Read Online The Arab Fall (A James Acton Thriller, Book #6) (James Acton Thrillers) by J. Robert Kennedy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J. Robert Kennedy
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and guard
the camp.”
The two
men nodded, sprinting ahead of the group, their weapons at the ready, as
Reading labored through the sand, then up the embankment. As he cleared the
ridge, he saw the guards followed by several of the students approaching a
group of rocks where his former partner Chaney stood, holding Laura as she
cried, both looking down at the ground.
Where’s
Jim?
As he
arrived he found a circle of students blocking his view, witnesses to a crime
impeding his police investigation.
“Step
aside,” he ordered, his old training kicking in, and the authority in his voice
parted them like the staff of Moses did the Red Sea, and he stepped through,
only to gasp at the hole that greeted him. “Did he fall in there?” he asked,
looking at his partner.
Chaney
nodded.
Reading
sucked in a breath, then took command of the situation. He pointed at Terrence.
“You, get as much rope as you can carry. Take someone to help you.” Terrence
nodded, tapping the shoulder of the boy beside him, and they both sprinted
toward the camp. He pointed at the next student in line. “You, go get
flashlights and glow sticks if you have them. As many as you can carry. Go!”
She nodded, chasing her friends. He picked two more. “You two, get shovels and
pickaxes. You two, water. Go!”
With
most of the students now busy with jobs, he was able to survey the area a
little closer. He pointed to Chaney. “You two get out of there, on this side of
the rocks. Chaney nodded, guiding Laura out of the danger area. Reading dropped
to his knees, and crawled as close to the edge of the hole as he dared.
“Hello!”
he yelled. “Jim! Can you hear me?”
His
voice echoed into the hollow, and he breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t
quicksand that had swallowed up his friend. He turned his head to listen for a
reply, but heard nothing.
“Jim!”
he yelled, louder this time. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes!”
came the faint reply. Laura yelped in joy, breaking free from Chaney’s grasp as
she dropped beside Reading.
“James,
it’s me, are you okay?”
“Excuse
me, sir.”
Reading
looked up to see Lt. Colonel Leather, Retired, beckoning him to stand up.
Reading looked at Chaney and pointed at Laura, who continued to talk excitedly
to her fiancé, then climbed to his feet.
“What is
it?”
Leather casually
looked back toward the camp, positioning himself between Reading and the hole.
“Over my
right shoulder, sir.”
“What is
it?” asked Reading, looking over Leather’s shoulder, but seeing nothing.
“We’re
being watched, sir.”
Then
Reading saw it, a glint of light off glass.
Binoculars!
He
successfully hid his surprise, and casually turned his head to the side.
“How
many do you figure?”
“I’ve
spotted two distinct positions manned, but there could be more.”
“Recommendation?”
“If this
were a military op, I’d send out a team to flank them and recce the area,
capture them if possible, eliminate them if necessary.”
“But
since this isn’t a military operation?”
“Recce
it is.”
Reading
nodded. “Do it, but keep it quiet. We don’t want to panic the civilians.”
Leather nodded,
walking away and getting on his radio.
Reading
dropped to a knee, pretending to look at the pit containing his friend, but
instead scanning the horizon without moving his head.
And this
time saw at least two different flashes, separated enough to know it was more
than one person.
Who
the hell could be watching us out here? And why?
Then he
looked at the pit and his heart slammed into his chest as the adrenaline of
realization surged through his body.
They’re
not watching us, they’re watching this hole!
Tarik’s Residence, Alexandria
30 BC, Seven Weeks After Cleopatra’s Death
Tarik sat on the step overlooking the Nile, the view from the back
of his estate breathtaking on any other day, but today it went unnoticed, the
hundreds of vessels plying its waters mere shadows
the camp.”
The two
men nodded, sprinting ahead of the group, their weapons at the ready, as
Reading labored through the sand, then up the embankment. As he cleared the
ridge, he saw the guards followed by several of the students approaching a
group of rocks where his former partner Chaney stood, holding Laura as she
cried, both looking down at the ground.
Where’s
Jim?
As he
arrived he found a circle of students blocking his view, witnesses to a crime
impeding his police investigation.
“Step
aside,” he ordered, his old training kicking in, and the authority in his voice
parted them like the staff of Moses did the Red Sea, and he stepped through,
only to gasp at the hole that greeted him. “Did he fall in there?” he asked,
looking at his partner.
Chaney
nodded.
Reading
sucked in a breath, then took command of the situation. He pointed at Terrence.
“You, get as much rope as you can carry. Take someone to help you.” Terrence
nodded, tapping the shoulder of the boy beside him, and they both sprinted
toward the camp. He pointed at the next student in line. “You, go get
flashlights and glow sticks if you have them. As many as you can carry. Go!”
She nodded, chasing her friends. He picked two more. “You two, get shovels and
pickaxes. You two, water. Go!”
With
most of the students now busy with jobs, he was able to survey the area a
little closer. He pointed to Chaney. “You two get out of there, on this side of
the rocks. Chaney nodded, guiding Laura out of the danger area. Reading dropped
to his knees, and crawled as close to the edge of the hole as he dared.
“Hello!”
he yelled. “Jim! Can you hear me?”
His
voice echoed into the hollow, and he breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t
quicksand that had swallowed up his friend. He turned his head to listen for a
reply, but heard nothing.
“Jim!”
he yelled, louder this time. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes!”
came the faint reply. Laura yelped in joy, breaking free from Chaney’s grasp as
she dropped beside Reading.
“James,
it’s me, are you okay?”
“Excuse
me, sir.”
Reading
looked up to see Lt. Colonel Leather, Retired, beckoning him to stand up.
Reading looked at Chaney and pointed at Laura, who continued to talk excitedly
to her fiancé, then climbed to his feet.
“What is
it?”
Leather casually
looked back toward the camp, positioning himself between Reading and the hole.
“Over my
right shoulder, sir.”
“What is
it?” asked Reading, looking over Leather’s shoulder, but seeing nothing.
“We’re
being watched, sir.”
Then
Reading saw it, a glint of light off glass.
Binoculars!
He
successfully hid his surprise, and casually turned his head to the side.
“How
many do you figure?”
“I’ve
spotted two distinct positions manned, but there could be more.”
“Recommendation?”
“If this
were a military op, I’d send out a team to flank them and recce the area,
capture them if possible, eliminate them if necessary.”
“But
since this isn’t a military operation?”
“Recce
it is.”
Reading
nodded. “Do it, but keep it quiet. We don’t want to panic the civilians.”
Leather nodded,
walking away and getting on his radio.
Reading
dropped to a knee, pretending to look at the pit containing his friend, but
instead scanning the horizon without moving his head.
And this
time saw at least two different flashes, separated enough to know it was more
than one person.
Who
the hell could be watching us out here? And why?
Then he
looked at the pit and his heart slammed into his chest as the adrenaline of
realization surged through his body.
They’re
not watching us, they’re watching this hole!
Tarik’s Residence, Alexandria
30 BC, Seven Weeks After Cleopatra’s Death
Tarik sat on the step overlooking the Nile, the view from the back
of his estate breathtaking on any other day, but today it went unnoticed, the
hundreds of vessels plying its waters mere shadows
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