Payback
Page 27
For America had the benefit of a state-of-the-art health care system and deep pockets.
But if she thought of him not as the mass murderer he was, and instead as a grieving husband and father, fighting for a cause he believed in, avenging the deaths of thousands, part of her felt for this man who would have had her killed.
And there was one piece of information she felt any father should know before he died.
“Dr. Henderson,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, weak. “You’ve come to see me die?”
Koroma had refused all treatment, yet had clung to life far longer than any of them had expected, his will to see the horror he had inflicted too great to let himself die. As a citizen of Sierra Leone, he was allowed regular Consular visits, those sympathetic to his cause feeding him the latest news reports which she knew he delighted in.
The bastard deserves to suffer for as long as possible.
The thought had her second guessing what she was here to tell him, but as she pictured the tiny, innocent five year old girl back in Sierra Leone, her hardened heart softened once again, just enough.
“I have news about your daughter.”
The muscles in his face slackened. “Is she dead?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. She was never infected.”
“Wh-what?”
“Tanya switched the samples so you’d think she was infected. I didn’t know at first, and I’m sorry it happened. The medical staff in Samaia have confirmed that she has cleared the twenty-one day period and is free from infection. She’s been given to her grandmother.”
Koroma smiled slightly, his eyes closing.
“Thank you, Doctor.” He opened his eyes and looked up at her. “Do you understand now why I did what I did?”
She shook her head. “Nothing could ever justify this.”
“It’s unfortunate. I thought you of all people would understand by now, you of all people would understand that suffering like my people have endured should never happen again, can never happen again. My actions will cause all wealthy nations in the future to think twice before ignoring the suffering of those less desirable than themselves.” He coughed, blood spraying from his mouth. She reached forward to clean him off when he grabbed her arm, his grip weak. “I did it for my people.”
His hand fell away, his eyes closing as a last gasp escaped his fluid filled lungs, the monitors all flat lining. She stepped back as the other personnel rushed over, one beginning CPR.
“Stop,” she said, holding out her hand. “There’s no point.”
The doctor nodded, stepping back, Sarah turning away and leaving the room, a single tear rolling down her cheek, not in pity for the man or his actions, but for the people that he was trying to avenge.
Howard University Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Two weeks later
Red sat up in his bed, eating a bowl of oatmeal, feeling like a million bucks. The nurse had been right. He’d feel ten times worse than the flu, then feel ten times better when he started to recover. It had been hell, but he had to admit not as bad as he had imagined.
That’s the benefit of having everything medical science has to offer available to you.
He thought of the footage he had seen on television and during the briefings, and couldn’t help but feel blessed for being born into the greatest country on Earth. Because of a quirk of fate, he was here and not in some poor country in Africa where if he had been infected he most likely would have died.
His thoughts were of an image he had seen on NBC of a little four year old girl lying alone on the concrete floor of a clinic, dying, bodily fluids everywhere.
That could have been Bryson.
Yes, he was blessed.
And he was going to be okay.
He’d need to spend a couple of more weeks in isolation, but every indication was he was going to make a full recovery.
There was a knock on the window. He waved at Dawson and Niner. “Hey guys, slumming?”
Niner laughed then sniffed the glass, motioning toward Red’s bowl. “Any good?”
Red cocked an eyebrow. “Are you kidding?”
“That’s what I thought. My mom’s promised you a feed of Korean food if you come down to Florida.”
“That might have to wait.”
“We’ll have a helo fly it in,” said Dawson with a grin. “I just saw Shirley on our way in. She’s looking good.”
“Damned good,” winked Niner. “Pretty lonely too, I’m guessing.”
Red pointed a finger at him. “You touch my wife, I barbecue your tiny balls.”
“Hey, no locker room talk!”
Red laughed, nodding toward the television on mute. “What’s the latest?”
“Not much has changed. About a hundred of the celebrities were infected, but most seem to be recovering, and because the banquet was isolated immediately, there was no spread from there. That burger joint was a different story, but once the news broke that they might have been exposed to Ebola, pretty much everyone showed up at ERs to be checked within a few hours. CDC says they’re confident it’s been contained since none of them would have been contagious that quickly.”
“Well, let’s hope the panic continues for a while so people don’t forget, just in case.”
“Amen to that.” Dawson paused. “You heard about Kargbo?”
Red nodded. “Got the good news from Dr. Henderson earlier.”
“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” said Niner. “Glad he hung on as long as he did, he deserved to suffer.”
Red shook his head. “Nobody deserves to suffer like that.”
Dawson nodded. “I suppose so. The President has declared all-out war on the virus so I guess in the end Koroma won.”
Red put his oatmeal aside.
“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.”
Aunt Luana’s Aloha House, Honolulu, Hawaii
Tim wiped his forehead, already hating being home. His vacation in New York City had been cut short, his parents ordering him on the next plane when they heard about the Ebola outbreak. It had pissed him off, especially when his older brother Jeremy had backed them. Tim hated being treated like a little kid. He was nineteen, and just because he had dropped out of college didn’t mean he was an idiot.
He was an adult, whether his family wanted to admit it or not.
And in his efforts to prove that he could take care of himself, he had found his own apartment with several friends, a job pushing slop to tourists, and even had a steady girlfriend.
