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Now,
I will tell you this story, and when you have heard it, perhaps you will become
more cautious when you reply to questions put to you.
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Chapter
1 – THE KILLING GAMES | Page
5
Lying
on his back in complete darkness, Mark Chisolm gasped in exhaustion and
triumph. In the cool and lifeless granite cavern, he turned over onto his
belly with his legs extended and his hard and muscular frame still tense
with anticipation and exertion. His sweat glistened on his face,
dark with oily black camouflage paint, and his whole body melded its
wetness into the soften woolen pants, cap, and jacket that absorbed the
slight sounds of his own movements on the hard stone. The prospect of
discovery left him attempting to quell his still heavy breathing from his
rapid ascent to his recently found lair. He listened.
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Chapter 2 – TIGHT LIPS AND BANTER | Page
19
A
red fox lingered in a three-point pose, echoing the silence of the white
snow as it stepped softly toward the paw prints where the half woods grew.
Its coal black eyes punctuated the face as snowflakes fell on its
smoldering frame, a blushing ember ready to flare.
A finger of wood prodded a white rabbit from its burrow as it
jolted and swirled blindly into the jaws of the quick red flame.
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Chapter 7 – GODLESS AND SILENT | Page 57
"This,
Father is the same blue stone out of which Moses carved the Ten
Commandments. I have met a holy man, and to such as you, I bequeath
this emblem of respect." He placed the ring on the finger of his still
bound hands. He then signed and said for all to hear, "I do not
hate you, infidel. I am just a man with no imagination and one so
steeped in blood I can find no reason to other than I do."
Omar
rose and climbed the stone passageway that led to the iron grating, which
two of them lifted open with difficulty. They ascended into the sanctuary
of the old Crusader Church. As they left it and walked into the courtyard
of the ancient fortification, Omar Hussein thought to himself, I
am a good man, for I make holy men better and bad men worse. I so enjoy my
work.
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Chapter
15 – SPEEDING TO SPEAN BRIDGE | Page 108
For
a few seconds, the car floated on the water, then the front end started to
sink, and the truck rolled over to the right. Since both windows were
open, the truck was awash in seconds. The driver's-side door was jammed
shut from the impact. The big man, however, pushed his door open and
started to crawl out onto the truck, which suddenly went down. His head
bobbed to the surface. He floundered and splashed about for several
seconds, gulping for air and swallowing water and then sank and rose again
and repeated his agony, although with less energy and more pain. He sank
again and then feebly rose once more to the surface, his arms in agony and
unable to even splash and appeal to the heavens to save him.
"Allah!
Allah!!" he shouted ...
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Chapter
17 – MOTHERS AND MAYHEM | Page 120
From
a considerable distance, Margaret Collins could see her cubs
approaching. She waved with both arms above her head. They
waved back, including Carruthers, who delighted in the supportive,
familial atmosphere, and Blanche, who lagged behind in her now slightly
uncomfortable street shoes and with the burden of an all night
drive. They trooped through the heather as the boys sang, "We
are marching to Praetoria, Praetoria. We are marching to Praetoria, my
love," another of their mother's contributions to their learning all
things strange and wonderful about the world. After a minute or so,
Carruthers and Mermac joined in. The singing lasted until they began
their actual climb up Ben Nevis. Mother looked on like some Celtic goddess
who knows that the progeny nearing from the valley bring gifts of love and
a quest for her knowledge. |
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Military
photos courtesy of SSgt. Daniel Kozar (Ret.), United States Marine Corps
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