The Exonerated
http://myBook.to/ExoneratedTrilogy
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“J.C. Ryan is an author that writes tomes. The great thing about that is that you get great character development and the plots are all intricate, plausible, suspenseful stories that seems to draw you in from the first scenario right up to the end.
The Exonerated series is no exception. Regan St. Clair is a judge. Together with Jake she has her own way in pursuing justice in ensuring that the legal system is applied ...well, justly.”
“What if you had the power to make a difference? Would you? Could you? What if in order to do so you had to join a super-secret organization that might not always play by the rules? What if you stumbled across this mysterious organization only to find out it had been polluted? What if you were a judge that has been worn out and disillusioned by the very justice system you thought you loved?”
“What a great series of books. It seemed like one book instead of three books. The story flowed seamlessly through the three books.”
Brain Storm Series
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076X8J5S3/
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
Read this book now!
“J.C. Ryan has done it again. A stunning page turner that reflects the technology and times we're in. A Ludlum like novel that will keep you up all night.”
Excellent series
“It’s no secret, I am a JC Ryan fan. Read all his books so far and enjoyed every one of them. When I saw the cover and the description I thought I was in for a hard science fiction story. But I forgot that JC Ryan is the master of blending real science with fiction in such a way that it is at times impossible to distinguish between the two.
As always, Ryan did his homework, the research that went into this book must have been massive. Combined with Ryan’s vivid imagination the result is a masterful plot, an excellent story, and believable science. At times it's outright scary to realize just how much of what Ryan has weaved into this story is true and real—scientists are really working and succeeding in editing memories, altering moral judgment, creating false memories, and hacking into people’s brains.”
JC Ryan strikes gold a third time!
“JC Ryan is one of my favorite authors.
Sigma Wave represents a new (and different) series of books he is writing - one that is far different than his previous two series that tended to focus on ancient civilizations. With Sigma Wave we are introduced to a new family of protagonists that are knee deep in research into the human brain. Starting by looking to create the ultimate, unfallable lie detector, their research takes them into a completely different direction. Unfortunately, that direction is also being used by a nefarious group who attempt to put a stop to them.”
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About JC Ryan
An interview with the author by the editor of Books 'N Pieces Magazine, http://www.altpublish.com/jc-ryan/
JC Ryan
Editor’s note: “JC Ryan and I enjoyed an extensive two-hour Skype session where we spoke of all manner of things, especially his ranking as an author. The visibility of an author is often at the hands of readers. If you look at JC’s ratings, each book enjoys several hundred or more four and five-star reviews, enough to make him notable, and on par with mainstream novelists. I encourage you to read one of his books, or listen to his audiobooks, now in production. You’ll be hooked.”
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 - Breaking news
Chapter 2 - In three days
Chapter 3 - Will he get through this?
Chapter 4 - Until I see their dead bodies
Chapter 5 - A very unusual request
Chapter 6 - On your shoulders
Chapter 7 - How did it happen?
Chapter 8 - Tying up the loose ends
Chapter 9 - First day on the new job
Chapter 10 - Moving him out
Chapter 11 - Competitive Response Solutions
Chapter 12 - We have to continue the work
Chapter 13 - A few inquiries and a private interview
Chapter 14 - She called silently into the night
Chapter 15 - Out of the hospital
Chapter 16 - The next mission
Chapter 17 - She willed him to find it
Chapter 18 - What have you got there girl?
Chapter 19 - You can do the math
Chapter 20 - Where do we start?
Chapter 21 - I was captured
Chapter 22 - They must be desperate
Chapter 23 - I have to find them
Chapter 24 - Fifty million on the table
Chapter 25 - Executive Advantage
Chapter 26 - I had a dream
Chapter 27 - VIP protection
Chapter 28 - No buts, Jim
Chapter 29 - The briefing
Chapter 30 - Nothing can be tracked back to us
Chapter 31 - Four days of hell
Chapter 32 - Three meetings
Chapter 33 - Archeological special ops training
Chapter 34 - Come have a look at this
Chapter 35 - There was no lifeboat
Chapter 36 - Step up the surveillance
Chapter 37 - The cleanup was complete
Chapter 38 - Shut up until you have proof
Chapter 39 - I’m coming to the end, I fear
Chapter 40 - An ethical dilemma
Chapter 41 - He tried to sleep but he couldn’t
Chapter 42 - The debriefing
Chapter 43 - Mr. Greed won the battle
Chapter 44 - What have you done Mackie?
Chapter 45 - Time to talk to his friend
Chapter 46 - Shake trees and rattle cages
Chapter 47 - Let’s go to work
Chapter 48 - On our radar
Chapter 49 - The book is ready
Chapter 50 - Closed their eyes and relaxed
> Chapter 51 - The lunch date
Chapter 52 - The first links in the chain
Chapter 53 - The second link in the chain
Chapter 54 - The third link in the chain
Chapter 55 - How did it come to this?
Chapter 56 - The final link in the chain
Chapter 57 - Tell me that! Where is he?
Chapter 58 - The Wolves of Freydis
Chapter 59 - Point and fire
Chapter 60 - Freydis! I repeat Freydis!
Chapter 61 - On the phones
Chapter 62 - In the news
Epilogue
Also by JC Ryan
About JC Ryan