Life actually wasn’t that bad.
But when his vacation, paid for by his older, far more successful brother had been cut short because of some nutbars from Africa, he had been pissed.
But he’d get over it.
If only he could get over this flu.
His entire body ached and he felt horrendous. He was wheezing when he breathed, and if he could afford to take a day off, he would, but he had already nearly burnt the bridge by taking a few hangover recovery days recently.
He had no currency left with his boss.
But this was bad.
“You look like shit,” said Kaholo, washing dishes next to him. “You should go home.”
“I think I’m going to have to.”
“Go ahead, I’ll cover for you. Your shift’s almost over anyway.”
“Thanks.”
Tim headed for the back, tossing his apron into the laundry bin before stepping into the bathroom to wash up. He splashed some water on his face then looked at himself in the mirror as his knees shook under him.
And gasped as rivulets of blood trickled from his eyes and down his face.
THE END
Acknowledgements
This was a difficult story to write. As those of you who have read my books know, there is a lot of research that goes into them, much of it to do with weapons, history, geography and politics, but this time there was a massive amount of research into a horrendous disease. Imagery in this book is taken from real-
life accounts from the front lines, from the real Dr. Hendersons and Dankos fighting this deadly outbreak.
And some as heartbreaking as the NBC image described near the end.
Writing about this was difficult, and I hope reading it difficult as well.
This is a disease that needs to be stopped.
As is always the case with something as fluid as this outbreak, things changed as I wrote. One of the more horrifying statistics that did change was the medical personnel death toll. My initial draft had the number at 310, but by the time the book was finished, that had climbed to almost 500, and by the time you read this, it will certainly be higher.
These people are the heroes on the front lines of a war that has to be won.
Those of you who have read my previous books will have recognized many of the characters here. For those who haven’t, if you enjoyed the Bravo Team, they got their start in The Protocol (James Acton #1) and have appeared in every adventure since. They also make appearances in several of the Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers, where the Chris Leroux character is introduced with most of the other CIA personnel. Please check these out to discover more about these characters.
As usual there are people to thank. Brent Richards for weapons, equipment and tactics info (how to take a handgun out of someone’s hand is something I hope to never have to try!), Ian Kennedy for breaching and tactics info, Fred Newton for car mechanical info and one secret idea that I promised to never repeat (you know what it is, buddy!), Gregory “Chief” Michael for some military housing info as well as Anne and Alexa for catching a typo in The Riddle that had escaped the proof readers! As well I’d like to as always thank my dad for the extensive research and my wife, daughter, mother and friends for their continued support.
To those who have not already done so, please visit my website at www.jrobertkennedy.com then sign up for the Insider’s Club to be notified of new book releases. Your email address will never be shared or sold and you’ll only receive an occasional email from me as I don’t have time to spam you!
Thank you once again for reading.
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Bravo Team returns in the international bestseller Infidels, now available everywhere!
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Why not see where it all began? Bravo Team was first introduced in the James Acton Thrillers. Get started with The Protocol (Acton #1) today!
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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over twenty-five international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series of which the first installment, The Protocol, has been on the bestseller list in the US and UK since its release, including occupying the number one spot for three months. He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.
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Books by J. Robert Kennedy
The James Acton Thrillers
The Protocol
Brass Monkey
Broken Dove
The Templar's Relic
Flags of Sin
The Arab Fall
The Circle of Eight
The Venice Code
Pompeii's Ghosts
Amazon Burning
The Riddle
Blood Relics
Sins of the Titanic
Saint Peter's Soldiers
The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers
Payback
Infidels
The Lazarus Moment
The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers
Rogue Operator
Containment Failure
Cold Warriors
Death to America
Black Widow
The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries
Depraved Difference
Tick Tock
The Redeemer
Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series
The Turned
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.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
Return to book list
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.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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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 new Pope's operatives. Detective Chaney, called in by the 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.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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The Templar's Relic
A James Acton Thriller - Book #4
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. At risk is nothing less than the Vatican itself, and the rock upon which it was built.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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Flags of Sin
A James Acton Thriller - Book #5
Archaeology Professor James Acton simply wants to get away from everything, and relax. A trip to China seems just the answer, and he and h
is fiancée, Professor Laura Palmer, are soon on a flight to Beijing. But while boarding, they bump into an old friend, Delta Force Command Sergeant Major Burt Dawson, who surreptitiously delivers a message that they must meet the next day, for Dawson knows something they don’t. China is about to erupt into chaos.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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The Arab Fall
A James Acton Thriller - Book #6
An accidental find by a friend of Professor James Acton may lead to the greatest archaeological discovery since the tomb of King Tutankhamen, perhaps even greater. And when news of it spreads, it reaches the ears of a group hell-bent on the destruction of all idols and icons, their mere existence considered blasphemous to Islam.
To sample or purchase, please visit Amazon: US, UK, Canada, Australia, or click here for additional purchase options.
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The Circle of Eight
A James Acton Thriller - Book #7
The Bravo Team is targeted by a madman after one of their own intervenes in a rape. Little do they know this internationally well-respected banker is also a senior member of an organization long thought extinct, whose stated goals for a reshaped world are not only terrifying, but with today's globalization, totally achievable.