Read The Arab Fall (A James Acton Thriller, Book #6) (James Acton Thrillers) for Free Online

the creature writhe against her skin as Epaphroditus leapt toward her,
her handmaidens and the other guards watching in horror.
    Then she
felt the bite, the creature finally fed up with her controlling it, it lashing
out in the only way it knew how. Its fangs sank into her soft skin, and she
cried out in pain as the poison pumped into her blood, then through her system,
the warmth, the numbness, flowing through her, spreading rapidly. As her
strength waned, she dropped the snake, and Epaphroditus sliced it in half with
his sword, catching her near naked form as she collapsed to the floor.
    Swinging
her into his arms, he placed her gently on the bed, calling for a doctor, but
she knew there was no cure for her, no helping her. The bite of a king cobra,
even from birth, is deadly, and this one had been angry and scared, pumping her
with enough venom that she was certain it would be a quick death. Already she
could feel her eyes beginning to lock into place, the toxins paralyzing them.
    Her
handmaidens came into view, pushing Epaphroditus aside, tears streaking their
faces as they praised her for her courage and strength, swearing to repeat the
story to all who would listen. Their voices faded, and soon all she could hear
was her own heartbeat, each beat seeming a little slower, each beat a little
weaker. She had no idea how she long she lay there. Minutes, hours, days, she
did not know. All she did know was that as she stared at the heavens above, she
could hear her beloved Antony calling to her, welcoming her to his side once
again, as her final sigh escaped the smile on her face.
    I’m
coming, my love!
     
     
     

 
     
     
    Nubian Desert, Egypt, University College London Dig Site
    Two Days Before the Liberty Island Attack
     
    Chaney marched over the rise to the south of the camp, then across
the flat plateau, scanning the horizon for anything of interest, but seeing
nothing.
    We truly
are in the middle of nowhere.
    The
vegetation was sparse, but there. It wasn’t a desert, not here, not this close
to the coast, and several ancient river beds, though dried up on the surface,
still seemed to have enough water below to feed a remarkable amount of flora.
    But the
fauna was almost nonexistent. He couldn’t actually remember seeing even a bird
since he’d arrived. He scanned the horizon again, and saw something flicker in
the distance. Shading his eyes with his hand, he took another look, but could
see nothing, whatever it was, gone.
    Probably
just the sun reflecting off water or some crystal in the rocks.
    The
thought of crystals had him wondering if he’d get the chance to discover
something. The idea thrilled him, and he began scouring the ground as he
walked. To find something, something ancient, something that hadn’t been
touched in thousands of years would be an experience he would remember the rest
of his life.
    And
it would drive Hugh nuts.
    He
grinned at the thought of his former partner holed up in the air conditioned
tent. If he were to find something himself, he’d forget the heat and sand, and
lack of a telly, and instead get caught up in the excitement of what everyone
here was doing.
    Exploring
the past.
    Chaney
had always loved history, and excelled at it in school, but with his career,
and the Triarii, he barely had time to read anymore. Buying an eReader had
solved that somewhat. At least now he had a tiny device with tons of books on
it that didn’t take up much luggage space.
    The
Triarii!
    The
thought of them tore at his heart. An organization he had been a member of for
as long as he could remember, that had determined most of his decisions in
life, and now once again demanded his time. He had hinted to Professor Acton
that there was something he needed to talk to him about, and he could tell by
the Professor’s voice he knew it was Triarii related.
    Before
he had left for Egypt the Proconsul had called him in and dictated the message
he wanted delivered to the Professor. When he had asked why, he