Richard Herman - The Peacemakers

Allston paid his respects to the family, and alone, made his way to the coffins. He stood there, proud of them beyond measure, and their faces were seared into his very being — Marci, Bard, Riley, and MacRay. And G.G. was there, standing with them. Their images glowed with life and the promise of what could have been. But they were lost because he had failed them. “I’m sorry,” he said aloud. A hand slipped under his arm. It was Jill.

“Don’t blame yourself,” she said softly, holding him tight.

“I didn’t get them out.”

“You got everyone else to safety. And how many Africans did you save? You started on that very first day with NyaMai — remember her? And you never stopped. It’s not an equation a human being can solve, so stop beating yourself.”

An inner voice told him that she was right. He let the quiet wash over them, not sure what to say. “I have to deliver a message to Captain Bouchard’s widow in France. Her name is Clarice. He said to tell her that he loved her more than life itself, but he had to follow. I guess he meant he had to follow Vermullen. You speak French and I can use some help.” Jill nodded in answer and stood quietly, waiting. “Is there a future for us?” he finally ventured.

“I hope so.” She looked at him, her eyes misting. “What do you think happened to Idi?” The legionnaire would always be a presence in their lives.

“I don’t know.” Allston looked up. High scattered clouds scudded across the Spring sky reaching for the horizon. “But if we need him again, he’ll be back.”

Jill looked at the man she loved, knowing him for what he was. “No, he won’t. But you will.”

Because of the advent and growth of e-books and print-on-demand, every morning seems to bring a new dimension to the world of writing and publishing. But writing is still a lonely business, and few writers work in a vacuum. I am no exception and owe a debt of thanks to a few friends. James L. Kenny introduced me to the reality of flying C-130s in the Sudan. Val Herman and Judy Person performed wonders in copy editing the manuscript. Gretchen Ricker did yeoman labor in taking me through the complexities of designing and formatting a manuscript for electronic publication, which is no small task.

As always, William P. Wood, the co-publisher of Willowbank Books, offered countless suggestions and endless encouragement, and without the patience and gentle support of my wife, Sheila Kathleen, I would have never started my first novel, much less finished The Peacemakers.

Richard Hermanis a retired major in the Air Force and flew C-130s and F-4s. He also served as an operations plans officer, taught at the Air Force Academy, and logged over 200 combat missions in Vietnam. He is the author of thirteen previous novels, including the critically acclaimed “The Warbirds”, “Firebreak”, “Call to Duty”, and “Power Curve”. His novels have reached the White House, and are read worldwide, ranging from Japan to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. to Poland. Mr. Herman currently resides and writes in northern California.

Caly’s Island (writing as Dick Herman)

A Far Justice

The Last Phoenix

The Trojan Sea

Edge of Honor

Against All Enemies

Power Curve

Iron Gate

Dark Wing

Call to Duty

Firebreak

Force of Eagles

The Warbirds

FIRST EDITION

2011

This is a work of fiction and all characters, incidents, and dialogues are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or events, is entirely coincidental.

THE PEACEMAKERS. Copyright © 2011 by Richard Herman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-4675-0332-7

E-Design by Gretchen Ricker

Cover by John D. Repka