In Such a World

T.J. Hux

Description

Betrayal, corruption, guilt, and shame collide with the grace of God in this action-packed thriller. Imagine Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp meeting Martin Luther... bullets fly and hearts seek grace.
A warrior searching for grace; a terrorist seeking vengeance; an organization trying to hide its evil; investigators trying to stop the violence. Ex- Navy SEAL Matthew Pierson finds himself in the crosshairs – hunted by extremists and the people he once served. To redeem his life, he must learn how to survive in such a world.

Sujets

• Espiritual
• Forgiveness
• Spiritual
• United States Navy SEALs
• Espionage
• Assassination
• Crime
• SEAL
• Assassin
• Thriller
• Fiction
• Action

Informations

• Publié par: LifeRich Publishing
• Date de parution: 19 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781489742537
• Langue: English

Extrait

In Such a World
 
Book One
 
Mine to Avenge
 
Second Edi tion
 
 
T.J. Hux
 

 
Copyright © 2022 T.J. Hux.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
Any references to matters of historical record; to real people, living or dead; or to real places are intended solely to give the story a setting in historical reality.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
 
LifeRich Publishing
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.liferichpublishing.com
844-686-9607
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Front cover image: Item 23505323 US Capitol, Flag, Eagle Textured Liz Van Steenburgh Dreamstime.com
 
Holy Bible, New International Version
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]
 
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4155-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4154-7 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4253-7 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911560
 
 
LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 07/15/2022
CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
 
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
—Romans 12:19–21 (NIV)
PROLOGUE
July 11 Cali, Colombia
T HE SLIGHT TREMOR IN BENJAMIN Claypool’s hand wasn’t the only manifestation of his anxiety. Though still in the cool of the morning, his shirt was damp with perspiration. Three Tums had not been able to soothe his aching stomach. At the age of only thirty-two, lines of stress were being etched into his face, a fact pointed out to him by his wife just last evening. He did not appreciate her observation but knew her concern was genuine and warranted.
He cursed his trembling hand as he signed the document he had prepared. One last cursory overview of its content, then he quickly deposited it into the manila envelope and sealed it. Hurriedly he reached into the center desk drawer and withdrew his personal wax seal. Lighting the candle, he poured the melted wax over the envelope and depressed the stamp into it, holding it firmly in place while the wax hardened, then cleanly removed the stamp and returned the implements to the drawer. He knew the stamp would do nothing to prevent the wrong eyes from viewing the contents of the envelope, but it was his last means of getting his work into the hands of someone with the ability to use it.
He held the envelope, examining it, musing darkly that in this age of instant electronic communication, the only hope for passing on the vital information inside was the centuries-old method of paper, pen, and a mail-delivery system.
Of course, he had tried the modern ways. Yesterday, it was as though he’d been technologically shunned. Texts, no response, not even opened. Secured emails directly to his supervisor bounced back as undeliverable. Even the encrypted satellite phone that had been provided for his mission rang endlessly with no option to leave a voice message.
It was also yesterday that he noticed that he was under surveillance. He had spotted the medium-height Colombian following him after he had left the US embassy compound in Bogotá. That man had made an amateur’s mistake. Claypool had sensed he was being watched and turned suddenly, making ever so brief eye contact with the man who nervously looked away. The others were far more professional. So much so that he wondered if he were just being paranoid. The man on the motor scooter? The woman at the open-air market? No, he wasn’t being paranoid. Not with the knowledge in his head and in his hands.
Would anyone understand what he was about to do? How could they, unless they could see the big picture? Yet had he even seen the big picture? No, he had merely seen a glimpse of a small corner, but that was enough to frighten him into his present course of action. Maybe when the story hit the newspapers and the dust settled, he could explain and return to a safe, quiet life. Hopefully.
But that wouldn’t happen if he didn’t find sanctuary for his wife and himself. How could he have put her in so much danger? When the State Department ordered him to the US embassy in Bogotá, it seemed like a thrilling opportunity for them to explore the world. After arriving in Bogotá, Claypool discovered that most of the contacts he would need to complete his assignment lived in the vicinity of Cali. After only a week in Bogotá, the Claypools leased a spacious suite in Cali, and Benjamin went to work. They had only been in Colombia for less than three months, and now he feared they would never leave alive. Drug lords and revolutionaries aside, he now feared the very government he served.
They needed to go. “Marie! Are you ready?”
“Almost, dear,” she answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She’d made it clear she didn’t like the rapid departure or the secrecy, but he hadn’t much choice.
Ben jumped at the soft touch on his shoulder. He turned around to see Marie, beautiful as ever, sporting a worried look on her face. She reached out a tentative hand and then withdrew it. “What’s going on?”
He could tell her, probably should tell her, but he decided against it. The less she knew, the safer she’d be. He shook his head. “Nothing. You just startled me.”
It took five hours to navigate the narrow, winding mountain roads that stretched between Cali and Colombia’s coastal city of Buena Ventura. Ben tried to control his growing desperation as he faced the usual congestion of ‘chicken buses,’ produce trucks, peasants on bicycles, and one herd of sheep that stalled traffic for forty-five minutes as they crossed the highway. After completing the ninety-five miles, he parked the rented Ford Explorer in the parking garage of one of Buena Ventura’s luxurious shopping malls.
They walked three blocks to the nearest post office and mailed the envelope, sending it on its way to his uncle with a prayer, its contents getting into the hands of the powerful United States senator was his only hope.
From there, he hailed a taxi, having to fend off another inquiry from his wife about his strange behavior. He finally promised that he would explain everything that night, but for the time being, she would have to trust him. He could see the fear in her eyes. If he were to tell her now—and they were intercepted before reaching the sanctuary he had arranged for them—there was no way either of them would live. At least ignorance might save her life.
In the eighties, at the height of the “drug wars,” Colombia was nothing short of a war zone. In the 1990s, Colombia had stabilized, or so it had seemed. By the early 2000s, stability was beginning to take hold. Now, for almost twenty years, the drug trafficking, government corruption, and international drug distribution networks had found a degree of peaceful coexistence with the governments of their client nations.
When the opportunity for an assignment in Colombia had presented itself, Benjamin knew it was a career move. He also knew it might be dangerous. Choosing to invite his wife to accompany him on the assignment was a calculated risk. He thought it would help establish his cover among the embassy staff. For Ben, it meant more than a huge promotion. As an Eagle Scout, the very thought of corruption within the State Department was inexcusable. He relished the opportunity to investigate and bring the guilty to justice. That the assignment opened the door to future posts in high-level offices was merely a bonus. For Marie, it gave her the chance to live out her compassion, volunteering with as many humanitarian organizations as she desired. With what he had known then, the risk/reward equation seemed reasonable.
Their first month in-country had been like they had dreamed. Meeting people, establishing bonds, sightseeing, Marie connecting with several humanitarian organizations and Ben confident his cover was secure and his investigation would succeed.
During the second month, Benjamin began to suspect the corruption ran deeper than his supervi