If it was destroyed, there was nothing he could do. And if it wasn’t, the chances of anyone finding it again were slim. Then his heart leapt into his throat as he remembered the reporters, and the fact they had footage of where the tomb actually was.
He gripped the arms of the chair he was in, his shoulders tensing.
“What’s wrong?” mumbled Laura, awakening.
“Nothing, go back to sleep.”
Laura sat up, looking at her watch.
“When are we boarding?”
“Any minute now,” he replied, looking at the board in front of them.
“Okay, I’m going to let everybody know. There’s no way I’m letting anybody get left behind.”
She stood up and Acton watched as she made the rounds then he froze, standing up suddenly.
“What is it?” asked Reading, snapped from his reverie.
“I thought—”
But Acton stopped himself as his suspicion was confirmed. Walking past their seating area was his former student, now CIA operative, Dylan Kane, his secret life revealed to him only recently when Kane had paid him a visit at the university. It was a reunion, and a conversation, Acton would never forget, the secret shame confessed to him filling his own dreams with horror filled images.
I can only imagine what the poor kid is going through.
Kane made momentary eye contact with him, his left eye almost imperceptibly winking, and continued on. Acton immediately realized he must be undercover, and dropped back down into his seat.
Word had hit the newswires that the Imam responsible for the attacks, some guy named Khalil, had been assassinated earlier this morning. They had all rejoiced at the news, and now Acton, resisting with all his might the urge to look behind him, wondered if his former student had been that assassin.
And if he was, he would be sure to congratulate him, should he ever see him again.
Reading sighed, causing Acton to return his attention to his friend.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hmm?”
“You sighed audibly, my friend. That’s never a good sign.”
Reading gave a weak smile, still staring ahead, his arms crossed over his chest, feet stretched out in front of him.
“I’ve been thinking of retiring.”
Acton’s eyebrows shot up. Retiring? It had never occurred to him that Reading would be the type.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m getting too old for this shite.”
“Bullshit. You’re what, fifty?”
“Fifty three.”
“Fifty three, you’ve still got a good six, maybe eight months left in you!”
Reading glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow.
“Piss off.”
Acton laughed and elbowed him.
“In all seriousness. Fifty three isn’t old. Besides, you’re doing desk duty now.”
Reading unfolded his arms and twisted to face Acton.
“You do realize that my job may be officially behind a desk, but since I’ve met you two, I’ve seen more action that I did in the Falklands? And that was a bloody war!”
Acton feigned being hurt, grabbing his chest.
“What are you saying? You don’t want to be friends anymore?”
Reading huffed, straightening himself in the chair.
“It would make life easier.”
“But not as exciting. And you know damned well you’ll come charging to our rescue if you hear we’re in trouble. You’re not the type to sit back.”
Reading grunted again.
“Always been my damned problem.”
“What, having a conscience?”
He nodded, crossing his arms again.
“Stupid conscience.” He sighed. “Maybe I’ll stick it out a little longer.” He turned back to face Acton. “But the next time you invite me to the bloody desert, I’m saying no. And if I ever figure out how the hell you manipulated me into going this time, I’ll put out an international arrest warrant on you if you try it again!”
Acton raised his hands in mock surrender.
“How’s my dig in the Andes sound?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth.
“Bloody cold.”
Nubian Desert, Egypt, University College London Dig Site
Several months later
James Acton jumped down from the truck, then held out his hand for Laura. She took it, and far more gracefully than him, stepped down from the running board. They stepped forward, hand in hand, as they surveyed the remains of the dig site together. Laura’s hand was on her mouth, her eyes glassed over at what she saw, and he had to admit, it was hard for him to look at.
It was a wreck.
A warzone.
The shot-up vehicles were still here, their tents were in various states of standing, most having blown down or away with no one left to mind the stakes, and their dig site was covered in sand, the desert quick to reclaim all it had once possessed.
Their defensive positions still showed some signs of the attack, bullet casings visible here and there, but the blood was gone, the bodies taken away, and as they stepped forward, the excited shouts of their students, every one of which had insisted on returning with them, filled the air as they rushed forward to see the state of all their hard work.
Four tents stood alone, well maintained, its occupants all sitting out front in chairs. Acton smiled and waved at Leather and his men as they got up and walked toward them, having arrived two days before to scout the site and confirm its safety.
Leather shook their hands, then turned to face the dig site with them.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“We’ll rebuild it, and start again. It won’t take long,” replied Laura.
“We didn’t touch anything, figured you’d want to catalog everything.”
Acton blurted out the question he was dying to ask.
“What about the tomb? Cleopatra’s tomb?”
Leather frowned.
“That we did check out.” He pointed toward the hill. “You’ll want to see this.”
