Tibetan Cross Read online

  TIBETAN

  CROSS

  MIKE BOND

  ALSO BY

  MIKE BOND

  Saving Paradise

  House of Jaguar

  Holy War

  The Last Savanna

  CRITICS’ PRAISE FOR MIKE BOND

  Tibetan Cross

  “A thriller that everyone should go out and buy right away. The writing is wonderful throughout…This is less a thriller, at times, than essay, with Bond working that fatalistic margin where life and death are one and the existential reality leaves one caring only to survive.” − Sunday Oregonian

  “A tautly written study of one man's descent into living hell…Strong and forceful, its sharply written prose, combined with a straightforward plot, builds a mood of near claustrophobic intensity.” − Spokane Chronicle

  “Grips the reader from the very first chapter until the climactic ending.” − UPI

  “Bond's deft thriller will reinforce your worst fears…A taut, tense tale of pursuit.” − Publishers Weekly

  “One of the most exciting in recent fiction…an astonishing thriller that speaks profoundly about the venality of governments and the nobility of man.” − San Francisco Examiner

  “It is a thriller…Incredible, but also believable.” − Associated Press

  “Murderous intensity…A tense and graphically written story.” − Richmond Times-Dispatch

  “The most jaundiced adventure fan will be held by Tibetan Cross.” − Sacramento Bee

  “Intense and unforgettable.” − Fort Lauderdale SunSentinel

  “Grips the reader from the opening chapter and never lets go.” − Miami Herald

  A “chilling story of escape and pursuit.” − Tacoma News-Tribune

  “The settings are exotic, minutely described, filled with colorful characters.” − Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  “Almost impossible to put down…Relentless. As only reality can have a certain ring to it, so does this book. It is naked and brutal and mind boggling in its scope. It is a living example of not being able to hide, ever…The hardest-toned book I've ever read. And the most frightening glimpse of mankind I've seen. This is a 10 if ever there was one.” − I Love a Mystery

  Saving Paradise

  “Bond is easily one of the 21stCentury's most exciting authors…An action packed, must read novel…taking readers behind the alluring façade of Hawaii's pristine beaches and tourist traps into a festering underworld of murder, intrigue and corruption… Saving Paradise is a powerful editorial against the cancerous trends of crony capitalism and corrupt governance.” – Washington Times

  “A complex, entertaining…lusciously convoluted story.” – Kirkus Reviews

  “Saving Paradise will change you…It will call into question what little you really know, what people want you to believe you know and then hit you with a deep wave of dangerous truths…[The author's] intellect and creativity dance together on the pages, braiding fiction into deeper truths about ourselves, our nature, our government, our history and our future.” – Where Truth Meets Fiction

  “Saving Paradise is an absolutely fabulous book…a wonderful book.” – Art Zuckerman, WVOX

  “Saving Paradise is a rousing crime thriller – but it is so much more…a highly atmospheric thriller focusing on a side of Hawaiian life that tourists seldom see.” – Book Chase

  “An absolute page-turner” – Ecotopia Radio

  “He's a tough guy, a cynic who describes the problems of the world as a bottomless pit, but can't stop trying to solve them. He's Pono Hawkins, the hero of Mike Bond's new Hawaii-based thriller, Saving Paradise…an intersection of fiction and real life.” – Hawaii Public Radio

  “From start to finish, I never put it down.” – Bucket List Publications

  “A wonderful book…quite powerful.” – KUSA TV, Denver

  “A fascinating book.” – KSFO, San Francisco

  “Saving Paradise is one heck of a crime novel/thriller and highly recommended!” – Crystal Book Reviews

  “You're going to love the plot of this book.” – KFVE TV

  “A wonderful book that everyone should read.” – Clear Channel Radio

  “A very well written, fast-paced and exciting thriller.” – Mystery Maven Reviews

  Bond “incorporate(s) a lot of the reality of wind turbines and wind energy hype and fantasy into Saving Paradise along with a very spectacular character, former Special Forces veteran Pono Hawkins…” – Chris DeBello, Issues and Ideas, WNNJ-FM

