Bring Him Back (15 page)

‘You—?’

‘That’s right,’ Tommy said, and his smile turned into a grin. ‘I didn’t introduce myself properly. Thomas Holzmann, Senior Executive Vice President of Linden Global.
I’m
the big cheese around here. Free to come and go, free to stand in for Jürgen if I so choose, or whatever I want. That’s why I never met the real Simonsen – Doc Rascher was in charge of the everyday running of the place, and personnel was his department. But the Indigo Project is my baby, and it always will be.’ He took the pistol muzzle from Satoko’s head and pointed it towards Ben. ‘And I’m afraid I can’t let you take my assets away. They’re unique. Buildings we have plenty more of. Now put the boy down, please.’

Slowly, carefully, Ben crouched and laid Carl on the ground.

‘Step away from him and toss the rifle,’ Holzmann said.

Ben unslung the M4 and threw it away with a clatter.

Holzmann chuckled. ‘I don’t know who the fuck you really are, man, but you came pretty close to pulling it off. Tripped up at the very last hurdle. I almost feel sorry for you.’

‘I’m nobody,’ Ben said.

‘Suits me,’ Holzmann said. ‘I’ll have the engraver put it on your headstone.’ He raised his pistol, took deliberate aim at Ben. His finger tightened on the trigger.

Ben reached behind his hip. He pulled the Glock that Holzmann hadn’t seen tucked into his belt.

The screams of the children were swallowed by the double report of both handguns going off at once.

Ben felt a burning pain in his side. He swayed on his feet. Dropped his gun, put his hand to his shirt and looked at his bloody fingers.

Holzmann smiled.

And his eyes rolled back, his knees buckled under him and he fell dead.

Ben staggered, then righted himself as the children came running and crowded around him. He picked Carl up in his arms. The boy opened his eyes and looked up at him in drowsy recognition.

‘Now you’re going home,’ Ben said.

Author’s Note

THE BACKGROUND OF this story is not quite the bizarre figment of my imagination you may think it is. While the Indigo Project is (I hope) an entirely fictitious creation, the real-life phenomenon of remote viewing has been well documented and intensively researched for many years. The Stargate Project really did exist, and Joseph McMoneagle and Pat Price really were alleged to have carried out the apparently inexplicable acts of psychic espionage briefly described in
Bring Him Back
. Notable figures from this strange and fascinating world not named in the story, but not to be skipped over, include former Stargate remote viewer Lyn Buchanan and Colonel John Alexander, formerly of the Advanced Systems Concepts Office, US Army Lab Command.

Many of the people who pioneered this psychic research are still alive today, and readers interested in finding out more about them are encouraged to do a little research of their own. You can even find the CIA’s own ‘Firedocs’ remote viewing manual online. It opened my eyes – it might open some other people’s, too!

I hope you enjoyed
Bring Him Back
. Ben Hope will return for more adventures soon.

Scott Mariani

For more information on the sensational Ben Hope series in ebook and paperback, visit the author’s website:

www.scottmariani.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

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2

3

4

5

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10

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13

14

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24

Author’s Note