by Tony Roberts
He stared at the ground, wondering how he managed to go through this time and time again. Anyone would almost certainly go mad at the thought, yet he remained the same. Or was he? Was he the same as he had been all those centuries ago? He didn’t know. He didn’t particularly care at that moment. With a sobbing moan he stood up and looked at the direction of the battle. Timur’s army was pushing the Turks into a small knot in the center, both flanks having been swept away, and victory was now only a matter of time. The janissaries wouldn’t give up, that was certain, but they were finished, anyone could see that.
Brave bastards, they deserve a hero’s death, he mused. He half-heartedly wiped the blade of his sword on a cloth, then staggered off to the right, needing a drink. The dammed stream lay far to the right and rear, and that was where he was going. Nobody would stop him, and if they tried, he’s skillet them alive. He had had enough and what he had worked all these years for was now achieved. The Ottoman army had been smashed and now it was up to the Byzantines to take advantage of that, if they could. Timur was victorious but he was an old man and surely not long was left for him on this earth. And after he died? Casca snorted. His sons and grandsons would fight over the empire he had carved out, he knew that. They would be too occupied with that to trouble this region for a long time, if ever.
Casca’s mission was complete. Now to return the scroll to Constantinople and then get away from this region. He wanted a rest from the slaughter.
EPILOGUE
Danny and Hayley Landries sighed as the hotel room swam into their view, and they sat gripping the arms of their chairs as they orientated themselves for a few moments. The recorder was still whirring so Hayley leaned forward and pressed the stop button before leaning back in her seat and breathed deeply, bringing herself to full awareness.
Casca – or Carlos – was sat across from them, a drained look to his face. He always felt so after retelling part of his life’s story.
“So that was Tamerlane,” Danny said by way of breaking the heavy atmosphere in the little room.
“Yes Danny. He died only three years later in his homelands and was buried in Samarkand with the words that if anyone disturbed his tomb then a dreadful fate would befall those who did.”
“Sounds like Tutankhamen’s curse” Hayley commented.
“Yes, but in this case it did exist,” Carlos said, a sardonic grin flashing across his face.
“Oh?”
“It was the Soviets who opened the tomb.”
“What happened?” Danny leaned forward in interest.
“Just remember the date they opened the tomb. June 22nd, 1941.”
Danny frowned, then his face snapped open in surprise. “You’re kidding me!”
Carlos looked at him levelly. “I do not lie, Danny.”
The young American swallowed in shock. The very day the Nazis invaded the USSR.
Carlos grinned and stood, picking up a small grip he had by the side of the chair. “I shall contact you again when this contract is over with the next instalment. Take care you two, enjoy the rest of your vacation and live long.”
Live long! The couple grunted in amusement and sat there for a while after Carlos had gone before Hayley picked up the recorder. They left the room, wondering where the next adventure would take them.
Titles Available from Americana Books
All at $12.95 paperbacks, $9.98 ebooks
CASCA: THE ETERNAL MERCENARY
CASCA: GOD OF DEATH
CASCA: PANZER SOLDIER
CASCA: HALLS OF MONTEZUMA
CASCA: JOHNNY REB
CASCA: THE CONFEDERATE
CASCA: THE AVENGER
CASCA: NAPOLEON’S SOLDIER
CASCA: THE CONQUEROR
CASCA: THE ANZAC
CASCA: DEVIL’S HORSEMAN
CASCA: SWORD OF THE BROTHERHOOD
CASCA: THE MINUTEMAN
CASCA: ROMAN MERCENARY
CASCA: THE CONTINENTAL
CASCA: THE CRUSADER
CASCA: BLITZKRIEG
CASCA: THE LONGBOWMAN
CASCA: BARBAROSSA
CASCA: SCOURGE OF ASIA
CASCA: HALLS OF MONTEZUMA audiobook $19.95
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To order paperbacks from author’s Casca website – http://shop.casca.net
Tony Roberts author website http://tonyrobertsauthor.com