  “A fast pace thrill ride that I think a lot of my mystery junkie readers would love…The descriptions of Hawaii are beautiful and detailed.” – Romancebookworm's Reviews

  “A complex murder mystery about political and corporate greed and corruption…Bond's vivid descriptions of Hawaii bring Saving Paradise vibrantly to life.” – Book Reviews and More

  House of Jaguar

  “A high-octane story rife with action, from U.S. streets to Guatemalan jungles…Bond's kinetic novel abounds with intense scenes…The characters are fully limned…Not surprisingly, the novel ends with a shock, one that might have a few readers gasping.” – Kirkus Reviews

  “A riveting thriller of murder, politics, and lies.” − London Broadcasting

  “Tough and tense thriller.” − Manchester Evening News (UK)

  “There are not enough words to describe how outstanding and entertaining this book is. Intriguing, exciting, captivating, sexy… absolutely incredible…a great thriller.” – NetGalley Reviews

  “A thoroughly amazing book…And a terrifying depiction of one man's battle against the CIA and Latin American death squads.” – BBC

  “Vicious thriller of drugs and revolution in the wilds of Guatemala, with the adventurer hero, aided by a woman doctor, facing a crooked CIA agent. The climax is among the most horrifying I have ever read.” − Liverpool Daily Post (UK)

  “A riveting story where even the good guys are bad guys, set in the politically corrupt and drug infested world of present-day Central America.” − Middlesborough Evening Gazette (UK)

  “With detailed descriptions of actual jungle battles and manhunts, vanishing rain forests and the ferocity of guerrilla war, House of Jaguar also reveals the CIA's role in both death squads and drug running, twin scourges of Central America.” − Newton Chronicle (UK)

  “Bond grips the reader from the very first page. An ideal thriller for the beach, but be prepared to be there when the sun goes down.” − Herald Express (UK)

  Holy War

  “One of the best reads of 2014…A fast-paced, beautifully written, heart-breaking thriller.” – NetGalley Reviews

  “A gripping tale of passion, hostage-taking and war, set against a war-ravaged Beirut.” − Evening News (UK)

  “A tangled web and an entertaining one. Action-filled thriller.” − Manchester Evening News (UK)

  “If you are looking to get a driver's seat look at the landscape of modern conflict, holy wars, and the Middle East then this is the perfect book to do so. Be warned though: This is real, this is raw and totally unfiltered.” – Masterful Book Reviews

  “Intense, chilling and unforgettable.” – Suncoast Reader's Reviews

  “Eye-opening, terrifying and realistic, Mike Bond writes from the heart…I promise you, if you read Holy War, you will come away changed.” – Tometender Reviews

  “A supercharged thriller set in the hell hole that was Beirut… A story to chill and haunt you.” − Peterborough Evening Telegraph (UK)

  “A profound tale of war, written with grace and understanding by a novelist who thoroughly knows the subject…Literally impossible to stop reading.” − British Armed Forces Broadcasting

  “A pacy and convincing thriller with a deeper than usual understanding abou
t his subject and a sure feel for his characters.” − Daily Examiner (UK)

  “A marvelous book – impossible to put down. A sense of being where few people have survived.” − London Broadcasting

  “Short sharp sentences that grip from the start…A tale of fear, hatred, revenge, and desire, flicking between bloody Beirut and the lesser battles of London and Paris.” − Evening Herald (UK)

  “A novel about the horrors of war…a very authentic look at the situation which was Beirut.” − South Wales Evening Post (UK)

  “A stunning novel of love and loss, good and evil, of real people who live in our hearts after the last page is done… Unusual and profound.” − Greater London Radio

  The Last Savanna

  “One of the most realistic portrayals of Africa yet… Dynamic, heart-breaking and timely to current events, Bond's latest book is a must-read.” – Yahoo Reviews

