The Zenstones Enigma - Phase 1: The Pursuit of the Shambhala Sapphire

By mark habberley

The Zenstones Enigma - Written by: Mark Habberley

Phase 1: The Pursuit of The Shambhala Sapphire plays out on the dark streets of New York City, the result of events long before in the Himalayas. Murder, deceit and pitched battles rage before an unsuspecting public as two mighty organisations compete for possession of one of five powerful jewels that could decide the fate of the human race and the planet we call home.
There are five Zenstones and the quest for ownership has begun. Arion Industries and the Silver Ghosts both accept the prize is so great that any risk is fully justified.
This is a tale of deadly assassins, futuristic technology, family feuds, lies, greed, egos and too many secrets. Whoever has possession of all the Zenstones will hold the key to world domination in the third millennium.

• Language: English
• Publisher: mark habberley
• Release date: Mar 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310040887

mark habberley

August 2019. I launched The Zenstones Enigma three years ago and during the six months it has been downloaded 250+ times. So, 'Thank You' to all of you who have read the story. I am trying to get a feel for the reason why all of a sudden it has become so popular and also a rough geographical idea of where you lovely people are. I won't push you for feedback, though this is most welcome. Please get in-touch via [e-mail] and I will update you where I am with Phase 2 - The Storm Diamond Ascends. Many Thanks Mark. I live and work in the english countryside near Stratford upon Avon and I am very proud to publish the first part of 'The Zenstones Enigma'.

Book preview

The Zenstones Enigma by

Mark Habberley

Phase 1

The Pursuit of the Shambhala Sapphire

Copyright © 2015 Mark Habberley

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any means - by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without prior written permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Contents

About the Author

About the book

Background

Prologue

Chapter one - The Double Agent

Chapter Two - The Street Fight

Chapter Three - The Terrascraper

Chapter Four - The Casino

Chapter Five - The Hostage

Chapter Six - The Consequences

Chapter Seven - The Rescue

Chapter Eight - The Escape

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

The Zenstones titles to follow…

About the Author

Mark Habberley is a writer. His wife Caroline and the Cornerstones Literary Agency have finally worn him down and he has succumbed to this job title. He now lives and works in rural Warwickshire, England, but was born in the ‘Black Country’ some half a century ago and grew up on the ‘Concrete Jungle’.

He has no previous written work for you to draw reference from or any industry specific experience. He also has very little knowledge of the world of publishing. However, he is very proud to finally finish the first part of ‘The Zenstones Enigma’ and now he hands it over to you for your pleasure. Enjoy!

Please feel free to give your comments to: [e-mail]

Published by: Levengrove

About the Book

The Zenstones Enigma - Written by: Mark Habberley

Phase one: The Pursuit of The Shambhala Sapphire plays out on the dark streets of New York City, the result of events long before in the Himalayas. Murder, deceit and pitched battles rage before an unsuspecting public as two mighty organisations compete for possession of one of five powerful jewels that could decide the fate of the human race and the planet we call home.

There are five Zenstones and the quest for ownership has begun. Arion Industries and the Silver Ghosts both accept the prize is so great that any risk is fully justified.

This is a tale of deadly assassins, futuristic technology, family feuds, lies, greed, egos and too many secrets. Whoever has possession of all the Zenstones will hold the key to world domination in the third millennium.

Background

Two organisations are at war and desperate to possess the five holy Zenstones. These sacred jewels, which were passed down by the tribal leaders of the Himalayas, have powers that could destroy the Earth. All but the Shambhala Sapphire are missing and this story begins with the precious jewel’s ownership in doubt. The prize is so great that any risk will be justified. The following sequence of events will reveal a murky group with an insatiable thirst for power who must be stopped. The world’s survival depends upon it.

Arion Industries are a dark mysterious group. They are primarily a force for good, but have knowledge and power as their prime objectives. It was formed in 1919 by the British military in order to infiltrate the US Government. This was a post-World War I response to the possibility of another war, on another continent. Though the two countries were allies at the time, they did not really trust one another and Great Britain needed every piece of information it could gather to manage world affairs.

In the second half of the twentieth century, due to the strength of the special relationship cemented in World War II, Arion was perceived an unnecessary expense and terminated. However a few well-connected and wealthy individuals saw the potential of maintaining its inventory and capabilities, so it lived on in secret. Now Arion Industries concerns itself with collecting unexplained phenomena, exploring their potential and keeping it out of the wrong hands.

Arion is based in the first building completed at Ground Zero, 6WTC, which descends sixty-seven floors straight down into the earth and is the world’s first terrascraper. It was built in absolute secrecy and with total respect to the resting places of the 2977 victims of September 11, 2001. There is no obvious entrance but it is there hidden amongst the architecture. The terrascraper also has several other access points, which are hidden throughout the city. Using technology light years ahead of what is widely available allowed, it was built within a sealed tunnel that was both sound- and light-proof. Supplies were ferried in submergible barges through ancient underwater trenches from their manufacturing site in northern Greenland, never seeing the light of day during their journey.

Arion Industries is managed by five directors;

MJ Levengrove is the Director of Architecture. He controls the terrascraper and organisational strategies.

Cochrane Valhallan is the Director of Collateral. He directs operatives and cells in the field.

Coco Alleyne is the Director of Synchronicity. She is in charge of mission preparations and ordnance.

Athena Jones Ph.D. is the Director of Heritage. She is a code-maker and code-breaker.

Michael Winchester (Weasel) is the Director of Organics. He is a technical genius and inventor of all specialist apparatus.

The Silver Ghosts (TSG) are the sworn enemies of Arion Industries. They aspire to global supremacy and they will stop at nothing to achieve their objective. Their strength is their hunger. They hunt alone or in packs with devastating effect. Their immense resources and kamikaze attitude make them a terrifying foe. Their North American HQ is located in downtown Vancouver, hidden in plain sight, in one of the most inclusive and friendliest places on earth.

They also occupy a disused sawmill just outside Vavenby BC, which serves as their main training camp. Above the door is inscribed ‘Qualify or die.’

Crawford Montgomery III is a former director of Arion and now heads TSG. A sixth-generation oil baron with a vast fortune he is a rogue player in global financial markets and political affairs. He has invested in military overthrows and oil exploration in Antarctica. His followers are highly trained and ferocious mercenaries.

Major Gerhardt Koller is Crawford’s second in command. He is a former Stasi officer with a ruthless streak. He is in direct command of