He strode out ahead, briskly walking toward the ridge containing the tomb’s entrance, Acton and Laura, then the students, following. It had been months and Acton was dying to know what had happened. It was a career making find, and all they had were photos and video, but nothing to prove what they had found was real.
The archeology community was desperate for news as well, and everyone feared that grave robbers would loot the find. The Egyptian police had agreed to place guards there, but after a few weeks of no activity, they had abandoned the post without telling anyone.
They reached the site and Acton saw the canvas had been moved aside, and several ropes lay nearby.
“Lower me,” he said, and Leather nodded, grabbing one of the ropes and tossing one end into the hole. He and several students held the rope tight as Acton stepped over the edge, dangling in midair. He lowered himself quickly, then snapped on his flashlight and was about to head toward the tomb when Laura called down.
“Don’t you dare look without me!”
He stopped and steadied the rope as she scrambled down. Turning on her own flashlight, they aimed their beams at the massive cover stone they had moved out of place, and found it still laying on its side. As they rounded the massive piece of rock, their lights played into the tomb, and Laura cried out.
Acton stifled his own cry, a pit cleaved from his stomach that almost made him vomit right then and there, he instead managing to stumble into the tomb they had discovered that fateful day.
A tomb that was completely empty, save a piece of paper sitting in the center of the room.
Acton leaned over and picked it up, then breathed a sigh of relief.
“What is it?” asked Laura.
He turned the paper so she could see, shining his flashlight on it, revealing the symbol for The Brotherhood, and a handwritten note.
There’s nothing you Westerners love more than a good conspiracy. Enjoy. S.
/>
Laura began to laugh, and Acton hugged her, he himself getting caught up in the moment, as relief, disappointment and anger washed over them all at once. Their find was gone, they were left with no proof it had ever really existed, they would be called frauds, and perhaps laughed out of their profession.
But the mystery of Antony and Cleopatra, one of the greatest love stories in history, would go on, their whereabouts unknown, their bodies interred together in peace, and undisturbed.
Under the watchful eye of The Brotherhood.
THE END
Acknowledgements
As usual I had a blast writing this book. Professor James Acton and his friends become more and more familiar with each adventure, and more is revealed about their characters and pasts as they evolve. Introducing new characters is also a treat, especially if they are to become recurring. Terrence had a small part in Brass Monkey, yet in this one he takes a more prominent role, and since I didn’t kill him, there’s a good chance he’ll appear again.
And Dylan Kane makes his first appearance in an Acton novel, which was fun to work in. If you want to read more about him, check out Rogue Operator, the first installment in the new Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers that is set in the James Acton universe, and has become a huge hit.
The idea for discovering Cleopatra’s tomb once again comes back to one of those spitballing sessions, and from the research that comes with these novels. I knew I wanted the book to take place in Egypt, and to involve the discovery of something “cool”. The idea of finding a pharaoh’s tomb came up for discussion, and I sent my researcher (my retired dad!) off to look for a “cool sounding” Pharaoh.
That’s when he came back with the stunner that Cleopatra’s tomb had never been found. As we dug deeper, we realized her story, and that of Antony’s, was fascinating, and their deaths marked the end of Ancient Egypt as we know it.
And left a tantalizing mystery behind.
A mystery that demanded to be solved by Professor Acton.
As usual there are people to thank. My wife, daughter, friends and parents, especially my dad who did a huge amount of research for this one. Other names to mention are Ian Kennedy for researching the effects of high explosive blasts on the human body, as well as Richard Jenner.
And of course to you, thanks for reading!
Thank You!
Thank you for choosing and reading my book. If you enjoyed it, I would be grateful if you could write a review and post it on Amazon or your favorite book site.
James Acton returns in The Circle of Eight!
CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane returns in Containment Failure!
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About the Author
J. Robert Kennedy is the author of twelve international best sellers, including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series, the first installment of which, The Protocol, has been on the best sellers list since its release, including a three month run at number one. In addition to the other novels from this series, Brass Monkey, Broken Dove, The Templar’s Relic (also a number one best seller) and Flags of Sin, he has written the international best sellers Rogue Operator, Depraved Difference, Tick Tock, The Redeemer and The Turned. Robert spends his time in Ontario, Canada with his family.
Visit or subscribe to Robert's website at www.jrobertkennedy.com to be notified of new book releases.
