The Thirteenth Legion (A James Acton Thriller, #15) (James Acton Thrillers) Read Online Free

Laura’s
students.
    And it
was there that things had descended into a mysterious spiral that deepened with
each ongoing day. Chaney had slipped into a coma, then came out of it,
appearing in Venice when they had found an artifact the Triarii for centuries had
been searching for.
    And then
had disappeared.
    It had
deeply troubled their good friend, Reading, the two men very close. Reading was
a bit of a loner after his divorce many years ago, he and his son estranged
until only recently. And he had found love once only to have it tragically
ripped from him, the poor soul swearing off ever falling in love again.
    It
pained both him and Laura, knowing what their friend was going through.
    And it
had thrilled them when Reading had called, his excited utterance of “I saw
Martin!” momentarily giving them hope the two would be reunited.
    But it
wasn’t to be so, apparently.
    “And you
said it was Rodney who tried to shoot him.”
    “Yes.”
    Laura
leaned toward the phone. “Are you sure? He seemed like a nice young man when I
met him.”
    “Same
here,” agreed Acton. “He was clearly indoctrinated into the Triarii, but then
again, so was Martin.”
    “Exactly!”
exploded Reading. “They’re both members of that damned cult! And remember what
we were told, that there’s some sort of split in the Triarii. Clearly Rodney is
on the other side and has been after Martin.”
    “Maybe
that’s why he disappeared? He’s afraid for his life?”
    Reading
grunted. “Could be.” He sighed. “Things were never really the same after
London, you know, when we all met.”
    Acton
laughed. “How could we forget? You two spent your time chasing me down as a
multiple murder suspect.”
    “I
didn’t arrest you, did I?”
    Laura
dropped her chin. “You arrested me!”
    “Nooo, I
merely took you in for questioning.”
    “Huh,
not how I remember it. It was come in voluntarily, or I’ll arrest you.”
    Reading
laughed. “Sounds like something I’d say. But after I found out Martin was part
of this Triarii, and was more loyal to them than the Yard, it just wasn’t the
same. He tried, I know, to patch things up, and I think we were headed there,
but after he disappeared…” He growled. “A man can’t have two masters.”
    “Agreed,”
said Acton, “but he did help save Laura.”
    “Yes,
but in doing so, betrayed his oath. He could have just as easily got her
killed.”
    Acton
squeezed his wife’s shoulder. “But he didn’t.”
    “True,
but he should be a copper first, cult member second.”
    Acton
glanced at Laura, they both sensing the pain their friend was in. He could only
imagine how he would feel if his best friend, Gregory Milton, were to disappear
without a trace, but not before telling the university he’d be leaving.
    It meant
Chaney had disappeared of his own free will. It may have been
self-preservation, yet if he had time to submit the paperwork to leave his job
temporarily, surely he could have called his supposed best friend.
    “Well,
you saw him today, and I don’t believe in coincidences, so I think that means
he wants to see you.”
    “I think
you’re right. He looked directly at me, so he knew I was there.”
    “Are you
going to keep looking for him?”
    “Absolutely.
If he’s in trouble, he needs my help.”
    Laura
pursed her lips, then spoke. “Maybe you need to talk to the Triarii directly.”
    “That’s
exactly where I’m heading now.”
     
     

 
     

     
     
    Hope Trailer Park, New Mexico
     
    Leroy flipped the black-tailed jackrabbit on the grill, the aroma
filling his nostrils, causing his eyes to close so he could focus his ecstasy
on the one sense. The secret was the marinade, a combination of herbs, spices, oils,
and a hint of lighter fluid he and his wife had come up with over years of experimentation.
There was nothing that could blacken a piece of meat faster than a combustible
liquid. Sure, the government bureaucrats and their Bilderberg masters said it
was dangerous, but