  “Tragic and beautiful, sentimental and ruthless, The Last Savanna is a vast and wonderful book.” – NetGalley Reviews

  “The novel is sheer intensity, depicting the immense, arid land and never-ending scenes of people trekking across it…The villains are are so strongly developed…but it's the volatile nature of nature itself that gives the story its greatest distinction…Will make readers sweat with its relentless pace.” – Kirkus Reviews

  “An intense and emotional story about the African wilderness…masterfully done…so many characters and themes that come into this, it's amazing… The Last Savanna is intense, beautiful and completely captures the powerful emotion in this story. I was blown away.” − RealityLapse Reviews

  “A manhunt through crocodile-infested jungle, sun-scorched savannah, and impenetrable mountains as a former SAS man tries to save the life of the woman he loves but cannot have.” − Evening Telegraph (UK)

  “A fast-paced action novel set in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia… an intense and personal portrayal of the beauty and violence of Africa, from the brutal slaughter of iconic wildlife species, the stunning wildness of the landscape, and the growth of terrorism.” – Out There Monthly

  “A powerful love story set in the savage jungles and deserts of East Africa.” − Daily Examiner (UK)

  “Pulsating with the sights, sounds, and dangers of wild Africa, its varied languages and peoples, the harsh warfare of the northern deserts and the hunger of denied love.” − Newton Chronicle (UK)

  “A gripping thriller.” − Liverpool Daily Post

  “Exciting, action-packed…A nightmarish vision of Africa.” − Manchester Evening News (UK)

  “The imagery was so powerful and built emotions so intense that I had to stop reading a few times to regain my composure.” − African Publishers’ Network

  “An unforgettable odyssey into the wilderness, mysteries, and perils of Africa…A book to be cherished and remembered.” − Greater London Radio

  “The central figure is not human; it is the barren, terrifying landscape of Northern Kenya and the deadly creatures who inhabit it.” − Daily Telegraph (UK)

  “An entrancing, terrifying vision of Africa. A story that not only thrills but informs… Impossible to set aside or forget.” – BBC

  “Mike Bond's The Last Savanna is shot through with images of the natural world at its most fearsome and most merciful.…Bond touches on the vast and eerie depths that lie under the thin crust of civilization and the base instinct within man to survive…A thoroughly enjoyable read that comes highly recommended.” − Nottingham Observer (UK)

  “The Last Savanna is wonderful. Mike Bond's books are a national treasure.” – Art Zuckerman, WVOX

  “The opening of the book alone is so beautifully written that it was hard not to fall instantly into the story. It definitely feels like you are right there in Africa…” – Exploring All Genres

  “Bond's intense bond with Africa palpitates throughout The Last Savanna…The tension in the novel begins in the first pages and clutches the reader in its grasp until the end… Readers will find similarities to the emotional tension and themes in William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, and The Last Savanna sheds light on the dark corners of Africa – and mankind.≥ – Angela Amman Reviews

  “There were many parts that set this book apart from other books about Africa, but most notably the characters and beautiful writing…I found myself having a difficult time putting the book down…And while the sentences were beautiful on their own, together they painted a wondrous pictures of Africa and a beautiful wilderness.” – Book Reviews By Me

  “The Last Savanna is an unflinching look at the beauty and violence of Africa, the horror of the slaughter of the great beasts, the delicate balance of tribal life, the growth of terrorism and the timeless landscape.” – Book Binge Reviews

  “From the opening page maintains an exhilarating pace until the closing line…A highly entertaining and gripping read.” – East African Wild Life Society

  To the memory of

  Richard and Isobelle Bond

  TIBETAN

  CROSS

  MIKE BOND

  MANDEVILLA PRESS

  Weston, CT 06883

  Tibetan Cross is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, companies and/or organizations is entirely coincidental. Initially published in a different form as Fire Like the Sun by St. Martin's/Marek, New York.

