by R. D. Brady
“Yes, ma’am.” In his mind, he translated her political speak. Find me a way to keep them under my thumb, and if that doesn’t work, find me a way to kill them.
“And Delaney McPhearson? She did save us,” Heller said.
The President’s gaze swept across the table. “Delaney McPhearson is an American hero. That cannot be denied. But the power held within her grasp is too much for one individual.”
Shremp cut in. “I was under the impression she is no longer immortal. That she voluntarily gave up the ability.”
The President shook her head. “We have no confirmation of that. But the potential for her to become immortal again is still at her fingertips, and hers alone. Who’s to say one day she doesn’t change her mind? And even without that ability, she is a force. Can you imagine someone who could call down a lightning strike, a tornado, or hurricane-level winds against a target of her choice? And with her ability to control the Fallen without immortality, she still poses a significant threat, not just to this country, but to the world. She may be an even graver threat than Elisabeta was.”
Uneasy glances were shared across the table.
The President put up a hand. “I realize this is not an easy conversation to have. But we are the leaders of this country. We are required to make the hard decisions. And regardless of Delaney McPhearson’s past actions, she is a threat to this government. We cannot rely on her better nature. We can hope for it, but we cannot rely on it.”
“So are we looking for the same options regarding McPhearson?” Heller asked.
“Yes. How to control and contain her.”
David once again translated the carefully worded statement. Find Delaney McPhearson’s weakness—the people and things that can be used to pressure her into behaving.
And simultaneously figure out the easiest way to kill her.
FACT OR FICTION?
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed yourself. The Belial War has been a long time coming. This is the twelfth book in the series. And I’m actually excited about where we go from here! Yes, the series will be ending soon but I am happy with how the story will come to a close. Now enough about that and on to the facts!
Temple of Osiris. The Temple of Osiris or Osiris shaft is real. It can be found on the Giza Plateau. As mentioned in The Belial War, the shaft extends one hundred feet down into the earth where a nine-ton granite sarcophagus can be found. The sarcophagus still lies there. The shaft was flooded at some point after its creation. It was found in the early twentieth century but due to the water in the shaft it was not excavated until 1999. Even with the removal of the water, the shaft has received scant attention compared to other sites nearby. The sarcophagus still lies submerged in a pool of water, with the lid suspended above the water, held in place by metal wires.
Cole Memorial Hospital. Real hospital but the description is completely fictional.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The seven wonders of the Ancient World were the hanging gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympus, the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse at Pharos, and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Of those seven, only the Great Pyramid remains, although remnants of the rest have been found.
The Oval Office. When writing The Belial War, I did quite a bit of research on the White House. I did not realize that the Oval Office was a relatively modern creation. The office as we now know it, was first used by William Taft and was remodeled after a fire destroyed it in 1929. FDR moved it closer to the residence and it remains largely the same since he occupied it.
Gobekli Tepe and Skulls. Skulls were found at the ancient site of Gobekli Tepe. The skulls demonstrate evidence of post mortem manipulation, i.e., they had lines painstakingly carved into the skulls. No one knows why. They also however had holes drilled into the skulls, in a manner similar to that of the Naga people of India. The Naga drilled the holes the place the skull on a string or rope. Archaeologists theorize that the skulls may have similarly be hung around the different henges in Gobekli Tepe.
Lighthouse at Pharos. Evidence has been found that at one point there was a giant lighthouse on the island of Pharos off the northern coast of Africa. As described in The Belial War and according to historians, the three hundred and fifty feet tall lighthouse had been covered in mirrors that allegedly had been used to set ships that entered Alexandria Bay illegally on fire. It was reported to have been visible from as far away as thirty-five miles. At the time, the only taller structure in the world was the Great Pyramid at Giza.
The Great Pyramid at Giza. The information on the Great Pyramid is accurate. Along with being the last remaining seventh wonder of the world, it was once covered in a white limestone. People began removing the limestone in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until none remained. In its heyday however, the Pyramid would have shown brightly when the sun or moon struck it. The dimensions of the pyramid as well as the fact that scholars still are not sure how it was built are also accurate.
Calevitnia. Calevitnia is not a real Russian country. (I’m guessing most of you already knew that.) In 1991, when the USSR dissolved, the former soviet republic broke up into fifteen countries; Russia and the fourteen satellite countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. I did not want to cast any of those satellites in The Belial War so I simply made up a country.
Loose Nukes. The information on the problem with nuclear warheads within the former Soviet Union is accurate. Nuclear weapons as well as stockpiles of uranium and plutonium were left completely unsecured. Some were only protected by a padlocked door. The result had been over 100 reported cases of nuclear smuggling incidents since 1993. If you're looking for more information, check here.
George Washington. The information on George Washington and the crossing of the Delaware is true. Three separate parties set out across the river but only one managed to cross. There was an ice storm and the Hessian knew they were coming due to a turncoat and spies. Washington pushed on though because he believed the continental army would be destroyed if they did not win this battle. They needed new recruits to replenish their ranks. So the crossing of the Delaware was a critical and necessary battle if the United States was ever going to exist.
Great Sphinx. Traditional archaeology dates the Great Sphinx to about 2,500 BC. Wear and tear on the Sphinx, however, point to it having existed at a time when heavy rains were commonplace in Giza which would place its creation closer to 10,500 BC. The human face of the Sphinx is disproportionately small for the body. Most people therefore believe it was remodeled at some point. Most argue that the body resembles that of a lion and therefore the head must have at one point also been that of a lion. However, as mentioned, there are no pictures of the Sphinx with either the face of a human or a lion. Anubis, the jackal headed god, who was also the guardian of the afterworld, can however be found represented all over ancient hieroglyphs.
