Quest (Dane Maddock Adventures)
Read Quest (Dane Maddock Adventures) Online
Authors: David Wood
Quest
A Dane Maddock Adventure
by
David Wood
Quest
by David Wood
149 B.C.- Escaping just ahead of the invading Roman legions, a Carthaginian soldier carries an ancient secret to places unknown.
1925- Percy Fawcett launches his final expedition into the Amazon, but what is his true objective?
Dane Maddock is back. Deep in the Amazon, a university group encounters a horror beyond their darkest nightmares and vanishes without a trace. Called upon to undertake a daring rescue mission, Dane and Bones must trace the true path of Percy Fawcett's final expedition, but the secret that lies at the end of the search might be even deadlier than the enemies who seek it. From the streets of London, to remote islands in the Atlantic, to the deadly jungles of the Amazon, Dane and Bones must penetrate a secret lost to history, on their deadliest
Quest
.
Praise for David Wood’s
Dane Maddock Adventures
"David Wood has done it again.
Quest
takes you on an expedition that leads down a trail of adventure and thrills. David Wood has honed his craft and
Quest
is proof of his efforts!"
David L. Golemon, Author of
Legacy
and
The Supernaturals
“Ancient cave paintings? Cities of gold? Secret scrolls? Sign me up! A twisty tale of adventure and intrigue that never lets up and never lets go!” --
Robert Masello, author of
The Medusa Amulet
"A non-stop thrill ride triple threat- smart, funny and mysterious!"
Jeremy Robinson, author of
Instinct
and
Threshold
"Let there be no confusion: David Wood is the next Clive Cussler. Wood's latest book,
Quest
, is a tremendous classic adventure. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop until the last mystery plays out in the final line."
Edward G. Talbot, author of
2010: The Fifth World
"Packed solid with action and witty dialogue, this rousing adventure takes a fresh look at one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century, David Wood delivers again with
Quest
."
Sean Ellis, author of
Into the Black
and
Dark Trinity-Ascendant
"An all-out blitzkrieg of a globe-trotting mystery-adventure that breaks from the action just long enough for a couple of laughs."
Rick Chesler, author of
kiDNApped
and
Wired Kingdom
“David Wood just might become the new master of the Biblical action-thriller.”
Megalith Book Reviews
Quest
Copyright 2011 by David Wood
Published by Gryphonwoood Press
This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Works by David Wood
The Dane Maddock Adventures
Stand-Alone Novels
Callsign: Queen (With Jeremy Robinson)
David Wood Writing as David Debord
Contents
The Last Hunter- Descent by Jeremy Robinson
Primal Thirst by J. Kent Holloway
This book is dedicated to Greg Lester, in gratitude for the email that changed my life.
149 B.C.E.
“Why have you summoned me? I should be at my place on the walls.” Hasdrubal’s eyes were afire and his hand trembled as he gripped the hilt of his sword. His anger was understandable, considering who he was and to whom he was related. But, he had come right away when summoned, and that was to his credit.
“You are needed for something greater than waiting to die.” Aderba’al laid a hand on the man’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off. It was an affront which, under different circumstances, would merit severe chastisement, but this was not the time for such things. Time was of the essence. “Hear my words before you so impetuously assume that you know what is best.”
“Very well, but do not delay me unnecessarily.” He looked around as if, at any moment, enemies would be storming the temple.
“It is you who is delaying me,” Aderba’al snapped. “What I do is the last hope for the survival of our people. You have been chosen for a sacred task.”
Now Hasdrubal was curious. “Tell me.” Suspicion hung heavy in his words, but at least Aderba’al had his attention.
“That is what I have been trying to do. Follow me, listen, and do not interrupt.”
They passed through the temple, now dark because they could no longer spare the oil required to light the lamps. Everything, it seemed, was needed in defense of the city. Behind the altar, he knelt, running his fingers across the carved surface, the smooth stone cool to the touch. He stopped on an image of a flooded field. “Aretsaya,” he whispered as he pressed down.
With a click, a door swung open, revealing a dark passage in the base of the altar.
“What…” Hasdrubal must have remembered Aderba’al’s warning against interruption, because he clamped his mouth shut and followed without protest as Aderba’al led them down into the tunnel.
He required no light, so familiar was he with this passage. They walked along in silence as complete as the absence of light. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor and it was almost possible to forget the enemy at the gates. Not once, in all the time he followed Aderba’al into the unknowable blackness, did Hasdrubal speak, though he surely was wondering where they were going and why.
When he tasted the salty tang of sea air, Aderba’al knew they had almost arrived at their destination. They emerged in a grotto overlooking a sheltered cove. This place was a temple secret, but it was far from the most important one he would reveal today. Down below, sailing ships were being loaded and made ready to sail.
Hasdrubal looked scandalized at the sight and he rounded angrily on Aderba’al, his face red and his eyes flashing. “You want me to flee like a coward? I shall not do it. You know my bloodline and the obligation it carries with it. How can you ask me to run?”
“What I ask you to do requires more courage than anything you have ever done before.” This gained Hasdrubal’s attention and he lapsed into an uneasy silence.
Aderba’al drew from his robes an oilcloth pouch and handed it to him. “As you are well aware, our ancestors were the greatest sailors in history. They passed down to us knowledge of a land, wild and unconquered by civilized man. It lies far across the great water beyond the white stones. These maps will show you the way.”