The Jewel In The Crown of The Hexagonal East

By Laura E Simms

Meet DI Nathaniel Blackhewn
When Olivia Maybone goes missing he thinks it is an ordinary run of the mill case
But then someone he once knew well reveals Olivia's true identity and Nathaniel; embarks upon a very personal journey to discover the truth

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura E Simms
• Release date: Apr 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310461613

Laura E Simms

Laura Simms 1987-BooksEnd GameThe Legend of the Talking SwordTaken for a MugHorses For CoursesMillionaire's PlaypenGemini BloodThe Irony of de ja vuI have wanted to be an author since I was 6. So this is a dream realised for me.The last year has been very productive with lots more writing to come hopefully.But I will let you be the judge of what you read, so all that remains to be said isHappy reading

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The Jewel in the Crown of the Hexagonal East

Laura E Simms

The Jewel in the Crown of the Hexagonal East

Laura E Simms

Text Copyright © 2014 Laura Elizabeth Simms

Front cover photography © Dai Noble

Smashwords Edition

For David Hill

A child has many heroes, actors, actresses athletes, especially the wheelchair-bound ones, whatever. It may surprise you to learn you are one of mine. You might or might not be pleased to know this and ask why.

You adapted to, accepted and embraced your challenges and for a child who was just beginning to understand my own disability and the challenges it would bring it was kind of an inspiration.

There are many challenges. Not least the fact that we are both Aston Villa fans.

My journey to acceptance of my limitations has been a long drawn out one, but I finally think I’m there.

Now when I feel down I remind myself that it isn’t the end of the world that I can’t do things as well or at least as easily as most other people and try to see my way through the clouds to the silver lining.

There always is one; it’s just difficult to see sometimes. But we win every time. You taught me perhaps unintentionally; perhaps not that you can achieve anything you want to if you just put your mind to it.

I think many people forget this. But the lesson learned the hard way is life is what you make it, you only get one chance and your experience taught me to live life to the full.

So here’s to the next battle, whatever that may be.

Prologue

Not so long ago the world was split up into at least three sections, the law abiding, the lawless and the grey area. The grey area housed the petty criminals, who were not harmless, but only dabbled in the minor league illegal activities and every so often they all collided spectacularly with interesting results for they were largely kept apart.

You knew the rules and you mostly stuck to them. The rules were thus:

The lawless broke the law in whatever way they saw fit, i.e. mostly violently.

The grey area assisted both sides, preferring not to choose.

The grey area chose sides only on the rare occasion when they could see how a situation benefitted themselves.

The grey area was at liberty to switch sides at any given time without explanation.

Fights were often to the death, a term accepted by all parties as given.

The law abiding kept their noses out of business that did not concern them and were therefore allowed to remain superiorly smug that they had avoided disaster, social disgust and general social banishment from civilised circles.

The lawless forces of any description fought a war amongst themselves for domination of their territory. The law abiding let them get on with the infighting as long as it didn’t affect them.

Monday 13th January 2031

Hey! Claudio called as the work computer spat out another name on another day. The woman who walked towards him sashayed her hips. Her air was confident and you could barely see the brace on her wrist, put there a week or two before by an over-attentive doctor.

Not that Doctor Adrian Benson had stared too much. He was married you see, but he was still a man.

Was he jealous of course he was? People stared at her, leered at more like and lusted after. They mentally undressed her and had imaginary sex with her before his very eyes.

He was lacking proof though the glazed look quite often gave this away. The Outlaw for her part did all she could to encourage this behaviour. She knew what a prize she was.

All she had to do was set the trap, bait the hook and people men in particular fell enchanted at her feet. She could get anyone to do anything at any price and that’s where her usefulness lay.

Hey handsome! What did you find? she asked.

They’ve acquired their target, or at least selected her

Did you tell the boss?

E-mailed him. Watch out for the summons

He might not get it before he sets off for the Seychelles or wherever he’s going

The Outlaw, a code name there were no real names used here or surnames looked into the eyes of the young woman who had been picked out today. She had days, maybe less, maybe hours remaining, depending when the enemy chose to strike.

They had been fighting this war for years, generations even. It was like some kind of hypnotic dance, each side waiting for the other to slip up in step or rhythm.

Neither side really won or lost the small battles they fought though sometimes innocents got caught between them. There was then bloodshed.

Life in the shadows was a game but no one was sure what game they were playing or what the rules were. Whether it was a sick version of Poker or Russian roulette.

Any roll of the dice could come up snake eyes. Every player was a pawn in the hands of the Gods. The game was deadly and any mistake could prove fatal.

The Outlaw sighed as she looked up at the glass dome of the office and saw her boss, the Big Cheese, beckoning to her. It seemed Round 3 million and one had fallen to her.

She would live or die by the sword and her actions, reactions today, tomorrow. If the mission proved to be her last nobody would mourn too long.

They would replace her with a new pawn and the game would continue as always. Her part in the story, the battle, and the game would be just recorded history.

She examined the blackened ends of her fingers, no fingerprints, they had been burned off Men in Black style. Taking a deep breath she composed herself. It never did to show weakness here.

An ally might just as easily pick you off. The game was ruthless. Betrayal was rife. It was cutthroat and lethal. There were no prizes. The name of the game was Life and the aim of the game was survival.

If you went home at the end of the day you counted your blessings. But you never relaxed. Just in case someone you once counted as a friend decided to become your foe.

She had taken a huge risk forming the attachment she had. Any time the person chose they could turn on her.

The first lesson each recruit/pawn was taught. Never trust anyone! It could get you killed!

Chapter One

The freezing cold January air hit Olivia Anne Maybone like a slap in the face as she walked out of work. She and Elliot Readwell had been working late, planning for tomorrow morning’s lesson.

It was past 9:30pm and they had left because they thought they were ready. Otherwise they would have worked on if necessary. Even to past midnight.

Olivia pulled her jacket a little closer round her shoulders. She laughed at something Elliot said. She enjoyed his company.

It wasn’t love; she didn’t love him, not in that way at least. Their love was purely platonic. (Or so she told herself) and anyway it could never go any further now.

She had a theory Elliot was gay, though this had never been proved. He had not come out yet. She wasn’t sure if he ever would.

He put a friendly hand round her shoulders and she leaned into him. The wind caught Olivia’s caramel hair and it whipped sharply round her face and then streamed out behind her like a banner.

Look at that. A full moon Olivia noted.

Very nice. Going to turn into a werewolf or something? Do you want to go for a drink? A wind down? Elliot suggested.

Olivia thought for a minute. She was tired, but a drink might wake her up a little. It had been a shit of a day and if anything it might help her to forget, or at least numb something she hadn’t realised had been hurting.

The pain had become almost like a friend. If that was taken away she might well feel empty and lonely.

She had even