The City of a Thousand Ghosts

The City of A Thousand Ghosts (Relic Hunters #9) By David Leadbeater Other Books by David Leadbeater: The Matt Drake Series A constantly evolving, action-packed romp based in the escapist action-adventure genre: The Bones of Odin (Matt Drake #1) The Blood King Conspiracy (Matt Drake #2) The Gates of Hell (Matt Drake 3) The Tomb of the Gods (Matt Drake #4) Brothers in Arms (Matt Drake #5) The Swords of Babylon (Matt Drake #6) Blood Vengeance (Matt Drake #7) Last Man Standing (Matt Drake #8) The Plagues of Pandora (Matt Drake #9) The Lost Kingdom (Matt Drake #10) The Ghost Ships of Arizona (Matt Drake #11) The Last Bazaar (Matt Drake #12) The Edge of Armageddon (Matt Drake #13) The Treasures of Saint Germain (Matt Drake #14) Inca Kings (Matt Drake #15) The Four Corners of the Earth (Matt Drake #16) The Seven Seals of Egypt (Matt Drake #17) Weapons of the Gods (Matt Drake #18) The Blood King Legacy (Matt Drake #19) Devil’s Island (Matt Drake #20) The Fabergé Heist (Matt Drake #21) Four Sacred Treasures (Matt Drake #22) The Sea Rats (Matt Drake #23) Blood King Takedown (Matt Drake #24) Devil’s Junction (Matt Drake #25) Voodoo soldiers (Matt Drake #26) The Carnival of Curiosities (Matt Drake #27) Theatre of War (Matt Drake #28) Shattered Spear (Matt Drake #29) Ghost Squadron (Matt Drake #30) A Cold Day in Hell (Matt Drake #31) The Winged Dagger (Matt Drake #32) The Alicia Myles Series Aztec Gold (Alicia Myles #1) Crusader’s Gold (Alicia Myles #2) Caribbean Gold (Alicia Myles #3) Chasing Gold (Alicia Myles #4) Galleon’s Gold (Alicia Myles #5) The Torsten Dahl Thriller Series Stand Your Ground (Dahl Thriller #1) The Relic Hunters Series The Relic Hunters (Relic Hunters #1) The Atlantis Cipher (Relic Hunters #2) The Amber Secret (Relic Hunters #3) The Hostage Diamond (Relic Hunters #4) The Rocks of Albion (Relic Hunters #5) The Illuminati Sanctum (Relic Hunters #6) The Illuminati Endgame (Relic Hunters #7) The Atlantis Heist (Relic Hunters #8) The Joe Mason Series The Vatican Secret (Joe Mason #1) The Demon Code (Joe Mason #2) The Midnight Conspiracy (Joe Mason #3) The Rogue Series Rogue (Book One) The Disavowed Series: The Razor’s Edge (Disavowed #1) In Harm’s Way (Disavowed #2) Threat Level: Red (Disavowed #3) The Chosen Few Series Chosen (The Chosen Trilogy #1) Guardians (The Chosen Trilogy #2) Heroes (The Chosen Trilogy #3) Short Stories Walking with Ghosts (A short story) A Whispering of Ghosts (A short story) All genuine comments are very welcome at: [email protected] Twitter: @dleadbeater2011 Visit David’s website for the latest news and information: davidleadbeater.com Contents Other Books by David Leadbeater: PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY ONE CHAPTER TWENTY TWO CHAPTER TWENTY THREE CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY SIX CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT CHAPTER TWENTY NINE CHAPTER THIRTY CHAPTER THIRTY ONE CHAPTER THIRTY TWO CHAPTER THIRTY THREE CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE CHAPTER THIRTY SIX CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT CHAPTER THIRTY NINE CHAPTER FORTY CHAPTER FORTY ONE CHAPTER FORTY TWO Other Books by David Leadbeater: PROLOGUE 1866 Baron Edouard Barbeau paced the length of his sitting room, up and down, up and down, consumed with weighty matters that alternatively made him feel anxious and fretful, or ecstatic. His shoulders were broad, and they needed to be to carry the weight of responsibility that presided over him. It was a cold and dark early evening. The big old house, well maintained, still whistled in places where freezing draughts pierced old timber frames or slipped under door jambs. In here, though, he was warm. The fire blazed in the hearth, fiery demons spitting from the heart of the conflagration, one making strange sizzling shapes in the air as it leapt out of the flames and landed on the coal-streaked fireside. Barbeau watched it for a while, lost in thought. A servant scuttled into the room, asking if the Baron needed anything. A flick of a finger sent the man on his way. The Order of Mammon, he thought. It was growing, becoming far bigger than he had ever envisaged. It was daunting. Hundreds of members worldwide, each one gained through word of mouth. Men and women who might one day become Enlightened Ones. So many, they were hard to keep track of. But there were ways. Barbeau possessed all the Order’s knowledge. He and just a few others were the current crop of the Enlightened Ones. Despite growing large, the inner circle remained small and Barbeau knew it should be kept that way. Their enemies were everywhere. And their enemies were powerful and ambitious. Barbeau was always careful to stay out of their field of vision. He was a careful man and, since today was his fifty-first birthday, he figured that watchfulness had kept him alive for over half a century. But the bigger the Order grew, the harder it was to keep a secret. Barbeau felt caught between two poised swords. To remain small, to fail to invite in fresh blood, was to potentially wither and die. To grow larger was to attract unwanted attention. But the matter seemed to be out of his hands. The Order was growing. Barbeau paced the room for a while, but then stopped at the large, carved table and poured himself a fresh goblet of wine. The liquid was from his own stock and always went down well. Later, although he wouldn’t finish the great serving he’d poured, he’d wash it down with an old malt. He wondered, briefly, when dinner would be served. Those of the Order who could, met on a monthly basis at an old chapel close to Barbeau’s property. He appreciated the effort everyone made to come on such a regular basis. Some had to travel for hours,