Books by J. Robert Kennedy
The Protocol (James Acton #1)
Brass Monkey (James Acton #2)
Broken Dove (James Acton #3)
The Templar's Relic (James Acton #4)
Flags of Sin (James Acton #5)
The Arab Fall (James Acton #6)
The Circle of Eight (James Acton #7)
Rogue Operator (Dylan Kane #1)
Containment Failure (Dylan Kane #2)
Depraved Difference (Detective Shakespeare #1)
Tick Tock (Detective Shakespeare #2)
The Redeemer (Detective Shakespeare #3)
A Detective Shakespeare Mysteries Collection (Books 1-3)
The Turned (Zander Varga, Vampire Detective #1)
The Protocol
A James Acton Thriller
Book #1
For two thousand years the Triarii have protected us, influencing history from the crusades to the discovery of America. Descendent from the Roman Empire, they pervade every level of society, and are now in a race with our own government to retrieve an ancient artifact thought to have been lost forever.
Caught in the middle is archaeology professor James Acton, relentlessly hunted by the elite Delta Force, under orders to stop at nothing to possess what he has found, and the Triarii, equally determined to prevent the discovery from falling into the wrong hands.
With his students and friends dying around him, Acton flees to find the one person who might be able to help him, but little does he know he may actually be racing directly into the hands of an organization he knows nothing about...
To sample or purchase The Protocol, please visit Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0059Y4QNO
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Brass Monkey
A James Acton Thriller
Book #2
A nuclear missile, lost during the Cold War, is now in play—the most public spy swap in history, with a gorgeous agent the center of international attention,- triggers the end-game of a corrupt Soviet Colonel’s twenty five year plan. Pursued across the globe by the Russian authorities, including a brutal Spetsnaz unit, those involved will stop at nothing to deliver their weapon, and ensure their pay day, regardless of the terrifying consequences.
When Laura Palmer confronts a UNICEF group for trespassing on her Egyptian archaeological dig site, she unwittingly stumbles upon the ultimate weapons deal, and becomes entangled in an international conspiracy that sends her lover, archeology Professor James Acton, racing to Egypt with the most unlikely of allies, not only to rescue her, but to prevent the start of a holy war that could result in Islam and Christianity wiping each other out.
From the bestselling author of Depraved Difference and The Protocol comes Brass Monkey, a thriller international in scope, certain to offend some, and stimulate debate in others. Brass Monkey pulls no punches in confronting the conflict between two of the world’s most powerful, and divergent, religions, and the terrifying possibilities the future may hold if left unchecked.
To sample or purchase Brass Monkey, please visit Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L40KBO
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Broken Dove
A James Acton Thriller
Book #3
With the Triarii in control of the Roman Catholic Church, an organization founded by Saint Peter himself takes action, murdering one of the Pope's operatives. Detective Chaney, called in by the new Pope to investigate, disappears, and, to the horror of the Papal staff sent to inform His Holiness, they find him missing too, the only clue a secret chest, presented to each new pope on the eve of their election, since the beginning of the Church.
Interpol Agent Reading, determined to find his friend, calls Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer to Rome to examine the chest and its forbidden contents, but before they can arrive, they are intercepted by an organization older than the Church, demanding the professors retrieve an item stolen in ancient Judea in exchange for the lives of their friends.
All of your favorite characters from The Protocol return to solve the most infamous kidnapping in history, against the backdrop of a two thousand year old battle pitting ancient foes with diametrically opposed agendas.
From the internationally bestselling author of Depraved Difference and The Protocol comes Broken Dove, the third entry in the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series, where J. Robert Kennedy reveals a secret concealed by the Church for almost 1200 years, and a fascinating interpretation of w
hat the real reason behind the denials might be.
To sample or purchase Broken Dove, please visit Amazon.com:
Click here to visit this book's Amazon page now.
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The Templar's Relic
A James Acton Thriller
Book #4
The Church Helped Destroy the Templars.
Will a twist of fate let them get their revenge 700 years later?
The Vault must be sealed, but a construction accident leads to a miraculous discovery—an ancient tomb containing four Templar Knights, long forgotten, on the grounds of the Vatican. Not knowing who they can trust, the Vatican requests Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer examine the find, but what they discover, a precious Islamic relic, lost during the Crusades, triggers a set of events that shake the entire world, pitting the two greatest religions against each other.
Join Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer, INTERPOL Agent Hugh Reading, Scotland Yard DI Martin Chaney, and the Delta Force Bravo Team as they race against time to defuse a worldwide crisis that could quickly devolve into all-out war.
At risk is nothing less than the Vatican itself, and the rock upon which it was built.
From J. Robert Kennedy, the author of six international bestsellers including Depraved Difference and The Protocol, comes The Templar’s Relic, the fourth entry in the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series, where once again Kennedy takes history and twists it to his own ends, resulting in a heart pounding thrill ride filled with action, suspense, humor and heartbreak.
To sample or purchase The Templar's Relic, please visit Amazon.com:
Click here to visit this book's Amazon page now.
The Arab Fall (A James Acton Thriller, Book #6) (James Acton Thrillers) Page 24