Chapter 58
Lascar Island, South West Pacific
"I'm standing here in the South Sudanese township of Malakal. What was once a small market town of five thousand has rapidly swollen to become a base for the recently bolstered UN mission in South Sudan."
The TV journalist was talking to the camera in front of a checkpoint manned by soldiers wearing blue UN helmets.
"In the last three days a regiment of crack French Foreign Legion troops, attack helicopters and British Special Forces have all descended upon this border outpost."
Bishop was lying in bed and turned the volume up with the TV remote.
"Why this enormous increase in military power? All because late last week a motion put forward to the UN Security Council was, for the first time since the campaign in Libya, passed without veto by China and Russia. China insisted that Western forces reinforce what they called, 'A woefully under-equipped and under-trained UN mission'".
The PRIMAL operative sighed and wondered how Jess would have felt if she could see this success.
"Within twenty-four hours of that vote, the peacekeeping forces started rolling in to Malakal. French, American, British and Australian Special Forces deployed at short notice. Within forty-eight hours the first patrols had pushed out to the border regions."
Bishop would have loved to see that. The ragtag Janjaweed thugs up against some of the world's most elite soldiers. It would have been a one-way shooting range. The picture on the TV screen changed from the reporter to stock footage of Special Forces driving through the desert. Then it cut back to the journalist.
"Sources report they have forced back Janjaweed and other Northern Sudanese militias. With the huge increase in military presence, even local warring tribes have chosen to lay down their weapons. For the first time in nearly fifty years, the region is reported to be secure, at least for now. Meanwhile, academics are asking how long will these forces have to stay? We cross now to Professor Ernest Dinkledum of the People for Peace Think Tank—"
"That's enough work, Aden." Saneh strode in and switched off the television. She had been for a run, then come back to a swim and a shower before throwing on a robe.
Bishop was propped up in the bed wearing floral shorts. His torso was bruised in half a dozen places and the bullet hole in his arm was freshly bandaged.
"Just keeping track of the mission. Vance must be happy with the outcome."
"Not as happy as I was to get rid of Ping."
"Can't have been that bad. Chua told me the kid had lost five kilos, got a tan and didn't want to leave."
Saneh dropped her robe to the floor. "Yes, it would seem that you're the only man that wants to run away from me all the time."
Bishop placed the TV remote onto the nightstand as she slinked up the bed like a cat. His eyes hungrily consumed every inch of her supple body. He lingered on her breasts as she crawled up the bed towards him. Her hands ran up his thighs, tracing the bruises as they came up his torso. Their lips touched and he could feel his body responding to the energy arcing between them.
The shrill ring of her pager shocked them both. Saneh got to it first. Rolling sideways, she grabbed it and flung it across the room. It smashed into the wall and broke into pieces. "For at least the next hour you're mine. Then Vance can send you to whatever dump he wants." She kissed him hard.
Bishop laughed and she broke away, her brow furrowed in anger. "Does something about that amuse you, Aden?"
"No, not at all," chuckled Aden. "It's just...that was your pager."
"Mine?" Saneh jumped off the bed and picked up the pieces. "You're right." She looked back at Bishop, a look of concern on her face. "Do you think it's a mission?"
At that moment Bishop's pager started ringing. He picked it up and read the message. "Both of us have been recalled. My guess is the boys are in trouble in Budapest."
Saneh already had a singlet on and was pulling on a pair of cargo pants.
"But, what about…" Bishop hadn't left the bed.
"No hanky panky, Aden. We're on the job now."
"Oh, come on."
She pulled the cargo pants up over her hips and zipped them up as she walked over to the bed. "How about you get ready and get us over to the briefing. Then if we've got time before we head out, then maybe…" She leaned forward and kissed him.
Bishop laughed, leaping out of bed to get dressed. "That's blackmail, Saneh, and you know how PRIMAL deals with blackmail."
"I think you mean 'deals in' blackmail. Now hurry. First one ready gets to drive."
***
I hope you got a kick out of what I think is my best book yet. Writing PRIMAL Vengeance was a blast and if you got a similar rush reading it, then my job is done.
Bottom line up front, I now need your help. If possible, I need you to throw a review on Amazon and tell your mates all about PRIMAL. As a self-published author I'm up against the big boys and without your help I don't stand a chance. Next time you see someone reading some crappy romance novel or teenage fantasy vampire crap, hit 'em with some PRIMAL. Spread the word so I can pump out more action-filled stories.
If you want to keep track of my rants, the next PRIMAL stories and anything else I think is cool, jump on board my blog, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. If you love PRIMAL then drop me an Email. I like nothing better than to hear from fans. It motivates me to write faster.
Speaking of which, I've got to get back to writing the next book.
Thanks again,
Jack
PRIMAL Vengeance
Jack Silkstone's books
- Primal
- A Brand New Ending
- A Cast of Killers
- A Change of Heart
- A Christmas Bride
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
- A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked
- A Delicate Truth A Novel
- A Different Blue
- A Firing Offense
- A Killing in China Basin
- A Killing in the Hills
- A Matter of Trust
- A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
- A Nearly Perfect Copy
- A Novel Way to Die
- A Perfect Christmas
- A Perfect Square
- A Pound of Flesh
- A Red Sun Also Rises
- A Rural Affair
- A Spear of Summer Grass
- A Story of God and All of Us
- A Summer to Remember
- A Thousand Pardons
- A Time to Heal
- A Toast to the Good Times
- A Touch Mortal
- A Trick I Learned from Dead Men
- A Vision of Loveliness
- A Whisper of Peace
- A Winter Dream
- Abdication A Novel
- Abigail's New Hope
- Above World
- Accidents Happen A Novel
- Ad Nauseam
- Adrenaline
- Aerogrammes and Other Stories
- Aftershock
- Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can)
- All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy)
- All the Things You Never Knew
- All You Could Ask For A Novel
- Almost Never A Novel
- Already Gone
- American Elsewhere
- American Tropic
- An Order of Coffee and Tears
- Ancient Echoes
- Angels at the Table_ A Shirley, Goodness
- Alien Cradle
- All That Is
- Angora Alibi A Seaside Knitters Mystery
- Arcadia's Gift
- Are You Mine
- Armageddon
- As Sweet as Honey
- As the Pig Turns
- Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign
- Ash Return of the Beast
- Away
- $200 and a Cadillac
- Back to Blood
- Back To U
- Bad Games
- Balancing Act
- Bare It All
- Beach Lane
- Because of You
- Before I Met You
- Before the Scarlet Dawn
- Before You Go
- Being Henry David
- Bella Summer Takes a Chance
- Beneath a Midnight Moon
- Beside Two Rivers
- Best Kept Secret
- Betrayal of the Dove
- Betrayed
- Between Friends
- Between the Land and the Sea
- Binding Agreement
- Bite Me, Your Grace
- Black Flagged Apex
- Black Flagged Redux
- Black Oil, Red Blood
- Blackberry Winter
- Blackjack
- Blackmail Earth
- Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire
- Blackout
- Blind Man's Bluff
- Blindside
- Blood & Beauty The Borgias
- Blood Gorgons
- Blood of the Assassin
- Blood Prophecy
- Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series)
- Blood, Ash, and Bone