  Copyright © 2014 by Mike Bond

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in the United States by Mandevilla Press

  Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint from the following: An Area of Darkness, © 1964 V. S. Naipaul, Penguin Books; “Connection,” Rolling Stones (© 1967 Jagger; Richards), London Records; “Visions of Johanna,” © 1966 Bob Dylan, Columbia mRecords; Oeuvres Complètes, © 1962, Montaigne, Éditions Gallimard, Paris; Noces, © 1950 Albert Camus, Éditions Gallimard, Paris; “The Waste Land,” T. S. Eliot © 1930, Harcourt, Brace, and World, Inc., New York

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Bond, Mike

  Tibetan Cross: a novel/Mike Bond

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-1-62704-012-9

  1. Nuclear War – Fiction. 2. CIA – Fiction. 3. Thriller – Fiction. 4. Cold War – Fiction. 5. Manhunt – Fiction. 6. Romance – Fiction. 7. Tibet – Fiction. I. Title

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cover photo © Torfinn Berset/Getty Images

  Author photo © PF Bentley/PFPix.com

  Cover design: Asha Hossain Design, Inc.

  Book design: Jude Bond @ BondMultimedia.com

  www.MikeBondBooks.com

  The world is illusion, the Hindus say. We talk of despair, but true despair lies too deep for formulation.

  – V. S. NAIPAUL

  To be hunted confers a certain terror, beyond dread of death, that is henceforth inextinguishable. The only exorcism of this terror is a reversal of roles, the prey becoming hunter and the hunter prey. But such occasions are few in the forests of life, when the doe, malcontent with her fate, stalks the leopard, the hare the hawk, or the man of peace the man of war.

  1

  THE RIVER THUNDERED over the bamboo footbridge, snatched his ankles and smashed him into the rail. Rain roared down his face into his eyes and mouth; wind whipped the bridge, its rope rails ripping his fingers. Bare feet skidding on the slats, he shook the rain from his eyes and inched forward. Before him the bridge skipped and darted above the black churning waves, its far end ascending toward a trail notched into the cliff. A tree swirled past, its roots clawing his leg. A chunk of the canyon broke loose and boomed into the river. Wanting to quit he glanced back; the bridge yawed wildly.

  Through veils
of wind-lashed rain he glimpsed the others watching helplessly from the trail: Alex and Paul bellied out on the cliff edge steadying the bridge hawsers, Stihl and Eliott huddled under glistening ponchos, ten near-naked Nepali porters squatting beside their loads, Goteen the Sherpa hunkered motionless to one side.

  The bridge lurched sideways and he dove hugging it, turning to see Alex crawling toward him. He waved Alex back, shifting his weight; the bridge spun, the river surged up and yanked him under, his fingers skating from the slats; freezing water crushed his ears and bones, his fingers wrapping round a trailing cable in the terror of death as the gale snapped the bridge from his grasp.

  I won't die. Fingers numbly slipping. Not now. This cable. Knot at the end. Oh God my arm. Please let go. One hand closer. Jesus the pain. I will not die. Another handhold, slipping. The bridge lunged higher, whipping his head above the icy, eye-sucking current. Oh God air. How lovely air. Another hold. Hold no matter what.

  Hands without feeling, pain beyond pain. Will not die. Can see. One hold closer. Please let go. Not now. God save me save me. New hold, hand over hand now, hook fingers over slat, now bite this edge, one arm up, over bridge. Pull. Inch by inch he dragged his chest atop the slats, lay choking and gasping.

  Over screaming wind and battering rain Paul was speaking into his ear but he could not hear him, only feel his presence. Paul grabbed his arms and crawled dragging him along the bridge toward the far canyon wall and up onto its foot-wide trail.

  It seemed the rain had lessened slightly. He leaned back against the cliff, legs over the edge, mind vacant, eyes on the snakelike whirl of wind-driven rain over the roiling river. I was dead. This is all new. Paul brought me back. My beloved brother Paul.

  The wind ebbed, increasing the river's roar. He inspected his lacerated underarms and chest, tried to breathe deeply but that hurt. “Didn't figure it,” he rasped.