Some people cruised by on a boat below in the bay. They looked happy and peaceful and completely ignorant of what was really going on in the world. They carried none of the burdens he felt pressing down on his shoulders morning, noon and night and he envied them for it. They could laugh without fear and enjoy their lives. Relax with loved-ones and pursue their lifetime ambitions, when he was compelled to risk his life day in and day out to protect them from the likes of Mr Blankov and Dirk Kruger. And Otmar Wolff and the Athanatoi.
And what drove that compulsion?
He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know.
They had killed Kruger and Blankov and their goons, but something told him there would be more bloodshed and death before they finally took the Oracle down. He glanced over the ocean and felt a shudder when he considered which of the team would die next in the cause. It was too dark to contemplate and when Lea walked over to him he put the thought out of his mind. It was what they did and that was all there was to it.
“Hey,” she said and peered over the cliff.
“Hey.”
“Thinking about jumping?”
He gave her a sideways glance and smiled. “I’m sorry about Danny.”
Her face straightened. “Me too, but he knew what he was getting into.”
She was putting on a front which he knew would crack sooner or later and when it happened he wanted to be there for her.
“Why’s your hand moving around in your pocket like that? Ireland’s not that pretty.”
She could still joke. A good sign.
He pulled out the box and she gasped. He didn’t need to say anything. Before he had even opened it, she said yes and kissed him on the mouth. The swallow leaped from the wire and flew away into the sky. The sun finally slipped below the watery horizon and a chill wind whipped up from the water.
She wiped a tear from her eye and laughed and he put the ring on her finger. “And about bloody time, too.”
They laughed and kissed again. She was right — it was about time and now as the stars came out over the bay he knew he’d made the right decision.
EPILOGUE
Magnus Lund watched Sir Richard Eden cross the floor of his study and pick up the report on his desk. Before the coma he was one of the strongest men he knew, but for the time being at least he was dependent on a cane. Eden shuffled back over to Lund and handed him the file.
“And you’re certain about this?” Lund said as he flicked through the papers.
Eden collapsed down in a soft leather chair and sighed. “All the post-mortem notes are in there, Magnus. The bullet which killed Devlin was marked.”
“Which page?”
“At the end.”
Lund flicked through some more pages until he saw a series of high-definition macro shots of the fatal projectile. A single word was etched neatly into the lead: DEVLIN. Scratch marks from the calibrated barrel crossed through it diagonally, but it was still clear enough to read. As clear as day, just as the message it was intended to send.
“This is a bad development, Richard.”
“You don’t have to tell me that.”
“Any ideas who the shooter was?”
“No. That bullet is probably the most forensically examined object in the history of the science. We know the exact round and the exact weapon that fired it, but it refuses to tell us who squeezed the trigger.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You haven’t turned the page yet.”
Lund flipped over the page and gasped. He was looking at another series of photos of the other side of the bullet that killed Devlin. Etched into it were two more words: WHO’S NEXT?
“We’re in trouble, Richard. This is a vendetta.”
“It’s a professional hit and whoever is behind it is clearly planning on taking out the entire ECHO team, probably including us.”
Lund felt the blood drain from his head and he started to feel dizzy and a little sick. “This can’t be happening.”
“It’s happening, Magnus and get a hold of yourself.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s different for you. You’re a military man. The idea of being hunted by a sniper of this skill is… terrifying to me.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled by it myself.”
Lund stared down at the picture of the bullet.
Who’s next?
He closed the file with trembling hands.
Who’s next, indeed.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I hope you enjoyed reading The King’s Tomb, which is the tenth novel in the Joe Hawke series. The next installment, Land of the Gods is scheduled for release during the autumn of 2018 and will bring the current arc to a close, as well as killing off not one but two other valued members of the team. After this, the ECHO team are plunged into a brand new and extremely lethal adventure.
If you enjoy following the adventures of Hawke, or any of my other series, please leave a short review on Amazon. Independent writers request this of their readers all the time, but without your support the books lose their visibility and then their viability — and I massively appreciate your support!
JOE HAWKE WILL RETURN IN LAND OF THE GODS
Other Books by Rob Jones
The Vault of Poseidon (Joe Hawke #1)
Thunder God (Joe Hawke #2)
The Tomb of Eternity (Joe Hawke #3)
The Curse of Medusa (Joe Hawke #4)
Valhalla Gold (Joe Hawke #5)
The Aztec Prophecy (Joe Hawke #6)
The Secret of Atlantis (Joe Hawke #7)
The Lost City (Joe Hawke #8)
The Sword of Fire (Joe Hawke #9)
The King’s Tomb (Joe Hawke #10)
Plagues of the Seven Angels (Cairo Sloane #1)
The Hunt for Shambhala (An Avalon Adventure #1)
Treasure of Babylon (An Avalon Adventure #2)
The Raiders (The Raiders #1)
The Armageddon Protocol (A Harry Bane Thriller #1)
Land of the Gods (Joe Hawke #11)
Visit Rob on the links below for all the latest news and information:
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Website: www.robjonesnovels.com