by Tom Hunter
Samuel’s shoulder sent shooting pains through his body in protest at the movement, but the threatening clatter of falling rocks renewed his strength. Frantically, the three men scrabbled upward, as hand and foot holds began to give way.
“We’re not going to make it,” cried Basile, ducking as a suitcase-sized boulder bounced past. “The entire system is collapsing in on itself. This is goodbye!”
“No, it’s not,” urged Akhenaton. “We’re saved. Look!”
Basile and Samuel risked glancing up. The sky grew dark as Josh’s helicopter came into view, blocking the sun. The machine edged lower. The men could see Shafira’s anxious face, as she attempted to guide a dangling rope into the shaft. She was trying to shout something, but her voice was drowned out by the thwap-thwap of the rotor blades.
The three men didn’t need to be told twice. Clutching at the rope with both hands, they closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Samuel prayed that no more rocks would come tumbling from above as the rotor wash blew around inside the hole. Josh raised the machine higher, pulling them up, as the shaft disintegrated around them. Akhenaton, the last man out, cleared the hole just in time, as the hillside collapsed in on itself, burying St. Augustine’s secret chamber forever.
“Nooo!” Waleed cried, gaping down at the treasure he would never hold.
Josh switched on the autopilot to hold the helicopter in a steady hover, as he made his way back to the door to help Shafira winch the three adventurers aboard. Samuel, Basile, and Akhenaton collapsed gratefully into the helicopter, tired, aching, and bruised but alive.
“Samuel McCarthy, I presume,” smiled Shafira, holding out a hand for him to shake. She bit back the rest of the remark that almost left her lips. It would be most unprofessional of her to tell the famous archaeologist that the pictures she’d seen of him didn’t do any justice to his looks. Even covered in dust and debris, there was a rugged handsomeness to the man.
Samuel nodded. “And you must be my guardian angel from the Ministry. You have no idea how pleased I am to see you.” He took her hand and shook it firmly, lingering perhaps a second longer than necessary.
“What happened?” Shafira asked. “Did you uncover the secret?
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading the opening of this crazy adventure!
Samuel and the team have lost the precious cap to the bad guys.
Their only hope is a mysterious group of desert dwellers whose sole mission is to guard St. Augustine’s holy hat. You can only imagine how the news of its loss will go down...
The Knights' chief will put Samuel's character to the ultimate life or death test, before he even thinks about helping them...
Meanwhile, Gord’s teeth are bared. He hunts the Samuel and company relentlessly. With orders to kill.
Pin is in love with his new toy...
...maybe a little too much.
Does he control it, or does it control him?
Come along for the ride, as the action and suspense go to the next level.
Click here to get The Knights of the Spring Dream.