Redemption

by Philip E. Batt

across to the door of the office, closing it until it was ajar. The sound of bumping and clanking came from behind the door across the hallway.

  Winterburne closed the door quietly, making his way back to the large, ancient desk. He pulled out his knife and lowered himself to his hands and knees before crawling beneath the worktop. Reaching up with the knife, he found a place just where the leg fixed onto the carcass and scratched the letters "TRW" with the point. He nodded to himself. It was good enough for his purposes.

  'Sir?'

  Winterburne started and his head bumped against the worktop with a thump. He winced, and raised his hand to rub the back of his head.

  'Are you alright, Sir? Is there anything I can help you with?'

  Winterburne reversed out from what he thought must have been a very unsightly position. 'I'm making my mark Milo. It's not my desk anymore, is it?'

  'What do you mean?'

  'It's your desk now, Captain Cromwell.' Winterburne smiled. 'Permanently.' He stood, brushing the knees of his trousers, and then he perched on the edge of the desk.

  'Seriously?'

  'Of course. What other outcome could there be?'

  Cromwell ran his hands through his hair and sighed. 'Then it seems you will not be the only one who is married.'

  'How so?' Winterburne asked, frowning.

  'The plan is that if I was made Captain, Sir, permanently, then Jenna and I would wed.'

  Winterburne smiled. 'Good for you,' he said. 'Then it has truly been a momentous day in a great many ways.'

  'It has, Sir.'

  'You know, ' Winterburne said, 'I don't think I will stay for that drink after all. I seem to have inherited a full schedule and I must be reporting back to the Emperor.'

  'Of course, Sir.' Cromwell looked down at his desk and then back up at Winterburne his face changing. 'Sir,' he said, 'would it be acceptable if I asked you something?'

  'You can ask,' Winterburne said.

  'I was just curious,' Cromwell said. 'I wondered why it was that you and Martell never got along...you know, in the past.'

  Winterburne looked back at his Captain, a smirk forming on his face. 'I'm sure I don't know what you mean.'

  'I just thought...well...I wondered whether, really...perhaps there was something that I should know? You know? Something that might make my job easier?'

  'Captain,' Winterburne replied, 'the Commander is an important cog in the mechanism that drives the Empire. Just remember that. I have nothing but the greatest respect for him.'

  'But...Sir? What about all those times that you and he...?'

  'The greatest respect, Captain. You would do well to remember that.'

  Winterburne spun around and walked across to the exit, but then stopped and turned back. Cromwell's mouth was still agape as he watched from across the room.

  'Oh, and Captain, I almost forgot,' he said, 'I'll expect your first report at the end of the week.'

  Winterburne stepped out into the corridor and pulled the door together. As it clicked closed behind him, he smiled to himself.

  ###

  Coming in 2015

  Winterburne's problems mount further as he is called to investigate mysterious goings on at the far reaches of the Empire in

  The Devil's Children

  Book Three of the Highport Sagas

  About the author

  Phil has loved books for as long as he can remember and from an early age enjoyed reading science fiction, fantasy, horror as well as popular science. His favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Stephen King and Douglas Adams, although to be honest, he will read anything that claims to be fiction, and also much that wouldn't.

  He is an avid football supporter (of both types, from either side of the Atlantic), but for the sake of not alienating any readers won't mention in this biography which teams he supports (but rumour has it that they are Bristol Rovers and the New England Patriots).

  Phil lives in Bristol, U.K., with his wife Yvonne, two dogs and two cats. He has two grown-up children, Holly and Alex, and he agrees with the old saying that your children never really leave home, it's just that the phone bill gets less.

  Redemption is Phil's second novel and the second book in the Highport Sagas series.

  Connect with me online

  About.me: https://www.about.me/phil_batt

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/b477m4n

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phil.batt.37

  Acknowledgements

  I'm still amazed, even after writing two novels of my own, how a simple daydream can lead you on a surprising and unexpected journey through your own imagination until you have a whole world laid out in front of you. I have very much enjoyed writing the first two books of this series, and have been amazed how the characters living out their lives on the page have sown their own seeds of more adventures.

  I'd still like to thank my wife, Yvonne, for putting up with me throughout more endless evenings of writing, editing, and writing again. I'd like to thank all those people that have fed back their thoughts on my first novel, and have helped me to look at Redemption in a different light.

  Finally, thank you to anyone with the stamina to stay with me this far. As always, if you want to say hello, please feel free, I'd love to hear from you.

  Best Wishes

  Philip E. Batt

  18th March 2014