The Dream Stela. The Dream Stela is real and is located between the front paws of the Sphinx. Thumtose allegedly had a dream that if he excavated the Sphinx, which once again had been buried up to its neck, he would one day be the ruler of a united Egypt. He had the Sphinx excavated and was the ruler of a united Egypt.
Underground Bunkers at the White House. The first underground tunnels were created under the White House during Truman's renovation. A tunnel was connected from the east and west wings and as well as a bomb shelter. In 1987, another tunnel was built. There are also rumors of tunnels connecting the White House to the Capitol, Blair House, VP Residence, Camp David and the Pentagon, but these are unsubstantiated at this time. What technological capabilities exist in the bunks is a matter of speculation although most believe that the country would be able to be essentially run from there.
Thank you again for reading. If you’d like to be notified about upcoming releases, please sign up for my mailing list.
R.D. Brady is an American writer who grew up on Long Island, NY but has made her home in both the South and Midwest before settling in upstate New York. On her way to becoming a full-time writer, R.D. received a Ph.D. in Criminology and taught for ten years at a small liberal arts college.
R.D. left the glamorous life of grading papers behind in 2013 with the publication of her first novel, the supernatural action adventure, The Belial Stone. Over a dozen novels later and hundreds of thousands of books sold, and she hasn't looked back. Her novels tap into her criminological background, her years spent studying martial arts, and the unexplained aspects of our history.
If you would like to be notified about her upcoming publications, you can sign up for her mailing list. Those who sign up will receive a free e-book copy of B.E.G.I.N. and other freebies over time. Email addresses are never provided to any other sources.
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Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank all of you reading this. I know there was a long break between the last book in the Belial series and this one. After writing thirteen novels, two novellas and two short stories, I needed a little break. Happily, the break also helped spur some creative juices and therefore there is quite a bit coming out in the next two years. So thank you for the patience!
Thank you to Crystal Watanabe and her editorial team at Pikko’s House. I am thrilled to have found you and always look forward to receiving your comments. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you to my three little ones. As I get close to the end, I slowly disappear into my office until I am a mere specter around the house. Thank you for your support and for always checking in on how mommy’s books are going and understanding when I say I need just five more minutes I am completely underestimating the time I’m going to need. :).
Thank you to my writing group who is always supportive and always there to keep me company through the process.
Thank you to The Cover Collection for their great work on The Belial War.
The Characters of The Belial War*
The Triad
Delaney McPhearson: Ring bearer with the power to control the weather, the Fallen, and animals
Jake Rogan: Former Navy SEAL, Laney’s former love, Henry’s best friend
Henry Chandler: Nephilim, Laney’s brother
Laney’s Allies
Yoni Benjamin: former Navy SEAL, Israeli born, married to Sascha Benjamin with whom he has a young son named Dov
Cain: the biblical Cain, who has been alive for thousands of years, anyone who harms him receives an injury seven times their intent.
Patrick Delaney: Laney’s uncle, Roman Catholic priest, raised her since she was eight, born in Scotland
Drake: Las Vegas's Entertainer of the Year ten years running also archangel on sabbatical; was Achilles in the one life he lived as a human and he loved Helen of Troy (Laney) passionately
Rolly Escabi: teenage nephilim
Zach Grayston: teenage Fallen
Fadil Massari: sister of Mustafa, archaeologist
Mustafa Massari: head SIA agent
Noriko: Jen's recently discovered biological half sister, has visions and can communicate with animals, direct descendants of Lemurians
Lou Thomas: teenage Fallen
Gerard Thompson: formerly Elisabeta's right hand man until Victoria opened his eyes to his past lives. She helped him recall the time after the Fall when he had a family that Samyaza killed; formerly, Barnabus, close friend of Achilles and Helen of Troy
Danny Wartowski: teenage genius, started working at Chandler at age ten, head analyst, unofficial adopted son of Henry Chandler
Matt Walsh: Director of the Special Investigative Agency (SIA), under the auspices of the Department of Defense tasked with tracking and containing Fallen, Fallen
Jennifer Witt: Love of Henry Chandler, best friend of Delaney McPhearson, sister of Noriko, nephilim
Jordan Witt: Jen's brother, served with Jake in SEALS, operative with Chandler, Mike's twin
Mike Witt: brother of Jen, twin of Jordan, FBI agent
The Bad Guys
Elisabeta Roccorio: reincarnation of Samyaza
Na Nomi Mansur: General: Sudanese overlord
Artem Danvers: Elisabeta’s right hand man
Hilda: Elisabeta’s former assistant who was arrested by the FBI
US Government
Nancy Harrigan: United States Secretary of State
Margaret Rigley: President of U.S.
Bruce Heller: Deputy Director of CIA
Moses Seward: former head of the Homeland Security’s External Task Force, tortured Cain
The McAdam's Family
Mary Jane: widowed mother, nurse
Joe:16
Shaun:15
Molly, 13, nephilim
Susie-2, kidnapped in The Belial Plan
Billy- deceased father and Fallen
* This list is not a complete list but contains a number of characters that readers will have seen in previous books.
Books By R.D. Brady
The Belial Series (in order)
The Belial Stone
The Belial Library
The Belial Ring
Recruit: A Belial Series Novella
The Belial Children
The Belial Origins
The Belial Search
The Belial Guard
The Belial Warrior
The Belial Plan
The Belial Witches
Stand-Alone Books
Runs Deep
Hominid
The A.L.I.V.E. Series
B.E.G.I.N.
A.L.I.V.E.
D.E.A.D.
Be sure to sign up for R.D.'s mailing list to be the first to hear when she has a new release and receive a free short story!
Copyright © 2017 by R.D. Brady
The Belial War
Published by Scottish Seoul Publishing, LLC, Dewitt, NY
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
Printed in the United States of America.