John Thompson - Armageddon Conspiracy

Brent nodded. “We’ve discussed that.”

In the weeks after the raid on Biddle’s estate they’d talked night after night about their lives and their futures, and he’d slowly convinced her that something had changed for him. He’d made a choice, finally realizing that choices themselves were more important than outcomes and that choices came from either strength or weakness. He knew his father and Harry had made strong choices. His mother had made a weak one. It helped him stop believing some kind of incurable defect permeated his bloodline.

“I ought to think about this a long time and make you sweat,” Maggie added.

“You could,” he agreed.

Now Brent glanced over at his uncle as the two of them ambled toward the locker room, and after a second he put his arm around Fred’s shoulders. “By the way,” he said, “I got engaged last night.”

Fred Lucas looked off in the distance and nodded. “Anybody I know?”

“Maybe.”

“Bout time you did something intelligent.”

Brent nodded. Over the past few months he’d been waking up quite often in the middle of the night and thinking about everything that had happened. He’d read everything he could on the Wahaddi Brotherhood and the New Jerusalem Fellowship. He knew he needed to understand men like Abu Sayeed and Prescott Biddle, how they and their followers could so easily forsake their common humanity to embrace violence, all in the name of their selfish and self-serving sense of God.

Some people, like Harry, his father and Fred, chose to honor and defend their fellow man, but these days so many others were choosing narrowly defined groups that rejected anyone who didn’t agree with their strict tenets. Brent had few illusions. He knew it would keep happening some people making the decent, compassionate choice, others acting out of appalling ignorance, superstition, or venality. It was enough to frighten a man into permanent bachelorhood, but in spite of that he was choosing hope. He was getting married. Who could tell if he was right? He shook his head and tightened his grip on Fred’s shoulder. He had to keep hoping.

ARMAGEDDON CONSPIRACY

THE HONG KONG DECEPTION

THE BAGDAD VENDETTA

SALEM VI: REBECCA’S RISING

Published by Pressque Publishing, Charleston, SC

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or have been used to create this work of art. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, events, etc. is completely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

Copyright @ 2012 John Thompson

First edition published 2008.

Cover image copyright© Pressque Publishing

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, permitted by law. For information contact: Pressque Publishing, Charleston, SC.

ISBN-10: 0985793724

ISBN-13: 978-0-9857937-2-2

Typography by Torborg Davern