EXCERPT
Quest for Honor
by David
Tindell
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Description
"I love the name of
honor, more than I fear death." ~ Julius Caesar
Jim Hayes lives a quiet life in Wisconsin, training in martial arts and
studying the warrior ethos. Unable to prevent the murder of his wife six years
earlier, Jim is determined that the next time he is called upon to act, things
will be different, and he can restore the sense of honor he believes he has
lost.
His estranged brother Mark, an Army colonel commanding a firebase in the
mountains of Afghanistan, sees his career winding down and wonders what lies in
store when he comes home. After years of dedicated service to his country, he
fears nothing else will measure up when he removes the uniform for the last
time.
In lawless Somalia, al Qaeda chieftain Yusuf Shalita, tired of endless
jihad, has decided to defect, in one last attempt at redemption. But Shalita
has only met one American he has ever trusted, so he tells the CIA he will
surrender himself to Jim Hayes, his old friend from their college days in
Wisconsin. That demand will bring the Hayes brothers back together in a way
they never imagined, as they fight to prevent a new and devastating terror
attack on the very heart of America.
Excerpt
July 2011
Somalia
Somalia
Every night, he saw the children. No
matter how tired he was, no matter how preoccupied he was from the events of
the day, no matter anything, he dreamed. And in his dreams, they came for him.
Pain and supplication filled their eyes; a shadow, dark and menacing, loomed
behind them. Sometimes he could hear its wicked laughter, smell its fetid
breath.
On this hot night, he woke up
screaming. “No! Save them! Save them!” Bolting upright, the bedclothes fell
away, drenched with his sweat. He was panting. The shadow had gotten close to
him, as the children milled around, and he felt its cold tendrils snaking
around him, drawing him closer…
There was a knock
at the door, then a muffled voice. “Yusuf! Are you all right?”
He didn’t answer,
and the door edged open. The face that peered in was that of Amir, his most
trusted lieutenant. Did the man never
sleep?
“Are you ill,
Yusuf? May I get you anything?”
Yusuf shook his head, banishing the
last wisps of the faces, knowing they would be back, perhaps as soon as he
nodded off again. “Thank you, Amir, but I am fine. A bad dream, that is all.”
“Shall I prepare some hot tea? It often
helps me sleep.”
Yusuf started to object, but said,
“That would be good. Please, bring it to the library, and join me.”
He rose, pulled on
a dry robe, switching on the light. The lone overhead bulb sputtered but stayed
on. At least the electricity was running, he thought. Otherwise it would be
candles and lanterns, as it was some nights. How could this truly be part of
the land of Allah’s people if it could not consistently provide even the bare
necessities? Ah, but what necessities are we thinking of, Yusuf reminded
himself. The ones you enjoyed back in America, at university? Or the ones the
true believers scraped and scavenged for every day, here in the barren
countryside, the crowded cities, that made up the lands of the Prophet,
blessings be upon him?
In the library, which was little more
than a room with some shelves laden with books, a desk and his precious
computer, Yusuf sat on one of the pillows along the walls as Amir joined him
with a steaming pot of tea and two cups. They sipped in silence for a few
minutes, and then Amir cleared his throat nervously. He was always so
respectful, rather surprising for a Libyan; as a rule, Libyans tended to look
down on central Africans, like Yusuf.
“What is it, Amir?” Yusuf said. “You
may speak freely, my friend.”
“I—well, these dreams of yours, Yusuf,
they must trouble you. I frequently hear you cry out.” Amir lowered his eyes.
Men did not often speak of such things, especially the proud and, let’s face
it, the arrogant men Yusuf worked with and led. In spite of himself, Yusuf
smiled, his white teeth showing starkly against his black skin. He reached over
and clapped Amir on the shoulder.
“Amir, you are my brother, do not be
embarrassed. It is proper for brothers to speak of such things with each other.
Privately, of course.” He chuckled, and Amir, relaxing, did as well. Yusuf
sighed, took another sip of the sweet Turkish tea, and said, “It is the same
dream. It is about Katabolang.”
Featured Review
Quest for Honor is a five-star military
thriller set both in Afghanistan and in protagonist Jim Hayes' home state of
Wisconsin in the United States. The story involves love and loss, and the inner
turmoil it creates in Hayes' life. Jim longs to prove himself as worthy and
honorable as his younger brother, who is playing a vital role serving his
country in Afghanistan. Little does Jim know he'll soon get that chance when an
al Qaeda chieftain, educated in the United States, chooses to defect on the
condition that he is allowed to surrender himself to Jim, a friend from his
college days. An intriguing read!
About the Author
David Tindell was born in Germany and grew up in southern Wisconsin.
Today he lives up in the northwestern corner of the state, in a log home on a
lake with his wife Sue, their Yorkie and two cats. After a career in radio
broadcasting, Tindell went to work for the US Government and resumed the
writing career he'd started in college.
His first novel, Revived, was
published in 2000, but after that he put the pen aside for a time to train in
the martial arts, earning a black belt in the Korean art of Taekwondo and instructor status in
the Russian art of Systema. He currently trains in Ryukudo Kobujutsu, an art that combines
karate with Okinawan weaponry. Like his protagonist in The White Vixen, Tindell is a linguist, although not as accomplished as Jo Ann Geary;
he's conversational in German and has also studied Italian and Russian.
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